{"id":102734,"date":"2025-12-17T17:44:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T17:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/rookie-drivers-mix-it-up-in-pdras-pro-ranks\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T17:44:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T17:44:04","slug":"rookie-drivers-mix-it-up-in-pdras-pro-ranks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/rookie-drivers-mix-it-up-in-pdras-pro-ranks\/","title":{"rendered":"Rookie Drivers Mix It Up in PDRA\u2019s Pro Ranks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each year in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series, new drivers join the series and experienced drivers step up to new classes. This year, though, an uncommonly large \u2013 and talented \u2013 group of rookie drivers made things interesting in the PDRA\u2019s six heads-up categories. This is a roundup of the most notable rookies that made an impact throughout the 2025 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: This story originally appeared in the PDRA Section of DI #197, the 30 Under 30 Issue, in November\/December 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n

Amber Denton \u2013 Pro Nitrous<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Amber Denton made the jump up to Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous after securing her second Pro 632 presented by PTC Torque Converters world championship last season. The daughter of three-time Pro Nitrous world champion Tommy Franklin, Denton reached the final round in just her second Pro Nitrous appearance and followed that with an unforgettable first career win at the Northern Nationals. There, she beat her dad in a side-by-side, all-motor final round behind the wheel of her Musi-powered \u201cOG Jungle Rat\u201d \u201969 Camaro. Denton even led the points for much of the season, but early exits at the end of the year set her back to third in the final standings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tim Molnar \u2013 Pro Nitrous<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Numerous seasons driving a big-inch nitrous car in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines prepared 2021 world champion Tim Molnar for his 2025 move up to Pro Nitrous. He threw out the dial-in board and started the season in a Rickie Smith-tuned \u201923 Camaro, which he drove to quarterfinal finishes at the first two races. After debuting a new-to-him, Albert-powered GEM Attachments \u201969 Camaro later in the season, Molnar added a runner-up finish at the Thunder Valley Throwdown, which was completed at GALOT. Molnar finished the season ranked No. 6 in the championship points standings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tim Paap \u2013 Pro Nitrous<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Like Molnar, Paap made the jump to Pro Nitrous from Elite Top Sportsman, where he was the championship runner-up in 2024. With a star-studded team led by multi-time NHRA Top Sportsman world champion Jeffrey Barker and two-time Elite Top Sportsman world champion Donny \u201cHollywood\u201d Urban, Paap made a statement in his Pro Nitrous debut as he swept the East Coast Nationals at GALOT. He qualified No. 1 and won in his Musi-powered Paap Auto Body \u201916 Corvette. He then sat out the next race to attend his son\u2019s wedding, but rather than leave his car at home, he sent it to the Mid-Atlantic Showdown to race with past Pro Nitrous star turned two-time NHRA Pro Mod world champion Stevie \u201cFast\u201d Jackson as the fill-in driver. Paap later added another No. 1 qualifier award and a semifinal finish at the Northern Nationals before finishing the year ranked eighth.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

John Doc \u2013 Pro Boost<\/strong><\/p>\n

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After making waves in a variety of classes and formats throughout the Southeast, self-proclaimed \u201cdrag vlogger\u201d John Doc made a big step into the Pro Modified ranks, specifically WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive. Teamed up with four-time PDRA world champion Jason Harris, Doc made his debut at the season-opening East Coast Nationals at GALOT Motorsports Park in a ProCharged Southern Diamond Company \u201967 Mustang. He missed out on the cutthroat 16-car field, as 28 cars attempted to qualify, but he bounced back with semifinal finishes in his next two appearances. Later in the season, he swapped the Mustang for a \u201969 Camaro, which finished the season equipped with a new Harts Charger. Doc finished the season in the No. 8 spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jay Cox \u2013 Pro Boost<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It seems wrong to include Pro Nitrous veteran Jay Cox on a list of rookies, but he made a big switch since his last appearance in the series as a driver. Cox, who won the 2023 Brian Olson Memorial World Finals before stepping away from driving on a full-time basis, converted his fan-favorite Butner Construction \u201cPumpkin\u201d \u201969 Camaro from its traditional big-inch nitrous powerplant to a twin-turbocharged Pro Line engine to compete on a limited basis in big-money Pro Mod races and Pro Boost. He made his Pro Boost debut at the season opener at his home track, GALOT Motorsports Park, and while his five-race campaign only saw first-round exits and a couple DNQs, he certainly turned heads with some wild wheelstands.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Frank Falter IV \u2013 Pro Boost<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Young gun Frank Falter IV spent the last couple seasons getting up to speed in one of the quickest cars in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, the supercharged \u201cCandy Man\u201d entry. Falter decided he wanted to go quicker and he wanted to do it between doors, so he moved into Pro Boost midway through the season. While he didn\u2019t qualify in his debut at his home race, the North vs. South Shootout at Maryland International Raceway, Falter made it to the first round at the final three races of the season in his screw-blown \u201cCandy Man\u201d \u201969 Camaro.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fletcher Cox \u2013 Pro Street<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Retiring from a Hall of Fame career with the Philadelphia Eagles last season freed up Fletcher Cox to pursue a lifelong goal of going drag racing on a high level. After several seasons as a car owner in multiple classes, he got behind the wheel of his nitrous-fed \u201cTraining Day\u201d \u201969 Camaro and made his Pro Street debut at the second race of the season. With Phil Shuler tuning, Cox reached the semifinals. He then picked up his first of three No. 1 qualifier awards at the Maryland race before earning his first career win at the Thunder Valley Throwdown. Cox ended up third in the final points standings with a win and three semifinal finishes. He also made the quickest run in class history, a 3.829, in Northern Nationals qualifying.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: Cox was named the Pro Rookie of the Year at the PDRA Championship Awards Banquet in Indianapolis on Dec. 12. <\/em><\/p>\n

Mikey Sasina \u2013 Pro Street<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Colorado-based sportsman racer Mikey Sasina found a new home in the PDRA\u2019s Pro Street division, where he brought out a Stevie Jackson and Killin\u2019 Time Racing-prepared, ProCharged \u201903 Mustang. He didn\u2019t qualify at the season opener and lost in the opening round at the next two, but he picked up round wins at two of the last three races of the season, ending up just outside the top 10 in points.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Carson Hoyle \u2013 Pro 632\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Carson Hoyle became the latest PDRA Jr. Dragster program graduate to excel immediately upon moving into a \u201cbig car\u201d class, as he made his Pro 632 debut at the second race of the season. His stepdad, Pro Nitrous standout Chris Rini, shook down his Musi-powered ATI Performance \u201969 Camaro at the season opener before handing over the proverbial keys to Hoyle. The young gun reached the quarterfinals in his first three appearances and went to the semis at the next two before closing out the year with his first career win at the World Finals to finish third in points. Throughout the season, he cut multiple double-oh reaction times and a perfect light.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Carson Perry \u2013 Super Street<\/strong><\/p>\n

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North Carolina\u2019s Carson Perry has been around the PDRA since the beginning of the series, but this was his first full season as a driver in Super Street presented by Brian\u2019s Heating & Cooling. Representing Greenbrier Excavating & Paving in a Barry Allen small-block AMC-powered \u201900 Camaro, Perry joined a strong group of young guns: eventual world champion Connor McGee, Austin Vincent, and Matt Schalow. He reached the final round at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown, made it the semis at Maryland, then dominated the World Finals weekend, winning the Summit PDRA ProStars, qualifying No. 1, and winning the event. Perry ended up third in the points standings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This story was originally published on December 17, 2025. \"Drag<\/p>\n

The post Rookie Drivers Mix It Up in PDRA\u2019s Pro Ranks<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Each year in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series, new drivers join the series and experienced drivers step up to new classes. This year, though, an uncommonly large \u2013 and talented \u2013 group of rookie drivers made things interesting in the PDRA\u2019s six heads-up categories. This is a roundup of the most notable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102734\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}