NORWALK, Ohio — For the second consecutive race on the 2024 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series tour, four-time Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous world champion Jim Halsey won the event after qualifying No. 1.
Halsey’s latest victory came Saturday night at the Smokies Garage American Doorslammer Challenge presented by Callies Performance at Summit Motorsports Park when he defeated fellow Maryland native Fredy Scriba in the final round. Halsey led wire to wire, posting a 3.665-second pass at 207.53 MPH to beat a 3.673 at 203.03 from Scriba, who also appeared in his second final round of the season.
Four-time Pro Nitrous world champion Halsey delivered another dominant performance in his new Fulton-powered ’68 Camaro, taking both No. 1 qualifier and event champion honors home to Maryland. He had to face another Maryland driver, season opener runner-up Fredy Scriba, in the final round. Scriba’s 3.673 at 203.03 was his best performance of the weekend, but it wasn’t quick enough to get around Halsey and his 3.665 at 207.53
“After the year we’ve been through last year, it kind of feels like we’re back,” said Halsey, who thanked his team, as well as the employees he works with back at home at Structural Concrete, Crouse Construction, and Cecil County Dragway. “These guys worked so hard the last few weeks, and actually, all through the winter, to put this thing back together and make it like it is today. We should have the winner’s circle picture with them in it and not me.”
As the No. 1 qualifier, Halsey started race day with a bye run, which he used to record a 3.726 at 204.32 to get lane choice over Chris Rini in the second round. He left on Rini then set low E.T. of the round with a 3.684 at 207.59 to defeat Rini’s 3.763. A starting line advantage and a 3.655 at 207.15 in the semifinals was enough to take down three-time and reigning world champion Tommy Franklin and his 3.677.
Scriba qualified No. 8 in his Musi-powered ’69 Camaro and made it through the first round with a 3.797 at 198.96 over Buddy Perkinson and his 3.986. He caught a break in the second round when Mike “the Mountain Man” Achenbach went red by .007 seconds on a 3.716 pass, though Scriba posted a strong 3.73 at 201.25 for the win. Scriba then ran a 3.705 at 202.36 on a semifinal bye run.
Todd Tutterow, who won the season opener in April, rebounded from his DNQ at the last race on tour by qualifying No. 1 and winning the American Doorslammer Challenge. The two-time Pro Boost world champion stepped up his performance in each round behind the wheel of his screw-blown Quik Fuel ’69 Camaro. Tutterow won on the starting line in the final round, as first-time finalist Marcus Birt went red by .043 seconds on a 3.661-second pass at 205.63. Tutterow set low E.T. of the event with his winning 3.62 at 208.30. He also tuned Ethan Steding to his first career win in Pro Street. “We’re going home the points leader, hopefully, I would think,” said
Tutterow, who thanked car owner Justin Smith and the WYO Motorsports and P2 Racing teams. “This makes it interesting. We’re very excited. Got a good car, good crew, good people around us. That’s what it takes. It’s a whole family deal. It’s all good. I’m excited for Ethan too. All around a good weekend.”
Tutterow started eliminations with a 3.696 at 205.63 to defeat local standout Mike DiDomenico and his 3.744. He stepped up on the starting line and going down the track in the second round, leading wire to wire with a 3.66 at 206.48 over Melanie Salemi and her 3.68. Tutterow improved again in the semis against teammate Kurt Steding, who went red on a 3.652 at 205.51, while Tutterow laid down a 3.64 at 207.66 to advance to the final.
ve the win to Allen.
Halsey and Tutterow shared victory lane with Daryl Stewart in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition, Walter Lannigan Jr. in PDRA Pro 632, Brunson Grothus in Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Ethan Steding in Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing, and Connor McGee in Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports
In the PDRA’s sportsman categories, trophies went to Bruce Thrift in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, KC Ingram in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, Mike Alexander Jr. in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman presented by Corbin’s RV, and Richie Allen in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Younce RV. The Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams win went to Brittanie Ulmer from nearby Port Clinton. Driving her ’10 American dragster, she defeated Bernard Weaver in his ’84 Daytona in the sixth and final round.
The American Doorslammer Challenge also included fierce competition in the PDRA’s Jr. Dragster classes, where Carson Hoyle (Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products) and Lexus Trauth (Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products) were victorious. Hoyle and final-round opponent Mallory Mattox both broke out, Hoyle with a 7.895 and Mattox with a 7.875, but Hoyle was off the line first and ran closer to the 7.90 index in his Hickory, North Carolina-based ’23 Mike Bos dragster. Trauth also used a starting line advantage to get the final-round win over Kylie Varnier, with Trauth’s 9.018 on a 9.01 dial-in in her Alexandria, Kentucky-based ’23 Mike Bos dragster beating Varnier’s 9.154 on a 9.15 dial-in.