Special Section
PRO STREET ETHAN STEDING
EXTREME PRO STOCK CHRIS POWERS
● PENNSYLVANIA ’ S CHRIS POWERS is now a two-time world champion in the PDRA after securing the 2024 Liberty ’ s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition world championship . Representing the late Sonny Leonard and Sonny ’ s Racing Engines in his Chuck Samueltuned ’ 21 Camaro , Powers won two events in three final-round appearances to add another title to his 2021 world championship .
“ This means a lot to us ,” said Powers , who finished second in 2023 . “ We ’ ve been working really hard . Last year didn ’ t work out . This year , we just knew we had to do a better job . We ’ re happy with this year . We did a good job . We went rounds . We got a fresh bullet . Sonny ’ s worked really hard on the power and it showed . We had a really good car here at the World Finals . It didn ’ t work out in the [ second ] round . I couldn ’ t see the tree , so we kind of just threw it away , but we ’ re happy . We came and did what we wanted to do .”
● THREE YEARS after winning the 2021 PDRA Pro Jr . Dragster world championship , 17-year-old Ethan Steding secured the 2024 Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing world championship to become a two-time PDRA world champion . He ’ s now just the second driver to win titles in the PDRA ’ s Jr . Dragster and professional categories . Competing in his rookie season , Steding won three races to secure the Pro Street world championship behind the wheel of his Todd and Ty Tutterow-tuned , roots-blown P2 Contracting “ College Fund ” ’ 24 Camaro .
“ At the start of the season , I didn ’ t think I would be here ,” Steding said . “ I thought this whole season was going to be a learning curve . This group of Pro Street guys , I thank them . They ’ re all super respectful and welcomed me into the class super nicely . I just definitely didn ’ t think I ’ d be here . I was just hoping to win one race , but we were actually able to win three and secure the championship . It means so much to me , and I know it means a lot to these crew guys .”
ELITE TOP DRAGSTER KYLE HARRIS
● GOING INTO the PDRA season finale , Kyle Harris didn ’ t expect to have a realistic shot at the world championship in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving . Ranked third in points , a range of scenarios had to play out perfectly for Harris to climb into the points lead . That ’ s exactly what happened , though , as Harris raced to his first win of the season at the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals to clinch the championship .
“ PDRA runs a very family-oriented program , and that ’ s what drew us to this ,” Harris said . “ We ’ ve made so many friends here . The competition is very , very stout , and in my mind it ’ s the best in the world . We are just so proud to be able to represent ourselves in the PDRA . Being a world champion in Elite Top Dragster , I can barely describe it .”
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