Special Section
TOP DRAGSTER TG PASCHAL
● AS THE 2021 PDRA Top Dragster world champion , TG Paschal knows what it takes to contend for championships . He backed up his 2021 performance with two wins to claim the 2023 Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster world championship in his Dean ’ s Performance dragster .
“ Winning a world championship was something that I ’ ve wanted to do for years ,” said Paschal . “ The first one meant a lot being the first one , but I think this year meant more because in ‘ 21 when I won it , really all I had to do was go to Virginia for the World Finals and qualify and it was wrapped up . This year , I had to go and hope to do decent in order to win it . It worked out in the long run .”
PRO JR . DRAGSTER BRAYDEN DAVIS
TOP JR . DRAGSTER WYATT STANLEY
● CLASSIC GRAPHIX Top Jr . Dragster presented by PRP is made up of the youngest racers in the series , but it ’ s also one of the most competitive categories . The class saw different winners at all eight races , leading to a pressure-packed championship battle at season ’ s end . Wyatt Stanley was one of those eight winners , and with a runner-up finish at the season opener and a No . 1 qualifier effort at the World Finals , he collected enough points to hold off rookie phenom Victoria Beaner by just three points .
“ It ’ s a big milestone for me ,” said Stanley , the 13-year-old son of Top Sportsman driver Cheyenne Stanley . “ It ’ s another thing off my bucket list . I ’ m just trying to keep going . It ’ s a good life milestone right here . I ’ m going to put this in mind with my golf career . We just got a new Pro car that I ’ m going to be going into next year . It ’ s going to be really good . I want to thank my family and all the people that support me .”
● DOMINANCE IS SOMETHING not easily found in Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr . Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products ( PRP ) with its huge fields of second- and third-generation racers eager to take the next step in their racing careers . But Brayden Davis , son of multi-time Pro Nitrous Motorcycle world champion Travis Davis , came as close as you can get to dominance with four wins and a runner-up finish . He didn ’ t qualify at one race and skipped another , yet still secured the Pro Jr . Dragster world championship by just over 1,000 points , closing out a Jr . Dragster career that also included the 2017 Top Jr . Dragster championship .
“ It was a bittersweet year to win the championship in my last year in a Jr . Dragster ,” said Davis , who also doubled up twice in Pro Nitrous Motorcycle during his rookie season in the class . “ There is a lot of great competition , and to do as good as we did against everyone is saying something . I could not have done it without my mom and dad . They ’ ve pushed me to be the best I can be , not just in racing , but life , and I will forever thank them for that .”
● To read full championship profiles on all the 2023 PDRA world champions , visit DragIllustrated . com or PDRA660 . com .
68 PDRA660 . com