Two-time world champion Johnny Pluchino laid down a career-best 4.014 at 180.89 midway through the session . John Montecalvo , the defending event champion and 2019 world champion , recorded an excruciating 4.000 at 180.40 in the second-to-last pair . Finally , 2017 NHRA Pro Stock world champion Bo Butner and his wife , Stock Eliminator standout Randi Lyn Butner , rolled through the water box to attempt a historic pass with both Johnson ’ s Horsepowered Garage / |
Elite Motorsports Camaros set up to dip into the 3-second zone .
Tuned by former Mountain Motor Pro Stock driver turned crew chief and engine builder Frank Gugliotta , the Butners were identified as two of the drivers most likely to do it . A wheelie bar issue on the starting line for Bo took him out of contention , as he had a . 994 60-foot time compared to Randi Lyn ’ s . 965 . He got out of shape and ended up getting off the throttle , but Randi
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Lyn powered through the eighthmile mark and lit up the scoreboard with a 3.997 at 176.37 .
On the return road , PDRA Series Director Tyler Crossnoe presented Butner , Gugliotta , and the team with a custom trophy , championship ring , and trailer check from class sponsor Liberty ’ s Gears . The hefty trophy , built using Liberty components , has followed the PDRA tour since 2019 .
It was a validating achievement for Butner , whose progress as a rookie driver this season hasn ’ t always translated to on-track success as Gugliotta and the team have had to work out kinks in her car , which was previously the backup car to JR Carr ’ s white Camaro now driven by Bo . The humble Indiana native reflected all of the credit to Gugliotta , though , as he ’ s been pursuing the mark for more than a decade .
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“ It really means a lot to do that for Frank ,” Butner says . “ I really did not do my best job shifting . I think it was just meant to be . It was meant to be Frank ’ s . It was a long time and a lot of things coming together and God willed it to Frank and it ’ s a whole lot of bookends coming together for him . I ’ m really excited for him .”
Butner was too busy in the car to see the 3.997 on the scoreboard , and in the chaos coming through the radio from Gugliotta on the starting line , it took Butner a minute to realize she ’ d made Mountain Motor Pro Stock history .
“ It was dark in my car and my mind is going a million miles an hour and Frank is yelling and screaming and I ’ m looking for my ‘ chute button and I ’ m never quite grabbing it ,” Butner shares . “ Then finally , I hear him say ‘ 3.99 ’ and then a lot of other things . He was going crazy , and so then I knew it had happened .
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