Two of drag racing’s most influential and prominent 1/8th mile circuits reach season’s end and crown champs….
PDRA’s Season Ender Cut Just Short!
After three days of waiting out inclement weather (last weekend), the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) declared the Proline Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals complete on Tuesday afternoon. Continued rain sprinkles and high humidity levels prevented the series from completing the semifinal rounds in two classes and final rounds in three classes. 
“We’ve done everything we can to try to get this race in, but the weather just won’t cooperate,” said Tyler Crossnoe, race director, PDRA. “This certainly isn’t the way we wanted to end the season, especially with championships still on the line. We appreciate our racers’ determination to finish the race.”
The final rounds left to complete included Jim Halsey vs. Matt Guenther in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, Johnny Camp vs. Kurt Steding in Penske/PRS Pro Boost presented by WS Construction, and Alyssa Rabon vs. Coolidge Rivenbark in Gilbert Motorsports Top Jr. Dragster.
MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by Tejas Borja and Lucas Oil Top Dragster 48 were down to the semifinals. Buddy Perkinson, Tim Molnar, John Benoit and Bruce Thrift remained in Elite Top Sportsman, while Tyler Rudolph, Aaron Roberts and Bill Madden were left in Top Dragster 48.
The racers left in competition in the PDRA’s other professional and sportsman categories chose to split the purse and points during Sunday’s driver’s meeting.
With the World Finals officially complete, the PDRA settled the final points standings and determined the 2020 PDRA world champions.
For a second consecutive season – veteran racer Jim Halsey prevailed to win the PDRA’s Pro Nitrous class championship.
Halsey secured the Pro Nitrous world championship for the second consecutive year. John Strickland (Pro Boost), Johnny Pluchino (Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock) and Wes Distefano ($hameless Racing Pro Outlaw 632) became first-time world champions in their respective classes. Travis Davis claimed his second consecutive and third overall world championship in Drag 965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle.
John Strickland roared to the PDRA’s Pro Boost points championship for 2020.
In the sportsman categories, the world champions are Buddy Perkinson in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by Tejas Borja, Steve Furr in Lucas Oil Elite Top Dragster, Stacy Hall in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman, and Kendall Payne in Lucas Oil Top Dragster. The Jr. Dragster world champions are Nyckolas Shirkey in Coolshirt Pro Jr. Dragster and Alyssa Rabon in Gilbert Motorsports Top Jr. Dragster.
(Editor’s Note: You can link to the PDRA World Finals event photo gallery at LMLCMedia : HERE)
A “Madman” Remains Prevalent in ADRL
Frankie “The Madman” Taylor started the 2020 American Drag Racing League season strong with a Pro Extreme win on a hot June night in Texas. Last Saturday, on a chilly, overcast day at World Wide Technology Raceway, Taylor finished strong, wrapping up the class title. His second PX championship came along with the Battle For The Belts title strap and a check for $10,000. The four-car finale, originally scheduled for Friday, was moved to Saturday due to inclement weather.
Taylor advanced to the finals with a victory over Hank Stubbs thanks to a massive pass of 3.616 seconds at 209.56 mph. Jason Hamstra, the PX winner from three weeks ago at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas, made his way to the finals after beating Bubba Stanton, his 3.723-second lap at 207.05 mph topping Stanton’s run of 4.379 seconds at 121.94 mph.
Frankie “Madman” Taylor successfully defending his P/X class championship in ADRL circuit racing.
The finals between the two Texas winners was expected to be one of the highlights of the season. Both cars were quick, both racers were hungry, and the track was prepped brilliantly. Taylor launched his 2005 Corvette down the eighth-mile at 3.608 seconds at 210.34 mph, topping his previous top qualifier pass. Hamstra, unfortunately, saw his season end with a race car that broke at the starting line.
The Top Jr. Dragster and Pro Jr. Dragster classes also saw their respective champions crowned courtesy of the Battle For The Belts format. Brody Tigue topped Cohen Hale for the TJD title and Sam Stewart beat Adam Jukupcak to earn the PJD championship.
The Battle For The Belts provided closure for ADRL’s 2020 champions, but the 2021 season was only half-started in St. Louis. The qualifying for Dragstock XII and the points accumulated from that race count towards the 2021 title hunt. This weekend’s qualifying stands as official and when the ADRL returns to World Wide Technology Raceway March 26-27, 2021, the elimination rounds for Dragstock XII will be run.
The schedule for the 2021 ADRL Tour was also revealed last weekend.
The season kicks off March 26-27, 2021 with the ADRL Gateway Drags and finishes up Oct. 22-23, 2021 with Dragstock XIII in St. Louis. The Texas Motorplex is hosting Dragpalooza April 30-May 1, 2021 and the ADRL US Drags Sept. 10-11, 2021. The ADRL Summer Drags (June 4-5) and ADRL Fall Drags (Oct. 1-2) will be run at facilities to be announced.
Posted with files by Nate Van Wagnen and Brandon Mudd
Photos by Dave DeAngelis – Tara Bowker and Jason “Nubs” Dunn
