Special Section
BIG MONEY , SMALL TIRES
BY NATE VAN WAGNEN | PHOTOGRAPH BY TARA BOWKER
Breaking down what ’ s new for PDRA going into 2022
As the PDRA enters its ninth season , series owners Tommy and Judy Franklin and series director Tyler Crossnoe are determined to make it the all-eighth-mile organization ’ s best year yet . Working with the PDRA ’ s marketing partners , they ’ ve increased payouts for each race and for the racers who pursue PDRA world championships . The series will also debut a brand-new small-tire class in 2022 , adding to the already stacked lineup of professional and sportsman classes .
The PDRA has experienced substantial growth in terms of racer participation and sponsor support , and the PDRA team believes strongly in returning that support to the racers .
“ Increasing our payouts and championships comes from new marketing partners and stellar racer support ,” Crossnoe says . “ We feel that our racers deserve double , even triple , what we are putting on the table , but it is our goal to continue to grow each year and continue a strong sustainability as the PDRA continues into the 2022 season and beyond . We are here to stay and being consistent is one of the traits of continuous growth .”
“ Another staple of the PDRA is paying back to more racers , better than any other series in business today ,” Crossnoe continues . “ We have always had the mindset that there is only one winner , but there are 15 others who qualified in the field . The more of those that can leave with some sort of return on their investment of racing with the PDRA creates return customers who then in turn battle it out for a world championship , where our top five finishers in every category receive a monetary amount along with other awards and accolades , putting the PDRA in a league of its own when it comes to championship doorslammer drag racing .”
While Will Smith , the PDRA ’ s marketing director , is still working to finalize all the sponsorships for the 2022 season , he does have numerous new class sponsorships locked in . New partnerships include WS Construction stepping up from presenting sponsor of Pro Boost to title sponsor , while P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive are the new presenting sponsors of the class . Laris Motorsports Insurance has signed on as the official insurance provider of the PDRA , as well as the presenting sponsor of Lucas Oil Elite Top Dragster and Lucas Oil Top Dragster .
$ hameless Racing will continue its role as the title sponsor of the Pro Outlaw 632 class , though the class will drop “ outlaw ” from its name . The more streamlined Pro 632 name is representative of the professional level the class has reached since joining the PDRA as a one-race exhibition in 2016 and a four-race class in 2017 .
PDRA is also developing a new small-tire class , Super Street , that will join the Outlaw 10.5-style Pro Street class that became a championship category in 2021 . Super Street will be similar to two popular radial classes , X275 and Ultra Street , but drivers will need to run 28x10.5 bias ply slicks with no wheelie bars . The goal is for Super Street to be a mid-4-second range class running at four races in 2022 .
“ Super Street will be a class that brings relatability to the PDRA ,” Crossnoe says . “ Cars will be in original appearance , body lines and more . The excitement level continues with the ruling of no wheelie bars as well . This brings the possibility of big wheelstands and impressive pedal jobs by the talented drivers . It ’ s taking the excitement of a number of the radial classes that are well known and throwing in an old-school flare with 28-Inch bias ply slicks out back .”
For more info on what ’ s new for the PDRA going into 2022 , visit www . PDRA660 . com .
48 PDRA660 . com