Special Section
THIS EDITION OF THE PDRA TOP 3 LIST REFLECTS PERFORMANCES FROM THE SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT EAST COAST NATIONALS PRESENTED BY FUELTECH, APRIL 16-18, AT DARLINGTON MOTORSPORTS PARK, BENSON, NC. PHOTOGRAPHS BY TARA BOWKER
PRO NITROUS |
PRO BOOST |
PRO STREET |
PRO 632 |
SUPER STREET |
TOMMY FRANKLIN KEITH HANEY MARCUS BUTNER |
JOHNNY CAMP JASON HARRIS MELANIE SALEMI |
BLAKE DENTON ANDY MAC RICHARD REAGAN |
J. C. BEATTIE JR. JEFF PITTMAN DAVID COOK JR. |
CONNOR MCGEE AUSTIN VINCENT DAN WHETSTINE |
A major shakeup on the Pro Nitrous list as Tommy Franklin scored a win to move up to first, Mid- West Drag Racing Series founder Keith Haney moves in with his runnerup finish, and local racer turned reigning world champ Marcus Butner led qualifying to return to the list. Franklin met Haney in the final, where Haney left first with a. 007, but a flash of fire out of his hood scoop signaled the end of his day while Franklin drove past with a 3.676. Haney posted a 3.966 in the runner-up effort in his Musi-powered“ Black Widow”’ 26 Corvette. Butner qualified No. 1 with a 3.636 in his Musi-powered“ Heartbreaker”’ 69 Camaro.
Johnny Camp maintains his top spot thanks to a No. 3 qualifying effort and semifinal finish, but it was two-time Pro Boost world champion Jason Harris who won at Darana. The centrifugal supercharger combo carried a weight penalty into the event, but it didn’ t faze Harris – or Camp. Harris in his Harts Charger-boosted Southern Diamond Company“ Party Time”’ 69 Camaro moved first in the final ahead of Melanie Salemi and won with a 3.643. Salemi, the No. 1 qualifier and defending event winner, slowed to a 3.723 in the final after setting low E. T. of race day in E1 driving the screw-blown Al-Lee Installations“ Purple Reign”’ 68 Firebird.
Blake Denton delivered a meaningful Pro Street birthday victory for engine builder Pat Musi behind the wheel of the same Musipowered“ Bonnie”’ 69 Camaro that Musi’ s late daughter, Lizzy, drove in No Prep Kings competition. Denton tied low E. T. of eliminations with his 3.943 in his final-round win over rookie Andy Mac, who finished with a 4.056. Mac, who took over the driving duties of Fletcher Cox’ s“ Training Day”’ 69 Camaro, qualified No. 1 24 hours after Cox’ s Darlington win then raced to a runnerup finish. Class E. T. record holder Richard Reagan qualified second in his screwblown’ 91 Mustang and set low E. T. of race day, 3.943, with his semifinal holeshot loss to Denton.
Though he didn’ t nab another low qualifier award, J. C. Beattie Jr. did continue his winning ways in Pro 632 when he defeated newcomer David Cook Jr. in the final round to earn his second consecutive win. Cook was actually quicker with a 4.163 in his Nelson-powered Copy & PrintWarehouse. com’ 10 GTO, but he threw it away with a. 004 light, allowing Beattie to win with a 4.170. Jeff Pittman stays on the list courtesy of his first career No. 1 qualifier award. He also recorded low E. T. of the event, a 4.136, in the semis, but lost on a holeshot to Cook, whose car won both Darana events last season with Walter Lannigan driving.
After converting his nitrous-fed Vincent Performance’ 88 Mustang to a FuelTech EFI setup over the winter, Super Street championship runner-up Austin Vincent scored a decisive win over reigning world champion and No. 1 qualifier Connor McGee. McGee left the line first in the final, but Vincent powered ahead with a 4.517 to McGee’ s 4.569. McGee ran a 4.467 – quicker than the current record – to qualify No. 1, but he didn’ t back it up. Whetstine, meanwhile, had another consistently strong outing, qualifying fourth and reaching the semis to keep himself solidly in the Top 3.
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