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PRO NITROUS
MARCUS BUTNER BUDDY PERKINSON FREDY SCRIBA
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PRO BOOST
TY TUTTEROW JASON HARRIS RANDY WEATHERFORD
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PRO STREET
ETHAN STEDING RICHARD REAGAN BLAKE DENTON
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EXTREME PRO STOCK
ALAN DRINKWATER JORDAN ENSSLIN ELIJAH MORTON
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PRO OUTLAW 632
CARSON HOYLE JEFF MELNICK KYLE SALMINEN
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With the pressure of a world championship on the line, Marcus Butner and tuner Jay Cox stood tall at the World Finals. Butner broke Lizzy Musi’ s seven-year-old speed record in the first round and took out points leader Tommy Franklin the second round. He beat Cam Clark to advance to the final, which he needed to win to claim the title. He and Buddy Perkinson both cut. 009 lights, then Butner finish first with a 3.647 to Perkinson’ s 3.660 in his Musi-powered LAT Racing Oil’ 69 Camaro. Outgoing champion Fredy Scriba qualified No. 1 and set the new E. T. class record with his 3.600 in his Musi-powered“ Sorcerer”’ 69 Camaro. |
Like Butner, Ty Tutterow went head-to-head with his championship challenger in the second round. Though Melanie Salemi got a slight jump on Tutterow, he powered to a 3.706 to get the round win and the title. Tutterow went red on a 3.588 pass in his fifth straight final. That made for a rewarding third-straight World Finals win for Jason Harris, whose team had to thrash following a severe mechanical issue in the semis and bounced back with a 3.586. Virginia’ s Randy Weatherford closed out the season with his second No. 1 qualifier award in his Harts Charger-boosted WS Construction’ 21 Camaro and reached the semis. |
Ethan Steding wrapped up a most impressive second half of the season with his fourth win of the season. He qualified No. 2 and made strong passes in the first two rounds to meet Blake Denton in the semis. With the title on the line, Steding won with a 3.950 to Denton’ s 3.957, sending Steding to his fourth straight final and securing a second straight championship. He got the win there, running a 3.925 to defeat Richard Reagan’ s 3.920. Reagan set a new class E. T. record with his 3.854 in qualifying. Denton set low E. T. of eliminations in his Musi-powered“ Bonnie”’ 69 Camaro with a 3.876. |
The Extreme Pro Stock trio made up of young guns Alan Drinkwater and Jordan Ensslin and veteran Elijah Morton led the way at the World Finals as well. Drinkwater qualified second and had the quickest car in eliminations, wrapping up the weekend and his second championship season with a 4.077 to hold off Ensslin’ s 4.079 in the final round. Ensslin earned his second straight No. 1 qualifier award and was second-quickest of the first round. Morton ran well all weekend, but just didn’ t have enough to take out Drinkwater in the semis with his 4.092 to Drinkwater’ s 4.080. |
With the championship wrapped up going into the weekend, Jeff Melnick’ s focus went from winning to setting the record. Winning was definitely on Carson Hoyle’ s mind, though, and he did just that. He beat Melnick on a slight holeshot in the semis, then cut a. 005 light and ran a 4.147 to take out Kyle Salminen in the final to pick up his first career win. Melnick qualified No. 1 and came close to the record with his 4.101 in the opening round. Kyle Salminen, who got his first Pro 632 win at the spring Virginia race, got a big holeshot win over Jeff Pittman in the first round on his way to the final. |