Low Qualifiers Thorne, Franklin and Montecalvo Add Victories at PDRA Northern Nationals|

The No. 1 qualifiers in all three professional person classes parlayed their qualifying success into event victories Sabbatum evening at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Northern Nationals presented by Callies Performance at Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio. Kris Thorne (Moroso Pro Heave), Tommy Franklin (Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous) and John Montecalvo (Freedom'south Gears Extreme Pro Stock) left the northern Ohio facility with trophies.

Walter Lannigan Jr. earned the largest payday in Pro Outlaw 632 history, every bit he won the special non-points Pro Outlaw 632 Shootout presented by $hameless Racing. The win came with a $7,500 prize.

Also earning the Northern Nationals "660 Man" trophies in the sportsman classes were Glenn Butcher in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman, Zack Fisher in Lucas Oil Elite Top Dragster, Buddy Perkinson in Top Sportsman 32 and Noah Johnson in Top Dragster 32. Joe Soucek Jr. won the Edelbrock Bracket Fustigate competition.

In Coolshirt Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Knoxtown Products, Melanie Sheets left the starting line first and went 7.994 to defeat Makala Stevens' breakout 7.899, both a 7.90 dial-in. Connor Shields scored the Gilbert Motorsports Summit Jr. Dragster win when he ran viii.111 on an 8.13 punch-in aslope Gabe Milligan, who red-lighted and went 8.348 on an viii.29 dial-in.

PRO BOOST

Pro Boost rookie Kris Thorne survived a bizarre starting time round and outlasted the largest Pro Boost field of the season to earn his 2d career victory in his Mikey Rees-tuned '16 Corvette. Information technology was an all-Pro Line Racing final circular, as Thorne wheeled his twin-turbocharged 'Vette to a 3.716 at 212.36 to take out Kevin Rivenbark and his three.718 at 199.73 in the ProCharger-boosted GALOT Motorsports '69 Camaro. The margin of victory was 9 thousandths of a second.

"I knew information technology was going to be shut with Steve (Niggling) on the keyboard over at that place," Thorne said. "It was tight downward at that place. Information technology was definitely a skilful race. I'm happy those folks put up the fight they did. I'm super-blest to be out here and have a hot rod that tin accept out folks like that. This Jerry Bickel race car and Pro Line power, it's a win-win combination."

After defeating Pat Moore with a 3.83 at 212.06 in the opening circular, Thorne was a star on the starting line. He used a .001 light and 3.776 at 211.67 to crush Chuck Ulsch, then a .009 bulb and iii.74 at 213.07 to defeat GALOT Motorsports driver John Strickland and his 3.77 at 195.48, preventing an all-GALOT terminal round.

For his spot in the final circular, Rivenbark steadily improved from the No. two qualifying spot, get-go running a 3.833 at 195.91 over Matt Hutter and his iv.092 at 176.82. He stepped upwards to a 3.794 at 197.eleven over James Beadling'south 3.835 at 195.57, and then tuner Piddling turned information technology up over again with a 3.771 at 197.72 to eliminate Mike Yedgarian'due south difficult-charging turbocharged entry in the semifinals.

PRO NITROUS

The two almost evenly paired Pro Nitrous competitors in qualifying met in the final circular, equally 2-time earth champion and No. 1 qualifier Tommy Franklin squared off against points leader Jim Halsey. The 2 drivers were separated by merely two ten-thousandths of a second in qualifying, but it was Franklin all the way in the terminal round. He grabbed a .007 starting-line advantage in the Musi-powered "Jungle Rat" '69 Camaro and pulled away with a 3.69 at 204.36 to Halsey'due south 3.739 at 194.22 in his Fulton-powered '68 Camaro.

"Halsey'due south had my number for a while now," Franklin said. "I was able to get him 2d round at Valdosta and then get him here in the final round. When you get somebody that's got your number all the time, information technology feels good to start getting back after it. But they're peachy racers and a nifty team over there. We were both even on the tree. Information technology was just a heck of a race. You can't leave anything on the tabular array with them, that's for certain. I just thank the Lord for the opportunity to get the win."

Franklin bankrupt traction on his kickoff-round bye run, but he quickly plant the sweet spot for his Bickel-congenital Camaro. He ran a three.773 at 203.62 over Todd Fontana's 3.831 at 196.85, but a stout 3.715 at 203.eighty side by side to Chris Rini's 3.744 at 201.07 set the tone for the final circular.

Halsey in his Brandon Switzer-tuned Camaro used a pair of 3.77s to first defeat John Vergotz and Ron Muenks. The nitrous Pro Modified veteran moved on to the terminal round with an unopposed 3.713 at 203.34 after defending earth champion Jason Harris broke on the starting line.

Farthermost PRO STOCK

Mountain Motor Pro Stock veteran John Montecalvo entered the Northern Nationals with an intense focus on gaining footing on the leading Extreme Pro Stock competitors in the title points standings. He jumped right to the top after qualifying No. i and securing his first win of the season in his third sequent final round. Montecalvo used a holeshot and 4.151 at 172.81 in his Sonny'due south-powered '18 Camaro to defeat Elijah Morton and his 4.135 at 174.28 in the final round.

"I knew Elijah was gonna go fast," Montecalvo said. "He's had a skillful auto all weekend. Elijah tin definitely bulldoze that thing. I figured he was going to play a little bit of a game up there (on the starting line) because he likes to practise that, especially confronting me. We're good buddies. I expected something, but you never know what's going to happen. I was happy to go the holeshot on him because he's really good on the tree and he has a fast car. The problem is in one case I was out I got over towards the wall. I hit second gear, the machine spun the tire, shoved me over against the wall. I really probably should've let off, but it's very hard to permit off when you lot're ahead. I didn't see Elijah anywhere, and then I pedaled it a bit, got back in it and got to the stripe first."

Montecalvo and tuner Tommy Lee were each consistently potent in their respective roles through eliminations, running a four.178 at 173.48 to defeat rookie Johnny Pluchino and his four.195 at 173.xiv in the opening circular. A 4.172 at 172.94 followed in the semifinals, besting JR Carr'southward 4.213 at 173.34.

Morton was too consistent in his Allen-powered Morton Brothers Motorsports 'xviii Mustang, first posting a four.182 at 172.74 over Jeff Dobbins and his 4.69 at 132.47. Morton was quicker than semifinal opponent Chris Powers on the starting line and at the end line with his 4.194 at 172.41 alongside Powers' 4.198 at 170.97.

PRO OUTLAW 632

The Summer Nationals was a planned weekend off for the Pro Outlaw 632 teams, but championship contender Wes Distefano and his Michigan-based $hameless Racing team put up money for a Pro Outlaw 632 Shootout worth $seven,500 and bragging rights. Walter Lannigan Jr. picked up the win in a double-ruddy-light final round, with his C&C Pumping '53 Corvette leaving .007 also shortly, just .002 after opponent Tony Gillig left the starting line early. Lannigan ran a 4.294 at 166.48, while Gillig posted a 4.359 at 161.06.

"I feel great," Lannigan said. "I want to thank Chris Holdorf and Ms. Leslie Holdorf from C&C Pumping for giving me the gamble to practise this and giving us the equipment to do it. I'd like to thank $hameless Racing for hosting it and giving us a place to race today with PDRA. I desire to thank my guys. I didn't recall we would exist here today. All the 632 guys came around and helped us when we had a situation to get the car going."

Lannigan in the Nelson-powered, nitrous-assisted 'Vette took out Joe Valerio in the opening circular, then put teammate Chris Holdorf on the trailer with a four.286 at 166.05 to Holdorf'southward four.404 at 163.16.

Gillig's naturally aspirated Gillig-Wagner Motorsports '96 Olds Cutlass was fighting agin air weather condition, only he steadily improved as the day went on. He started with a four.414 at 159.46 over Sylvester Barnes before stepping up with a holeshot win in the semifinals, leaving on Distefano and his iv.373 at 167.10 with a four.386 at 160.37 in his Madcap-powered entry.

TOP SPORTSMAN

Dolestown, Ohio's Glenn Butcher earned the home-race victory afterward taking on some of the toughest racers in Elite Acme Sportsman in his nitrous-assisted '69 Camaro. He defeated Erica Coleman, Travis Harvey and Louis Ouimette on his way to the concluding round, where he met points leader Scott Moore. Moore left with a .002 light in his nitrous-assisted Mustang, just Butcher was better at the finish line with a 4.092 on a 4.09 dial-in compared to Moore's 4.079 on a 4.04 dial-in.

In Top Sportsman 32, Valdosta outcome winner Chris Nyerges was denied his 2nd consecutive win when he bankrupt out in the final circular aslope Buddy Perkinson. Perkinson won with a four.432 on a 4.42 dial-in, while Nyerges went four.517 on a four.52 dial-in.

Pinnacle DRAGSTER

Information technology was a battle of young guns in the Elite Elevation Dragster terminal circular, as Zack Fisher took on Kellan Farmer. Fisher ran right on his dial-in twice on his fashion to the final round, taking out championship contenders Nick Hamilton, Kyle Harris and Chase Beverly. Farmer matched that feat, so Fisher used a 4.066 on a 4.05 dial-in in his ProCharged dragster to beat Farmer's four.05 on a four.02 dial-in in his nitrous-assisted Race Tech dragster in the last.

In Top Dragster 32, a starting line advantage allowed Noah Johnson to defeat Kimberly Messer in the terminal circular. Johnson ran a 4.853 on a 4.83 dial-in, while Messer went expressionless-on her 4.67 punch-in but one race after the Jr. Dragster graduate won her start event in a "large car" at the Summer Nationals.

The next terminate on the 2022 PDRA Bout is PDRA Drag Wars Vi presented by Pro Line Racing, Sept. 5-7 at GALOT Motorsports Park in Benson, N.C.

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