PDRA
Dragstock XII Will Return to Rockingham Dragway
PITTSBORO, NC – PDRA Dragstock XII, originally on schedule to be run at GALOT Motorsports Park, will now 
return to Rockingham Dragway, September 11-13. GALOT Motorsports Park’s expected completion date for the track overhaul has been pushed back to 2016, and as a result the track was forced to cancel all races on schedule for this year. PDRA Race Director, Bob Harris, reached out to Rockingham Dragway, the home of Dragstock in recent years, quickly securing the facility for the PDRA’s marquee event.
“We are disappointed that we will not run at GALOT this year,” told Harris, “but we understand that they are creating a world class facility and want it to be right before opening. We appreciate GALOT giving us enough notice to find a different facility in time and also appreciate Steve Earwood for partnering with the PDRA for a second event this season. We enjoy running at Rockingham and love the history that the Dragstock event has had at that track. We look forward to a great event there.”
Tommy D’Aprile Gets Set for PDRA Return with New Perspective
PITTSBORO, NC – For seven years Tommy D’Aprile was the hired gun for Mel Bush Motorsports. When a turn of 
events sidelined D’Aprile early this year, he quickly turned what could have been viewed as a sour situation into a positive, character-building opportunity.
“You know how racing is: here today and gone tomorrow,” D’Aprile told. “This was a faith-growing tool for me. The focus was not on what was taken away, but being thankful for all that I had. This wasn’t anything that was bad. This was a business decision for Mel to help him afford to run his racing program. Mel and I never had a falling out. I was discouraged and disappointed a bit, but that’s just normal.”
Capano Scores First Ever Victory
PITTSBORO, NC – Pro Boost competitor, Gerry Capano, has been competing professionally in heads up competition 
since 2010 with Northeast Outlaw Association and then paving the way in Pro Boost with the PDRA since the organization’s inception last year. He has made steady progress each year, finishing in the top 10 last season. Capano rebounded after a disappointing start to the season that included a DNQ due to parts breakage and a first round loss. Putting that behind him, Capano forged ahead earning his first ever victory by claiming the Pro Boost trophy at the Cajun Nationals in Shreveport La. This well-earned win is sure to be the first of many.
Capano won his first race in style, going to his first ever pole position with a 3.86 and knocking offScott Oksas and John Strickland to meet heavy hitter Kevin Rivenbark in the finals. Capano ran a career-best number, 3.803, and walked away with the Pro Boost trophy.
Simpson Joins the PDRA as the Newest Performance Partner
PITTSBORO, N.C – Simpson Performance Products, a name synonymous with driver safety in all types of racing, has 
joined the host of Professional Drag Racers Association sponsors. A vast majority of PDRA teams utilize a Simpson product to keep them safe while reaching speeds of over 200 MPH in the eighth mile. Simpson is an American company that has been in business since 1959. They provide a wide selection of helmets, racing suits, gloves and shoes as well as fire retardant underwear. They are the most trusted source for head and neck restraint technology in the world and feature both the Simpson Hybrid and head and neck restraints by HANS, a Simpson company. The Hybrid Sport is a favorite among drag racers.
“The marketing partners list continues to grow as one of the most famous names in racing has joined forces with the PDRA Series,” said PDRA SVP of Marketing, Mike Congdon. “Simpson Racing Products has been keeping drivers and crew members safe for many years. Their safety equipment has been used in many motorsport genres, including drag racing, NASCAR, and the IndyCar series. We are proud to have them join the PDRA Series and look forward to having them as part of the family for many years to come.”
Brad McCoy Takes a Different Approach to PXM
PITTSBORO, NC – PDRA Pro Extreme Motorcycle competitor Brad McCoy has made the trek from his Cleveland, 
N.C. home to each of the first three stops on the 2015 tour. This means he’s already traveled over 4500 miles this season, but he’s prepared to follow the PDRA tour for its entirety, a commitment not seen by many other PXM teams thus far. McCoy is invested in his program and believes that the PDRA provides the best place for bike racers to compete on a national level.
“We made a decision over the winter that we were going to try to run all the races provided that financially we could do it,” stated McCoy. “I’m going to stick to that commitment the best I can. I want to support the PDRA because they give us a really good place to come and race. There’s not many places to race with our bikes on that kind of level. I want to see the bikes do good in the PDRA so I want to support every race that I can.
Kryptonite Kustomz Hosts Pizza Party at PDRA Mid-America Open
PITTSBORO, NC – the Professional Drag Racers Association will visit Gateway Motorsports Park for the Mid-
America Open, the fourth stop on their 2015 tour. On Thursday, Official Wrap Provider of the PDRA, Kryptonite Kustomz, will host a free pizza party for racers and crew from 7pm until the pizza runs out.
Kryptonite Kustomz is known for their head-turning wraps that cover everything from golf carts to semi rigs and race cars of all shapes and sizes, as well as banners and interior walls for corporate offices or race shops. The Oklahoma based company recently moved into a large, state-of-the-art, climate controlled facility that can house any size rig.
From Exotic to Traditional, Ric Fleck has the Experience to be a Pro Boost Hitter
When the world was introduced to Pro Modified competition back in 1990, the 1941 Willys immediately became a 
cornerstone of the class.
Top racers such as Scotty Cannon, Tommy Mauney, Shannon Jenkins, Mike Ashley, Alan Pittman and many others made their bones behind the wheel of a Willys, and now, a quarter of a century later, the trend continues unabated.
Enter Columbia, South Carolina’s Ric Fleck, who has brought a beautiful example of the classic Willys Pro Mod machine to the PDRA and the Precision Turbo Pro Boost class.
Rickie Smith Keeps a Hands On Approach to Racing and Winning
PITTSBORO, NC – Two decades ago it was commonplace for most Pro Mod champion drivers to drive their rig to the 
race, call the tuning shots, make many of the necessary changes in setup between rounds, tear down and drive home. Today, Pro Mod has risen to a new level of competition where many high profile teams consist of a fully staffed crew and a capable driver who has little to distract him or her from the main job of driving. For multi time Pro Mod Champion Rickie Smith, the job is as hands on today as during his first round of Championship accruing years in the ‘80s.
Smith doesn’t have a large crew. In fact, it’s just him and one other set of hands belonging to Chad Hester. Smith still drives his own rig to the track and tackles the pit work with Hester between rounds before suiting up again to take on the next opponent, round after round after round. It’s a combination he’s been using to race and win for many years.
MIKE CASTELLANA SAVORS PRO NITROUS SUCCESS
When veteran doorslammer racer Mike Castellana posed in the winner’s circle at the recent PDRA Cajun Nationals 
at Thunder Road Raceway Park, it was a whole new experience for the man from Long Island, New York.
Just to clarify, during his long and successful career Castellana has celebrated major wins, as well as championships, at race tracks around the world. But that night at Shreveport, Louisiana, he was savoring his first victory with the Professional Drag Racers Association, the sport’s premier eighth-mile racing organization.
Castellana, 51, drove to the Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous class win behind the wheel of his Jerry Bickel Race Cars-built 1969 Camaro, another in a long line of great cars he has driven since the early days of his career.
RCD Engineering to Reward 2015 Pro Extreme World Champion with Blower Starter
PITTSBORO, NC – RCD Engineering, an innovator in original racing products, has joined the ever-growing list of 
sponsors in the Professional Drag Racers Association. RCD is a company focused on rewarding their customers, and with that in mind have committed to honoring the 2015 Pro Extreme World Champion with a brand new “Black Out” lightweight blower starter. RCD will also reward the Pro Boost class winner at each event this season with a new blower belt, provided the participant uses RCD Engineering Gates blower belt throughout the event, runs the approved RCD decals on both sides of the car, and wins the event.
“This is an exciting program,” stated PDRA Senior Vice President of Marketing, Mike Congdon. “I love it when our partners give back to our racers, especially in the form of equipment that will help them the following season.”
RCD Engineering is a California based company that for over 40 years has helped racers compete at the highest level. Their front engine components have been utilized by many of the nation’s top teams including John Force, Schumacher, Snyder Motorsports, and Sassy Racing Engines, as well as in street car applications. They are the only manufacturer of blower starters.
