Marcus Butner and Tommy Franklin kept their Pro Nitrous championship battle alive Saturday, Jason Harris moved closer to the Pro Boost title and four drivers remained in contention for the Pro Street crown during the PDRA World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
While those three championships will carry into Sunday, J.C. Beattie Jr. secured his first Pro 632 world championship. Joe Roubicek clinched the Top Sportsman title and Joe Gary wrapped up the Top Dragster championship, while Austin Vincent moved closer to the Super Street crown.
Butner and Franklin both advanced through the opening round in Pro Nitrous, continuing a season-long championship fight that has tightened considerably over the final races.
Butner ran 3.655 seconds at 205.32 mph in his Pat Musi-powered “Heartbreaker” ’69 Camaro to defeat Chris Rini’s 3.681 at 205.26. The victory came with an engine failure, leaving Butner down to his final engine entering Sunday’s quarterfinals.
Franklin answered with low elapsed time of the round, running 3.628 at 207.98 in his Musi-powered “Jungle Rat 3.0” ’69 Camaro to defeat John Vergotz. Butner will face Billy Albert in the quarterfinals, while Franklin draws Dale Brinsfield on the opposite side of the ladder.
The Pro Boost championship picture shifted when points leader Johnny Camp was eliminated by Carson Perry.
Harris first did his part with a 3.573 at 211.46 after Ethan Steding fouled at the start. Camp then slowed to a 4.512 at 109.72 against Perry, who advanced with a 3.599 at 208.39.
Camp’s loss moved Harris closer to a fifth PDRA world championship and third in Pro Boost. Reigning champion and No. 1 qualifier Ty Tutterow also remained mathematically alive after running 3.561 at 210.44 to advance past Mike Decker Jr., who went red.
Pro Street started Saturday with six championship contenders and finished with four.
Points leader Blake Denton, Richard Reagan, Joel Wensley Jr. and No. 1 qualifier Jerry Morgano all advanced, while Ron Green and Scott Kincaid were eliminated. None of the four remaining contenders will face another championship hopeful in the quarterfinals.
Wensley survived the most dramatic moment when his Camaro failed to start under the tower with Green already waiting in the water box. The car fired with five seconds remaining on the two-minute clock, and Wensley responded with a 3.907 at 198.38 to defeat Green’s 3.950.
Beattie didn’t have to wait until Sunday to settle his championship.
The Pro 632 points leader clinched his first career world title with a first-round victory, running 4.126 at 173.70 in his nitrous-fed ’18 Camaro to defeat Corey Terry. Beattie became the first driver in a PDRA professional category to secure a 2026 championship.
Vincent moved within reach of his first Super Street championship with a 4.517 at 162.08 victory over Frank Saffelle III. Reigning champion Connor McGee remained mathematically alive but must win the event, establish a new elapsed-time record and have Vincent lose in the quarterfinals.
Two sportsman championships were settled Saturday.
Roubicek secured his second Top Sportsman championship after Dave Muller lost to Wayne Patton in the opening round. Roubicek also lost in the first round, but Muller’s defeat eliminated the final mathematical threat to his points lead.
Gary earned his first PDRA Top Dragster championship when his opening-round victory over Randy Midgett was combined with Chad Traylor’s first-round loss. Championships in Elite Top Sportsman, Elite Top Dragster, Pro Jr. Dragster and Top Jr. Dragster also remain to be decided Sunday.
Sunday’s eliminations begin at 10:30 a.m., with professional eliminations scheduled to resume at 1:30 p.m. at Virginia Motorsports Park.
