The Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series has added another experienced voice to its leadership team, announcing Monday that longtime motorsports executive Mark Beatty has joined the organization as it prepares for the final stretch of the 2026 championship season.
Beatty arrives after spending the past several years as brand manager for Red Line Synthetic Oil, the title sponsor of the PDRA since 2024. His addition comes as the series heads into the second half of its schedule, beginning with its next event at Bristol Dragway in early August.
The move gives the eighth-mile drag racing series a veteran with more than three decades of experience spanning sponsorship, marketing and race operations. Before his time with Red Line, Beatty built his résumé through V. Gaines’ Western Motorsports, Bandimere Speedway and other motorsports organizations.
A recent move to Nebraska created an opportunity for Beatty to transition into a new role, but he said his passion for the sport never faded.
“I’ve been in this industry for the majority of my adult life,” Beatty said. “Joining the PDRA team confirms the saying: saving the best for last. The PDRA family is made up of people who not only love racing, but they are also dedicated to taking care of partners, racers and fans at every level.”
Beatty will have little time to ease into his new position.
Following Bristol, the PDRA championship tour will continue at Darana Motorsports Park in Benson, North Carolina, before concluding the season at Virginia Motorsports Park. Those three events will determine the 2026 champions over a span of just more than seven weeks.
Series Director Tyler Crossnoe said the hiring reflects the organization’s long-term philosophy of steady, sustainable growth rather than rapid expansion.
“I am excited about this next chapter for the PDRA series,” Crossnoe said. “We have made a habit of taking the slow and steady approach to several things over the years and trying to create a sustainable and consistent product that racers and fans can trust and rely on year after year. Adding a motorsports veteran like Mark to the team continues to strengthen the leadership core that will take another step forward to making the PDRA product and experience better for every racer, fan, marketing partner, vendor midway participant, media member, track partner and more.”
The announcement also underscores the continued relationship between PDRA and Red Line Synthetic Oil, where Beatty most recently represented one of the series’ primary marketing partners before moving into an operational role with the sanctioning body.
PDRA owner Tommy Franklin believes Beatty’s background and personality made him a natural fit for the organization.
“We are excited to take this next step in expanding the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series,” Franklin said. “Mark brings a different perspective that we are looking forward to adding to the mix here and that makes the future even more exciting. Mark is such a genuine person, so it was not a hard decision to bring him on board because he fits right into the family culture that already exists here at the PDRA.”
Founded in 2014, the PDRA has grown into one of the nation’s premier eighth-mile drag racing series, attracting competitors from across the eastern United States and beyond. The organization has built its reputation on professional race management and competitive fields, while maintaining a racer-first approach that has helped foster loyalty throughout the pit area.
That culture, Beatty said, was one of the biggest reasons he accepted the opportunity.
Having worked alongside the series as a marketing partner over the past four seasons, he said he already understood the values that define the organization and was eager to become part of its leadership team.
“It is an honor to be joining this team and family. Family is a strong word but that is exactly the feeling you get around this series everywhere you turn. I have worked closely with them for the last four seasons and now I get to stand shoulder to shoulder at the forefront of some of the best drag racing events on the planet today. I’m blessed and excited, what more could a guy ask for.”
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