{"id":104673,"date":"2026-08-29T08:44:07","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T08:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/tutterow-bush-essick-beattie-jr-and-mcgee-earn-top-qualifying-honors-at-pdra-drag-wars\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T08:44:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T08:44:07","slug":"tutterow-bush-essick-beattie-jr-and-mcgee-earn-top-qualifying-honors-at-pdra-drag-wars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/tutterow-bush-essick-beattie-jr-and-mcgee-earn-top-qualifying-honors-at-pdra-drag-wars\/","title":{"rendered":"Tutterow, Bush, Essick, Beattie Jr., and McGee Earn Top Qualifying Honors at PDRA Drag Wars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Intermittent rain showers\u00a0attempted to halt qualifying multiple times on Friday at the PDRA Drag Wars presented by Big Stuff Total Power Management, but the fans who stuck it out were treated to one of the most intense final qualifying sessions of the season. With 28 entries in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, drivers were bumping in \u2013 and likewise getting bumped out \u2013 on nearly every pass in the third and final session. At the end of the night, it was 2025 PDRA Pro Boost world champion and defending event winner Ty Tutterow who took home the No. 1 qualifier award, running a 3.556-second elapsed time at 209.79 mph.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After three qualifying sessions in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Ryan Bush made the most of his PDRA Pro Nitrous debut, taking the No. 1 spot with a 3.629-second pass at 209.56 mph.<\/p>\n

Liberty\u2019s Gears Pro Street presented by KTR Drag Racing also completed three rounds of qualifying, where former two-time Pro Street champion Tim Essick earned the No. 1 qualifier award with a 3.893 at 195.65 mph. Due to curfew, the other two professional categories finished the night with two qualifying sessions. Pro 632 presented by Mark Williams Enterprises saw points leader J.C. Beattie Jr. take the No. 1 spot with a 4.130 at 172.89, and Connor McGee used a 4.484 at 164.43 to qualify No. 1 in 1320 Fabrication Super Street presented by Brian\u2019s Heating & Cooling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Following two qualifying sessions, No. 1 qualifier awards in the sportsman categories went to Jamie Fowler in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Alan O\u2019Brien in Greenbrier Excavating & Paving Elite Top Dragster presented by American Race Cars, Ronnie Proctor in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman, and Bruce Holland in ATI Performance Products Top Dragster presented by TBM Brakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The young stars of the PDRA Jr. Dragster classes also completed two qualifying sessions. Ashton Halas (Pro Jr. Dragster) and Carter Hayes (Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster) are the provisional No. 1 qualifiers going into Saturday morning\u2019s final session. Halas, a Williamsville, New York native, posted a perfect run, combining a .000 reaction time with a 7.900-second elapsed time to lead Pro Jr. Dragster, which qualifies against a 7.90 index. In Top Jr. Dragster, where the qualifying order is based on reaction time, Hayes was nearly perfect, posting a .007 in the Max Meadows, Virginia-based \u201999 Spitzer entry.<\/p>\n

PRO BOOST<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Ty Tutterow<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Defending PDRA Pro Boost world champion and 2025 Drag Wars event winner Ty Tutterow, son of two-time Pro Boost world champion Todd \u201cKing Tut\u201d Tutterow, continued his torrid stretch Friday night in Benson, looking eerily similar to the late-season performance that won him a championship a year ago. Piloting Justin Smith\u2019s Larry Jeffers-built Quik Fuel \u201968 Camaro, Tutterow took to the No. 1 spot in the final session a jaw-dropping 3.556-second pass at 209.79 mph.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe always plan to go up there and better our last run, and there were a couple people that went up there and ran pretty close to the same run that we did earlier, or maybe a little better,\u201d said Tutterow. \u201cBut the weather got a lot better. We were able to really stand on it and give it everything we had for that last run, and it worked out. I really figured it would run a low .56. I didn\u2019t think it was going to dip quite into a .55, but that was great.\u201d<\/p>\n

The run helped Tutterow, currently sitting third in points, edge slightly closer to points leader Jason Harris. The performance is looking like a repeat of how Tutterow finished 2025, and giving him confidence that he can repeat as the series champion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got the pole again and all these points help,\u201d Tutterow said. \u201cIt\u2019s still an uphill climb to try to win the championship, but that\u2019s our end goal\u2026and try to win two races along the way. The car\u2019s there. The team\u2019s there. I gotta be there and we just gotta have some luck on our side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnny Camp, currently sitting second in points, qualified No. 2 in his ProCharger-equipped, Brandon Stroud-tuned \u201cHells Bells\u201d \u201969 Camaro, running a 3.576 at 210.80 mph.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In just his second career PDRA Pro Boost start, North Carolina\u2019s Carson Perry continues to prove he is up to the task, earning the No. 3 position with a 3.578 at 210.34 in the\u00a0Harts Charger-boosted Redd Topp Motorsports C7 Corvette owned by Vaughn Myles and Eric Holland, and tuned by\u00a0Perry\u2019s father, Danny Perry, and his brother, Daniel Perry.<\/p>\n

PRO NITROUS<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Ryan Bush<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A trio of Pat Musi-powered \u201969 Camaros led the way Friday night in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by Jerry Bickel Race Cars, but it was newcomer Ryan Bush and tuner Jeff Pierce who stole the show in a potential spoiler role, snatching away the No. 1 spot from several championship contenders with a 3.629-second pass at 209.56 mph in his PDRA Pro Nitrous debut with \u201cEl Chapo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels good,\u201d said Bush, who typically competes in the Mid-West Drag Racing Series. \u201cIt was a long trip out here, but we\u2019ve been running all year in the Midwest, so we knew the car would be competitive. Obviously I\u2019ve got a great tuner in Jeff, so we felt pretty good coming in. The air\u2019s not great, but we knew if the track got good, it\u2019d be fast.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Defending PDRA Pro Nitrous world champion Marcus Butner qualified second in his Jay Cox-tuned, Butner Construction \u201cHeartbreaker\u201d \u201969 Camaro, earning valuable championship points with his 3.631 at 207.69 mph.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After a top-end crash during testing at the previous event in Bristol,\u00a02024 Pro Nitrous world champion\u00a0Freddy Scriba showed no signs of\u00a0slowing down, taking the No. 3 spot with a 3.640 at 207.94 in his\u00a0Robert Hayes-built\u00a0\u201cSorcerer\u201d\u00a0\u201969 Camaro.<\/p>\n

PRO STREET<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Tim Essick<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two-time class points champion Tim Essick might not compete quite as often as he used to, but he continues to impress in his ProCharger-equipped, \u201cBrown Sugar\u201d \u201918 Mustang. Essick was the only driver to dip into the 3.80\u2019s on Friday night in Liberty\u2019s Gears Pro Street presented by KTR Drag Racing, taking the top spot with a 3.893 at 195.65 mph.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Making the run even more impressive was the fact that Essick broke the rear end in Q2 and the team just barely made it to the lanes in time for their final pass.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels terrific, especially, like the round before we blew up a center section, so it was a thrash,\u201d Essick said. \u201cRon Green came over and gave us a hand to try to make it. We made it just in the nick of time. We figured the conditions are right, let\u2019s throw a big one at it, so that\u2019s what we did. It makes all that pain worth it. It was well worth trying to get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ron Green was the quickest screw-blown combination in the field, using a 3.914 at 198.00 mph in his silver \u201900 Firebird during the final session to earn the No. 2 position.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Golden, Colorado\u2019s Mikey Sasina grabbed the No. 3 spot in his Harts Charger-boosted \u201903 Mustang, running a 3.917 at 199.79.<\/p>\n

PRO 632<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
J.C. Beattie Jr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the second race in a row, points leader J.C. Beattie Jr. took his\u00a0nitrous-fed ATI Performance Products \u201918 Camaro to the top of the qualifying sheet\u00a0in Pro 632\u00a0presented by Mark Williams Enterprises. The two-time event winner this season ran a 4.130 elapsed time at 172.89 mph, earning valuable points with just two races left in the season.<\/p>\n

Jeff Pittman is second in points, and was second in qualifying as well, posting a 4.137 at 171.05 mph in his Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales \u201968 Chevelle. <\/p>\n

The most recent Pro 632 event winner, Ryan Altman, drove the Greenbrier Excavating & Paving \u201918 Camaro to the No. 3 position, running a 4.155 at 170.47.<\/p>\n

SUPER STREET<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Connor McGee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The season-long battle between young guns Connor McGee and Austin Vincent continued in Benson, with McGee dealing the first blow of the weekend in 1320 Fabrication Super Street presented by Brian\u2019s Heating & Cooling.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the second qualifying session, McGee ripped off a staggering 4.484-second blast at 164.43 mph in his Fulton-powered Brian\u2019s Heating & Cooling \u201990 Mustang, the quickest pass in Super Street history. Due to the track\u2019s curfew, the reigning points champion didn\u2019t receive a third session to attempt backing up his record, but he will have a bye in Saturday\u2019s first round of competition, allowing him the opportunity to take a shot at it if the conditions are favorable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe missed it on the first qualifier. We made a decent lap and were solidly in the field, but it wasn\u2019t exactly what we were looking for,\u201d said McGee. \u201cWe went back to the drawing board and studied over everything, and I knew we had to go for it because it\u2019s getting more and more competitive. It\u2019s just one of those things where you throw the kitchen sink at it, and hope it sticks \u2013 and it stuck.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vincent, the points leader and defending event winner, ran a 4.520 at 154.09 mph in his Vincent Performance \u201988 Mustang to take the No. 2 spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Virginia Beach, Virginia\u2019s Matt Schalow jumped up to the No. 3 position in the final session, running a 4.584 at 160.21 in his white \u201969 Camaro.<\/p>\n

TOP SPORTSMAN<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Jamie Fowler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the third time this season, Jamie Fowler led the way in Elite Top Sportsman, piloting his nitrous-assisted, Fulton-powered \u201969 Camaro to a 3.788-second pass at 199.14 mph. Fowler\u2019s speed gave him the edge over 2025 Elite Top Sportsman world champion\u00a0Bryan LaFlam, who\u00a0\u00a0qualified second with an identical 3.788 at 193.05 mph in his supercharged BigStuff TPM \u201967 Mustang. Bruce Thrift, the No. 1 qualifier in Bristol, qualified third, running a 3.797 at 195.31 in his nitrous-assisted, PAR-powered \u201906 Pontiac GTO to a 3.815-second pass at 195.05 mph.<\/p>\n

The Top Sportsman 48 category completed first round of eliminations Friday evening, with eliminations concluding on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

TOP DRAGSTER<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Alan O\u2019Brien<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2025 world champion Alan O\u2019Brien will lead the Elite Top Dragster field heading into eliminations on Saturday. Piloting his unique quad turbo, AMC-powered \u201923 Racetech dragster, O\u2019Brien lit the scoreboards with a 3.678-second pass at 205.22 mph. Leicester, North Carolina\u2019s Will Creasman was just one thousandth behind, running a 3.679 at 198.96 mph in his Procharger-equipped \u201922 Racetech dragster. Gray Kimble rounded out the top three, driving his ProCharger-powered \u201918 Miller entry to a 3.697 at 198.44.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Top Dragster 48 category also completed first round of eliminations Friday evening, with eliminations concluding on Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s schedule begins with Jr. Dragster final qualifying at 8:45 a.m. followed by one time trial for Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by Philadelphia Racing Products. Pro eliminations are scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Saturday general admission tickets are available for $30. Discounted Junior and Kids tickets are also available, while kids 5 and under get in free. Purchase tickets at www.PDRA660.com or at the gate.<\/p>\n

PDRA fans around the world can catch all the action live on the official event live stream through www.FloRacing.com.<\/p>\n

Follow PDRA on Facebook for schedule updates at www.Facebook.com\/PDRARacing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published on August 29, 2026. \"Drag<\/p>\n

The post Tutterow, Bush, Essick, Beattie Jr., and McGee Earn Top Qualifying Honors at PDRA Drag Wars<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Intermittent rain showers\u00a0attempted to halt qualifying multiple times on Friday at the PDRA Drag Wars presented by Big Stuff Total Power Management, but the fans who stuck it out were treated to one of the most intense final qualifying sessions of the season. With 28 entries in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting […]<\/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-104673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104673","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=104673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104673\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}