PRO NITROUS RESULTS PRO BOOST RESULTS  PRO STOCK RESULTS

FRIDAY RECAP SATURDAY RECAP

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - PDRA SHOWS OFF IN FRONT OF A PACKED HOUSE 

KEPT THEIR EYE ON THE PRIZE - Johnny Camp and his Brandon Stroud-led team battled through adversity all weekend, but their efforts were rewarded with Camp’s first Pro Boost win in just over two years. In the final round, Camp in his ProCharged “Hells Bells” ’69 Camaro left on reigning world champion Jason Harris with a .010 reaction time to Harris’s .018 light. He then made his best pass of the weekend, a 3.641 at 203.44, to seal the victory, while Harris had to lift to a 6.011 at 68.52. 
 
“It just makes it that much sweeter,” Camp said of working through mechanical challenges to get the win. “You can’t say enough about the crew and what they do. Every pass, we had the heads off one side or the other. We just chased issues all weekend. We had some breaks. We had a red-light win. We were very lucky.
 
“A win always pumps you up and you throw more money at it,” added Camp, who thanked NGK Spark Plugs, Tatman Electric Company, and Pro Line Racing. “It just gets you going. It gives you something like a goal. You can see it’s achievable. You just go after it that much more. If you stay beat down and beat down, you’re not going anywhere.” 
 
Racing out of the No. 9 spot, Camp ran a 3.706 at 198.76 to move past Melanie Salemi and her coasting 4.963 in the first round. Camp and second-round opponent Joel Wensley left the starting line together, but it was Camp reaching the finish line first with his 3.673 at 203.34 over Wensley’s 3.73. Camp’s semifinal match with Travis “The Carolina Kid” Harvey ended on the starting line when Harvey went red by .001 seconds, while Camp launched and coasted to an 8.789 at 43.24. 
 
Harris qualified third in his ProCharged Party Time Racing/Southern Diamond Company ’69 Camaro and posted a 3.666 at 203.34 to defeat Steve King and his 3.987 in the first round. He got up on the wheel in the second round, cutting a .005 reaction time, and set low E.T. of the round with a 3.622 at 206.61 to beat Preston Tanner’s 3.667. Harris saved his best package of the day for the semifinals, where he cut a .002 reaction time and set low E.T. of the event with his 3.599 at 205.01, beating Derek Ward and his 3.612 at 209.11. 
 
DAVID 1, GOLIATH 0 - The Pro Nitrous final round was a true David vs. Goliath matchup between one of the most accomplished drivers in the class, four-time world champion Jim Halsey, and a first-time finalist, Michigan’s own Jackie Slone Jr. A 40-year drag racing veteran, Slone earned his way into the final round using three consecutive holeshot wins, and he grabbed another huge holeshot advantage in the final with his .003 reaction time to Halsey’s .090. This time, Slone didn’t need it, though, as Halsey got out of shape and had to lift to a 5.266 at 93.05. Meanwhile, Slone drove his Musi-powered Slone Boys Racing ’69 Camaro to a conservative 3.742 at 200.36 to earn his first career Pro Nitrous win. 
 
“I can’t even describe it. I am so excited for my family because it’s a family deal,” said Slone, who thanked his team and supporters like The Fence Company, Mullins Auto Supply, Pro Hose Connections, Pat Musi Racing Engines, Liberty’s Gears, and Speedtech. “We all put our hearts and souls in this deal. There’s some satisfaction in that. I’ve got great people behind me. I’ve got great sponsors. We’re elated. We really are. To take down the guys that I took down today, it wasn’t easy, but we had a pretty good car. I had a couple of cylinders down there for the finals and I didn’t have time to switch the motor, so we just ran it to try to go A to B. Jim apparently had some trouble and we capitalized.”
 
Qualified No. 8 in his Musi-powered Slone Boys Racing ’69 Camaro, Slone ran a 3.751 at 201.07 to finish ahead of Chris Rini and his 3.742 by .0009 seconds in the first round. Another quick light and a 3.721 at 202.43 was enough to take down Marcus Butner and his quicker 3.701 at 206.90 in the second round. Slone used a .006 reaction time and a 3.718 at 200.00 to get the semifinal win over Fredy Scriba and his 3.712 at 201.43. 
 
Halsey, who qualified No. 1 at the previous four races, qualified sixth in his Fulton-powered “Daddy Shark” ’68 Camaro and got the first-round win over a red-lighting Buddy Perkinson, running a 3.672 at 207.18. In a monster matchup with three-time and defending world champion Tommy Franklin, Halsey laid down a 3.659 at 209.40 to drive around Franklin, who left with a .003 reaction time and ran a 3.695 at 206.42. He then took advantage of his semifinal bye run, throwing down a 3.641 at 206.23 to earn lane choice for the final round. 

 
WELCOME BACK - It’s been a long road back to the winner’s circle for 2021 Extreme Pro Stock world champion Chris Powers, who last won just over a year ago. He ended that winless streak Saturday night when he finished ahead of 2018 world champion Steven Boone in the final round. Boone got a slight advantage on the starting line, but Powers in his Sonny’s Racing Engines ’21 Camaro drove around him to win by .012 seconds with a 4.121 at 173.95 to Boone’s 4.136 at 175.37. 
 
“Sometimes you just don’t know if you can even get back,” Powers said, thanking his family-based crew that also includes crew chief Chuck Samuel and crew member Rob Bealko. “We’ve struggled this year a lot and just really working on the motor and stuff, trying to pick the car up and just going backwards. We finally just went back to what we know and the car ran good and got the job done. We’re really thankful for Sonny’s for sticking with us and ATI Performance for helping us out. It’s a great feeling.”
 
Powers qualified second and used a 4.146 at 174.69 to get the first-round win over Doug Kittrell and his 4.242. He stepped up with a 4.114 at 175.58 in the second round to finish ahead of Dwayne Rice, who ran a 4.152. Powers then ran a 4.121 at 174.49 on his semifinal bye run to get ready for the final round. 
 
Boone, who qualified sixth in his Allen-powered Boone Motorsports ’07 Cobalt, won on the starting line in the first round when Dave Hughes went red, while Boone slowed to a 4.435 at 171.82. He left the line just a hair behind fellow Allen-powered driver and No. 1 qualifier Elijah Morton in the second round, but he charged to a 4.142 at 175.37 to win over Morton, who slowed to a 5.542. Boone set low E.T. of race day with his 4.10 at 175.10 in the semifinals to take out Jeremy Huffman and his 4.11 at 174.42. 
 
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Defending Pro 632 world champion Jeff Melnick successfully defended his Northern Nationals event win, securing his first win of the season in the process. Driving Alan O’Brien’s Barry Allen-powered Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’20 Camaro, Melnick cut a .006-second reaction time and recorded a 4.184 at 169.94 in the final round to deny Jason Ventura his first Pro 632 win. Ventura ran a 4.235 at 166.17 in the runner-up effort, while Melnick set low E.T. of the event with his performance. One year ago, Melnick won the same race while battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which he beat after winning the world championship. 
 
“Looking back on last year was awesome,” Melnick said. “Going through cancer and dealing with all the chemotherapy side effects, to be able to get the win last year was special because of that. Plus, the AMC small-block we were running, it had a lot of meaning with Alan and his family. So, to switch over to the big-block Chevy now and be feeling good, I’m just happy to be here. These guys got this thing figured out, and in the first five races here, we’re holding the trophy. 
 
“I’ve got the best crew in the world,” Melnick continued, “and that’s where I can attribute all of it to – Alan for putting it all together, Barry Allen for building this awesome motor, Patrick Barnhill and him tuning it together, Travis Pope for working on it, and everybody else that supports us. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world driving this thing.”
 
Melnick qualified No. 2 and set low E.T. of the first round with his 4.202 at 169.81, driving around season opener winner Andy House and his 4.301. He was the quickest of the round again in the semifinals, running a 4.198 at 168.86 to beat Kyle Salminen’s 4.248 and earn lane choice for the final. 
 
Ventura, who qualified fourth in his HRE-powered Brand X Marine ’70 Camaro, used a pair of holeshots to get to the final round. In the first round, when he matched Walter Lannigan Jr.’s 4.263, it was Ventura’s quicker .015 reaction time that got him the win. He was even quicker with a .013 light and a 4.256 at 166.54 in the semifinals to knock out No. 1 qualifier and points leader Amber Franklin and her 4.233. 

 
CHANGE DID THEM GOOD - Pro Street rookie Brian Weddle admitted things didn’t go his way in testing or qualifying at Martin, but after surviving the first round of eliminations, the Maryland-based team made changes that helped take Weddle to his first career Pro Street win. In a final round that saw both Weddle and young gun Scott Kincaid leave with .003-second reaction times, Weddle fired off a 3.979 at 195.40 in his screw-blown ’68 Camaro, while Kincaid had to do some driving and crossed the finish line second with a 4.076 at 191.41. 
 
“This is huge. It’s everything,” said Weddle, who thanked parents Jeff and Gina, his crew, and supporters like 1320 Fabrication, Xtreme Racing Engines, Debo Tuned, Competitive Wiring, and Resolution Racing. “It’s why we waste all our time and money building cars and racing and everything. To come here with my friends and family and just kick ass, it’s awesome. It’s hard to describe. It’s just crazy. You never expect this.”
 
Weddle qualified No. 8 and made it through the first round by running a 4.241 at 197.81 next to defending event winner Chris Cadotto’s 4.353. He then cut a .001 reaction time and improved to a 4.078 at 194.13 to take out No. 1 qualifier Nick Agostino, who had to pedal to a 4.684. Weddle set low E.T. of race day with his 3.972 at 195.65 to eliminate Michigan’s own Joel Wensley Jr. and his 4.024. 
 
Kincaid qualified third in his screw-blown ’69 Camaro and laid down low E.T. of the opening round, a 4.025 at 193.97, while his opponent, points leader Ethan Steding, took the tree but couldn’t launch due to mechanical issues. It was a battle of young guns in the second round as Kincaid lined up against Ty Kasper. The two drivers left the line with equally quick reaction times, then Kincaid pulled ahead to win with a 4.032 at 193.38 over Kasper’s 4.062. Kincaid stepped up to his best run of the weekend, a 3.982 at 192.72, in the semifinals to defeat reigning world champion Bill Riddle, who lifted to a 9.872. 
 
THE SPORTSMAN REPORT - A pair of Ohio-based Top Sportsman racers met up in the Elite Top Sportsman final round, with No. 1 qualifier Glenn Butcher lining up alongside No. 14 qualifier Ron Biondo. Biondo left the line first in his ’94 Lumina but broke out with a 4.177 on a 4.18 dial-in. Meanwhile, Butcher drove his Albert-powered ’69 Camaro to a 3.802 on a 3.77 dial-in to secure his second win of the season, moving back into the points lead in the process. 
 
The Top Sportsman 32 final round featured a touring PDRA regular, Virginia’s Mark Reese, and a Midwesterner making his first PDRA appearance of the season, Wisconsin’s DJ Mateicka. Reese got off the starting line first in his ’08 Mustang and followed through with a 4.277 on a 4.26 dial-in to defeat Mateicka, who posted a 4.585 on a 4.55 dial-in in his ’05 Cavalier.
 
Howell, Michigan’s Tony Elrod kept the Elite Top Dragster trophy in Michigan by earning his first win in the class, defeating Pennsylvania’s Mike Kopko in the final round. In his ProCharged, PAR-powered ’14 American dragster, Elrod cut a .008 reaction time and ran a 3.944 on a 3.92 dial-in to turn on the final win light. Kopko ran a 3.886 on a 3.87 dial-in driving his supercharged ’12 M&M dragster.
 
Lucas Salemi has been a part of numerous winner’s circle celebrations with the Salemi family’s Pro Boost team, but the New York-based driver got to celebrate a win of his own when he won in Top Dragster 32. Driving his new supercharged ’07 S&W dragster, Salemi was first off the line in the final round and ran a 4.341 on a 4.33 dial-in, while opponent Tom Reese broke out in his ’99 Undercover dragster with a 4.335 on a 4.34 dial-in. 
 
NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE—The 2024 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series tour's next stop is a first for the series: the inaugural Thunder Valley Throwdown, Aug. 22-24, at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tennessee. 

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - BLAME IT ON THE RAIN. TWO SESSIONS YIELD TOP PERFORMANCES
 
FATHER KNOWS BEST - Last month, three-time and defending Pro Nitrous world champion Tommy Franklin and his daughter, 2022 Pro 632 world champion Amber Franklin, shared the winner's circle in a Father's Day weekend double-up at the North vs. South Shootout in Maryland. On Friday night, they both qualified No. 1 in their respective classes at Martin. It was the elder Franklin's first low qualifier award of the season thanks to a 3.644-second pass at 206.71 MPH in his Musi-powered "Jungle Rat" '69 Camaro in the final session. He's rolling into Saturday eliminations with a slight points lead over four-time world champion Jim Halsey. 
 
"We've got a good team over here," Franklin said. "Pat Musi Racing Engines just builds us a great piece. That's where it starts. Hopefully, I get a chance to say this so many times this year, but I always want to dedicate it to Lizzy [Musi]. We miss her forever and just love Pat and Liz tremendously. They work hard at the shop and give us good pieces and that's what we rolled in here with. All the competition is good out there, but it just makes us push a little harder. We're going into race day like we usually do, taking it one round at a time. We'll just try to gather points and try to put some gap on it and see what we can do to get a championship."
 
Young gun Marcus Butner qualified No. 2 with a 3.655 at 206.90. Fredy Scriba, who picked up his first Pro Nitrous win at the recent PDRA ProStars all-star race, qualified third with a 3.675 at 203.53.  
 
THE KING AND HIS COURT - Pro Modified veteran Todd "King Tut" Tutterow isn't usually one to chase down the low qualifier award, but for the second time this season, he put Justin Smith's screw-blown Quik Fuel '69 Camaro in the No. 1 spot. In a final qualifying session that saw nearly every driver improve, Tutterow laid down a 3.613 at 206.90 to grab the top spot. The two-time Pro Boost world champion enters race day, chasing his third win of the season. 
 
"We've been a little soft all weekend, and I felt it, and I knew I was gonna try to go after it," Tutterow said. "It's one of them deals where I just pick at it and sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. I only made one test run [Thursday] because we had a parachute suck up under the back of the car and we missed the second test run. The information was good on the first one, and Q1 was good, so I knew what to do [in Q2]. Everything's good – good crew, good car owner. Very, very fortunate to be doing what I'm doing."
 
Derek Ward, who won the World Series of Pro Mod in March and set the new Pro Boost E.T. record in April, qualified No. 2 with a 3.622 at 208.43 in his screw-blown '68 Firebird. Reigning world champion Jason Harris is third in his ProCharged Party Time Racing/Southern Diamond Company '69 Camaro with a 3.623 at 205.67. 

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ELIJAH BRINGS DOWN THE FIRE - Elijah Morton's hot streak in Extreme Pro Stock continued on Friday when the Mountain Motor Pro Stock veteran secured his first No. 1 qualifier award of the season. Morton, who won the most recent event on tour, posted a 4.096 at 175.64 in the final qualifying session to earn a first-round bye run in his Allen-powered Cashion Fishing Rods '19 Mustang. 
 
"Mike [Allen Jr., crew chief] did a little tuning between round one and two, and he said I better hold on," Morton said. "The conditions were real foggy. They did a good job of wiping the windshield off right before I left, so I was able to shift the first three gears, not being able to see. The next two were a little bit iffy. I may have let out a little early, but we done good. We made a good run. My Allen Competition guys tuned it up, and running those AED carburetors, we ran a good number. I'm getting back in my groove a little bit. We've got the car working a little different. Hopefully, we can just turn on some win lights. We're looking forward to doing it."
 
Past world champion Chris Powers went to the No. 2 spot with a 4.116 at 175.58. Jeremy Huffman, who earned his first low qualifier at the last race, ended up third with a 4.137 at 174.69 in his 3V Performance-powered Patriot Axe Throwing '10 Cobalt. 
 
 

 
AGOSTINO REBOUNDS - Canadian Pro Street standout Nick Agostino spent the offseason rebuilding his turbocharged, small-block-powered '69 Camaro after a high-speed crash at the penultimate race of the 2023 PDRA season. After chasing gremlins at the first few races of the season, the Markham, Ontario-based driver found what he was missing while testing close to home. He continued to refine his rebuilt "Cannoli Express" Camaro at the Northern Nationals, where he recorded a 3.99 in the first qualifying session to take the provisional No. 1 spot and a 3.939 at 201.97 in the final session to make it official. 
 
"We really struggled with bugs after the accident," said Agostino, who thanked his crew, as well as the companies and individuals that helped him rebuild his car, including M&M Transmission, Dave Visner, Ross Racing Pistons, Maxima Racing Oil, Pande's Performance, Joe Van O, and 27 Auto Collision. "We chased our tail and chased our tail, and we found it. It's something you can't put words to because, in this game, you spend so much time and so much money; you spend time away from your family and away from work. Your crew spends time away from their family and work, and you struggle, you struggle, you struggle, and it gets old. Then all of a sudden, out of the blue, boom, we find it, and we come here, we go No. 1, and it's like we won a lottery or something like that. It's very, very rewarding."
 
Ron Green, who recently picked up his first Pro Street win at the PDRA ProStars all-star event, qualified No. 2 on the strength of his 4.003 at 188.76 in his ProCharged "Gamechanger" '00 Firebird in the first session. Young gun Scott Kincaid drove his screw-blown '69 Camaro to a 4.004 at 192.23 to qualify third. 
 
THE SPORTSMAN REPORT - Doylestown, Ohio's Glenn Butcher secured the season's first Elite Top Sportsman No. 1 qualifier award when he drove his nitrous-fed, Albert-powered '69 Camaro to a 3.785 at 194.64. Another nitrous car, the Fulton 903-powered Pee Dee Fleet '69 Camaro driven by Jamie Fowler, went to the No. 2 spot with a 3.829 at 193.22. Randy Perkinson in his ProCharger-boosted '67 Mustang qualified third with a 3.839 at 191.73. 
 
Longtime doorslammer racer Lorenzo Brooks, in his Youngstown, Ohio-based '20 Camaro, took the No. 1 spot in Top Sportsman 32 with a 4.252 at 146.01. 
 
A trio of supercharged machines battled for the top spot in Elite Top Dragster, but it was KC Ingram, in his Missouri-based '20 Miller dragster, who took those honors on the strength of a 3.732 at 200.09. Frank Falter IV, in his "Candy Man" '22 Miller dragster, qualified second with a 3.804 at 199.29. In his wild '15 Horton-built Altered, Canadian Kyle Harris recorded a 3.813 at 193.06 to round out the top three. 
 
Just outside the 16-car Elite field, Dorr, Michigan's Chuck Stirdivant secured the No. 1 spot in the Top Dragster 32 field with his 4.292 at 163.22 in his '21 Miller dragster. 
 
WHAT'S UP FOR TODAY? - Saturday's on-track activities at the Northern Nationals will begin with Jr. Dragster final qualifying at 9 a.m., followed by an Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams time trial and the start of eliminations in the sportsman and Jr. Dragster classes. Pro class eliminations will begin at 2:30 p.m., with the second round set for 5:15 p.m. The nitro show is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m.