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of tough on me . As my knee got better , we started doing better . I was able to drive a little better and it was a lot of fun . We were very competitive .”
Steding looked to be a championship contender at the start of the 2021 season , as Tutterow and his nearly identical screw-blown P2 Contracting Camaro joined the team for a two-car run at the championship . While Steding ’ s knee problem prevented him from making a full run at the title , he put his full support behind Tutterow , who won the inaugural Stroud Safety Doorslammer Derby presented by Classic Graphix and went to three consecutive final rounds toward the end of the season .
“ Todd ran really well ,” Steding says . “ That ’ s when I decided , well , we
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don ’ t have a shot at [ the championship ], so let ’ s make sure Todd does .”
With Tutterow competing for a championship at the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger , Steding was there as a blocker . He reached the semifinals to face one of Tutterow ’ s championship rivals , Daniel Pharris . The race was over at the starting line when the red light came on in Steding ’ s lane , but that was quickly forgotten when the scoreboard lit up with a new E . T . record , a 3.591 at 213 mph .
“ I didn ’ t expect that 3.591 to come up there ,” Steding admits . “ Of course , I red-lit doing it . I left the line and I was like , ‘ Ahh , I just redlit ,’ then I got to the end and I saw the 3.59 and I was like ‘ Whoa ,’
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because that was my first time into the . 50s . It sort of made the red light go away in my mind .”
P2 Racing is a family operation all around , between the Stedings and the Tutterows . Steding brings along his wife , Wendi , and his son , Ethan , who races in Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr . Dragster . Tutterow ’ s wife , Denise , is also a key part of the team , along with their son , Ty , who has picked up Todd ’ s knack for tuning and maintaining fast doorslammers .
“ It ’ s like family with the Tutterows ,” Steding says . “ They make it a great place to race and set an example for my boy . Our pits are fun – they ’ re serious – but we have a lot of fun there . My wife is really into the racing we do and loves sharing the
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pits with the Tutterows . It ’ s like camping at the track .”
At just 14 , Ethan is already a proven PDRA competitor , as he clinched the 2021 Pro Jr . Dragster championship at the World Finals . He earned his second win of the season at the race right before the World Finals , which gave him enough points to survive a DNQ at the World Finals .
“ That was a nail-biter at the end there ,” Steding says . “ Standing on the line with him when he actually won the championship , I ’ m not going to say I didn ’ t tear up because I did . Super proud of him . He ’ s like a machine sometimes .”
Ethan will likely eventually join his dad in Pro Boost , though he has a
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