In the cutthroat arena of PDRA Pro Nitrous, where the margin for error is razor-thin and the competition is as brutal as a 3.60-second pass, Marcus Butner has cemented his place among the elite. The North Carolina native, piloting his Musi-powered “Heartbreaker” ’69 Camaro, has stormed into the top 10 of the Drag Illustrated Pound-for-Pound Pro Mod Rankings, a testament to his relentless hustle, razor-sharp driving, and the tuning wizardry of Jay Cox. For a kid who once swept pit mats just to be near the action, Butner’s rise to the upper echelon of Pro Mod is nothing short of a drag racing dream realized.
“It’s 2025, and there are no ducks wheeling a Pro Mod. It’s the baddest class in drag racing,” Butner said. “It’s an honor to be mentioned in the top 20 rankings amongst the best drivers in the world from all different Pro Mod series.”
Butner’s journey to the top 10 is a story of grit and grind. From his childhood days marveling at Jerry Williams’ Ford Probe to sponsoring Jay Cox’s “Pumpkin” in 2018, Butner soaked up every ounce of knowledge he could about Pro Nitrous. By 2021, he was behind the wheel of his own Rick Jones-built Camaro, making his PDRA debut and quickly proving he could hang with the heavyweights. His breakout came in 2023, when he scored his first Pro Nitrous win by outrunning four-time world champ Jim Halsey in Maryland, a moment that still leaves him speechless. “To keep calm and not go red and not be late running people like Jim Halsey or Tommy Franklin, it’s just in its own world,” he said at the time.
The 2024 season saw Butner elevate his game further, finishing fourth in PDRA Pro Nitrous points with a string of consistent performances. His “Heartbreaker” Camaro, armed with a Musi 973ci engine and Cox’s tuning prowess, has been a consistent threat, dipping into the low 3.60s and holding its own against the boosted juggernauts of Pro Mod. Butner’s performance at the 2024 Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod – where he was the third-quickest nitrous car and advanced to the third round – showed he’s not just competing but gunning for the top. His top-10 ranking in the Pound-for-Pound list, which measures reaction time, consistency, and overall performance, is proof he’s arrived.
“I like the Pound-for-Pound Rankings. We’re racers, and in any competition, you want to see your name at the top,” Butner said. “It’s a cool idea, and it gets people talking and checking in to see where they land, which is great for the sport. The more races we all run and data that gets entered, I think will make the top 20 list an even truer picture in the future and will make the list even more sought after.”
Butner’s 2025 campaign is off to a roaring start, with plans to tackle the Drag Illustrated Winter Series, including the U.S. Street Nationals and the World Series of Pro Mod. His team, backed by Butner Construction and partners like Pat Musi Racing Engines and Hoosier Racing Tires, has been hard at work lightening the Camaro and freshening every component to swing for the fences.
“We’ve got everything fresh, we’re getting everything light, and we’re gonna swing through the fence,” he said recently. That mindset – combined with Cox’s data-driven tuning and Butner’s ice-cold composure on the starting line – has made him a frontrunner in every race he enters.
The top-10 nod is more than just a personal milestone for Butner; it’s a reflection of his team’s relentless pursuit of perfection. From his father, Mark, who instilled a competitive fire, to Cox, who’s transitioned from driver to tuner, the Butner Motorsports crew is all-in. Even as Butner balances racing with running Butner Construction and Twin City Rebar, his passion for Pro Mod burns hotter than ever. His long-term goals – chasing a PDRA championship and a Pro Nitrous E.T. record – remain firmly in sight, but for now, he’s savoring the moment.
“To dream about it your whole life… and all of a sudden it’s a reality, and you’re actually competitive with these guys,” Butner reflected. “It’s pretty hard to believe.”
That reality is now a top-10 ranking, a spot among the baddest drivers in the baddest class in drag racing. As he continues his PDRA Pro Nitrous campaign and readies to battle the best at the Winter Series and beyond, Marcus Butner isn’t just racing for wins – he’s racing to leave a legacy, one three-second pass at a time.
This story was originally published on June 24, 2025. 
The post PDRA Pro Nitrous Frontrunner Marcus Butner Cracks Top 10 in Drag Illustrated Pound-for-Pound Pro Mod Rankings first appeared on Drag Illustrated.