PDRA PROSTARS

or points , it didn ’ t really matter , but it ’ s really important just to get a win , more or less . We ’ ve been to a lot of finals and it feels really good to finally win one .”

Harris , the defending Pro Boost world champion , broke through to claim his first win of his championship defense season when he recorded the quickest pass of the day in the final round . His opponent , Johnny Camp , had to shut off after the burnout after developing a leak . With the Virginia Motorsports Park track surface all to himself , Harris drove his ProCharged Party Time Racing / Southern Diamond Company ’ 69 Camaro to a 3.635 at 205.13 to put a punction mark on the $ 15,000 win .

“ It ’ s a big deal because this is kind of like an all-star race – the best of last year and the best of this year ,” said Harris , who thanked his team and supporters like Southern Diamond Company , Pro Line , and Hoosier Racing Tire . “ I haven ’ t really done much this year , but last year got me going . It ’ s another notch on your belt . It ’ s another big win . It ’ s a special trophy . It ’ s a special deal . We had crappy weather , obviously , but to win against the best of qualifying and winning from last year to this year , I think speaks for itself . We got our car back . I didn ’ t want to win like that with John breaking in the finals , but a W is a W and I ’ ll take it any day .”

When an unfavorable weather forecast prevented all eight qualified Pro 632 drivers from attending ProStars , race officials declared that the quickest losing driver in the first round would be reinstated to provide fans with two complete semifinal matchups . That unique twist in the fanfocused event played out well for Franklin , the 2022 world champion , who bounced back from her first-round holeshot loss to defending world champion Jeff Melnick by beating Melnick on a holeshot in the final round . Franklin posted a 4.201 at 168.89 in her Musi-powered “ OG Jungle Rat ” ’ 69 Camaro to hold off Melnick ’ s 4.195 at 170.08 , which set low E . T . of the day .

“ It feels really good to bounce back [ from the first-round loss ],” said Franklin , who dedicated the win to the late Lizzy Musi . “ Losing on a holeshot never feels good no matter what round it is , but in this race , to be able to be put back in , it ’ s definitely not taken for granted and I knew I wanted to go after it even harder . That last win light felt really good .”

Green , who hails from Chesterfield , Virginia , hoisted a Pro Street trophy for the first time in his career . He wounded the engine in his ProCharged “ Gamechanger ” ’ 00 Firebird in his first-round win , but fellow racer Joel Wensley Jr ., who suffered engine problems of his own on the pre-race shakedown run , provided parts and assistance to get Green back on track for the final round . The win light came on in Green ’ s lane right out of the gate , as opponent Tim Essick went red by . 021 seconds on his 4.079-second pass . Green still made a full pass , setting low E . T . of the event with his 4.028 at 193.07 .

“ This is definitely special . It ’ s big time for us , man ,” said Green , who thanked his crew , including tuner Ronnie Green Jr ., as well as the Franklin family and series director Tyler Crossnoe for putting on the event . “ We ’ ve been trying to seal the deal for a while . We had some mishaps today – took a rod out , went through the pan . Thanks to my buddy Joel Wensley and their whole crew . They helped us get the thing back together . They gave me a spare head and they stayed here until we got it up and running and stayed here until we won this thing . This is big .”

As the most recent Super Street winner on the PDRA tour , Whetstine rolled into ProStars with momentum . He turned on two more win lights at ProStars to extend his streak in his ProCharged “ Red Velvet ” ’ 90 Mustang . Tuned by two-time Pro Street world champion Tim Essick , Whetstine set low E . T . of the event by almost a tenth of a second with his 4.645 at 157.56 in the final round . His opponent , Matt Schalow , had to lift to a 5.99 at 91.12 after getting out of the groove .

“ My crew worked really hard today with all the heat and everything ,” Whetstine said . “ I feel like we ’ ve got a combination now that we can get down in the heat and then we can go fast at nighttime if we need to . The car is pretty well balanced right now . Big thanks to my tuner , Tim Essick . He made some right calls today . We kind of get some data off his car and I get the benefit of that with him running right before me . I ’ m very lucky to have the guys around me on my team : Tim Essick ; my friend , Tim Savoy ; my wife , Michelle ; and Dawn . Good times , man . Good times .”

Winners in the sportsman classes were Tim Molnar in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines , Frank Falter IV in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving , Ed Foley in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman presented by Corbin ’ s RV , and Will Creasman in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster .

Victories in the Jr . Dragster categories went to Ryan Harris in Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr . Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products and Victoria Beaner in Classic Graphix Top Jr . Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products . DI

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