Special Section
THIS EDITION OF THE PDRA TOP 3 LIST REPRESENTS PERFORMANCES FROM THE FULTON RACING ENGINES NORTH VS . SOUTH SHOUTOUT PRESENTED BY PENSKE RACING SHOCKS , JUNE 15-17 , AT MARYLAND INTERNA- TIONAL RACEWAY . DESPITE RAIN ON FRIDAY , THE EVENT SAW TIGHT FIELDS , HOLESHOT WINS , AND FIRST-TIME WINNERS ACROSS SEVEN PRO CLASSES , FIVE SPORTSMAN CATEGORIES , AND TWO JR . DRAGSTER CLASSES .
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TARA BOWKER
PRO NITROUS |
PRO BOOST |
EXTREME PRO STOCK |
PRO OUTLAW 632 |
PRO NITROUS MOTORCYCLE |
JIM HALSEY MARCUS BUTNER RICKIE SMITH |
KURT STEDING KEN QUARTUCCIO TRAVIS HARVEY |
JEREMY HUFFMAN TONY GILLIG MATT GIANGRANDE |
DOUG NICHOLL MIKE MURPHY AMBER FRANKLIN |
BRAYDEN DAVIS CHRIS GARNER-JONES MESHAL AL-SABER |
Marcus Butner proved that his runner-up finish at Norwalk wasn ’ t a fluke , going one step further by collecting his first career Pro Nitrous victory . The 29-year-old met Jim Halsey in the final round . Butner left the line first with a . 029 light to Halsey ’ s . 040 , then he lit up the scoreboard first by just . 001 with his 3.640 to Halsey ’ s 3.630 . Halsey earned his third straight low qualifier award , then set low E . T . of every round . “ Tricky ” Rickie Smith was off his usual pace in qualifying , though he made it to the semifinals for the third time this season in his Musipowered Parkway Ford ’ 22 Mustang .
The second-quickest Pro Boost field of the season , led by Scott Lang ’ s 3.624 and capped by Isaias Rojas ’ 3.698 , led to some incredible racing throughout eliminations . Kurt Steding charged to his second straight final round , setting low E . T . of every round along the way . That included his 3.612 in the final , though Ken Quartuccio was a little quicker off the starting line and matched Steding ’ s number with a 3.613 in his ProCharged ’ 69 Camaro . It was the first Pro Boost win for Quartuccio , who ’ s also won in Pro 632 and Outlaw 10.5 . Travis Harvey qualified mid-pack , but his reaction times and E . T . s were among the quickest of race day .
PRO STREET
The unpredictability in Extreme Pro Stock extended into a fourth race , as two winners of the previous three races – Alan Drinkwater and Dwayne Rice – went out in the first round and the third , Chris Powers , lost in the second round . In fact , Jeremy Huffman became just the second driver to reach the semifinals more than once this season . Huffman went out in his second consecutive final . No . 2 qualifier Tony Gillig made the second-quickest pass of eliminations , a 4.056 , to beat Huffman ’ s 4.156 . Matt Giangrande made huge strides in Enoch Love ’ s Sonny ’ s-powered ’ 21 Camaro , qualifying sixth and running in the 4.00s through to a semifinal loss to Gillig .
Doug Nicholl ’ s breakout season in Pro 632 continued at Maryland , where the Michigan driver qualified No . 1 and raced to the final round for the second consecutive event . This time , though , Nicholl turned on the final win light with a 4.128 to beat Mike Murphy , who lifted to a 9.774 . Nicholl and tuner Troy Russell set low E . T . of each round . Murphy had his best weekend yet in his Vosspowered ’ 09 Cobalt , qualifying No . 5 and reaching his first final . Reigning world champion Amber Franklin qualified No . 2 and made strong passes like a 4.173 in the second round , but Murphy beat it with his . 003 light and 4.209 .
SCOTT KINCAID | JESSE LAMBERT | RON GREEN
Brayden Davis ’ double-up win in Drag 965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle and Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr . Dragster presented by PRP at the season opener was incredible , but to do it a second time was almost unthinkable . Davis did just that , though , repeating the feat at Maryland by knocking out Chris Garner-Jones in the final round . Both riders went quicker as the day went on , but Davis ’ 3.976 on his Timblin Chassis Suzuki was too quick for No . 2 qualifier Garner-Jones and his 3.989 on his T . T . Jones Racing entry . Meshal Al- Saber was off his usual pace in qualifying , but picked back up on race day to reach the semis .
Though schedule conflicts won ’ t allow Scott Kincaid to make a full run at the world championship , he ’ ll still be in the conversation . He picked up a second consecutive win by racing past Ty Kasper and Jerry Morgano , then beating Jesse Lambert in a 4.027-to-4.042 final round . Lambert had his best weekend of the season with his twin-turbo ’ 04 Mustang . He qualified third and beat reigning world champ Tim Essick on a holeshot in the second round . Fellow Virginian Ron Green qualified No . 2 in his ProCharged ’ 00 Trans Am and set low E . T . of race day , 3.988 , but wounded it and couldn ’ t return for the semis .
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