PDRA fans likely will remember the wild ride Jim Sackuvich took during the first round of Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous eliminations at last season’s PDRA event at Tulsa Raceway Park. Jim walked away from the violent crash unscathed but his beautiful black 2013 Camaro wasn’t as lucky.

It’s another year and another racing season, however, and Sackuvich is now back in the middle of the PDRA Pro Nitrous action. Over the winter he commissioned the folks at Jerry Bickel Race Cars to build him a brand-new ride for the 2015 campaign, this one a classic ‘69 Camaro, painted black with silver racing stripes as was its predecessor.

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PITTSBORO, NC – Just three races into the Professional Drag Racers Association’s sophomore tour and Mustafa Buhumaid has already been to two Pro Extreme finals, success that has given him the lead in Championship points. Buhumaid, who is the Executive Director of the NAS Racing Team, scored the first Pro Extreme victory of the year at the season opener in Ennis, Texas. He followed that up with a runner up finish at the PDRA Spring Nationals in Rockingham, North Carolina.

It was just one year ago that Buhumaid attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School to earn his professional license and begin competing with the PDRA. The fact that he only has a handful of races under his belt makes his early points lead that much more impressive. Buhumaid’s promising career is accelerating quickly, and it’s not surprising when you consider the team’s dedication and commitment to their racing program. While most teams balk at a 20 hour drive or 3 hour flight, NAS Racing must first conquer 15 hours of air travel from their Dubai home, which also happens to be the main team sponsor, to New York before starting the second leg of their trip to the event. This is a tough travel schedule for anyone, but Buhumaid and team set aside the jet lag and time difference when they strap into their 2500+ horsepower Pro Extreme machines.

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PITTSBORO, NC – Number one qualifiers in PDRA Pro and Top Junior Dragster will get an extra one hundred bucks at each event this season thanks to the folks at Classic Graphix. Classic Graphix is the Official Apparel Company of the PDRA and also operates the PDRA Souvenir Trailer. Their catchy, modern designs have been a big hit with PDRA racers and fans. Many teams also utilize Classic Graphix for crew uniforms and team t-shirts.

The company has already been giving back to the racers by sponsoring the PDRA Best Appearing Crew Award. Now, they are further increasing their involvement by sponsoring the Classic Graphix Pro and Top Junior Dragster Number One Qualifier Award. “We know a lot of the Junior Dragster racers and a lot of their families buy apparel from us so we thought it would be neat to give back to them. They are the future of the sport. ” stated Scott Bathurst, the main force behind Classic Graphix.

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PITTSBORO, NC – While much anticipation surrounded the start of the Professional Drag Racers Association sophomore season, things did not go according to best laid plans. Mother Nature wreaked havoc on qualifying, canceling sessions and pushing the race finish to Sunday. While racers, fans and staff were forced to dance to Mother Nature’s beat, however, rain was the least of worries for two PDRA standouts.

Pro Nitrous racer Lizzy Musi and Pro Extreme racer Gene Hector both debuted brand new cars at the Texas Nationals. During the opening round of Pro Nitrous qualifying, Musi was on her way to an impressive run. She crossed the finish line at just under 200 MPH with a 3.753 elapsed time that would have been good enough to qualify her third in the PN pack. However, even before the scoreboard relayed the time, Musi was getting loose and the Dart quickly crossed the center line, making contact with competitor Ron Muenks. While Musi walked away, the Dart suffered severe damage.

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PDRA officials are pleased to announce that Dart Machinery has signed an agreement to sponsor the organization’s Top Dragster class.

The Troy, Michigan-based company, which has been in business since 1981, was founded by mechanical mastermind Richard Maskin. Maskin is well known to drag racing fans as the man whose engines have won NHRA Pro Stock championships and dozens of national events. Like many successful entrepreneurs, Maskin turned his passion for drag racing into a thriving enterprise. From humble beginnings in a two-car garage in Oak Park, Michigan, Dart has become a leader in aftermarket cylinder heads, intake manifolds and engine blocks.

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PITTSBORO, NC – One of the fastest growing parts distributors in the industry, Speed City, has partnered with the Professional Drag Racers Association as the organization’s Official Performance Parts Distributor. Speed City specializes in supercharged alcohol and nitromethane racing, with several highly recognizable brands such as Star Racer Belts and Magnum Fuel Systems. The Ohio-based company will have parts available at each PDRA event in 2015 through Pro Extreme racer Wesley Jones.

“As a company that is run by racers, for racers, Speed City is a great fit for an organization that operates on the same premise,” stated PDRA Senior VP of Marketing, Mike Congdon. “We are thrilled to have Speed City join us as the Official Performance Parts Distributor and look forward to the benefits this will bring our racers.”

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PITTSBORO, NC – The Drag 965-backed Championship team of Jason Harris is joining forces with Travis Harvey and his team owners Vaughn Myles and Jimmy and Brad Boone for the remainder of 2015. These two longtime competitors will now be working as one, looking to be double trouble for competitors in PDRA Pro Nitrous. Harvey finished eighth in Pro Nitrous points in 2014, but he really proved his driving prowess in Top Dragster, becoming the first-ever PDRA Top Dragster Champion.

Jimmy and Brad Boone are supplying Harvey’s ride, a 2014 Jerry Bickel Camaro, formally driven by Danny Perry. Both cars will be based out of the Robert Hayes Motorsports shop in Pittsboro, NC. Hayes, who tuned Harris to his amazing 2014 season and is one of the most sought after tuners in the business, will act as tuner for both cars.

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PITTSBORO, NC – The Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) is proud to announce Shriners Hospitals for Children® as its Official Charity. As a family-oriented organization, the PDRA believes that the partnership with Shriners Hospitals is fitting and hopes to bring greater awareness to the their mission to send Love to the rescue®. The PDRA will incorporate Shriners Hospitals into activities at each of their ten events in 2015 to increase awareness and provide fundraising opportunities.

PDRA will provide “Shriners Hospitals for Children, Official Charity of PDRA” decals for use on competition cars. Select PDRA drivers and Miss PDRA will also have the opportunity to visit Shriners Hospitals in coordinating cities along the PDRA tour.

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PITTSBORO, NC – Pro Nitrous has never been a class for the faint of heart. With a host of committed, passionate, top notch teams, this fire-breathing division of Pro Mod took required a profusion of guts and was stingy on the glory. Last season, Jason Harris made Pro Nitrous look more like a cakewalk, going to the final of every PDRA National Event, claiming six overall event wins and a clear Championship victory. Looks can be deceiving, however, and Harris believes things will only get tougher from here.

“I’d say this year will be the toughest year we’ve seen in Pro Nitrous, just for the simple fact that everybody seems to have the same combination,” explained the defending Champ. “There’s a lot of Musi motors out there and a lot of Sonny motors. Plus, Reher Morrison has really stepped up their game. It’s going to probably be as tight as NHRA Pro Stock. It’s going to come down to drivers more than equipment this year. Everybody’s got the horsepower. Everybody’s got a good car and crew. It’s definitely going to a battleground this year. Not that last year was easy, but I think I made it look a little easier than it actually was. It’s definitely going to be a fight this year.”

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