NORWALK, Ohio — Two-time WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive world champion Todd “King Tut” Tutterow bounced back from a DNQ by qualifying No. 1 Friday night at the Smokies Garage American Doorslammer Challenge presented by Callies Performance at Summit Motorsports Park.
During the third stop on the 2024 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series tour, Tutterow laid down a 3.627-second pass at 208.04 MPH in the third and final qualifying session to secure the No. 1 spot by just two thousandths of a second.
No. 1 qualifier awards in the pro classes also went to Jim Halsey in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, Johnny Pluchino in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition, Walter Lannigan Jr. in PDRA Pro 632, Brayden Davis in Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Brian Weddle in Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing, and Gage Llamas in Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports.
The PDRA’s sportsman categories also completed three qualifying sessions. The No. 1 qualifiers are Tim Paap in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Craig Addis in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, Gary Grahner in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman presented by Corbin’s RV, and Patrick Forster in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Younce RV.
After two of three qualifying sessions in the Jr. Dragster classes, the provisional No. 1 qualifiers are Zach Shirkey in Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products and Anthony Elrod Jr. in Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products. Shirkey posted a 7.900 on the 7.90 index in his Maryland-based ’21 Halfscale dragster to lead the Pro Jr. Dragster field. Elrod in his Michigan-based ’22 Halfscale entry cut a .003 reaction time to take the provisional top spot in Top Jr. Dragster.
Tutterow’s rollercoaster start to the season continued with a high point when he took the No. 1 spot in a throwdown final qualifying session driving Justin Smith’s screw-blown Quik Fuel ’69 Camaro. Tutterow’s 3.627 at 208.04 put him on top of a 16-car field that saw all but two drivers run in the 3.60-second range. The two-time Pro Boost world champion and many-time champion in other doorslammer classes won the season opener, then missed out on qualifying in a record field at the last race on tour in Virginia before taking the top spot at Norwalk.
“That just shows how close the racing is here, right?” said Tutterow, who thanked Smith and the WYO Motorsports and P2 Racing crews. “We didn’t get but two qualifying runs [at Virginia] and we got three here. That makes a difference because I try to pick my car up each round and I didn’t get that opportunity [at Virginia]. It is what it is, but we made a really nice lap tonight.”
Past event winner Johnny Camp was the No. 1 qualifier after the first two sessions with progressively quicker runs, and while he stepped up again in Q3, his 3.629 at 206.42 in his ProCharged “Hells Bells” ’69 Camaro slid to No. 2. Class E.T. record holder and World Series of Pro Mod winner Derek Ward fired off a 3.635 at 208.59 to qualify third in his screw-blown ’68 Firebird.