With a Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series world championship on the line, Marcus Butner won a side-by-side Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous final round at the Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger at Virginia Motorsports Park to claim his third win of the season and his first career world championship. Butner and final-round opponent Buddy Perkinson both cut .009-second reaction times before Butner pulled ahead to win with a 3.647-second pass at 207.53 mph over Perkinson’s 3.660 at 205.91.
Past world champions Ethan Steding (Liberty’s Gears Pro Street presented by Menscer Motorsports) and Alan Drinkwater (AED Competition Fuel Systems Extreme Pro Stock presented by Sonny’s Racing Engines) also claimed event wins to cap off their 2025 world championship seasons.
Additional pro winners at the World Finals were Jason Harris in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, Carson Hoyle in PDRA Pro 632 presented by PTC Torque Converters, and Carson Perry in PDRA Super Street presented by Brian’s Heating & Cooling.
Sportsman event wins went to Ron Whitlock in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Linzie Coleman in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, Jeff Melnick in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman, and Will Creasman in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Derrick Wolfe Trucking.
Bryan LaFlam (Elite Top Sportsman), Alan O’Brien (Elite Top Dragster), Jeff Talvacchio (Top Sportsman), and Clayton Roberts (Top Dragster) walked away with sportsman class world championships.
In the Jr. Dragster classes, Makenzie Alexander picked up a World Finals win in Paragon Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products to go with her new world championship and Kylie Varnier was victorious in Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products, while Knox Schween won the Top Jr. Dragster world championship. Alexander in her Mechanicsville, Virginia-based ’17 Halfscale dragster ran a 7.940 on the 7.90 index to beat the quicker reacting Rowan Parlett, who posted a 7.953 in his Mechanicsville, Maryland-based Computech entry. In an all-Virginia final round, Quinton’s Tori Underwood went red by .060 in her ’21 Mike Bos dragster, while Varnier ran a 9.005 on an 8.97 dial-in to get the win.
Driving his ’67 Wagon, Staunton, Virginia’s Billy Brewster cut a .009 light and ran a 6.403 on a 6.39 dial-in in the final round of Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams to defeat Ernie Lumpkin and his 5.490 on a 5.48 dial-in.
PRO NITROUS
With a win at the penultimate race of the season at GALOT Motorsports Park last month, Pro Nitrous young gun Marcus Butner put himself in a position to challenge three-time world champion Tommy Franklin for the 2025 season title. Throughout the World Finals weekend, Butner and tuner Jay Cox made the most of the opportunity, including beating Franklin in the second round. Butner had to go on to win the event, and he did just that. He met up with past Elite Top Sportsman world champion Buddy Perkinson in the final round, where both drivers left the line with .009 reaction times. Butner’s Musi-powered “Heartbreaker” ’69 Camaro edged out Perkinson at the finish line with a 3.647 at 207.53 to a 3.660 at 205.91. It was Butner’s third win of the season and the fourth of his career.
“We trusted all to God this weekend. We’ve got the best team, the best tuner, and we’ve got the best people on board,” said Butner, who went on to thank Pat Musi Racing Engines, Liberty’s Gears, Ty-Drive, Indy Gear, and Kinetic Engineering. “It took every single person, every single minute of the year to get to where we are. Hats off to them. I feel like we ran pretty good all year. We had some bad luck. I messed up in Michigan, turned it red, and let Tommy go win the race. You can look back, and hindsight is 20/20. But when we rolled into GALOT, we had our A game on.”
Butner had the sixth-quickest car in qualifying, but he was the quickest driver in the first round of eliminations, as he fired off a 3.603 at 209.98 to beat Chris Rini and his 3.674. The pass also broke the late Lizzy Musi’s speed record set at the 2018 World Finals. It also gave Butner lane choice over Franklin in the second round. The two were separated by just .002 at the starting line, but Butner pulled ahead to win with a 3.671 at 208.10 over Franklin’s 3.681 at 206.57. In the semifinals against No. 13 qualifier Cam Clark, Butner rolled to a 3.688 at 206.86 to defeat Clark’s 3.723.
Perkinson, who was appearing in his first final round, qualified No. 7 in his Musi-powered LAT Racing Oil ’69 Camaro and got a first-round win over fellow Elite Top Sportsman world champion Tim Molnar in a 3.641-to-3.681 race. He got past No. 1 qualifier and 2024 world champion Fredy Scriba in the second round when he ran a 3.704 at 204.32 and Scriba lifted to a 6.573. Perkinson nearly lost on a holeshot to Billy Albert in the semifinals, as he ran a 3.679 at 205.82 to drive around Albert’s 3.719 at 206.83 by just .002.
PRO BOOST
Though Jason Harris had to relinquish the No. 1 car number he’s worn for the past two seasons as the Pro Boost world champion, he did wrap up the 2025 season with his third consecutive World Finals title. After thrashing to make substantial repairs to his ProCharger-boosted Southern Diamond Company “Party Time” ’69 Camaro before the final round, Harris met up with newly crowned world champion Ty Tutterow. A side-by-side 3.58-second race was on tap, but it was over on the starting line for Tutterow, who went red by .041 seconds on a 3.588 pass at 209.46. With the win light already on in his lane, Harris posted a 3.586 at 209.20 to get his first win of the season.
“It seems like I’ve got the World Finals down pat, and I didn’t really think so coming into this, but I feel like I’ve been driving better and I really got my head out of my butt and started going back to my old ways,” said Harris, who thanked Southern Diamond Company, Hoosier Racing Tire, Pro Line Racing, ProCharger, and TKM. “I hope I can make Harold Denton proud, my dad, my family, my wife, and everybody who’s stood behind me proud. We teamed up with John Doc this year, and they’ve helped out with the thrash. We borrowed tires. We were borrowing stuff from Randy Weatherford. We were borrowing stuff from Scott Lang. We were just trying our best.”
Harris set low E.T. of eliminations with his 3.564 at 210.08 to beat rookie Frank Falter IV and a career-best 3.613 in the first round. A side-by-side race against teammate John Doc followed in round two, with Harris’ 3.621 at 208.71 topping Doc’s 3.646 at 208.01. Harris ended up on a single in the semifinals when Kurt Steding couldn’t make the run. Hoping to get lane choice for the final, Harris made a full pass and wounded his supercharger en route to a 3.651 at 186.46.
Tutterow’s path to the final started with the best race of Saturday night’s opening round of eliminations, a side-by-side match against Johnny Camp. Tutterow moved first with a .010 reaction time to Camp’s .032 and reached the finish line first with a 3.567 at 210.97 to Camp’s 3.574 at 208.26. Another monster matchup followed on Sunday when he met championship challenger Melanie Salemi in the second round. Salemi left first by .007, but she slowed to a 4.195 at 139.17, allowing Tutterow to advance with a 3.706 at 206.20. That also sealed up the championship for Tutterow. He threw down a 3.601 at 209.65 paired with a .009 light to beat Randy Weatherford, who coasted to an 8.868.
PRO STREET
One round after securing his second consecutive Pro Street world championship, Ethan Steding cruised to a final-round victory lap of a win over No. 1 qualifier Richard Reagan. Steding in his roots-blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” ’24 Camaro jumped off the starting line ahead of Reagan and held the lead through the 660-foot finish line, winning with a 3.925 at 196.79 to Reagan’s 3.920 at 198.58. It was Steding’s third win in four consecutive final rounds and his fourth overall win on the season.
“This is real rewarding,” said Steding, who thanked parents Kurt and Wendi, tuners Ty and Todd Tutterow, crew member John Redfield, and supporters like P2 Contracting, Red Line Oil, and Ty-Drive. “I think I was about 400 points out at one point, and me and Blake [Denton] have been going at it all year long. Honestly, it’s my team. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. We fought hard and I came around as a driver and we just kept taking it and that’s what you have to do. It’s a lot of stress on your back, 100 percent, but whenever you surround yourself with great people, it relieves you a lot.”
Steding qualified second and unleashed a 3.899 at 197.59 on John Carinci and his 4.067 in the opening round of eliminations on Saturday night. When racing continued on Sunday, Steding got around 2023 world champion Bill Riddle and his 4.022 at 190.75 with a 3.944 at 196.70, which set low E.T. of the round. Steding’s biggest round of the year came in the semifinals, where he laid down a 3.950 at 196.50 to finish just .011 seconds ahead of championship challenger Blake Denton and his 3.957 at 195.99. That sealed the deal on Steding’s second Pro Street title and third in the series, counting his 2021 Pro Jr. Dragster title.
Reagan, who came into the World Finals as the defending event winner, qualified No. 1 and set a new class E.T. national record in qualifying. He was one of the quickest drivers in a thrilling first round on Saturday night with his 3.89 at 199.20 to beat Joel Wensley Jr.’s 3.994. The Rutledge, Tennessee-based driver dodged a bullet in the second round, as Marty Merillat went red by .006 on a 4.173 pass, while Reagan lifted to a 4.541 at 137.99. In the semifinals, he matched retired NFL star Fletcher Cox’s .035 reaction time and charged to a 3.955 at 197.42 to beat Cox and his 6.751.
EXTREME PRO STOCK
Newly crowned two-time Extreme Pro Stock world champion Alan Drinkwater added one more event win to his 2025 scorecard when he defeated rising star Jordan Ensslin in the final round. To secure his fourth win of the season, Drinkwater left the starting line first in his Kaase-powered Flatout Gaskets ’08 Mustang and turned on the win light with a 4.077 at 177.98. Ensslin, who won the Summit PDRA ProStars race on Thursday, posted a close 4.079 at 176.72 in the runner-up effort.
“This kind of puts a seal of approval on everything,” said Drinkwater, who thanked his team and partners like Flatout Gaskets, Ram Clutches, Kaase Racing Engines, and AED Carburetors. “All weekend I’ve been super comfortable in the car and I knew we were going to be tough to beat. In the final, sitting there in the pre-stage bulb, everything just felt good, and as soon as we left, I didn’t see nothing beside me and it’s just a great feeling.”
Drinkwater was unopposed in the opening round, as Jeremy Huffman couldn’t make the run, while Drinkwater set low E.T. of eliminations with a 4.046 at 179.11. He led wire-to-wire in his semifinal match with Elijah Morton, running a 4.080 at 178.00 to Morton’s 4.092 at 185.97.
Ensslin earned a first-round bye run by qualifying No. 1 in his Allen-powered Poke County Pro Stock “Seabiscuit” ’09 Mustang. He ran a 4.051 at 178.02 to earn lane choice over 2018 world champion Steven Boone in the semifinals. Though Boone grabbed a holeshot advantage, he rattled the tires and coasted to a 5.669 behind Ensslin’s winning 4.100 at 176.33.
PRO 632
Carson Hoyle ended his Pro 632 rookie season with a decisive win to claim his first career PDRA 660 Man trophy in a professional class after stepping up from a fruitful Pro Jr. Dragster career. He used a combination of quick reaction times and a consistently quick race car to work his way through a tough path to the winner’s circle. In the final round, he cut a .005 reaction time and powered to a 4.147 at 170.43 to defeat Kyle Salminen and his 4.212 at 170.30.
“We’ve made great progression all season, and to cap it off like this and go into next year with a win, it’s amazing,” said Hoyle, who thanked ATI Performance Products, Nitrous Outlet, Pat Musi Racing Engines, Maxima Racing Oil, Meziere Enterprises, stepdad Chris Rini, and Jamie and Johnny Miller of Red Hat Mafia. “I’m confident in this team and my guys. I just needed to do my part. That’s all I needed to get it done. It’s been a crazy year with two cars, first time doing it, but we’ve done a great job. The crew’s done a great job and I’m really thankful for that.”
Hoyle qualified fourth and made the second-quickest pass of the opening round, a 4.121 at 171.62, to drive around Nicole Liberty and her 4.166. He was the only driver to dip into the 4.10s in the second round with his 4.167 at 170.08 over championship runner-up Walter Lannigan, who lifted to a 5.297. Hoyle then beat two-time world champion Jeff Melnick on a holeshot in the semifinals, running a 4.157 at 170.64 to Melnick’s 4.156.
Salminen, who got his first career win at the spring Virginia race in his Musi-powered ’03 Cavalier, used a holeshot advantage and a 4.186 at 170.99 to defeat rookie Jeff Pittman and his quicker 4.130 at 180.00 in the first round. He posted a 4.220 at 170.32 in the second round to hold off Brian Clauss and his 4.283 at 168.35. Salminen improved to a 4.217 at 170.62 on a semifinal bye run.
SUPER STREET
Super Street rookie Carson Perry closed out a career-best weekend with his first career PDRA national event win after defeating 2024 world champion Dan Whetstine in the final round. Perry in his Barry Allen AMC-powered Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’00 Camaro won the Summit PDRA ProStars all-star race on Thursday night and claimed his first career No. 1 qualifier award on Saturday. He ran a pair of 4.50s to reach the final round, where he ran it out to a 4.595 at 156.57 after Whetstine went red by .029 seconds on a 4.780 at 154.00 pass.
“Well, to win ProStars was special because we’ve kind of been struggling all year,” said Perry, who thanked his family, Alan and Kevin O’Brien, Barry Allen, and Patrick Barnhill. “To finally get it together was something, then to win both of them, you can’t ask for a better weekend. And I can’t ask for a better car. It makes my job easy when the car runs good, so it just all came together at one time. I know [Whetstine] went red, but we were gonna give him a good run.”
Perry’s march through eliminations started with a 4.531 at 157.37 to knock out fellow rookie Brooks McMath and his 4.706 at 157.47. He drove around championship runner-up Austin Vincent, laying down a 4.589 at 156.46 to Vincent’s 4.666.
Whetstine in his ProCharged “Red Velvet” ‘91 Mustang made the second-quickest pass of the first round, a 4.546 at 160.46, to get past Dustin Mewborn, who couldn’t make the run. Whetstine then had issues in the semis, pedaling to a 4.836 at 153.91, but opponent Billy Taylor had bigger issues and slowed to a 6.315.
TOP SPORTSMAN
A quicker reaction time and a 4.052 on a 4.03 dial-in helped Ron Whitlock in his ProCharged GXP take home the Elite Top Sportsman win over South Chesterfield, Virginia’s own Randy Perkinson in the final round. Perkinson recorded a 3.886 on a 3.85 dial-in in his ProCharged ’67 Mustang to take runner-up honors.
By just one thousandth of a second, Joe Roubicek red-lighted away his chance at a second world championship and a World Finals win in the final round of Top Sportsman 48. His opponent, newly crowned Pro 632 world champion Jeff Melnick, was ready for a race, though, as he threw down a 4.142 on a 4.14 dial-in in his ProCharged Exotic Fabrication ’02 Avenger to get the win.
TOP DRAGSTER
After taking out Elite Top Dragster points leader Alan O’Brien in the first round, two-time world champion Steve Furr was on a mission to win the World Finals. A third world championship would follow. But final-round opponent Linzie Coleman had other plans, as he left the line .007 ahead of Furr and recorded a 3.775 on a 3.77 dial-in in his ProCharged ’17 American dragster to narrowly defeat Furr, who drove his ProCharged ’13 American dragster to a 3.804 on a 3.79 dial-in.
Past Pro Jr. Dragster standout Will Creasman raced to victory in Top Dragster 48 when he defeated fellow North Carolinian James Albertson in the final round. Creasman got a .015 advantage on the starting line and posted a 4.267 on a 4.25, while Albertson went 4.254 on a 4.22 dial-in.
The Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series will celebrate its 2025 world champions at the PDRA Championship Awards Banquet on Friday, Dec. 12 during the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show weekend in Indianapolis.
This story was originally published on October 5, 2025. 
The post Butner, Harris, Steding, Drinkwater, Hoyle and Perry Race to Victory at PDRA World Finals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.