Jay Cox, a seasoned competitor in the Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous category, once again claimed the top spot during Friday’s qualifying session at the Northern Nationals presented by Talbert Manufacturing at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park. 

“It’s taken a lot of testing to get to this point,” said Cox, who thanked sponsors like Butner Construction and Smithfield Collision. “I’m good in good air and good conditions. These [Musi] motors are badass in the heat. They’re fast. They make a lot of power. I’ve just not been good with them. So, we did a lot of testing in the heat. I’ve just got a good combination for hot weather. Tyler [Crossnoe, series director] and Jimmy [Bradshaw, track prep specialist] have done phenomenal jobs giving us a consistent racetrack, and I would say that’s probably the most important thing because when it’s consistent, I can go up there every round and pick away at it.”

Driving his Butner Construction “Pumpkin” ’69 Camaro, Cox, a native of North Carolina, blazed down the track in an impressive 3.643-second pass, reaching a speed of 206.61 MPH. This marked Cox’s second No. 1 qualifying position of the season in the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) series.

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Joining Cox as No. 1 qualifiers in their respective professional classes were Ken Quartuccio, who dominated in the WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive division, and Elijah Morton, who showcased his skills in the Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition category. Additionally, Jeff Melnick secured the top spot in the M&M Transmission Pro 632 class, while Bill Lutz reigned supreme in the Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing group.

In the sportsman classes, several competitors also attained the coveted No. 1 qualifier awards. Bryan LaFlam emerged victorious in the MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines category, while Alan O’Brien showcased his talents in the Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster division. Mark Payne exhibited his skills in the MagnaFuel Top Sportsman presented by Corbin’s RV class, and Nick Meloni impressed in the Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster category.

Meanwhile, in the Junior Dragster classes, provisional low qualifiers were determined after two of three qualifying sessions. Charlee O’Meara showcased her prowess in the Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr. Dragster presented by PRP category by running a remarkable 7.9007 time, narrowly edging out Justin Kerby’s time of 7.9008 to secure the provisional No. 1 spot. In the Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster presented by PRP group, Nathan Coon, currently ranked second in points, exhibited exceptional skills by recording a reaction time of .001, soaring to the top of the field. These young racers have one more qualifying session remaining on Saturday to solidify their positions.