PDRA
Bristol Dragway Joins Five Familiar Tracks for PDRA’s Eight-Race 2024 Schedule
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – On the heels of its 10th anniversary season of all-eighth-mile drag racing action, the Professional Drag Racers 
Association (PDRA) announced today its eight-race 2024 schedule. The series will head to Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tenn., for the first time, while also returning to five familiar racetracks throughout the East Coast and Midwest. Along with eight points-earning races, drivers will compete for the opportunity to take part in the fourth annual Summit Racing Equipment PDRA ProStars.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Simple, right?” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director, PDRA. “One of the hardest parts of the entire series is finding the right track partners and facilities to host events that can hold 3-second, 200-plus-MPH runs for Pro Mods, park over 300 85-plus-feet-long motorhomes and stackers, and have the right amenities for fans to enjoy a day or weekend at the races. The concept sounds very simple, but it is one of the hardest things we face each season.
Jeff Melnick Overcomes Adversity to Claim 2023 PDRA Pro 632 World Championship
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Longtime sportsman racer Jeff Melnick experienced a wide range of highs and lows during his rookie season in 
M&M Transmission Pro 632. From dominant wins to a non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis and the resulting chemo treatments, Melnick was put to the test. The Ohio-based driver rose to the challenge, though, and delivered a 2023 Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) world championship for car owner Alan O’Brien. Melnick won three times in four final rounds.
Melnick, who previously raced a ProCharged ’02 Avenger in Top Sportsman, took on a new challenge when he signed on to drive O’Brien’s one-of-a-kind, AMC small-block-powered Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’20 Camaro at the 2022 Brian Olson Memorial World Finals.
“I remember the first pass I made in the car and I thought, ‘Oh boy, what did I get myself into? This is a different animal.’ A Liberty 5-speed, heads-up, a Pro tree, just a bunch of different stuff for me,” Melnick said.
Alan Drinkwater Wins 2023 PDRA Extreme Pro Stock Title in Rookie Season
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Alan Drinkwater went into his rookie season in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition 
just hoping to get a feel for the Mountain Motor Pro Stock car and maybe win a round or two. He did all that and more, as he won twice in three final-round appearances throughout the eight-race PDRA season to claim the 2023 world championship.
“I feel like this is the best competition Mountain Motor Pro Stock has had in the past eight or 10 years,” said Drinkwater, driver of the Kaase-powered IronListing.com ’13 Mustang. “So for us to come out, not even go to the first race, make it to three finals, two wins, and couple semifinal finishes, it’s unbelievable. A little bit of luck’s been on our side, but it’s also all the really hard work and commitment we’ve put into our program and all the help we’ve had along the way.”
Drinkwater missed the PDRA season opener in Extreme Pro Stock, though he did compete in M&M Transmission Pro 632 in Kenny Floyd’s Ford Escort, which he campaigned all season in 2022. He reached the semifinals in his debut at the second race of the season, then won the DeCerbo Construction American Doorslammer Challenge presented by Callies at Summit Motorsports Park. He reached the final round again two races later at the Northern Nationals presented by Talbert Manufacturing at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, falling to teammate and reigning world champion Johnny Pluchino. He then won the next race, the Red Line Oil Carolina Nationals at Darlington Dragway, beating 2021 world champion and points leader Chris Powers in the final round.
Fulton, Pro Line and Allen Win 2023 PDRA Engine Builder Challenge Titles
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – This season, the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) expanded its engine builder challenge programs to 
include three of its pro classes. After eight races of intense competition, titles went to Fulton Competition Engines in Structural Concrete Nitrous Wars, Pro Line Racing in Boost Wars, and Allen Competition Engines in Horsepower Wars.
Originally featuring just Structural Concrete Nitrous Wars in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, the PDRA engine builder challenges grew to include Boost Wars in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive and Horsepower Wars in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition. At each race on the schedule, the top four qualified drivers and their respective engine builders from the previous event squared off in a two-round shootout in qualifying. The winning driver earned four points for their engine builder, the runner-up earned three points, and so on.
“Nitrous Wars has been one of our longest running programs, and we figured the time was right to get the engine builders and teams in Pro Boost and Extreme Pro Stock in on the fun too,” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director, PDRA. “The new engine builder challenge format added even more excitement and intensity in qualifying. Drivers who qualified for the challenges got the chance to turn on a couple win lights before race day, while everyone else had to fight for a spot in the next event’s challenge. We saw some thrilling side-by-side racing in qualifying, which gave fans a great preview of what to expect on race day.”
Two-Time PDRA Pro Nitrous World Champ Jason Harris Adds 2023 Pro Boost Title
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – When Jason Harris clinched the 2023 Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) world championship in WS 
Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, he became the first driver in series history to win titles in the two headlining classes, Pro Boost and Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous. Harris, the 2014 and 2018 Pro Nitrous world champion, won three races in six final-round appearances during the eight-race season.
“I think I’ve made a statement that if you can win a championship in either class, you’re doing something,” Harris said. “This is my third championship [in PDRA]. It means a lot to me. The amount of competition in either class is stellar. Anybody can win in any position. Having a great crew, a great car, and great people behind you is how you win it.”
In 2020, Harris switched to Pro Boost, where he finished second in the championship chase by just under one round. After the first five races of the 2021 season, he moved back to Pro Nitrous. He competed there full-time in 2022, finishing fifth in points, before returning to Pro Boost for 2023.
Donny ‘Hollywood’ Urban Claims Another PDRA Elite Top Sportsman World Championship
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – With two wins in the first three races of the 2023 Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) season, Donny 
“Hollywood” Urban looked like an early favorite to win the MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines world championship. The 2018 world champion added a runner-up finish and consistent performances through the rest of the season to claim his second series championship.
“I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Urban said in the championship winner’s circle. “This one means more than anything. I’ve won the five-day bracket championship stuff, all the IHRA stuff, but this one means the most. It was a lot of work.”
After finishing fourth in the 2022 championship standings, Urban started the 2023 season with a semifinal finish at the season opener. He won back-to-back races at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix at Virginia Motorsports Park and the DeCerbo Construction American Doorslammer Challenge presented by Callies at Summit Motorsports Park. Urban went to the final round again at the Fulton Racing Engines North vs. South Shootout presented by Penske Racing Shocks at Maryland International Raceway, finishing runner-up to past Top Sportsman world champion Dan Ferguson.
Tommy Franklin Returns to PDRA Pro Nitrous Championship Form
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Five seasons after winning his second Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous world championship, Tommy Franklin is a 
Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) world champion yet again. Driving his Musi-powered “Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro, Franklin won four races in six final-round appearances during the PDRA’s 10th anniversary eight-race season to secure his third world championship.
Franklin started the season with a runner-up finish to the four-time and outgoing world champion, Jim Halsey, at the Summit Racing Equipment East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech at GALOT Motorsports. He grabbed his first win of the season over Marcus Butner at the DeCerbo Construction American Doorslammer Challenge presented by Callies at Summit Motorsports Park.
Two races later, Franklin started a three-race winning streak when he defeated Halsey in the final round at the Northern Nationals presented by Talbert Manufacturing at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park. He beat longtime competitor Jay Cox in the final round at the next two races, the Red Line Oil Carolina Nationals at Darlington Dragway and ProFabrication DragWars at GALOT, to take over the points lead with one race left in the season. Continue reading
Cox, Harris, Montecalvo, Stewart, Gast, Kincaid and Mota Claim Season-Ending Victories at PDRA World Finals
DINWIDDIE, VA – Newly crowned Pro Boost world champion Jason Harris closed out his third Professional Drag Racers Association 
(PDRA) world championship season with a victory at the Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger Sunday night at Virginia Motorsports Park. Harris, who’s also won two titles in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, defeated Virginia’s own Randy Weatherford in the WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive final round to claim his third win of the PDRA’s 10th season.
Pro class victories also went to Jay Cox in Pro Nitrous, John Montecalvo in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition, Daryl Stewart in M&M Transmission Pro 632, Paul Gast in Drag 965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle, Scott Kincaid in Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing, and Derek Mota in Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports.
The sportsman winners were Tim Molnar in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Steve Furr in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster, Mark Payne in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman 48 presented by Corbin’s RV, and Ken Batchelor in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster 48. Local racers Lee Dixon and Bootie Harris squared off in the final round of Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams, with Dixon’s 4.378 on a 4.36 dial-in beating Harris and his 4.903 on a 4.90 dial-in.
T. Franklin, Moyer, Boone, Stewart, Garner-Jones, Morgano and Mota Secure Final No. 1 Qualifier Spots of 2023 at PDRA World Finals
DINWIDDIE, VA – Championship contender Tommy Franklin fired off a near-record 3.614-second, 206.42 MPH pass Saturday night at the 
PDRA Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger to qualify No. 1 in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous. Franklin will start Sunday eliminations as the points leader chasing his third world championship.
No. 1 qualifier awards in the series’ additional professional classes went to Todd Moyer in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting & Ty-Drive, Steven Boone in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition, Daryl Stewart in M&M Transmission Pro 632, Chris Garner-Jones in Drag 965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle, Jerry Morgano in Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing, and Derek Mota in Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports.
After one session on Friday and another on Saturday, the No. 1 qualifiers in the sportsman classes are Buddy Perkinson in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Robert Pickens in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster, Barry Daniluk in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman 48 presented by Corbin’s RV, and Bruce Mullins in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster 48.
Halsey, Moyer Provisional No. 1 Qualifiers in Rain-Shortened Friday Qualifying at PDRA World Finals
DINWIDDIE, VA – Heavy rain showers put a stop to Friday qualifying at the PDRA Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals 
presented by ProCharger at Virginia Motorsports Park. Before the rain set in, Jim Halsey and “Turbo” Todd Moyer charged to the provisional No. 1 spots in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous and WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, respectively.
The PDRA’s other professional classes did not get to hit the track for a qualifying session. Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition, M&M Transmission Pro 632, Drag 965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle, Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing, and Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports will start qualifying on Saturday.
The sportsman classes ran one of two scheduled Friday qualifying sessions. The provisional low qualifiers are Buddy Perkinson in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Robert Pickens in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster, Al Davidowski in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman 48 presented by Corbin’s RV, and Alan O’Brien in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster 48.
