PDRA Nas Racing World Finals Welcomes International Racers
PITTSBORO, NC – For over a decade the Switzerland-based WCD Racing team has competed in the FIA European 
Championship. This season, the team’s dream of competing in the United States is being realized. The WCD Racing 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier has made the trip from Switzerland to the U.S. and will be running in Ronnie Davis Top Sportsman presented by MagnaFuel at the NAS Racing PDRA World Finals, October 20-22 at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Sascha Pretzsch pilots the WCD Racing Cavalier and recently was admitted to the 200 MPH Club in NHRA Comp Eliminator. “This dream seemed inaccessible a year ago,” Pretzsch said of running in the U.S. “It was only because of the perseverance of the whole WCD Racing team that it has become a reality. At the PDRA World Finals we hope to position ourselves as a worthy competitor that deserves a place in U.S. championships and thus do justice to all the fans that helped a Swiss team participate in this great adventure.”
The WCD Racing Cavalier was once a winning ride for Troy Coughlin. The machine, built and updated by Jerry Bickel Race Cars is powered by Sonny’s Racing Engines and ran a best time of 6.900 to qualify third at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. Pretzsch will be the first Swiss racer to compete with the PDRA, although not the first European racer. Fellow FIA Championship racer, Adam Flamholc, has made several appearances with the organization and will also be at the NAS Racing World Finals in GALOT Motorsports Pro Boost. Flamholc qualified 11th at the Mel Bush Motorsports Sunshine State Shootout before water seepage forced the event to be postponed. The event that was begun at Bradenton Motorsports Park will be completed at the World Finals in Virginia where Flamholc will have the opportunity to win two events in one weekend.
Flamholc has competed in professional eighth-mile drag racing in the U.S. for years, finishing in the top five in points in 2012 and 2013. In 2014 he won the Pro Extreme series in Europé and in 2015 won Top Doorslammer in the European Drag Racing Series. This season Flamholc has devoted much of his time to tuning, hired by a Russian team to tune their cars, which ended number one and two in points this season, as well as tuning three Pro Mods for the FIA European Championship. Those three ended the season second, fifth and sixth in points.
“Since I have had obligations to other teams this year, I have not been able to follow any series myself,” explained Flamholc, although he has won both a quarter-mile national event and an eighth-mile event earlier this year. “My goal in the future is to do as many PDRA events as I can in Pro Boost! One of the teams I’m working for in Europé will send their car over to the U.S. next season as well. So that’s another team we’ll see in PDRA.”
“I’m very fortunate to be able to work full time with my hobby,” Flamholc emphasized. His passion is spreading to the second generation with both his son, Mattias and daughter Isabell now behind the wheel of drag cars. “And without great work colleagues, team members and a very understanding family it wouldn’t be possible!
Pretzsch also adds thanks to all those who have helped him and WCD Racing achieve their success:
“We are grateful for our partners that have helped make this dream a reality,” Pretzsch added. “Without Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Sonny’s Racing Engines and the valuable help from Craig Sullivan Motorsports this dream could not come true. A big up to these professionals! Also a huge thanks to our mentor, sponsor and passionate friend, FB. Without his valuable support nothing was possible.”
Pretzsch notes that while the team still needs U.S. and/or Swiss partners to finance the 2017 season, he and the rest of the WCD Racing team are confident that their dream will continue. “The United States and Switzerland are only an eight hour flight apart, with flourishing businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. We’re excited to race at the PDRA World Finals and look forward to hopefully competing in the U.S. again next season. We have the utmost fun in the USA. Thank you to our friends, supporters, mentors, spouses and all our fans. A special thanks to our American racing fans, the drivers, and organization staff for their exceptional advice and welcome. We appreciate this very much.”
Watch Pretzsch make his PDRA debut and Flamholc go for double wins live via the Motor Mania Live Feed. Coverages begins with testing on Thursday, October 20 and continues through Saturday, October 22 until champions have been crowned in every PDRA category. Final eliminations from the postponed Mel Bush Motorsports Sunshine State Shootout will be run in conjunction with the NAS Racing World Finals qualifying. Tickets and other event information can be found at www.pdra660.com.
