Drag Illustrated Issue 202, September / October 2026 | Page 54

Special Section
YEARS BEFORE SCOTT DUGGINS BECAME A FATHER, HE RAN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY CHASING IHRA QUICK ROD CHAMPIONSHIPS WHILE BUILDING HIS BUSINESS, PAR RACING ENGINES. HE WAS SUCCESSFUL ON BOTH FRONTS, EARNING THREE CONSECUTIVE SEASON TITLES IN THE 8.90 CLASS IN 1993-1995 AND A FOURTH IN 2000, WHILE PAR GAINED TRACTION IN THE SOUTHEAST AND BEYOND. WHEN HIS SON, JOSH, CAME ALONG IN 1999, SCOTT SCALED BACK HIS OWN RACING CAREER TO FOCUS ON PARENTHOOD AND BUSINESS. TODAY, THE FATHER-SON DUO IS CHASING MORE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE RED LINE OIL PDRA DRAG RACING SERIES’ SPORTSMAN CLASSES.
Scott drives a 1963 Corvette previously owned and driven by the late Henry Underwood in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, and Josh wheels a’ 14 Maddox dragster in Greenbrier Excavating & Paving Elite Top Dragster. Both cars utilize ProChargerboosted, carbureted powerplants from PAR. As of this writing, with just one race left in the season, Scott sits third in points and Josh is second.
The elder Duggins was drawn to fast bracket racing when he got back into competing once Josh got a bit older. Top Sportsman had spawned Pro Modified and Top Dragster similarly had Quick 8 shootouts. In the meantime, Josh started his own racing career in Jr. Dragsters and eventually graduated to big cars.“ He just constantly went faster and faster, until now we’ ve got the fastest two ProChargers with carburetors on them in the country,” Scott says.
The PDRA’ s Elite classes are the ideal proving grounds for Duggins and PAR. Competing at a high level allows Scott and Josh to show exactly what PAR engines are capable of, while attending all the races on the PDRA schedule gives them the opportunity to support their numerous customers in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster.
“ We’ ve kind of picked different combinations to focus on throughout the years,” Scott says.“ We’ ve got a real good 20-degree combination. We’ ve got a real good dragand-drive package. The last HOT ROD magazine had a six-page article on us on the drag-and-drive side of it. Then, all of our boosted stuff, whether it’ s ProCharger or turbo, that’ s our main focus now.”
Just as Scott and Josh race together, they also work together during the week. Dawson Putman, who drives the PAR dragster in ATI
Performance Top Dragster presented by TBM Brakes, similarly grew up around the shop, as his father has worked there for around 30 years. Scott sent Josh and Dawson to school to study CNC operations, further building the second generation’ s involvement in the business.
“ A big part of our business has evolved into machining and doing our own cylinder head and block work,” says Scott, who shared appreciation for PAR’ s employees and customers.“ We can control inhouse the next move that we want to make, and that’ s really helped business-wise.”
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