FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Pennsylvania’s Chris Powers is now a two-time world champion in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series after securing the 2024 Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition world championship. Representing the late Sonny Leonard and Sonny’s Racing Engines, Powers won two events in three final-round appearances to add another title to his 2021 world championship.

Powers in his Chuck Samuel-tuned Sonny’s Racing Engines ’21 Camaro went rounds at the first two races of the season, then he charged to the final round at the American Doorslammer Challenge at Summit Motorsports Park. Two races later, he won the Northern Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park. He notched a semifinal finish at the inaugural Thunder Valley Throwdown, then he won again at DragWars at GALOT Motorsports Park to carry a significant points lead into the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Powers clinched the championship when he won his first-round match at the World Finals.

“This means a lot to us,” said Powers, who finished second in 2023. “We’ve been working really hard. Last year didn’t work out. This year, we just knew we had to do a better job. We’re happy with this year. We did a good job. We went rounds. We got a fresh bullet. Sonny’s worked really hard on the power and it showed. We had a really good car here at the World Finals. It didn’t work out in the [second] round. I couldn’t see the tree, so we kind of just threw it away, but we’re happy. We came and did what we wanted to do.” Continue reading →

FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Three years after winning the 2021 PDRA Pro Jr. Dragster world championship, 17-year-old Ethan Steding secured the 2024 Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing world championship to become a two-time Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series world champion. He’s now just the second driver to win titles in the PDRA’s Jr. Dragster and professional categories. Competing in his rookie season, Steding won three races to secure the Pro Street world championship.

“At the start of the season, I didn’t think I would be here,” Steding said. “I thought this whole season was going to be a learning curve. This group of Pro Street guys, I thank them. They’re all super respectful and welcomed me into the class super nicely. I just definitely didn’t think I’d be here. I was just hoping to win one race, but we were actually able to win three and secure the championship. It means so much to me, and I know it means a lot to these crew guys.”

Steding, the son of WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive championship runner-up Kurt Steding, made his “big car” debut at the season-opening East Coast Nationals at GALOT Motorsports Park. He scored his first No. 1 qualifier award at the next race, the Mid-Atlantic Showdown at Virginia Motorsports Park. The firsts continued at the next race, the American Doorslammer Challenge at Summit Motorsports Park, when Steding earned his first event win. He won again at the next event, the North vs. South Shootout at Maryland International Raceway, sharing the winner’s circle with Kurt on Father’s Day weekend. A third win followed two races later at the inaugural Thunder Valley Throwdown at Bristol Dragway. Continue reading →

FREDERICKSBURG, VA – The Red Line Synthetic Oil Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) announced today its eight-race 2025 schedule, coming after a successful campaign through the 2024 calendar year. The series will return to the six familiar racetracks throughout the East Coast and Midwest that they ventured to in 2024 yet again, starting at GALOT Motorsports Park and finishing at Virginia Motorsports Park, as in years past.

“The goal each year is continue to grow in numerous ways and being consistent with the locations, dates, and programs so teams and fans alike can plan accordingly,” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director. “Following the 2024 season, there was not much to not like. Each event brought a detail to the season-long story that would not be complete without those details. We saw first-time winners, first-time champions, heartbreaking moments, and storybook endings.

“As we look back on 2024 and look forward to 2025, we will continue to further our motorsports platform with our racer-centric programs and events all while staying consistent with the schedule to continue pushing PDRA’s roots into these six markets to grow our fan base,” Crossnoe continued. “While we will return to the same six facilities in 2025, we have put an emphasis on even spacing on event dates while working with other series to avoid schedule conflicts so crew chiefs, drivers, vendors, and fans can overlap across their favorite professional avenues for drag racing.” Continue reading →

FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Glenn Butcher, who has competed in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series since its inaugural season in 2014, proved why he’s one of fast bracket racing’s best by winning the 2024 MangaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines world championship. The Ohio-based driver won two events in the eight-race season, making him one of the few title contenders going into the final race of the season. By just 10 points, he was crowned the champion on the final day of the season.

Butcher, who has switched back and forth between eighth-mile and quarter-mile Top Sportsman racing in various series for the past 20-plus years, decided in recent years to focus on PDRA Elite Top Sportsman competition. That turned into a championship pursuit this season.

“We got the engine combination, we got the car right, and we got everything right to come out here to try to win,” Butcher said. “We really thought last year we had a good shot going into the year, then some things didn’t work out real well and we were struggling here and there. But this year we knew it was like, ‘Let’s get it done.’ We won here in Virginia at the beginning of the year, and we were like, ‘All right, let’s go, let’s go.’” Continue reading →

FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Facing an increasingly competitive field, Jason Harris further cemented his name in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series history books when he clinched the 2024 WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive world championship. It was the second consecutive world championship in the class for Harris and his fourth in the series, putting him in a group of just four drivers with four titles in the 11-year history of the PDRA. Harris finished the season with three consecutive wins, adding to two runner-up finishes and one No. 1 qualifier award.

Harris kicked off his championship defense season with a runner-up finish to fellow two-time Pro Boost world champion Todd Tutterow at the season-opening East Coast Nationals at GALOT Motorsports Park. He suffered first-round exits at the next three races, then he won the Summit Racing Equipment PDRA ProStars all-star race in July. That proved to be a turning point in the season.

Driving the ProCharged Southern Diamond Company “Party Time” ’69 Camaro, Harris reached the final round at the U.S. 131 Northern Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park to start the second half of the season. He then won the inaugural Thunder Valley Throwdown at Bristol Dragway and DragWars at GALOT Motorsports Park, taking over the points lead from Kurt Steding. Harris secured the championship when Steding lost in the second round at the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park, where Harris went on to get his third consecutive win. Continue reading →

FREDERICKSBURG, VA – For the first time since 2019, the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series crowned a first-time world champion in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous when Fredy Scriba clinched the 2024 season title. Scriba emerged as a championship contender at the start of the season, but a late-season charge propelled Scriba and his Maryland-based team to the points lead at the second-to-last race of the season. He closed the season with back-to-back wins in four final-round appearances.

“I don’t really know what to say. It’s been a ride,” Scriba said. “We worked hard all year and things just came together at the end. We peaked at the right time. Struggled in the summertime a little bit, but I felt like we had a really good car. Our team’s awesome.”

At the season-opening East Coast Nationals at GALOT Motorsports Park, Scriba debuted a new “Sorcerer” ’69 Camaro built by Robert Hayes with power from Pat Musi Racing Engines. He reached the final round, falling to first-time winner Brian Shrader, also in a Hayes-built, Musi-powered hot rod. Two races later, he notched another runner-up finish to four-time world champion Jim Halsey at the American Doorslammer Challenge at Summit Motorsports Park. Continue reading →

DINWIDDIE, VA – Reigning Pro Boost world champion Jason Harris raced to victory Sunday afternoon at the PDRA Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger at Virginia Motorsport Park. The win put an exclamation mark on the end of his second consecutive world championship season in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, as he secured the title earlier in the day. In the final round, Harris recorded a 3.595-second pass at 209.20 MPH to defeat Jason Lee and his 3.629 at 209.33.

Along with Harris, the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series professional class world champions are Fredy Scriba in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, Ethan Steding in Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing, Chris Powers in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition, Amber Franklin Denton in PDRA Pro 632, Brunson Grothus in Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle, and Dan Whetstine in Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports.

Sportsman championships went to Glenn Butcher in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Kyle Harris in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, Mark Reese in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman presented by Corbin’s RV, and Nick Meloni in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Younce RV. Continue reading →

DINWIDDIE, VA – 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. Continue reading →

DINWIDDIE, VA – The longstanding 3-second barrier in Extreme Pro Stock fell Friday night when Mountain Motor Pro Stock rookie Randi Lyn Butner recorded a 3.997-second, 176.37 MPH pass in the second qualifying session at the PDRA Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger. Butner’s pass down the Virginia Motorsports Park eighth mile with husband Bo Butner in the opposite lane marked the first official 3-second pass in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition. Butner is also the provisional No. 1 qualifier at the last of eight races on the 2024 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series tour.

The pro class provisional No. 1 qualifiers after two of three qualifying sessions are Tommy Franklin in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, Johnny Camp in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, Brian Weddle in Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing, Lexi Tanner in PDRA Pro 632, Brunson Grothus in Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle, and Derek Mota in Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports.

The sportsman classes also completed two of three qualifying sessions, with provisional No. 1 spots going to Tim Molnar in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Kyle Harris in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, Scott Wasko in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman presented by Corbin’s RV, and Dave Petrofske in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Younce RV. Continue reading →

DINWIDDIE, VA – Major shakeups at the most recent race on the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series tour led to big moves at the top of the Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous points standings with just one race left in the season. The top three drivers – Fredy Scriba, Jim Halsey, and Tommy Franklin – are separated by less than one round going into this weekend’s Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger, Oct. 17-20, at Virginia Motorsports Park. It’s just one of the numerous championship battles that will be decided in the series’ professional, sportsman, and Jr. Dragster categories.

“It’s been years since we’ve seen a Pro Nitrous championship battle like this,” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director, PDRA. “Jim Halsey and Tommy Franklin have dominated the Pro Nitrous scene in recent years, so it really opened everyone’s eyes when Fredy Scriba broke through to win our last race, taking over the points lead in the process. These three drivers and their teams aren’t going to let up now. It’s going to be a fierce battle until the very end – probably culminating in the final round on Sunday afternoon.” Continue reading →