Photos by Robert Richard, Tara Bowker
RACE DAY NOTEBOOK – WEATHERFORD WINS PRO BOOT WHILE THE FRANKLIN FAMILY WINS AND LOSES IN PRO NITROUS
1 – THE CENTRIFUGAL ADVANTAGE – Randy Weatherford swept the Pro Boost category at the PDRA Northern Nationals, qualifying No. 1 and winning his first event since 2021. Driving his Steve Petty‑tuned WS Construction ’21 Camaro, Weatherford ran 3.578 seconds at 211.07 mph in the final as Ty Tutterow fouled out by .017 seconds with a 3.576 at 209.40.
“Dustin [Hart] told me he was working on a centrifugal supercharger and he got it right,” Weatherford said. “We came here to prove a point. We’re not out, we’re not dead. We’re back. Now I know I can run with these guys. I can stay right there with them. That’s huge. It makes you as a driver drive better because you know you’ve got something that can win.”
As the top qualifier, Weatherford earned a first‑round bye before facing recent Maryland runner‑up Steve King in round two. King went red by .008 seconds, while Weatherford advanced with a 3.603 at 211.37.
In the semifinals, Weatherford cut a .005 light and ran 3.58 at 211.37 to defeat two‑time and reigning world champion Jason Harris, who posted a 3.594.
2 – TUTTEROW’S ROAD TO THE FINAL – Ty Tutterow reached his second consecutive final round in Pro Boost after winning the North vs. South Shootout in Maryland. Driving Justin Smith’s screw‑blown Quik Fuel ’69 Camaro tuned by his father, two‑time world champion Todd “King Tut” Tutterow, he qualified third for the PDRA Northern Nationals.
Tutterow advanced past Puerto Rico’s Raymond Matos in the opening round despite Matos cutting a perfect .000 reaction time. He responded with a 3.612‑second pass at 209.40 mph to take the win.
In round two, Tutterow ran 3.626 at 208.04 to drive around Johnny Camp, who posted a 3.659. He stepped up in the semifinals with a 3.592 at 208.24 to defeat Preston Tanner’s 3.62 and move into the final.
3 – FAMILY MATTERS – Amber Denton claimed her first career Pro Nitrous victory in a final‑round matchup with her father, three‑time world champion Tommy Franklin, at the PDRA Northern Nationals. Both drivers faced engine issues earlier in the day, with Franklin using a wounded engine and Denton borrowing an engine from competitor Buddy Perkinson.
The pair lined up for a rare family final without nitrous oxide activated, resulting in slower runs than usual. Denton won by .006 seconds with a 5.44‑second pass at 147.49 mph to Franklin’s 5.468 at 149.01.
“I‘ve dreamed about getting to a final with my dad since I could remember, and it’s definitely not the way we imagined it,” Denton said. “I got up here and I got strapped in and I took a second and just soaked it all in because it was awesome.”
Denton, who qualified second, opened eliminations by driving past defending event winner Jackie Slone Jr. with a 3.666 at 206.42 to Slone’s 3.772. She advanced on a second‑round bye with a 3.692 at 205.76, earning lane choice for the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Denton defeated Billy Albert on a holeshot, running 3.661 at 195.23 to Albert’s quicker 3.641 at 208.14. She leaves the event still leading the points standings.
4 – DAD’S ROAD TO THE FINALS – Tommy Franklin qualified fifth in Pro Nitrous at the PDRA Northern Nationals, driving his Musi‑powered “Jungle Rat 3.0” ’69 Camaro. He opened eliminations with a 3.713‑second solo pass at 187.50 mph.
Franklin advanced to the semifinals after Marcus Butner fouled by .007 seconds on a 3.776 run in round two. Franklin coasted to a 4.635 on the pass.
In the semifinals, Franklin made a full run after No. 1 qualifier Tim Paap was shut off following his burnout. Franklin’s 3.723 at 176.40 mph wounded his engine, leaving him short of full power for the final.
5 – SHOOTOUT AT YOUNG GUN CORRAL – Defending Pro Street world champion Ethan Steding earned the event win over points leader Blake Denton in a supercharged versus nitrous final at the PDRA Northern Nationals. Steding drove his Ty and Todd Tutterow‑tuned, roots‑blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” ’24 Camaro to a career‑best 3.888 seconds at 194.55 mph to beat Denton, who slowed to a 3.972 at 193.80.
“I give it all to these guys behind me – Ty Tutterow, Todd Tutterow, and their whole gang – Brad Schmidt and KB back in the shop and John Redfield on this car,” Steding said. “We were on the struggle bus a little bit this week and we finally got a handle on the car. Then on that pass [in the final], it just was riding and riding and I wasn’t lifting. I was not lifting.”
Steding opened eliminations with a 3.942 at 195.48 to defeat Jake Blain, who ran 4.233. In round two, Steding improved to a 3.929 at 195.23 to beat Nick Agostino, who slowed to 4.608.
In the semifinals, Steding ran 3.913 at 195.57 to eliminate top qualifier Fletcher Cox. Cox, a Pro Street rookie and former NFL lineman, slowed to a 3.961 at 165.93 after recording a class‑best 3.82 run in qualifying.
Steding started race day with a 3.942 at 195.48 to eliminate Port Huron, Michigan’s Jake Blain and his 4.233. He stepped up to a 3.929 at 195.23 to defeat Nick Agostino, who slowed to a 4.608 in their second-round match. Steding dispatched Super Bowl champion turned Pro Street rookie Fletcher Cox in the semifinals, running a 3.913 at 195.57 next to Cox’s 3.961 at 165.93, which was off pace from the monster 3.82-second run Cox recorded to qualify No. 1 on Friday.
6 – HOW BONNIE AND BLAKE MADE THE FINAL – Blake Denton, driver of the nitrous-fed, Musi-powered “Bonnie” ’69 Camaro Lizzy Musi tribute, qualified second and set low E.T. of the opening round with a 3.928 at 200.27 to beat Richard Reagan and his 3.962. Texan Adrian Herrera went red and lifted to a 4.32 while Denton sailed to a 3.932 at 196.94 when the two faced off in the second round. Improving upon his qualifying performance, Denton dipped back into the 3.80s in the semifinals with his 3.889 at 205.01 to knock out No. 3 qualifier Ron Green and his 3.982.
7 – DRINKWATER SCORES BIG – Alan Drinkwater scored his second consecutive Extreme Pro Stock victory, adding to his points lead over Jeremy Huffman at the PDRA Northern Nationals. Drinkwater, the 2023 world champion, left first in the final and ran 4.114 seconds at 176.96 mph in his Kaase‑powered Flatout Gaskets ’08 Mustang. Huffman, the No. 1 qualifier and second in points, slowed to a 4.537 at 165.81.
“I think this puts us maybe two rounds ahead of Huffman. They’ve been a tough customer all year,” Drinkwater said. “We haven’t had any Racepak data since our third test run, so we’ve kind of been shooting in the dark the last six runs. But we’re making it happen. Consistency is key. We just try to make it up and down the racetrack every single time.”
Drinkwater qualified second and faced two‑time and defending champion Chris Powers in the opening round. Powers went red on the starting line, while Drinkwater advanced with a 4.082 at 177.65.
Huffman advanced to the final after his first‑round opponent, Bill Neri, could not make the call. Huffman made a 4.075 at 177.51 on the single pass to earn lane choice for the final.
8 – MELNICK TRAVELS DOWN DOMINATION LANE AGAIN – Jeff Melnick, the 2023 Pro 632 world champion, won his third consecutive Northern Nationals title and second straight race of the season. Driving Alan O’Brien’s Barry Allen‑powered Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’20 Camaro, Melnick ran a 4.144‑second pass at 171.69 mph to defeat No. 1 qualifier Lexi Tanner, who posted a 4.176 at 170.78.
Melnick has now won the Michigan race with three different engines – an AMC in 2023, a Chevy in 2024 and a Ford this year. “We won with the AMC, we won with the Chevy, and now we won with the Ford,” Melnick said. “The team is just awesome. They just take it in stride and they figure out a way to make this car fast no matter what.”
After qualifying second, Melnick posted low elapsed time of every round. He ran 4.156 at 171.89 to beat Joe Valerio’s 4.354 in round one, then 4.173 at 171.10 to eliminate Nicole Liberty’s 4.205 in the semifinals.
Tanner, who earned her second career No. 1 qualifier, advanced to the final after a first‑round bye and a semifinal win over rookie Carson Hoyle. Hoyle cut a perfect .000 light but slowed to 4.22 as Tanner moved on with a 4.181 at 170.58.
With the win, Melnick also claimed the $8,000 Power Purse prize provided by Talbert Manufacturing.
9 – LAFLAM, KINTZ HEADLINE SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONS – Bryan LaFlam won the Elite Top Sportsman final at the PDRA Northern Nationals, claiming an $8,000 Power Purse prize presented by Butcher & Son Demolition. LaFlam, driving his supercharged BigStuff TPM ’67 Mustang, ran 3.791 on a 3.78 dial‑in after Jeff Simons went red by .023 in his ProCharged ’69 Camaro.
Gary Kintz defeated Jeff Talvacchio in the Top Sportsman 32 final in a near‑dead‑even matchup. Kintz left first and posted a 4.186 on a 4.18 dial‑in in his ’07 GTO to beat Talvacchio’s 4.198 on a 4.19 dial‑in in his ’69 Camaro.
In Elite Top Dragster, Al Peavler claimed the win after No. 2 qualifier KC Ingram went red by .025 in the final. Peavler, driving his ProCharged ’25 American dragster, advanced from the No. 15 spot to the FuelTech winner’s circle.
Chaz Silance, the 2018 Elite Top Dragster champion, won the Top Dragster 32 final over fellow North Carolina driver Clayton Roberts. Silance ran 4.481 on a 4.48 dial‑in in his ’21 Race Tech dragster after Roberts broke out with a 4.215 on a 4.25 dial‑in.
10 – UP NEXT: BRISTOL, BABY! – The Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series will be back in action later this month at the second annual Thunder Valley Throwdown presented by Larry Jeffers Race Cars, Aug. 21-23, at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn.
QUALIFYING NOTEBOOK – PAAP GETS ANOTHER ONE, COX SHINES, BILL GLIDDEN RETURNS
1 – PAAP DOES IT AGAIN IN PRO NITROUS – Tim Paap earned his second No. 1 qualifier of the season in Pro Nitrous after running 3.624 seconds at 206.61 mph in the final qualifying session at the PDRA Northern Nationals. Paap, who won the season opener in his class debut, missed the second race due to his son’s wedding and is working to regain points in the championship standings.
“I did not know if that 3.62 run was gonna hold up for No. 1,” Paap said. “There’s a lot of tough people in this competitive field. It feels great to be back in the No. 1 spot for the first time since the beginning of the season. I had to miss one race for my son’s wedding, but we’re still going for the championship. That’s all I can say. Hold on.”
Paap edged fellow rookie Amber Denton by one thousandth of a second for the top spot. Denton, who entered the event as the points leader, qualified second at 3.625 and 208.82 in her Musi-powered “OG Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro.
Engine builder Billy Albert qualified third at 3.637 and 207.28 in Stan Nance’s Rickie Smith-tuned Structural Mechanical ’20 Camaro. Albert’s run came after his car made contact with the retaining wall earlier in the day.
2 – WEATHERFORD SHINES IN PRO BOOST – Randy Weatherford secured his first No. 1 qualifier award in PDRA Pro Boost competition since 2020 with a 3.578-second run at 212.06 mph during the Northern Nationals. Driving his WS Construction ’21 Camaro, Weatherford debuted a Harts Charger centrifugal supercharger that delivered its first top qualifier performance.
Weatherford, a former Pro Nitrous driver, gave the new combination its first No. 1 qualifying effort in PDRA competition. The Virginia-based driver had not qualified No. 1 since his Pro Nitrous days five years ago.
Kurt Steding, last year’s championship runner-up, posted a 3.596 at 209.69 in his Todd Tutterow-tuned, screw-blown P2 Contracting ’69 Camaro to qualify second. Steding was the only other driver to dip into the 3.50s during the session.
Ty Tutterow, son of veteran tuner Todd Tutterow, put Justin Smith’s screw-blown Quik Fuel ’69 Camaro third with a 3.597 at 209.40. The second-generation driver narrowly missed the No. 2 spot by one-thousandth of a second.
3 – TOUCHDOWN FOR COX – Fletcher Cox made the quickest pass in PDRA Pro Street history with a 3.829-second run at 192.31 mph to earn his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier award Friday night at the Northern Nationals. The recently retired NFL star drove his nitrous-fed “Training Day” ’69 Camaro with tuner Phil Shuler calling the shots.
“I got a small little office between the seat and the steering wheel. That’s what I do,” Cox said. “Phil makes all the calls and the team gets together on decision making. Like I said, I was just told to hold on and that’s what I did. At the stripe I instantly came on the radio and said, ‘I don’t know what it ran, but it felt really good.’”
Cox’s pass was quicker than the 3.864-second class elapsed time record set by Brian Weddle at the 2024 World Finals. He will need to back up the run within one percent during eliminations to officially claim the record.
“Qualifying No. 1, yeah, that’s fun and that’s fancy, right? But that gets you lane choice for round one, and we’re looking to move,” Cox said. “Obviously we went out in E2 at the last race, so we’re looking to better that. Everybody on this team is competitive. We’re looking forward to tomorrow, and hopefully we’ll go some rounds. We think we’ve got a hot rod this weekend.”
Points leader Blake Denton, who has reached all three final rounds this season and won twice, qualified second with a 3.893 at 195.74 in the Musi-powered “Bonnie” ’69 Camaro. Class veteran Ron Green, recently switching to a screw-blown setup in his “Gamechanger” ’00 Firebird, was third at 3.901 and 199.12.
4 – WILL’S THRILL PAYS OFF – Will Smith, marketing director for the Professional Drag Racers Association, spends most of his time ensuring the series’ promotional and marketing efforts run smoothly. On off weekends, he straps into a dragster, chasing his own racing goals in Top Fuel and Top Alcohol Dragster.
Last week in Milan, Michigan, Smith achieved a milestone by earning his first career national event victory in Top Alcohol Dragster at an IHRA event. “It’s been a long journey and there were days that I wondered if it was actually going to happen,” Smith said. “But when you surround yourself with good people and a great team, a great car, it performs at the top, and great marketing partners, you’re bound to succeed.”
Smith credited the Samsel family for providing the opportunity to compete. “We came in with one goal, as we always do,” he said. “The goal is to win, always. That was our mission to go there and win, and that we did.”
Returning to his day job at the PDRA, Smith said the response to his win has been overwhelming. “My phone has been going off non-stop since Sunday,” he said. “The people who have reached out to me, the people who have been here at the track so far have come up to me and they make you feel like you’re John Force or somebody.”
Smith said hearing from longtime racers like Tim Grose, Darrell Gwynn and Larry Morgan made the win even more meaningful. “It was the coolest thing when I got out of the car at the top end of the track and saw Larry Morgan there, and he came down to congratulate me,” he said.
Despite the attention, Smith returned to his regular duties. “I’m still on cloud nine about it,” he said. “But unfortunately, no driving, no crewing this weekend. Back to work. I love drag racing. I’m just on the other side of the fence this weekend doing my day-to-day work, so got to pay bills too.”
5 – HUFFMAN GETS HIS FIRST OF 2025 – Jeremy Huffman earned his first No. 1 qualifier award of the season in Extreme Pro Stock with a 4.047-second run at 178.15 mph in his 3V Performance-powered ’10 Cobalt. The effort ended reigning champion Chris Powers’ three-race streak of top qualifying positions.
“It feels awesome to pick up our first No. 1 qualifier of the year,” Huffman said. “We’ve been anxious and working hard to get that No. 1 qualifier belt back from Chris Powers, who has had it all year. We are very motivated to leave U.S. 131 with a win and the points lead. We have a great race car right now and just need to put it all together on race day to leave here with the win.”
Alan Drinkwater, the 2023 world champion who won the previous tour event to take the points lead, qualified second with a 4.08 at 176.61 in his Kaase-powered Flatout Gaskets ’08 Mustang.
Powers qualified third at 4.109 and 176.82 in his Sonny’s Racing Engines ’21 Camaro, while Bill Neri rounded out the field at 4.193 and 174.76 in his Illinois-based “Prosecutor” ’08 Cobalt.
6 – TANNER GETS ANOTHER NO. 1 QUALIFIER – Lexi Tanner secured her second Pro 632 No. 1 qualifier award of the season with a 4.148-second run at 171.56 mph in the final qualifying session at the PDRA Northern Nationals. Tanner, of Rensselaer, Indiana, closed out 2024 with a win at the World Finals and began 2025 with her first career top qualifier and a runner-up finish.
She added another runner-up finish at the most recent race in her Musi-powered “Thunder” ’16 Camaro. Tanner now enters race day from the No. 1 spot for the second time in her career as she looks for her first win of the season at her home event.
“Getting another No. 1 qualifier is a big step, but the goal is always to turn it into a win on Sunday,” Tanner said. “We’ve been close a couple of times this year, and we’re ready to get it done.”
Points leader and 2023 world champion Jeff Melnick, who qualified No. 1 at the last two races and is the most recent tour winner, was second at 4.152 and 171.82 in Alan O’Brien’s Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’20 Camaro.
Season opener winner Walter Lannigan qualified third at 4.159 and 169.75 in Chris Holdorf’s Nelson-powered C&C Pumping Services ’10 GTO.
7 – OH BILLY! – Billy Glidden, son of drag racing legend Bob Glidden, returned to competition this weekend in Pro Street. Racing a nitrous‑fed Beretta dubbed “DobbyXpress” in partnership with Mark Young, he qualified No. 16 with a 4.130-second elapsed time.
Glidden’s debut in the PDRA’s Pro Street series paired him with No. 1 qualifier Fletcher Cox in the opening round. The matchup pits the veteran driver against a Super Bowl champion turned Pro Street standout.
Glidden has endured a winding comeback to racing, drawing on persistence and passion.
The Beretta, built to stock‑body specifications with a small‑block nitrous setup, represents a fresh chapter in Glidden’s career.
8 – KLOOSTER UNSEATS BUTCHER ATOP TOP SPORTSMAN – For the first time this season, someone other than defending Elite Top Sportsman world champion Glenn Butcher qualified No. 1. Kalamazoo native Don Klooster claimed the top spot with a 3.738-second pass at 198.85 mph in his supercharged ’70 ’Cuda.
Bryan LaFlam qualified second with a 3.757 at 194.64 in his supercharged BigStuff TPM ’67 Mustang. Butcher, who had held the No. 1 position at every event this year, ended up third with a 3.766 at 198.68 in his nitrous‑fed Butcher & Son Demolition ’69 Camaro.
In Top Sportsman 32, Brian Werner led a group of Ohio racers who topped the field. Werner’s 4.181 at 172.55 in his ’68 Camaro placed him just outside the 16‑car Elite field but earned him the No. 1 spot in the 32‑car bracket.
9 – STROUD TOPS THE DRAGSTERS – Jody Stroud secured his fourth consecutive No. 1 qualifier in Elite Top Dragster with a 3.661-second run at 203.34 mph in his supercharged “Zombie” ’07 Spitzer dragster. The Chesterfield, South Carolina, driver consistently made 3.60-second passes, including one quicker than the 3.65-second class limit.
Missouri’s KC Ingram qualified second with a 3.677 at 204.36 in his supercharged ’20 Miller dragster. Ashley Johnson followed in third after running 3.703 at 193.88 in her supercharged ’13 Spitzer dragster.
Noah Vislosky missed the Elite Top Dragster 16-car field but topped the Top Dragster 32 qualifying list. The Pennsylvania driver’s 3.935 at 180.00 in his ’11 Race Tech dragster earned him the No. 1 position in the bracket.
10 – ON TAP – Saturday’s action at the Northern Nationals will open with Jr. Dragster final qualifying at 9 a.m. Pro eliminations are scheduled to begin around noon.
The evening program will feature Top Fuel, nostalgia Top Fuel, Fuel Altereds, Outlaw Nostalgia Funny Cars, jet cars and more. Nitro shows are scheduled for 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Tickets will be available at the gate for $45. Admission for children ages 6-12 is $10, while children 5 and under are free with a paid adult.
