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FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Nov. 11, 2024) – Facing an increasingly competitive field, Jason Harris further cemented his name in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series history books when he clinched the 2024 WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive world championship. It was the second consecutive world championship in the class for Harris and his fourth in the series, putting him in a group of just four drivers with four titles in the 11-year history of the PDRA. Harris finished the season with three consecutive wins, adding to two runner-up finishes and one No. 1 qualifier award.
Harris kicked off his championship defense season with a runner-up finish to fellow two-time Pro Boost world champion Todd Tutterow at the season-opening East Coast Nationals at GALOT Motorsports Park. He suffered first-round exits at the next three races, then he won the Summit Racing Equipment PDRA ProStars all-star race in July. That proved to be a turning point in the season.
Driving the ProCharged Southern Diamond Company “Party Time” ’69 Camaro, Harris reached the final round at the U.S. 131 Northern Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park to start the second half of the season. He then won the inaugural Thunder Valley Throwdown at Bristol Dragway and DragWars at GALOT Motorsports Park, taking over the points lead from Kurt Steding. Harris secured the championship when Steding lost in the second round at the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park, where Harris went on to get his third consecutive win.
“This has been a very stressful weekend,” Harris said in the winner’s circle. “We came into the weekend only two rounds up. Steding and Tutterow, they’re such a tough team. Everything had to go our way. We had some mishaps here and there. We qualified good. Right now, you can't ask for anything better. Three in a row race wins. I’ve got one bad tuner, Brandon Stroud. Everything just worked out great for us. We struggled a little bit the last couple of rounds. The car pulled me out when it needed to and I pulled the car out when I needed to. That's how you win races.”
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Harris is now just the fourth driver to win four world championships in the PDRA, as he also won the Pro Nitrous world championship in 2014 and 2018. Jim Halsey won four consecutive in Pro Nitrous, Travis Davis scored four in Pro Extreme Motorcycle, and Johnny Pluchino won two each in Pro 632 and Extreme Pro Stock.
“It means a lot to me to join that list,” Harris said. “You're talking about Jim Halsey and all these guys that have won four. Back-to-back is something in itself, but to win two in one class, two in another, it's just surreal. It's a surreal moment. This is the hardest racing in drag racing right here. Pro Boost is probably one of the hardest classes to win in. You've got to have a top-notch team, top-notch equipment, and you've got to be a top-notch driver, so to win this means that you're at the top of your game. I just hope I can continue it on and keep everybody proud of me.”
Harris dedicated his championship to everyone who’s stood behind him over the course of his career, including the late Harold Denton, who originally carried the “Party Time” name and gave his blessing for Harris to add it to his car several years ago.
“This one’s for Harold Denton,” said Harris, who thanked partners like Southern Diamond Company, CB Towers, Hoosier Race Tires, SP Tools, Pro Line Racing, and ProCharger. “He passed away earlier this year. The 'Party Time' legacy is going to live on as long as I've got it on my car.”
Harris also thanked his family-based team for their efforts throughout the season.
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“You win as a team and lose as a driver,” Harris said. “There's a lot of things that go on and you can screw this up pretty good on the starting line, but I just try to be focused. I try to make sure that my equipment's good. My team stands behind me. They're there when I get back to the pits supporting me. Jayme Thompson's been with me for 10 years. This is four championships for him too, and I can't ask for anything better than him. He's one of my best friends in the world. My dad [Bob] sticks with me through thick and thin. My wife [Crystal] too. It takes a family effort. This is not just me going out here, going up and down the racetrack. This takes everything, all of us putting time together, putting money together, traveling up and down the road to win.”
Steding, the championship runner-up, scored one win in his screw-blown P2 Contracting ’69 Camaro this season, losing in the first round just once. His tuner and teammate, Todd “King Tut” Tutterow, won two of the first three races of the season in Justin Smith’s screw-blown Quik Fuel ’69 Camaro. He also qualified No. 1 three times, but DNQs at two races prevented him from a better points finish.
The Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series will celebrate its 2024 world champions at the annual PDRA Championship Awards Banquet on Friday, Dec. 13 in downtown Indianapolis.
Photos by Tara Bowker and Gary Rowe
