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Defining A Champion

PITTSBORO, NC – For drag racers, fall is arguably the most exciting time of year. After the ‘dog days’ of summer, fall brandon-snider-2016-galotbrings with it cooler temperatures and more opportunities to improve times, break records, and, most importantly, define what it means to be a champion.

With two races left in the PDRA’s 2016 season, what it means to be a champion is being carefully carved in stone by the best eighth-mile racers in the world. After fighting a hard fight for seven months, the champion will increase his or her intensity. When pressure is at its highest, the champion will rise to meet it. When faced with the toughest problem yet, the champion will innovate and overcome. Champions aren’t created through drag racing; they define themselves through it. They’ve had what it takes all along. They’ve been championing through their long hours, their sweat and toil, their unrelenting spirit, their ingenuity. But the time is drawing close when a select handful will receive the glory they’re due.

The Professional Drag Racers Association takes their racers seriously and celebrates their champions accordingly. These men and women have set their sights and worked tirelessly to achieve their goals. Soon one racer will emerge from the rest in each category to be crowned the 2016 PDRA World Champions.

In the series quickest and fastest category, NAS Racing Pro Extreme, Alabama’s Brandon Snider and Mississippi’s Jason Scruggs have put enough distance between themselves and the rest of the field to be the only two left in contention for the championship. Snider sits in first by 251 points, making it a three round differential for reigning champion Scruggs to make up. Frankie “Mad Man” Taylor, everyone’s favorite good-guy Tommy D’Aprile, and former Wise Guys champion Mike Recchia round out the top five.

The fire-breathing guys and girls in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by MoTeC have been at each other all year within the Flatout Gaskets Nitrous Wars. Smack talk has reigned supreme between drivers and their engine builders, but all that will be settled in due time. Former Minor League Baseball player Jay Cox has led the points for the last few events and maintains a slight lead over businessman Tommy Franklin. Past Top Dragster Champion Travis Harvey also still has a chance at walking away with the PN championship, just over four rounds out of the lead. “Stevie Fast” Jackson and the lone female competitor Lizzy Musi aren’t in championship contention anymore, but can certainly spoil the action for the top three.

GALOT Motorsports Pro Boost has been the one class to have a dominating team this season and it’s come from none other than the GALOT Motorsports camp. Teammates Kevin Rivenbark and John Strickland sit one and two in points, respectively, having successfully dominated competition throughout the season, winning every event. Running a distant third, fourth, and fifth is Ric Fleck, Melanie Salemi, and Tylor Miller.

Drag965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle could have been dubbed Eric McKinney PXM due to his control of the class over the last two season. This year is different, however. McKinney sits second, just over 100 points behind Chris Garner-Jones. Chuck Wilburn also still has a shot at the championship, currently sitting third and followed by Terry Schweigert and Meshal Alsabar.

Dan Ferguson has largely been the man to beat in Ronnie Davis Top Sportsman presented by MagnaFuel since the inception of the PDRA. He maintained the longest points leading streak of any driver in the series, leading all of 2014 to win the championship, then resuming his lead in 2015 before eventually beaten out by friend and mentor Ronnie Davis, who tragically passed away this year. Ferguson has resumed his championship form and is now perched to win his second championship in three years, and to do so in memory of Davis. Cheyenne Stanley has a very outside chance of taking over the top spot in these next two events. Engine builder Billy Albert, Chris Gulitti, and Buddy Perkinson round out the top five.

Lucas Oil Top Dragster is proving its reputation as an extremely tough class. The top five in points all maintain a mathematical chance at winning the championship. Justin Kirk leads the points, hot off a win at Dragstock XIII, where he doubled up with his father and Extreme Pro Stock legend, Doug Kirk. David Brown is less than 200 points behind Kirk. Paul Daigrepont, Bob Henry, and Kathy Fisher follow behind in third through fifth. Just 680 points separate those top five drivers.

Kendall Little has an impressive lead in Talbert Pro Junior Dragster, 571 points ahead of Courtney Howard. Still, both Howard and Amber Franklin have the opportunity to capitalize should Little make any mistakes at Bradenton or Virginia. Mia Schultz sits in fourth and Cory Gulitti sits in fifth.

Mia Schultz pulls double duty, also competing In MegaCorp Top Junior Dragster where she currently leads points over Arellyn Garner-Jones. The battle for the MegaCorp Top Junior Dragster will remain between those two as the season draws to a close. Jayden Lawler, Coolidge Rivenbark, and Holt Strickland currently hold spots third through fifth.

PDRA Extreme Pro Stock competed in a five race mini series this season. With four races in the books, everything is on the line for the World Finals. North Carolina native Richard Penland is sitting in prime position right now, 203 points ahead of New Yorker John Pluchino. Brian Gahm sits third, followed by John Montecalvo and Doug Kirk.

For these final two events, the Mel Bush Motorsports Sunshine State Shootout (Sept. 29-Oct. 1) and the World Finals (Oct. 20-22), every pass down the track could lead to valuable points for these top contenders. There’s no doubt that each is a champion in his or her own right, but only one in each class will earn the title of World Champion and the privilege of wearing #1 for 2017. Watch testing, qualifying and final eliminations all live via MotorManiaTV.com, leading up to the moment when 2017 champions will be crowned. Purchase tickets and learn more about the events at www.pdra660.com, where a complete list of points standings can also be found.

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