PRO NITROUS RESULTS PRO BOOST RESULTS  PRO STOCK RESULTS FRIDAY RECAP SATURDAY RECAP

FRI. GALLERY  SAT. GALLERY

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - SEASON-OPENER IN GALOT IS IN THE BOOKS

FIRST-TIME FINALISTS IN PRO NITROUS - The East Coast Nationals has played host to first-time winners in Pro Nitrous twice before, and it happened again when longtime class competitors Brian Shrader and Fredy Scriba defeated multi-time world champions Jim Halsey and Tommy Franklin, respectively, in the semifinals. Neither driver had won before, and with cars separated by just one thousandth in the semis, they both knew they were in for a race in the final. In an all-Robert Hayes-built, Musi-powered final round, Shrader left first and fired off a weekend-best 3.654-second pass at 204.29 MPH to beat Scriba and his 3.667 at 205.07. 
 
“This is the culmination of a lot of work and a lot of years of effort, so it means a lot,” Shrader said. “We’ve worked together as a team, Robert and I, for several years now. This is a big win for me.”
 
Shrader in his Hayes-tuned ’17 Corvette qualified No. 4, then used a .004 reaction time and a 3.694 at 202.36 to win first round over a red-lighting Derrick Ford. He then overcame Billy Albert’s perfect reaction time in the second round, running a 3.694 at 202.70 to Albert’s 4.906. Shrader put together his best package of the day in the semifinals when he left first with a .016 reaction time and laid down a 3.657 at 203.25 to beat four-time world champion Jim Halsey and his 3.638 at 207.56 on a holeshot. 
 
“It's a great confidence builder,” said Shrader, a multi-time champion and winner in Piedmont Dragway’s Big Dog Shootout Series. “The car is working fantastic. We're running with some of the best racers in the world – probably Hall of Famers, really. That’s huge for us. That’s what we've been working for and that's what we've been striving for and it looks like our program is evolving to that level.”
 
Scriba qualified third in his brand-new ’69 Camaro before running a 3.687 at 204.45 to defeat Dale Brinsfield and his 3.939 in the first round. He held off Chris Rini’s 3.711 in the second round with a 3.692 at 203.86. The Maryland native made a big step up in the semifinals, where he lined up next to three-time and defending world champion Tommy Franklin. Scriba was second off the line, but he made up for it with a 3.658 at 205.85 to beat Franklin, who experienced a mechanical issue and slowed to a 5.021 at 98.07. 
 
THE KING AND HIS COURT - After taking a yearlong “semi-retirement” from driving, two-time Pro Boost world champion Todd “King Tut” Tutterow rolled into the 2024 season driving a brand-new car for car owner Justin Smith. The team intended to contend for the world championship, and if Tutterow’s performance at the East Coast Nationals was a preview of what’s to come all season, Tutterow could be claiming another crown by October. He qualified No. 2 in one of the most competitive fields in class history, then wheeled the screw-blown Quik Fuel ’69 Camaro to a 3.607 at 210.73 to win on a holeshot over reigning world champion Jason Harris in the final round. Harris recorded one of the quickest passes in class history, a 3.564 at 209.20, in the runner-up effort. 
 
“It's like [car chief] Brad Schmidt told me before – if you don't win the first one, you can't win them all, right?” said Tutterow, who thanked his team and Smith. “That’s very, very true. We got a good start to this season. No. 2 qualifier, win the race. Had a lot of luck, but give me luck any day. Very fortunate. Thank the Lord above. He very blessed me.”
 
Tutterow was surrounded in the winner’s circle by his own family and team, as well as Smith and his family. 
 
“They're really, really good folks,” Tutterow said. “[Smith] let me run the race car. I'm driving the wheels off of it too. It's been very, very special to me. I guess I semi-retired. Justin said he got a brand-new race car, I helped him with it all along, and he brought it to me to finish it up and wanted me to drive it. Very, very proud of the whole group.” 
 
Tutterow recorded a 3.624 at 211.86 to beat Bubba Greene’s 3.658 in the first round. In the second round, he lifted to a 6.465 at 69.49 but got the win when Melanie Salemi went red by .013 seconds. Tutterow was off pace again with his 3.996 at 157.14 in the semis, but opponent Preston Tanner had an engine explosion that prevented him from reaching the finish line. 
 
Harris, who was racing in memory of the late Harold Denton, was locked in the 3.50s throughout the day after qualifying No. 5 in his ProCharged “Party Time” ’69 Camaro. He started eliminations with a 3.59 at 209.30 over a red-lighting William Brown III, then paired a .004 reaction time and a 3.594 at 208.88 to knock out Kurt Steding and his 3.62 at 209.39. Harris was on it again in the semis with his .009 light followed up by a 3.567 at 208.81 to defeat No. 1 qualifier Derek Ward and his .016 light and 3.584 at 211.16. 

 
PLUCHINO PROVES IT - Two-time Extreme Pro Stock world champion Johnny Pluchino felt like he had something left to prove after he started his 2024 season with a runner-up finish in the Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational. He got his shot at redemption at the East Coast Nationals, where he combined quick reaction times and consistent passes to claim yet another GALOT Motorsports Park win in his Kaase-powered Feather-Lite Batteries ’13 Mustang. Pluchino left the line ahead of past world champion Steven Boone in the final round and held the lead through the finish line, winning with a 4.052 at 179.06 over Boone’s 4.125 at 177.74. 
 
“I said it all weekend in my interviews – race day is our day,” said Pluchino, who gave shoutouts to his team, including his father and crew chief, John Pluchino, his team partners, and his wife and baby boy. “We're usually not on the pole. We maybe aren't setting the record, but when race day comes around, we're here to play. We did just that. We went up and down the racetrack and then I got to do my job, so we were all able to put it together and I'm just happy as hell.”
 
Pluchino now has four wins at the East Coast Nationals, split evenly between Extreme Pro Stock and Pro 632. He’s also won the fall GALOT race, DragWars, multiple times.  
 
“I don't know what it is, but this place has been pretty special to me,” Pluchino said. “It always will be. Got my first win here, got my first Pro Stock win here, and won here with my dad. I won here a few times in 632 and a bunch of times in Pro Stock. If this place didn't exist, I'd have half the wins I have, so thank you to everybody at GALOT Motorsports Park. We appreciate you and this facility.”
 
Pluchino, the No. 5 qualifier, had a perfect start to his race day when he cut a .000 reaction time and ran a 4.081 at 178.35 to beat Doug Kittrell’s 4.102 in the first round. He defeated rookie Randi Lyn Butner’s 4.122 with a 4.05 at 178.83 in the second round. A .005 reaction time and a 4.067 at 179.16 was enough to defeat No. 1 qualifier JR Carr and his 4.098 to move on to the final round. 
 
Boone in his No. 2 qualified, Allen-powered Boone Motorsports ’07 Cobalt and posted a 4.077 at 178.90 in the opening round to finish ahead of fellow North Carolinian Elijah Morton and his 7.172. He made the second-quickest pass of the second round, a 4.047 at 179.25, to eliminate Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational winner Matt Giangrande and his 4.091. Boone then caught a break in the semifinals when past world champion Chris Powers went red on a 4.065, allowing Boone to move on with his 4.081 at 178.78.
 
ROOKIE SHOWDOWN IN 632 - A pair of Pro 632 rookies – Andy House and Carson Perry – met up in the final round to determine a new first-time winner. The 20-year-old Perry was one of the best leavers of the day, but he was .018 seconds too quick off the line in the final, tossing out a 4.159 at 169.08. House ended up running quicker anyway, winning with a weekend-best 4.146 at 169.91 in car owner Meade Baldwin’s nitrous-fed Southern Diamond Company ’69 Camaro. 
 
“Just to even be here is amazing, but to come through the way we have today, it’s indescribable, really,” House said. “It's been a fight. Carson, man, he's good. He's a good driver. I have so many people to thank. Meade Baldwin – I call him my dad. Love the man. Bob, Jason, Jayme, Ron, Paul, and everybody at Party Time Racing. We’re a tight family and it definitely wouldn't be possible without them.”
 
House qualified No. 11 but stepped up in the first round to a 4.173 at 168.41 to upset No. 4 qualifier Walter Lannigan Jr. and his 4.193 at 171.05. He left first against Bobby Bladen in the second round and ran a 4.194 at 168.60 to beat Bladen’s 4.215. It was House’s quick reaction times that helped him win the semifinal match over 2022 world champion Amber Franklin, who was quicker with a 4.160 but lost by thousandths to House’s 4.169 at 168.87. 
 
Perry in his nitrous-assisted ’69 Camaro started race day from the No. 2 spot and posted a 4.185 at 169.42 to get the first-round win over Gary Hood and his 4.935. He and second-round opponent Jason Ventura left together with .010 and .011 reaction times before Perry finished first with a 4.176 at 169.40 to Ventura’s 4.202. The second-generation driver stepped up on both ends of the track in the semis, where he cut a .009 light and ran a 4.152 at 169.57 next to a red-lighting 4.169 at 168.83. 

 
BACK AGAIN - Multi-time Pro Extreme Motorcycle world champion Eric McKinney returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2021 after he took down two-time and reigning world champion Chris Garner-Jones on a holeshot in the final round. McKinney’s .010 reaction time and his 4.045 at 177.09 on his McKinney Motorsports ’14 Hayabusa put him ahead of Garner-Jones and his 4.016 at 177.04 at the finish line. 
 
“We're still outgunned right now, but we worked hard and I pulled it off in the final on a holeshot,” said McKinney, who thanked partners like Vance & Hines, Fast By Gast, Worldwide Bearings, Schnitz Racing, Lanco Machine, and Razor Fab. “I took an extra stab at it and I thought, ‘I know he's gonna outrun me,’ but we're getting close. Hat’s off to the guys that are helping me, including my dad and my mom. [Tuner] Ashley Owens is the guy, man. My uncle Steve helps on the clutch. My cousin, Mark, came this weekend. I'm missing my wife and my two boys, but it's just awesome to be back up in the winner's circle again. 
 
“The PDRA is awesome,” added McKinney, who celebrated his birthday on Saturday. “There was an all-motorcycle race this weekend that a lot of guys went to, and we chose to come here just because we love racing here. This is where it's at for our class and we just enjoy it.”
 
McKinney left first against teammate Ashley Owens in the first round and was quicker at the finish line with a 4.086 at 176.67 to Owens’ 4.144. McKinney and semifinal opponent Brad McCoy had identical .035 reaction times, but McKinney quickly pulled ahead and won with a 4.063 at 177.16 to McCoy’s 4.741. 
 
Garner-Jones on his T.T. Jones Racing/Red Line Motorsports Media ’18 Hayabusa was unopposed in the first two rounds after qualifying No. 1. First-round opponent Marc Ingwersen didn’t make the call, while Garner-Jones cruised to a 4.009 at 178.07 to set low E.T. of the round. He was quickest again on his semifinal bye run, a 3.986 at 178.02. 
 
THE STREAK CONTINUES - Against the odds, Pro Street young gun Scott Kincaid continued his incredible winning streak that started almost one year ago. He won all four races he attended in 2023, coming up less than one round short of a world championship. The second-generation driver maintained his undefeated status yet again by beating two-time world champion Tim Essick in a side-by-side final round. Both drivers left with .020 reaction times, then Kincaid in his screw-blown ’69 Camaro crossed the finish line first with a 3.947 at 195.59 to Essick’s 3.987 at 191.84. 
 
“It's unbelievable. It's just a dream,” Kincaid said. “It's just unreal, really. Eventually our luck is gonna run out and I just don't know how low we're gonna get when it does run out. It's good to keep it going while you can.”
 
Kincaid qualified in the No. 9 spot but he and father Tim found some extra performance for the first round, where he left first and ran a 3.987 at 195.62 to win over teammate Richard Reagan’s 4.023. Kincaid drove around second-round opponent Bill Devine and his perfect reaction time with a 4.004 at 196.76 over Devine’s 4.836. He cut a .004 reaction time and charged to a 3.957 at 196.64 to hold off newcome Dan Norris and his .014 and 3.959 at 190.32 for a .012 margin of victory in the semis. 
 
Essick qualified fourth in his ProCharged “Brown Sugar” ’18 Mustang, setting up a first-round matchup with multi-time winner Ty Kasper. Essick sailed to a 4.017 at 187.36 over Kasper’s 4.833, then posted a 4.031 at 187.39 for the second-round win over Joel Wensley Jr. and his 4.206. The two-time world champ stepped up to a 3.988 at 190.57 to knock out No. 1 qualifier Ron Green and his 4.473 in the semifinals.
 
HOLDING HIS OWN - Reigning Super Street world champion Blake Denton went into the season knowing he’d need to step up in order to stay on top of the fledgling small-tire class. Working with future father-in-law Tommy Franklin and tuner Jeff Pierce, Denton achieved that goal by winning the season opener in his nitrous-fed ’76 Camaro. In the final round, Denton left the starting line first ahead of Matt Schalow and recorded a career-best 4.639 at 155.94 to turn on the win light over Schalow and his 4.945 at 137.67.  
 
“We went to work over the offseason and got together and figured out what we could do to make the car faster just because everyone else is getting faster,” said Denton, who thanked engine builder Pat Musi, Franklin, Pierce, Mark Micke of M&M Transmission, Hoosier Racing Tire, and fiancée Amber Franklin for their support. “Every combination out here went within a thou or so of what I've been, so we knew we had to step it up and we stepped it up in a good way. The car’s worked flawless all weekend.”
 
Denton opened eliminations with low E.T. of the first round, a 4.664 at 156.12, to beat Brad McBride’s 4.81 in his unique ’63 Volkswagen. A .029 light and a 4.694 at 155.58 helped Denton edge out David Knight and his 4.703 in the second round. In a monster semifinal matchup against his 2023 championship challenger, Derek Mota, Denton grabbed a holeshot advantage and charged to a 4.663 at 155.85 to hold off Mota’s 4.648 at 163.69. 
 
Schalow in his nitrous-assisted ’00 Camaro was the second-quickest of the first round with a 4.713 at 153.91 over Tommy Thrasher’s 4.80. He set low E.T. of the next round with his 4.654 at 155.79 to knock out Dan Whetstine and his 4.747 at 153.81. Schalow was unopposed in the semis, where he lifted to a 5.227 at 102.58. 
 
THE TOP SPORTSMEN - Randy Perkinson’s brand-new, ProCharged ’67 Mustang made its competition debut on Friday morning, and by Saturday night, Perkinson was wheeling it into the winner’s circle. He recorded a 3.812 on a 3.80 dial-in to get the win over Jacksonville, North Carolina’s Dewayne Silance, who went red by .009 in his nitrous-fed ’68 Camaro and ran a 3.872 on a 3.85 dial-in. 
 
A long day of intense competition in Top Sportsman 48 came down to Ron Whitlock and Tim Lawrence. It was Lawrence who got the starting line advantage in his nitrous-fed ’13 Camaro, but Whitlock’s 4.014 on a 4.01 dial-in in his ProCharged ’13 GXP turned on the win light. Lawrence ran a 3.967 on a 3.94 dial-in for runner-up honors. 
 
Two of North Carolina’s toughest Elite Top Dragster racers met up in the final round. Furr left first but he also reached the finish line too soon in his ProCharged Right Trailers ’13 American dragster with a 3.783 on a 3.79 dial-in. Meanwhile, White posted a 3.733 on a 3.73 dial-in in his ProCharged ’15 Maddox dragster to pick up the win. 
 
The Top Dragster 48 final round was decided on the starting line, as Tom Reese went red by .023 seconds, throwing away a 4.399 on a 4.37 dial-in in his ’99 Undercover dragster. Danielle Gonzalez, who was the No. 1 qualifier in her ’23 American dragster, was .002 red and lifted to a 10.318 on a 3.85 dial-in for the win. 

QUALIFYING NOTEBOOK - THE RED LINE OIL PDRA SERIES GETS OFF TO AN IMPRESSIVE START 

ALL HE DOES IS WIN - Derek Ward had plenty of “folding” money a month ago. Ward took him the $100,000 grand prize from the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Modified. He’s apparently not through showing off and showing out, as he went to the top of qualifying at the PDRA East Coast Nationals by setting a new Pro Boost national ET record in his screw-blown ’68 Firebird and racing against 2023 WSOPM champion Spencer Hyde in a special grudge race at the end of the final qualifying session.

Ward’s 3.555 at 211.76 not only won him the grudge match but also set the record and took the No. 1 qualifier award over a field that saw eight other drivers dip into the 3.50s. 
 
“It’s incredible,” said Ward, who backed up the record with his 3.587 in the second session. “We’ve got a race car right now, and I’ve got to give props to G-Force Race Cars and Resolution Racing Services – Jon and Jim [Salemi] – and MSR [Mike Stawicki Racing] for the motors. They’ve got a killer package. It’s one of the best cars out here. It runs great out the back. It’s just a very powerful car we have right now. I knew if it goes down, we were gonna put up a number. I wasn’t expecting a .55.”
 
Ward is in a statement-making mood this weekend.
 
“We just won this year’s [WSOPM] championship, and to beat last year’s champion, we definitely have a good car, and we’re here to stay to hopefully win some more races,” Ward said. “We’ll take it day by day, but it’s racing. Anything can happen, that’s for sure.”

Two-time doorslammer champion Todd Tutterow was second behind the wheel of Justin Smith’s screw-blown QuikFuel ’69 Camaro with a 3.584 at 212.06. Hyde qualified third in his screw-blown “Jack & The Green Stock” ’69 Camaro with a 3.586 at 212.13.
 
Tutterow’s teammate, Kurt Steding, missed the top three with his 3.586 at 210.05 in his screw-blown P2 Contracting ’69 Camaro. Still, it was quick enough to get the Boost Wars engine builder challenge win for Team WYO Motorsports over Melanie Salemi, who had to lift to a 3.786. 
 
HALSEY DOING HALSEY THINGS—The Pro Nitrous division saved the best for last as Jim Halsey and Tommy Franklin combined for the quickest side-by-side pass in class history. The four-time world champion and national ET record holder Halsey ran a 3.608, outpacing Franklin’s 3.615 at 206.42. Halsey’s pass was quicker than his four-year-old series ET record of 3.613 seconds. He’ll need to back it up by running within 1% of the 3.608 in eliminations. 
 
“The new car showed in testing and at Bradenton that it was going to be pretty good,” Halsey said. “We just need to figure it out all the way. We had probably 800 runs on the other car and we may have 10 or 12 on this one. So, it will take a while, but it’s going to be a good car.”
 
Halsey’s record run was largely aided by success in Thursday testing. 
 
“We thought we could repeat that,” Halsey said of his strong pass in testing. “That’s pretty much what we tried to do. I think we were like two thou at the 330 within that. We were not really standing on it hard, but we weren’t taking it easy either.”
 
Franklin picked up the Nitrous Wars engine builder challenge win for Team Pat Musi Racing Engines, qualified second with a 3.615. Fredy Scriba, who brought out a brand-new, Musi-powered ’69 Camaro, qualified third with a 3.655 at 206.29. 

THE HUNT FOR THE THREE - Frank Gugliotta became a world champion Mountain Motor Pro Stock driver and crew chief by understanding how to read the conditions. That’s why when the atmospheric conditions at the East Coast Nationals appeared to be conducive to running the first official 3-second pass in Extreme Pro Stock competition, Gugliotta and new driver Bo Butner called JR Carr to drive the ’20 Camaro that he previously drove and sold to Elite Motorsports. Carr had feverishly fought to become the first into the magic zone.

They came up up short on Friday in terms of the milestone, but hit a homerun in qualifying as Carr’s 4.029 at 180.07 in the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage entry set the pace for Saturday’s eliminations. 
 
“This is really special,” said Carr, who thanked team owner Richard Freeman, Bo and Randi Lyn Butner, Gugliotta, and the team. “We struggled a little bit getting there, but it’s a testament to Frank again. He’s been working like always – working on power, working on the cars. Bo and Randi Lyn have been out here and they’re doing awesome. We’re just kind of a part of the deal a little bit – more support, so to speak.”
 
Carr will still have the opportunity to chase a 3-second time slip during Saturday eliminations. 
 
“Who knows what tomorrow brings?” Carr said. “We’re just having a good time and we’re trying to run fast. Frank’s goal is the record. Mine is to win the race. Hopefully the weather helps us get there, but we have to try to win the race.”
 
Past world champions Steven Boone and John Montecalvo qualified second and third behind Carr. Boone in his Allen-powered Boone Motorsports ’07 Cobalt posted a 4.041 at 179.49, and Montecalvo wasn’t far behind with a 4.042 at 179.78 in his Kaase-powered ’21 Mustang. 
 
Dillon Voss won the first Horsepower Wars engine builder challenge of the season for Team Voss Racing Engines on the strength of a holeshot advantage and a 4.059 at 178.59 over past world champion Chris Powers and his 4.056 at 178.12 representing Team Sonny’s Racing Engines. 

TOE-ING THE LINE - Two-time and reigning Pro Extreme Motorcycle world champion Chris Garner-Jones had an eventful day of qualifying aboard his T.T. Jones Racing ’18 Hayabusa, but it ended in another No. 1 qualifying award for the second-generation rider. Garner-Jones injured a toe when he had to use his foot to control his motorcycle on his first qualifying attempt, then bounced back with a 3.988 at 178.17 to take the top spot in the second session. He sat out the chilly final qualifying session. 
 
“I feel pretty good going into race day,” said Garner-Jones, who thanked Red Line Motorsports Media, tuner and brother William Garner-Jones, and the PDRA. “Of course, we want to come out and set a good tone. They say you’re only as good as your last pass. Well, my last pass wasn’t that good last year. I kind of bogged it off the line, and then the first pass this year was terrible – messed my toe up. But I think we redeemed ourselves on the 3.98 and the No. 1 qualified spot.”
 
Past winner Brad McCoy, who has focused on tuning for the last few seasons, qualified No. 2 with a 4.035 at 174.35 on his McCoy Motorsports ’21 Hayabusa. Multi-time winner Ashley Owens used a 4.054 at 175.09 on one of two McKinney Motorsports Hayabusas to round out the top three. 

 
INVESTMENT WELL MADE - Outlaw 10.5 veteran Ron Green’s offseason efforts to step up his ProCharged 2000 Firebird paid off with his first Pro Street No. 1 qualifier award. He set the tone in the first session with his 3.894 at 200.92, almost a tenth quicker than the No. 2 qualifier’s performance. While Green’s attempts to lower the ET record in the subsequent two sessions didn’t pan out, no one went quick enough to unseat him as the No. 1 qualifier. 
 
“From leaving the World Series [of Pro Mod], we had a hot rod there, but it started wheelieing on us, so we had to do some adjustments,” Green said. “We went testing and tried to work with that. We figured it out somewhat and we ran good and we came here and said we’re gonna try it here. My son [Ronnie Green Jr.] is behind the keyboard. We made it happen. We didn’t test the last couple of days because he wasn’t here, but when he came in this morning, we went out and made a lick, and it was good.”
 
Former Top Dragster racer Dan Norris, who’s making his Pro Street debut, stepped up to a 3.936 at 185.31 in his roots-blown ’22 Mustang in the final session to jump up to the No. 2 spot. His teammate, reigning world champion Bill Riddle, took the No. 3 position with a 3.941 at 191.10 in his roots-blown Corrigan Race Fuels ’89 Camaro. 
 
BACK AGAIN - Derek Mota, last year’s championship runner-up in Super Street, put the class back on notice when he threw down a 4.645 at 164.91 in the final qualifying session to take over the No. 1 spot in his turbocharged ’93 Mustang. The Massachusetts driver went into the session qualified third behind No. 1 qualifier Dan Whetstine and defending world champion Blake Denton. 
 
“It’s unbelievable, man,” said Mota, who thanked partners like East Point Recovery Centers, Harts Turbos, and DiSomma Racing Engines. “We took a long offseason. We changed whole combos, new suspension stuff, and tried new turbos today. We had a little struggle this morning. It was running good, but just wasn’t what we were looking for, so we went back to our original 85 and it’s back now. My whole team just thrashed and Jamie [Miller] is on the computer doing his thing. This is where we want to be. Had a little struggle at the beginning, but now we’re on a good path.”
 
Whetstine slid into the No. 2 spot in his ProCharged ’90 Mustang with a 4.669 at 158.37. In his nitrous-fed ’76 Camaro, Denton qualified third with a 4.672 at 155.56. 
 
THE SPORTSMAN REPORT -  Past world champion Tim Molnar went to the No. 1 spot in Elite Top Sportsman with a 3.726 at 200.68 in his nitrous-fed ’68 Camaro. Bryan LaFlam qualified second with a 3.739 at 196.93 in his supercharged LaFlam Motorsports ’67 Mustang. Glenn Butcher also dipped into the 3.70s with his 3.778 at 195.14 in his nitrous-fed ’69 Camaro to round out the top three. The Elite Top Sportsman field made series history, as it was the first time all 16 drivers ran quicker than 3.90 seconds. Jeff Simons and his 3.886 took the No. 16 spot. 
 
Thomas Brown edged out Tim Lawrence by speed to take the No. 1 spot in Top Sportsman, as both drivers recorded 3.942-second efforts. Brown’s 188.10 MPH in his nitrous-assisted ’12 Camaro put him on top over Lawrence’s 184.50. 
 
After three qualifying sessions, a trio of supercharged dragsters secured the top three positions in Elite Top Dragster. Missouri’s KC Ingram laid down a 3.683 at 204.70 in his ’20 Miller dragster to qualify No. 1, holding off Frank Falter IV’s 3.703 at 202.61 in his “Candy Man” ’22 Miller dragster and Kyle Harris’ 3.72 at 194.77 in his Ontario, Canada-based ’15 Horton dragster. 
 
Danielle Gonzalez missed the quick Elite field, but her 3.849 at 188.60 in her ’23 American dragster put the Wallingford, Connecticut-based driver in the No. 1 spot in Top Dragster. 

TODAY’S SCHEDULE - The East Coast Nationals will continue Saturday morning, starting with the Jr. Dragster final qualifying at 9 a.m. Pre-race ceremonies and pro eliminations will begin at 2 p.m.