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BRISTOL, Tenn. (August 19, 2024) – For the first time in the 10-year history of the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series, the all-eighth-mile series will head to Tennessee’s Bristol Dragway this weekend for the Thunder Valley Throwdown. Set for Aug. 22-24, the Thunder Valley Throwdown is the sixth of eight championship events on the 2024 PDRA schedule. All 14 of the PDRA’s professional, sportsman, and Jr. Dragster divisions will be in competition at the legendary track known as “Thunder Valley.”
“Everyone in the series has been excited about our first trip to Bristol Dragway since the Thunder Valley Throwdown was first announced,” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director, PDRA. “This is such a historic, prestigious facility, especially when you think about the history of Pro Modified racing and the role this track played in it. Legends were made in Thunder Valley, and this weekend, 14 PDRA class winners will add their names to the Bristol Dragway history books.”
The two most successful drivers in the history of Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, Jim Halsey and Tommy Franklin, have been trading the points lead back and forth this season. After reaching the final round at the most recent race on tour, the Northern Nationals in Martin, Michigan, Halsey reclaimed the lead in his Fulton-powered “Daddy Shark” ’68 Camaro. The four-time world champion also has two wins on the season. Franklin, the three-time and defending world champion, has a win and a runner-up in his Musi-powered “Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro to sit second. Fredy Scriba, winner of the Summit Racing Equipment PDRA ProStars specialty race, is third due to consistent late-round finishes in his Musi-powered “Sorcerer” ’69 Camaro.
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The ultra-competitive WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive category features several drivers in the running for the championship, including a few chasing their first. Kurt Steding is the points leader going into Bristol with one win in his screw-blown P2 Contracting ’69 Camaro. Multi-time winner Melanie Salemi is still chasing her first win of the season, but she’s second in the points standings with two runner-up finishes in Eddie Whelan’s screw-blown “Purple Reign” ’68 Firebird. Derek Ward, who also drives a screw-blown ’68 Firebird, is looking for his first-ever Pro Boost win, but with semifinal finishes at three races, he’s third in points.
Two past world champions in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition are waging another battle, as two-time Extreme Pro Stock world champion Johnny Pluchino leads 2021 world champion Chris Powers by just six points – the equivalent of six qualifying positions. Pluchino in his Kaase-powered Feather-Lite Batteries ’13 Mustang won back-to-back races to start the season, while Powers is coming off his first win of the season at Martin in his Sonny’s Racing Engines ’21 Camaro. Mountain Motor Pro Stock veteran Elijah Morton is four rounds behind Powers in third with one win in his Allen-powered Cashion Fishing Rods ’19 Mustang.
Consistent performances in PDRA Pro 632 have propelled 2022 world champion Amber Franklin into the points lead. Driving her Musi-powered “OG Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro formerly driven by her father, Tommy Franklin, in Pro Nitrous, she’s qualified No. 1 at four out of the five races, won one of them, and took runner-up honors at two. Her closest challenger in second is Walter Lannigan Jr., who has a win, a runner-up finish, and a No. 1 qualifier award in Chris Holdorf’s Nelson-powered Dewitt Custom Concrete ’10 GTO. Doug Nicholl, who won the Mid-Atlantic Showdown in Virginia, rounds out the top three in his Musi-powered ’68 Camaro.
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Two-time and reigning Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle world champion Chris Garner-Jones holds a solid points lead going into Bristol with a win and two runner-up finishes aboard his nitrous-fed T.T. Jones Racing ‘18 Hayabusa. Brunson Grothus, who returned to the class after a brief hiatus, is two rounds behind Garner-Jones with one win on Robert Varela’s turbocharged Dallas Flat Glass Distributors ’19 Hayabusa. Multi-time world champion Eric McKinney is also in the championship hunt in third with a season-opening win on his nitrous-assisted McKinney Motorsports ’14 Hayabusa.
In Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing, 17-year-old rookie phenom Ethan Steding is a points leader just like his father, Kurt, in Pro Boost. He earned back-to-back victories at Norwalk and Maryland in his roots-blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” ’24 Camaro. Another rookie, Brian Weddle, is second in his screw-blown ’68 Camaro after picking up his first career win at Martin, adding to two runner-up finishes. A third rookie, former Top Dragster racer Dan Norris, is hoping to join Steding and Weddle by earning his first Pro Street win. Still, he’s third in points with his consistent roots-blown ’22 Mustang.
Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports is back in competition after sitting out the Michigan race. Dan Whetstine, who won the most recent Super Street race on tour, is the points leader in his ProCharged “Red Velvet” ’90 Mustang. Last year’s championship runner-up, Derek Mota, has one win, two No. 1 qualifier awards, and the class record to put him No. 2 in points with his turbocharged East Point Recovery Centers ’93 Mustang. Reigning world champion Blake Denton, who scored a win and a runner-up finish to start the season in his nitrous-fed ’76 Camaro, is looking to bounce back from a first-round loss at the last race to move up from third.
The sportsman class points leaders entering the Thunder Valley Throwdown are Glenn Butcher in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Kellan Farmer in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, Mark Reese in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman presented by Corbin’s RV, and Lucas Salemi in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Younce RV. Though it’s not a championship class, Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams will give local bracket racers the chance to participate in the Thunder Valley Throwdown.
The rising stars of the PDRA in the Jr. Dragster classes will also take part in the series’ first trip to Bristol, where many of the young racers have tons of experience. Ashley Franklin is looking to add another world championship for the Tommy Franklin Motorsports camp in Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products, while fellow multi-generational racer James Beattie III is the points leader in Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products.
The Thunder Valley Throwdown at Bristol Dragway will start with Thursday testing from 10 a.m. to around 5:30 p.m. Sportsman qualifying will begin Thursday at 5:45 p.m. Friday qualifying will begin at 9 a.m. starting with Jr. Dragster and sportsman sessions, with professional qualifying sessions set for 12 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m. On Saturday, Jr. Dragster final qualifying will kick off at 9 a.m. before going into sportsman and Jr. Dragster eliminations. Professional eliminations will begin at 2 p.m.
Tickets are on sale now for $20 for Thursday, $25 for Friday, and $30 for Saturday. Suite tickets and weekend passes are also available. Kids 5 and under get in free. Tickets can be purchased at www.PDRA660.com or at the gate.
Fans at home can watch the full event live on the official livestream through www.FloRacing.com.
Photos by Tara Bowker
