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PRO NITROUS
MARCUS BUTNER TOMMY FRANKLIN DANE WOOD
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PRO BOOST
TY TUTTEROW MELANIE SALEMI ED MARX
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PRO STREET
ETHAN STEDING RON GREEN RICHARD REAGAN
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EXTREME PRO STOCK
ALAN DRINKWATER JORDAN ENSSLIN ELIJAH MORTON
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PRO OUTLAW 632
JEFF MELNICK CARSON HOYLE WALTER LANNIGAN
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Marcus Butner built on the success he had at Bristol and came back stronger in DragWars, qualifying No. 2 with a 3.629 and setting low E. T. in three of the four rounds. In the final, he fired off a 3.634 to drive around Tommy Franklin and his 3.666. Franklin also rode his Bristol momentum, qualifying No. 1 for the fourth time this season and setting low E. T. of the second round. Dane Wood made big moves in his Musi-powered“ U. S. Male”’ 12 Mustang, getting past Billy Albert and Chris Rini before cutting a. 002 light and running a 3.711 to come up short to Butner in the semis. |
Pro Boost qualifying was a battle at DragWars, with the top six drivers all running in the 3.50s. Ty Tutterow edged out Jason Harris for the top spot on speed, as they both ran 3.559. Tutterow then unleashed a string of progressively quicker passes on race day, starting with a 3.601 and ending with a 3.561 in the final to claim his third win in four straight finals. Melanie Salemi was right there throughout eliminations, setting low E. T. of the first round but coasting to an 11-second run in the final. Newcomer Ed Marx upset defending event winner Jason Harris in the quarters, using a. 003 light and 3.627 to beat Harris’ 3.590. |
The door to a second consecutive Pro Street world championship cracked open at Bristol, then Ethan Steding ran through it at GALOT. He qualified No. 6 in a nearly all- 3-second field and ran in the low 3.90s throughout eliminations, including a 3.929 to take out points leader Blake Denton’ s 3.934 in E2. He posted a 3.925 to defeat Ron Green’ s 3.938 in the final to get win No. 3 of the season. On his way to the final, Green in his screw-blown“ Game Changer”’ 00 Firebird beat 2023 world champ Bill Riddle in E1 and set low E. T. of race day, 3.901, in the semis. Richard Reagan qualified No. 2 before bowing out in the semis. |
At this point in the season, three clear contenders emerged in Extreme Pro Stock. Alan Drinkwater padded his points lead by racing to his third win in four finals. Jordan Ensslin looked like he was going to claim back-to-back victories, as he qualified No. 1 and set low E. T. of race day with his 4.059 in the semis, but he slowed to a 4.093 in the final while Drinkwater improved slightly to a 4.075. North Carolina’ s own Elijah Morton qualified No. 2 and was in the hunt after his 4.074 in the first round, but he went red by. 004 to Drinkwater in the semis. |
As was the case in his 2023 championship season, it’ s hard to stop Jeff Melnick and the O’ Brien team when they get some momentum. He posted a strong 4.129 in qualifying and set low E. T. in two of the three rounds leading to the final. There, he had to lift while Walter Lannigan sailed to the win. Rookie Carson Hoyle continued to prove his potential, outqualifying Melnick with a 4.127 and reaching the semis, where his 4.154 lost to Melnick’ s 4.142. Lannigan, driving his familiar Nelson-powered’ 10 GTO for new car owner David Cook, grabbed his second win of the year with his 4.153 in the final. |