Saturday’s final qualifying session and opening round of eliminations at the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series’ Pro Line Racing Brian Olson Memorial World Finals presented by ProCharger included national record backups and intensifying championship battles at Virginia Motorsports Park. Richard Reagan backed up his 3.854-second pass from Friday night to claim a new Liberty’s Gears Pro Street presented by Menscer Motorsports E.T. record while also locking in his first career No. 1 qualifier award. Defending Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous world champion Fredy Scriba won his first-round matchup with a 3.633 to back up his 3.600 record from Friday night.
The world championship battles in the headlining Pro Nitrous and WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive will continue on Sunday. Tommy Franklin and Marcus Butner (Pro Nitrous) and Ty Tutterow and Melanie Salemi (Pro Boost) won their first-round matchups and will meet in the second round on Sunday. Ethan Steding and Blake Denton will also continue their title fight in Pro Street.
Jeff Melnick went into the World Finals as the 2025 world champion in PDRA Pro 632 presented by PTC Torque Converters, while Alan Drinkwater (AED Competition Fuel Systems Extreme Pro Stock presented by Sonny’s Racing Engines) and Connor McGee (PDRA Super Street presented by Brian’s Heating & Cooling) also clinched championships by qualifying at the World Finals.
World champions are yet to be decided in the PDRA’s sportsman classes – MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, MagnaFuel Top Sportsman, and Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Derrick Wolfe Trucking – as well as Paragon Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products and Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products.
For complete results, visit https://pdra660.com/results/2025/vmp-world-finals/
PRO STREET
Richard Reagan had the rest of the event to back up his E.T. record-setting 3.854 at 199.29 from Friday’s second session, so few expected Reagan to attempt the backup run in Saturday’s final qualifying session in the heat of the day. Reagan did just that, though, rolling to a 3.887 at 198.32 in his screw-blown Reagan’s Excavating ’90 Mustang to close out qualifying. He kept the performance level high when eliminations started, as his 3.879 at 199.20 was the second-quickest pass of the round and more than enough to defeat Joel Wensley Jr.’s 3.994 at 193.24.
Championship contenders Ethan Steding and Blake Denton both ran in the 3.80s to start eliminations with round wins. Steding, the points leader and defending world champion, recorded a 3.899 at 197.59 in his roots-blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” ’24 Camaro to beat John Carinci’s 4.067. Denton in his nitrous-assisted “Bonnie” ’69 Camaro set low E.T. of the round with his 3.876 at 197.08 over Ron Green’s 3.959.
First-round results: Richard Reagan 3.879 def. Joel Wensley Jr. 3.994, Marty Merillat 3.941 def. Dan Norris 4.348, Nick Agostino 3.950 def. Jerry Morgano 3.975, Fletcher Cox 3.911 def. Andy Manson 3.931, Ethan Steding 3.899 def. John Carinci 4.067, Bill Riddle 3.937 def. Mikey Sasina 3.951, Blake Denton 3.876 def. Ron Green 3.959, Scott Kincaid 3.942 def. Chris Tuten 4.007.
PRO NITROUS
While Tommy Franklin and Marcus Butner were focused on their Pro Nitrous world championship battle in the opening round of eliminations, outgoing world champion Fredy Scriba had his mind on backing up his new class E.T. record. After running a 3.600 in Friday’s second qualifying session, Scriba needed to post a 3.636 or quicker in his Musi-powered “Sorcerer” ’69 Camaro. He hit the mark with a 3.633 at 207.62 on a first-round bye run he earned as the No. 1 qualifier. He’ll take on past Elite Top Sportsman world champion Buddy Perkinson in round two.
Championship contender Marcus Butner set low E.T. of the first round with a 3.603 at 209.98 in his Musi-powered “Heartbreaker” ’69 Camaro to get around Chris Rini’s 3.674. He’ll meet points leader and three-time world champion Tommy Franklin in a monster second-round matchup, as Franklin won with a 3.611 at 209.17 over a red-lighting Brian Shrader.
First-round results: Fredy Scriba 3.633 (bye), Buddy Perkinson 3.641 def. Tim Molnar 3.681, Amber Denton 3.615 def. Dane Wood 3.690, Billy Albert 3.654 def. Matt Deitsch 3.694, Cam Clark 3.700 def. Tim Paap 4.485, Tommy Franklin 3.611 def. Brian Shrader 4.038 (-.018 red), Marcus Butner 3.603 def. Chris Rini 3.674.
PRO BOOST
Ty Tutterow rolled into the World Finals with a three-round lead over Melanie Salemi in the battle for the Pro Boost world championship. Both drivers kept their championship hopes alive by qualifying solidly in the cutthroat field and winning their respective first round matchups. Tutterow, the son of two-time Pro Boost world champion Todd “King Tut” Tutterow, cut a .010 reaction time and ran a 3.567 at 210.97 in Justin Smith’s screw-blown Quik Fuel ’69 Camaro to hold off Johnny Camp’s 3.574 at 208.26. Salemi in Eddie Whelan’s screw-blown Al-Lee Installations “Purple Reign” ’68 Firebird laid down a 3.574 at 208.62 to defeat Scott Lang and his 3.601 at 205.82. Tutterow will have lane choice when he races Salemi in the second round.
First-round results: Randy Weatherford 3.556 def. Chuck Ulsch 3.626, Ed Burnley 3.612 def. Cameron Hensley 3.599, Melanie Salemi 3.574 def. Scott Lang 3.601, Ty Tutterow 3.567 def. 3.574, Steve King 3.586 def. Joel Wensley (no time), Kurt Steding 3.600 def. Jay Cox 3.971, Jason Harris 3.564 def. Frank Falter IV 3.613, John Doc 3.671 def. Jason Lee 3.686 (-.079 red).
EXTREME PRO STOCK
When Alan Drinkwater qualified in his Kaase-powered Flatout Gaskets ’08 Mustang, the 2023 Extreme Pro Stock world champion clinched another world title. He followed that up with the quickest pass of the opening round of eliminations, a 4.046 at 179.11, to get past championship challenger Jeremy Huffman. Drinkwater will have lane choice when he takes on Elijah Morton in the semifinals.
First-round results: Jordan Ensslin 4.051 (bye), Steven Boone 4.079 def. Chris Powers 7.205, Alan Drinkwater 4.046 def. Jeremy Huffman (no time), Elijah Morton 4.062 def. Dave Hughes 10.271.
PRO 632
A new Pro 632 class E.T. record is the only goal left this season for Jeff Melnick, who clinched his second world championship in three seasons on his way to a runner-up finish at DragWars in September. After dipping into the 4.00s in Friday’s second qualifying session to lead qualifying, Melnick steered Alan O’Brien’s Barry Allen-powered Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’20 Camaro to a 4.101 at 173.47 in the first round of eliminations to get past a red-lighting Gary Hood. It was another one of the quickest passes in the history of the class.
First-round results: Jeff Melnick 4.101 def. Gary Hood 4.373 (-.002 red), Walter Lannigan 4.127 def. Jason Ventura 4.219, Carson Hoyle 4.121 def. Nicole Liberty 4.166, JC Beattie Jr. 4.127 def. Brian Clauss 4.147, Kyle Salminen 4.186 def. Jeff Pittman 4.130.
SUPER STREET
Super Street rookie Carson Perry’s career-best weekend continued with a big first-round win in his nitrous-fed Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’00 Camaro. After qualifying No. 1 for the first time, he threw down the quickest pass of the first round, a 4.531 at 157.37, to defeat fellow rookie Brooks McMath, who ran a 4.706 at 157.47 in the same nitrous-fed ’76 Camaro that won the 2023 world championship with Blake Denton driving. Perry will take on Austin Vincent in the semifinals.
Connor McGee, who secured the Super Street world championship in qualifying, lost on a holeshot to newcomer Billy Taylor in the first round. Taylor’s 4.89 at 153.58 held off McGee’s 4.818 at 153.13.
First-round results: Carson Perry 4.531 def. Brooks McMath 4.706, Austin Vincent 7.037 def. Frank Saffelle 5.122 (-.115 red), Dan Whetstine 4.546 def. Dustin Mewborn (no time), Billy Taylor 4.890 def. Connor McGee 4.818.
Sunday eliminations will begin with Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams at 10:30 a.m. followed by the Jr. Dragster and sportsman classes. Pro eliminations will continue at 1:30 p.m.
PDRA fans around the world can catch all the action live on the official event live stream through www.FloRacing.com.
This story was originally published on October 4, 2025. 
The post Championship Battles Heat Up, Records Set in Opening Round of Eliminations at PDRA World Finals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.