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The Duggins’ efforts have paid off in a big way this season. Josh qualified No. 1 at the season-opening Carolina Nationals at Darlington Dragway, then Scott and Josh both qualified No. 2 at the East Coast Nationals at Darana Motorsports Park – Benson, NC. They went on to win the event together in the latest PDRA twogeneration double-up.
“ I think I might’ ve been more excited for his win light to come on than I was mine,” Josh says.“ It never really occurred to me until we got back around there to take the winner’ s circle picture that, hey, we actually both won. It was real special. I never thought that both of us would ever win at the same time. I’ ve been watching him race my whole life, always pulling for him to win. This was my second PDRA win and I think it was his first one, so that was cool.”
Scott’ s win in Elite Top Sportsman was a meaningful one even before Josh’ s win light came on. When 2022 Elite Top Sportsman world champion Henry Underwood had to park his proven’ 63 Corvette to focus on his cancer battle, he would only sell it to Scott. In fact, he was insistent that Scott buy the car and continue to race it. Though Scott already had a nearly identical car of his own, he bought the car with two conditions: Henry would drive it whenever he was able to, and when he beat the cancer, he’ d buy the car back for the same price.
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Then, I wasn’ t able to get it done. The cancer got him before I won for him.”
Duggins delivered on his promise when he won the East Coast Nationals. In his top-end interview with FloRacing’ s Kayla Morton, he dedicated the win to Underwood.
“ That trophy wasn’ t mine, that was Henry’ s,” Scott says.“ It would be very nice to have both of those trophies side by side, but I got a buddy of mine to take that trophy back to Henry’ s family. They called me on speakerphone, and Henry’ s wife and all the girls were just bawling. I got a little pendant that his daughter gave me, and he rides with me in the car all the time. Ever since then, I’ d reach over there and
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touch that pendant and say,‘ Ride with me, Henry.’”
With Josh adding a runner-up finish at the Thunder Valley Throwdown at Bristol, he’ s now less than a round behind two-time world champion and points leader Steve Furr, who’ s raced with the Duggins family in Top Dragster for years. The two have had such a strong season that they’ re the only drivers in contention for the world championship going into the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals at Virginia.
“ He’ s one of the best,” Josh says of Furr.“ Me and his kids used to play at the racetrack when we were kids and [ Scott and Steve ] were racing. He’ s one of our customers. As long
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as it’ s one of us [ winning the title ], that’ s what it’ s all about, but if I could beat him, that’ d be pretty big, for the first one that I won to be against one of the best to ever do it in Top Dragster.”
With a mere 78 points standing between Josh and the points lead, the battle for the 2026 PDRA Elite Top Dragster world championship will likely come down to the final moments of the World Finals.
Josh has spent years studying his craft. One of his teachers, his dad, is competing for an Elite Top Sportsman title in memory of Underwood, while his other teacher, Furr, is his only challenger. The outcome, Josh hopes, is a championship of his own to add to the family trophy case.
“ I just have to go up there and do my job every lap because they all matter,” says Josh, who thanked his parents, ProCharger, and everyone at PAR.“ We’ ve got to do it every time. I have a good race car. We’ ve been working pretty hard on it. Hopefully everything falls the right way. Just as long as I do my job, I think it will.”
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Underwood’ s cancer became more aggressive to the point that he had to stay home from the races. Duggins drove Underwood’ s car to a runner-up finish at the 2025 Drag- Wars, then, on March 16, days before the 2026 PDRA season kicked off at Darlington, Underwood passed away. |
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“ I really tried way, way too hard to win for him,” Scott says.“ I told him,‘ Henry, the first trophy I’ ve got, it’ s yours.’ He said,‘ OK, that’ d be great.’ |
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