The first stop of the 2025 Red Line Synthetic Oil PDRA season took place this past weekend at GALOT Motorsports Park and as usual, the racing did not disappoint. The pits were full of racers who were ready to kick off their PDRA season with a win. Every year the competition gets better in the PDRA, and it provides some of the best side-by-side drag racing fans will see. The PDRA Summit Racing Equipment East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech brought all of that to the table and much more.

Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous

After announcing at the end of last season that he would be making the move from Elite Top Sportsman to Pro Nitrous, racer Tim Paap teamed up with Stevie “Fast” Jackson of KTR Drag Racing to help make the move. Paap showed up to the East Coast Nationals in his Musi-powered Corvette and not only qualified number one, but left as the Pro Nitrous event winner. In his fight to the top, Paap had to beat some of the toughest competitors in the class. In the finals, he faced past class champion Tommy Franklin, and took the win with a 3.651 at 205.26 mph, versus Franklin’s 3.652 at 205.66 mph. 

Top class qualifiers were:

Tim Paap: 3.676 at 209.88 mph , Tommy Franklin: 3.679 at 204.54 mph, and Amber Denton: 3.686 at 205.35 mph

WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Racing and TY Drive

Pro Boost has become one of the most competitive classes in doorcar drag racing. At the East Coast Natinals, the difference between the number one qualifier and the number 16 qualifier was only .047-seconds. After some pre-race testing, Melanie Salemi along with her tuner/husband Jon Salemi felt good about the first race of the PDRA season. Salemi is no stranger to winning and showed she was ready to make a run for a championship. The class had 28 cars show up looking for a spot in the 16 car field. At the end of qualifying, the top spot was held by Salemi with a 3.615. During eliminations, Salemi was low ET of every round and had some killer reaction times as well proving she was on her game. The finals saw Salimi face off against Johnny Camp. Salimi’s .001 reaction time gave her a significant advantage, and she took the win with a 3.622 at 206.29 mph,  versus Camp’s 3.628 at 205.13 mph effort.

Top qualifiers:

Melanie Salemi: 3.615 at 206.29 mph, Jason Harris: 3.623 at 206.80 mph, and Johnny Camp: 3.631 at 205.44 mph

Liberty’s Gears Pro Street presented by Menscer Motorsports

After running Super Street for most of last season, Blake Denton and Tommy Franklin Motorsports announced their move to Pro Street. The team brought Lizzy Musi’s legendary car named “Bonnie” out as its weapon of choice. Having 23 cars on the property and only 16 spots, meant qualifying was going to be tough. Denton went into the last round of qualifying and laid down a 3.976 at 201.61 mph to move him straight to the top after not being in the field. Things did not get any easier for Denton, during eliminations as he faced John Carinci, Marty Merillat, and Richard Reagan on his way to the finals where he met up with Chris Tuten. In the final round, Denton had the better reaction time and drove away as Tuten had troubles. Denton ran class low ET of the event with a 3.951 at 194.83 mph in the final.

Top Qualifiers

Blake Denton: 3.976 at 201.61 mph, Tim Dutton: 3.976 at 190.14 mph, Ethan Steding: 4.010 at 190.65 mph

AED Competition Fuel Systems Extreme Pro Stock presented by Kaase Racing

Defending class champion, Chris Powers picked up where he left off last year proving how he earned that number one on is Camaro’s window. Powers qualified number one for the eight-car field with a 4.099 at 176.26 mph. During eliminations, Powers was low ET every round. In the finals, it was Powers against past class champion, Alan Drinkwater. When the tree dropped, Drinkwater turned the red light on by only .003, as Powers ran low ET of the event with a 4.066 at 177.42. Powers was the fourth number one qualifier that went on to win their respective class.

Top Qualifiers

Chris Powers: 4.099 at 176.26 mph, Jeremy Huffman: 4.100 at 175.37 mph, Alan Drinkwater: 4.103 at 175.75 mph

Pro 632 presented by PTC Torque Converters

The field of  14 Pro 632 cars was led by first-time number-one qualifier Lexi Tanner. As Tanner was making her way through the competition, the other side of the ladder saw number two qualifier Walter Lannigan doing the same. Every round on the way to the finals, Lannigan left the starting line first with a string of solid reaction times. Lannigan and Tanner had identical reaction times, but the win light went to Walter Lannigan as he was the quicker of the two with his 4.166 at 168.18 mph, to Lexi Tanner’s 4.185 at 169.32 mph.

Top Qualifiers

Lexi Tanner: 4.201 at 168.58 mph, Walter Lannigan: 4.204 at 167.63 mph, Chris Rini 4.209 at 167.49 mph

Super Street presented by Brian’s Heating and Cooling

During qualifying the nitrous cars took over the class and held the top three spots, led by Austin Vincent with a 4.583 at 152.30 mph. Number two qualifier Conner McGee was going rounds along with number three qualifier Matt Schalow. McGee faced off against Schalow in the final. Schalow had the better reaction time, but McGee was able to drive around him on the top end and run 4.629 at 149.83 mph, to Matt Schalow’s 4.663 at 157.52 mph. The margin of victory was .003 seconds.

Top Qualifiers

Austin Vincent: 4.583 at 152.30 mph, Conner McGee: 4.611 at 149.73 mph, Matt Schalow: 4.653 at 157.26 mph

Sportsman Categories

In MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, defending class champion Glenn Butcher took the top spot in qualifying with a 3.742. In the finals, it was Jeremy Creasman getting the win over Tim Lawrence. MagnaFuel Top Sportsman 48 saw Vonnie Mills qualify number one with a 4.052. Ken Langlois faced Mark Payne in the final round with Langlois being the victor.

In Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, Jody Stroud earned the number qualifier spot with a 3.691. The finals had Steve Furr and Kyle Harris face off, with Steve Furr coming out on top as the event winner. In Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster 48 presented by Derrick Wolfe Trucking, Danielle Gonzalez’s 3.889 was good enough to be on the top of the qualifying sheet. In the final round, it was Chad Traylor versus Cameron Manuel. Traylor got the win thanks to his perfect .000 reaction time and running  a4.264 on his 4.26 dial-in.

In Paragon Pro Inc. Pro JR Dragster presented by PRP JR (7.90 Index), number one qualifier was Emma Crane with a .001, 7.901 at 81.38 run. In the finals, Makinzie Alexander got the win over Brylan Biondo. Classic Graphix Top JR Dragster presented by PRP JR qualifies based on reaction time and Will O’Brien took the number one spot with a .004. The final round had Knox Schween versus Acelynn Christian with Schween getting the event win.

Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by Comp Cams saw Nicole Zuccarelli make her way through the field. In the finals, Zuccarelli faced off against Brandon Lane. A slight starting line advantage went to Zuccarelli, and she was able to hold on for the win, running a 4.365 on her 4.36 dial-in.

The Red Line Synthetic Oil PDRA Racing series makes its second stop at Virginia Motorsports Park May 1-3 for the Mid-Atlantic Showdown sponsored by the Travis Mills Foundation and presented by the Red Line Shirt Club.