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FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Nov. 13, 2024) – Glenn Butcher, who has competed in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series since its inaugural season in 2014, proved why he’s one of fast bracket racing’s best by winning the 2024 MangaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines world championship. The Ohio-based driver won two events in the eight-race season, making him one of the few title contenders going into the final race of the season. By just 10 points, he was crowned the champion on the final day of the season.
Butcher, who has switched back and forth between eighth-mile and quarter-mile Top Sportsman racing in various series for the past 20-plus years, decided in recent years to focus on PDRA Elite Top Sportsman competition. That turned into a championship pursuit this season.
“We got the engine combination, we got the car right, and we got everything right to come out here to try to win,” Butcher said. “We really thought last year we had a good shot going into the year, then some things didn't work out real well and we were struggling here and there. But this year we knew it was like, 'Let's get it done.' We won here in Virginia at the beginning of the year, and we were like, ‘All right, let's go, let's go.’”
Butcher in his nitrous-assisted, Albert-powered Butcher & Son Excavating and Demolition ’69 Camaro won the second race of the season, the Mid-Atlantic Showdown at Virginia Motorsports Park. He lost in the first round at the next two races, then bounced back with another win at the Northern Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park. A semifinal finish at the penultimate race of the season kept him in the points lead, but Tim Paap and Randy Perkinson were on his heels.
When Butcher lost in the first round at the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals, he had no choice but to wait and see if Paap would reach the final round to take the points lead and the championship. Fortunately for Butcher, Vonnie Mills defeated Paap in the semifinals, making Butcher the champion.
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“I have let my car down more than my car has let me down,” Butcher said from the championship winner’s circle. “We didn't get down [the track] and I was .002 up front. Everybody who was still in for the championship got through first round [Saturday night]. This morning, we loaded the car, strapped it down, and said, 'Well, we'll see what happens.’ Every round was nerve-racking to say the least. I didn't go to the starting line because I just couldn't do it. I went to the finish line, and thank God for Vonnie Mills.”
While the championship scenario was out of Butcher’s control at the very end, it was his performance earlier in the season that put him in the position to contend for a championship. With two-time PDRA Top Sportsman world champion Dan Ferguson tuning, Butcher qualified in the top three at all but one race, qualifying No. 1 twice. The No. 1 qualifier receives 16 points, No. 2 receives 15, and so on. Just 10 points separated Butcher and Paap at the end of the season, so those qualifying points added up and made the difference in the final hours. Butcher also held his own once eliminations began.
“It was a unique experience for me because we hadn't always had an opportunity like this,” Butcher said. “Back in the IHRA days, we had some opportunities, but to come into one event where it's all on the line was challenging and rewarding. I think we stepped up. We had some issues with the car, but the driver was there. I've been doing my best driving in years lately. I've just been really focused and really coming around. It's overwhelming to say the least to think about what we did and what we accomplished.”
Butcher was sure to share credit with his team and their supporters for making his championship season possible.
“Big thanks to Billy Albert, especially for getting the engine done under a time crunch,” who also thanked Hoosier Racing Tires and Abruzzi Transmissions. “Without Dan Ferguson on the keyboard, we would really struggle. Obviously, my wife [Linda] and my kids [Maximus and Lyla] are there helping us round by round. We've got Scott Chitty helping us on occasion. We're a small family working together to get the things done. It's just rewarding and I'm appreciative.”
Paap, who worked with two-time Elite Top Sportsman world champion Donny Urban as his crew chief and Jeffrey Barker as his tuner, finished second in his nitrous-fed ’16 Corvette with one runner-up finish and one No. 1 qualifier award. Perkinson, driving a brand-new, ProCharged ’67 Mustang, won the season opener and the North vs. South Shootout to finish third.
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 Gary Rowe
