Special Section
TOP DRAGSTER NICK MELONI
● JUST THREE SEASONS after winning the PDRA Top Sportsman world championship , New Hampshire bracket racer Nick Meloni became a PDRA world champion again as he won the Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Younce RV title to conclude the 2024 season . Behind the wheel of the Nesbitt-powered TT Motorsports ’ 16 Dan Page dragster , Meloni delivered a clutch performance at the season finale to secure the championship , adding to one other win in three total finalround appearances . He also finished No . 10 in Top Sportsman .
“ It means a lot to get [ a championship ] in both classes ,” Meloni said . “ I have IHRA trophies in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster . I have NHRA Wallys in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster . It took me a few years to get a PDRA 660 Man , but now I have both championships and 660 Men , so it means a lot . I love winning . I ’ ve come in second a couple of times in this car and it ’ s nice to finish it off and get it done .”
PRO JUNIOR DRAGSTER ASHLEY FRANKLIN
● COMPETING IN HER final season in Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr . Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products , Ashley Franklin clinched her first world championship in the PDRA . She joined her older sister , Amber Denton , who won the 2024 Pro 632 world championship to go along two previous titles . The sisters ’ father , Tommy Franklin , is also a three-time Pro Nitrous world champion , and Ashley ’ s brother-in-law , Blake Denton , won the Super Street world championship in 2023 . Franklin secured the title with one win in two final-round appearances in her ’ 21 Half Scale dragster .
“ It ’ s definitely very rewarding ,” Franklin said . “ My whole team and family – everybody has worked so hard for this championship . It ’ s definitely been a stressful year , but we finally got it done .”
TOP JR . DRAGSTER JAMES BEATTIE III
● AS THE THIRD GENERATION in a drag racing family , James Beattie III has been surrounded by the straight-line sport his whole life . He ’ s soaked up knowledge and skills , and he put that all to use this year when he won the Classic Graphix Top Jr . Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products world championship . Beattie , the grandson of ATI Performance Products founder Jim Beattie and son of current ATI president J . C . Beattie Jr ., earned one event win in two final-round appearances to score his first championship in the PDRA .
“ Winning the PDRA championship in Top Jr . means a lot because it shows how far I have come in my short racing career and that I was focused all season ,” said Beattie , 11 . “ The highlight of my season was most definitely the . 001 / dead 9 in the second-to-last race of the season in round one of eliminations because that ’ s my best total package and reaction time in eliminations ever and it was an important round win .”
● To read full championship profiles on all the 2024 PDRA world champions , visit DragIllustrated . com or PDRA660 . com .
58 PDRA660 . com