Drag Illustrated Issue 168, May 2021 | Page 44

Special Section
THE PDRA TOP 3 LIST IS AN EVER-CHANGING LIST OF THE BIGGEST NEWSMAKERS AND POWER PLAY- ERS IN THE PDRA ’ S PROFESSIONAL CLASSES . THIS MONTH ’ S EDITION , REPRESENTING PERFORMANCES FROM THE STROUD SAFETY DOORSLAMMER DERBY PRESENTED BY CLASSIC GRAPHIX , APRIL 29-MAY 1 AT BEECH BEND RACEWAY PARK , DOES NOT REFLECT THE CURRENT POINTS STANDINGS , THOUGH MOST OF THE DRIVERS WHO APPEAR ON THIS LIST CAN ALSO BE FOUND NEAR THE TOP OF THE POINTS STANDINGS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CLASSES . NOTE : THE DRAG 965 PRO NITROUS MOTORCYCLE CLASS DID NOT COMPETE AT THE DOORSLAMMER DERBY .
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TARA BOWKER
PRO NITROUS PRO BOOST EXTREME PRO STOCK PRO OUTLAW 632
RON MUENKS JIM HALSEY JAY COX
TODD TUTTEROW KEVIN RIVENBARK RANDY WEATHERFORD
STEVEN BOONE JUSTIN KIRK JR CARR
WES DISTEFANO JIMMY PELCARSKY DARYL STEWART
Though he slightly trails defending world champion Jim Halsey in the points standings , Ron Muenks takes over the top spot on the Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous Top 3 list on the strength of a stunning victory over Halsey in the second round at the Doorslammer Derby . Muenks ’ Jeff Pierce-tuned “ Purple Gorilla ” ’ 68 Camaro matched Halsey ’ s 3.685 to the thousandth , but it was Muenks ’ slightly quicker light that gave him the win . He went on to run low E . T . of eliminations , 3.656 , in the final round , but Jay Cox used a stellar . 003 reaction time and 3.665 in his Buck-powered “ Pumpkin ” ’ 69 Camaro to grab the holeshot win .
It didn ’ t take long for Todd Tutterow to get back to the winner ’ s circle in Penske / PRS Pro Boost presented by WS Construction competition , as he drove his screw-blown P2 Contracting ’ 21 Camaro to victory with a string of 3.60-second passes . Three of his four opponents were DQ ’ d due to red lights , but Tutterow was still one of the quickest cars on the property . He got a little too aggressive in the final round , but Randy Weatherford threw away a 3.644 in his No . 2-qualified WS Construction ’ 17 Camaro with a . 003 red light . After qualifying No . 1 in the Pro- Charger-boosted GALOT Motorsports ’ 69 Camaro , Kevin Rivenbark until he also went red against Tutterow in the semifinals , tossing out a 3.649 .
Liberty ’ s Gears Extreme Pro Stock is one class where races are frequently won or lost by reaction time , and Steven Boone proved that in Kentucky . His 4.089 beat Elijah Morton ’ s 4.085 in the first round , then his 4.116 beat John Montecalvo ’ s 4.102 in the semis . Boone met his match in the final round , where Justin Kirk left . 007 sooner than Boone and laid down a careerbest 4.063 in the Buck brothers ’ “ Big Daddy Warlock ” ’ 05 Cavalier to win his first Mountain Motor Pro Stock race . JR Carr maintains his spot on the Top 3 list by qualifying No . 1 in his Frank Gugliotta-tuned ’ 20 Camaro , which ran the secondquickest pass of eliminations but was negated by Carr ’ s red light .
It was the Wes Distefano Show in $ hameless Racing Pro Outlaw 632 at the Doorslammer Derby , where Distefano piloted his Musi-powered $ hameless Racing ’ 68 Camaro to a record 4.105 at 174.59 to qualify No . 1 . He was equally impressive on race day , backing up his 4.105 with a 4.128 in the opening round . A 4.123 and 4.138 followed , along with a 4.166 in the final round . $ hameless teammate Jimmy Pelcarsky met Distefano there after running his own string of sub-4.20 passes , but he left before the tree activated . Daryl Stewart was the third racer running in the teens in his Chassis Engineering ’ 12 Camaro , with a weekend-best 4.171 falling to Distefano in the semis .
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