Courtesy Drag Illustrated Nate Van Wagnen

Images Geoff Sculley

Day two of competition at the PDRA Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger featured an action-packed final qualifying session followed by the first round of eliminations in all classes. Racing at Virginia Motorsports Park at the eighth and final race of the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series season, drivers set new E.T. national records and clinched world championships. Eliminations will continue Sunday, with more championships and potential records on the line. 

Past Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition world champion Chris Powers secured his second title in the class when he won his first-round match. Amber Franklin Denton went into the weekend as the PDRA Pro 632 world champion after clinching her second championship in the class at the most recent event. Rookie Ethan Steding claimed the Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing world championship when he qualified. Dan Whetstine also clinched his first world championship in Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports when he won in the first round.

Championships are still up for grabs in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, and Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle. 

PRO NITROUS 

Pro Nitrous points leader and recent first-time winner Fredy Scriba set low E.T. of the opening round of eliminations when he lit up the scoreboard with a 3.628-second pass at 209.23 MPH in his Musi-powered “Sorcerer” ’69 Camaro. He defeated John Vergotz and his 3.727 at 198.35 to meet Buddy Perkinson in the second round. Perkinson used a .003 reaction time and a 3.678 at 205.07 to defeat four-time world champion Jim Halsey, who was less than one round behind Scriba in the points standings. The only driver who can pass Scriba is three-time and reigning world champion Tommy Franklin, who won first round when Pro Mod legend Tommy Mauney went red. Franklin is less than one round behind Scriba, and the earliest the two can meet is the final round. 

First-round results: Tommy Franklin 5.189 def. Tommy Mauney 4.115 (red light), Brian Shrader 3.672 def. Mike Achenbach 4.309, Matt Deitsch 3.694 def. Travis Harvey 3.641, Dane Wood 3.709 def. Tony Wilson 4.163, Fredy Scriba 3.628 def. John Vergotz 3.727, Buddy Perkinson 3.678 def. Jim Halsey 4.951, Cam Clark 3.691 def. Marcus Butner 4.049, Chris Rini 3.685 def. Rickie Smith 3.656 (red light). 

PRO BOOST

Reigning Pro Boost world champion Jason Harris maintained his points lead through the first round of eliminations while making the quickest winning pass of the round. He laid down a 3.573 at 209.82 in his ProCharged Southern Diamond Company “Party Time” ’69 Camaro to beat No. 15 qualifier Randy Weatherford, who stepped up to a 3.598 at 208.20. Kurt Steding, the only driver who can pass Harris, kept his championship hopes alive when he scored an upset win over No. 1 qualifier Johnny Camp. Steding left first and posted a 3.596 at 209.49 to beat Camp and his 3.568 at 209.33 on a holeshot. If Harris wins his second-round match with Cam Hensley, he will be the champion. If he loses, Steding needs to win the event to pass Harris for the championship.

First-round results: Kurt Steding 3.596 def. Johnny Camp 3.568, Jason Lee 3.614 def. Mike DiDomenico 3.606, Preston Tanner 3.577 def. Scott Lang 3.619, Spencer Hyde 3.593 def. Travis Harvey 3.580, Jason Harris 3.573 def. Randy Weatherford 3.598, Cameron Hensley 3.605 def. Tommy Gray 3.617, Melanie Salemi 3.674 def. James Beadling 3.772, Jeff Rudolf 3.605 def. Chuck Ulsch 3.606 (red light). 

PRO STREET

No. 1 qualifier Brian Weddle backed up his Pro Street E.T. national record in the first round of Pro Street eliminations. He used a 3.900 at 196.50 in his screw-blown JW Racing ’68 Camaro to back up the 3.864 he recorded in Friday’s second qualifying session. He also picked up the round win, as international Pro Mod driver turned Pro Street rookie Adam Flamholc went red in his first start in the class. 

Ethan Steding, the 2021 Pro Jr. Dragster world champion, clinched the Pro Street world championship when he bumped into the quickest 16-car field in Pro Street history. The rookie driver then fell in the opening round when Richard Reagan laid down a career-best 3.909 to finish ahead of Steding and his 3.946 in his roots-blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” ’24 Camaro.

John Carinci, who’s making his first PDRA appearance of the season, set low E.T. of the round with his 3.88 at 208.17 in his turbocharged Corvette. 

First-round results: Brian Weddle 3.900 def. Adam Flamholc 4.195 (red light), John Carinci 3.880 def. Jerry Morgano 3.942, Bill Riddle 3.919 def. Ron Green 5.113, Scott Kincaid 3.942 def. 5.016, Joel Wensley 3.897 def. Chris Tuten 4.247, Richard Reagan 3.909 def. Ethan Steding 3.946, Marty Merillat 4.087 def. Tim Essick (broke in qualifying), Nick Schroeder 3.983 def. Blake Denton 3.959. 

EXTREME PRO STOCK

Chris Powers, the 2021 Extreme Pro Stock world champion, won his opening round match to secure his second world championship in his Sonny’s Racing Engines/ATI Performance Products ’21 Camaro. He ran a 4.038 at 178.92 to get the win over Scott Benham, who coasted to a 21.501. Powers will take on rival and fellow two-time world champion Johnny Pluchino in the second round. 

Rookie Randi Lyn Butner, who made drag racing history Friday night when she broke the 3-second Mountain Motor Pro Stock barrier with a 3.997-second pass to qualify No. 1, moved past the first round with a 4.027 at 179.59 in her JHG/Elite Motorsports Camaro over John Konigshofer’s 5.638. 

Defending event winner and 2019 world champion John Montecalvo nearly dipped into the 3-second zone for the second consecutive night, posting a 4.009 at 180.60 to get the win over Larry Pearce and his 4.94. 

First-round results: Randi Lyn Butner 4.027 def. John Konigshofer 5.638, Matt Giangrande 4.103 def. Steven Boone 7.881, Elijah Morton 4.067 def. Bill Neri 4.228, Bo Butner 4.055 def. Doug Kittrell 4.162, John Montecalvo 4.009 def. Larry Pearce 4.940, Jordan Ensslin 4.084 def. Rick Cowger 5.922 (red light), Johnny Pluchino 4.014 def. Kurt Neighbor 5.819, Chris Powers 4.038 def. Scott Benham 21.501.