Special Section
GEORGIA’S BRUCE THRIFT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PLAYER IN THE PDRA’S MAGNAFUEL TOP SPORTSMAN CLASSES
SINCE THE SERIES STARTED IN 2014. IN FACT, HE WAS AT THE FIRST-EVER PDRA RACE AT ROCKINGHAM DRAGWAY AND
AT EVERY OTHER RACE THAT SEASON. HE’S MISSED RACES HERE AND THERE SINCE THEN, BUT EVEN AFTER A CRASH IN
2018 AND A GREMLIN-PLAGUED FIRST HALF OF THE 2019 SEASON, THRIFT DOESN’T PLAN ON GOING ANYWHERE.
“I just love Top Sportsman,” Thrift
says. “If I won the lottery, I’d be doing
the same thing I’m doing right now
because it’s so competitive. It’s one
class that you can’t buy. You have to
know what your car’s gonna run and
you have to be on your game. Once
you qualify, everybody’s equal.”
Thrift started racing IHRA Top
Sportsman in the early 2000s before
the sanctioning body moved to an
all-run field, taking away the ultra-
competitive nature that drove Thrift
to the class. He also raced NHRA Top
Sportsman, enjoying success in both
organizations with a record that in-
cludes at least one win per season
from 2004 through 2018.
Thrift was immediately drawn to the
PDRA’s Top Sportsman class when
44 PDRA660.com
the series was launched, and he’s
continued to progress as the PDRA
split the class into two eliminators
– Elite Top Sportsman and Top
Sportsman 32 – to accommodate
the legions of Top Sportsman teams
making the haul to each race.
“Top Sportsman used to be the
fastest cars in sportsman racing, not
just Super Gas cars with the throttle
stop turned off,” Thrift remembers.
“Back in the day it was real fun.
People would be taking radiators out
trying to qualify. Now, that’s what
PDRA’s given us back. It’s just a major
accomplishment to qualify, espe-
cially in the Elite 16.”
The roofing contractor has been a
consistent standout in Elite Top
Sportsman with his Buck-powered
’07 Pontiac GTO. He’s remained
competitive with his 804ci, 5-inch
bore space engine even as many of
his competitors have moved up to
motors approaching – and some-
times exceeding – 900ci. Thrift
usually qualifies in the Elite field,
joining a cast of go-fast characters
like John Benoit, Erica Coleman,
Scott Moore, Tim Lawrence and de-
fending world champion Donny
“Hollywood” Urban.
“You’ve just got to go to play over
here and that’s what attracted me,”
Thrift says. “Anybody can go bracket
race at your local track. But when
you’ve really got to put it out there
to get in, it just makes the whole
atmosphere a whole lot better and
you feel like you’ve accomplished
something. It ain’t for everybody,
but for the ones that like to go fast,
it’s the cat’s meow.”
Once he’s qualified in the 16-car
field, Thrift is further motivated by
the high-speed bracket racing game
that goes on in the class.
“We’re down there driving the finish
line at 180-plus mph looking over at
the other car closing up the finish
line,” Thrift points out. “The best
drivers in the country, period, are in
the Top Sportsman class. The pro
classes, you let go of the button and
you keep it pointed in the right di-
rection and you don’t have to worry
about what’s going on down there
at the other end. We have to drive
both ends of the racetrack, and it’s
just amazing how your mind can
speed up and be able to do all that.