Camp, Slone, Powers, Melnick and Weddle Take Home PDRA Northern Nationals Trophies
/Racing in front of a packed house at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, Johnny Camp charged to his first WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive event win in over two years Saturday evening at the PDRA Northern Nationals presented by Talbert Manufacturing. Held in conjunction with the track’s 23rd Northern Nationals presented by Gun Lake Casino, the fifth of eight races on the 2024 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series tour saw a mix of first-time winners and world champions park their hot rods in the FuelTech Winner’s Circle.
Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous crowned a first-time winner in Michigan’s own Jackie Slone Jr., while Brian Weddle also picked up his first career win in Menscer Motorsports Pro Street presented by Afco Racing. Past Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock presented by AED Competition world champion Chris Powers picked up his first win in over a year, and reigning PDRA Pro 632 world champion Jeff Melnick earned a second consecutive Northern Nationals win.
Victories in the sportsman classes went to Glenn Butcher in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Tony Elrod in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, Mark Reese in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman presented by Corbin’s RV, and Lucas Salemi in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster presented by Younce RV. Past Top Dragster world champion Tisha Wilson picked up the win in Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams after defeating Pro Jr. Dragster standout Zach Shirkey in the final round.
Ryan Harris (Coolshirt Systems Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products) and Allen Buczkowski (Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products) were victorious in the Jr. Dragster classes. Harris, the son of Elite Top Dragster standout Kyle Harris, cut a .016 reaction time and ran a 7.978 in the final round to get the win over Demi Cox’s 7.957, both on a 7.90 index. Buczkowski may not have been quick-reacting on the starting line, but final-round opponent Aspyn Kaupa reacted too quickly. Buczkowski posted an 8.972 on an 8.94 dial-in to get the win.
PRO BOOST
Johnny Camp and his Brandon Stroud-led team battled through adversity all weekend, but their efforts were rewarded with Camp’s first Pro Boost win in just over two years. In the final round, Camp in his ProCharged “Hells Bells” ’69 Camaro left on reigning world champion Jason Harris with a .010 reaction time to Harris’s .018 light. He then made his best pass of the weekend, a 3.641 at 203.44, to seal the victory, while Harris had to lift to a 6.011 at 68.52.
“It just makes it that much sweeter,” Camp said of working through mechanical challenges to get the win. “You can't say enough about the crew and what they do. Every pass, we had the heads off one side or the other. We just chased issues all weekend. We had some breaks. We had a red-light win. We were very lucky.
“A win always pumps you up and you throw more money at it,” added Camp, who thanked NGK Spark Plugs, Tatman Electric Company, and Pro Line Racing. “It just gets you going. It gives you something like a goal. You can see it's achievable. You just go after it that much more. If you stay beat down and beat down, you’re not going anywhere.”
Racing out of the No. 9 spot, Camp ran a 3.706 at 198.76 to move past Melanie Salemi and her coasting 4.963 in the first round. Camp and second-round opponent Joel Wensley left the starting line together, but it was Camp reaching the finish line first with his 3.673 at 203.34 over Wensley’s 3.73. Camp’s semifinal match with Travis “The Carolina Kid” Harvey ended on the starting line when Harvey went red by .001 seconds, while Camp launched and coasted to an 8.789 at 43.24.
Harris qualified third in his ProCharged Party Time Racing/Southern Diamond Company ’69 Camaro and posted a 3.666 at 203.34 to defeat Steve King and his 3.987 in the first round. He got up on the wheel in the second round, cutting a .005 reaction time, and set low E.T. of the round with a 3.622 at 206.61 to beat Preston Tanner’s 3.667. Harris saved his best package of the day for the semifinals, where he cut a .002 reaction time and set low E.T. of the event with his 3.599 at 205.01, beating Derek Ward and his 3.612 at 209.11.
PRO NITROUS
The Pro Nitrous final round was a true David vs. Goliath matchup between one of the most accomplished drivers in the class, four-time world champion Jim Halsey, and a first-time finalist, Michigan’s own Jackie Slone Jr. A 40-year drag racing veteran, Slone earned his way into the final round using three consecutive holeshot wins, and he grabbed another huge holeshot advantage in the final with his .003 reaction time to Halsey’s .090. This time, Slone didn’t need it, though, as Halsey got out of shape and had to lift to a 5.266 at 93.05. Meanwhile, Slone drove his Musi-powered Slone Boys Racing ’69 Camaro to a conservative 3.742 at 200.36 to earn his first career Pro Nitrous win.
“I can't even describe it. I am so excited for my family because it's a family deal,” said Slone, who thanked his team and supporters like The Fence Company, Mullins Auto Supply, Pro Hose Connections, Pat Musi Racing Engines, Liberty’s Gears, and Speedtech. “We all put our hearts and souls in this deal. There’s some satisfaction in that. I’ve got great people behind me. I’ve got great sponsors. We're elated. We really are. To take down the guys that I took down today, it wasn't easy, but we had a pretty good car. I had a couple of cylinders down there for the finals and I didn't have time to switch the motor, so we just ran it to try to go A to B. Jim apparently had some trouble and we capitalized.”
Qualified No. 8 in his Musi-powered Slone Boys Racing ’69 Camaro, Slone ran a 3.751 at 201.07 to finish ahead of Chris Rini and his 3.742 by .0009 seconds in the first round. Another quick light and a 3.721 at 202.43 was enough to take down Marcus Butner and his quicker 3.701 at 206.90 in the second round. Slone used a .006 reaction time and a 3.718 at 200.00 to get the semifinal win over Fredy Scriba and his 3.712 at 201.43.
Halsey, who qualified No. 1 at the previous four races, qualified sixth in his Fulton-powered “Daddy Shark” ’68 Camaro and got the first-round win over a red-lighting Buddy Perkinson, running a 3.672 at 207.18. In a monster matchup with three-time and defending world champion Tommy Franklin, Halsey laid down a 3.659 at 209.40 to drive around Franklin, who left with a .003 reaction time and ran a 3.695 at 206.42. He then took advantage of his semifinal bye run, throwing down a 3.641 at 206.23 to earn lane choice for the final round.
EXTREME PRO STOCK
It’s been a long road back to the winner’s circle for 2021 Extreme Pro Stock world champion Chris Powers, who last won just over a year ago. He ended that winless streak Saturday night when he finished ahead of 2018 world champion Steven Boone in the final round. Boone got a slight advantage on the starting line, but Powers in his Sonny’s Racing Engines ’21 Camaro drove around him to win by .012 seconds with a 4.121 at 173.95 to Boone’s 4.136 at 175.37.
“Sometimes you just don't know if you can even get back,” Powers said, thanking his family-based crew that also includes crew chief Chuck Samuel and crew member Rob Bealko. “We've struggled this year a lot and just really working on the motor and stuff, trying to pick the car up and just going backwards. We finally just went back to what we know and the car ran good and got the job done. We're really thankful for Sonny’s for sticking with us and ATI Performance for helping us out. It's a great feeling.”
Powers qualified second and used a 4.146 at 174.69 to get the first-round win over Doug Kittrell and his 4.242. He stepped up with a 4.114 at 175.58 in the second round to finish ahead of Dwayne Rice, who ran a 4.152. Powers then ran a 4.121 at 174.49 on his semifinal bye run to get ready for the final round.
Boone, who qualified sixth in his Allen-powered Boone Motorsports ’07 Cobalt, won on the starting line in the first round when Dave Hughes went red, while Boone slowed to a 4.435 at 171.82. He left the line just a hair behind fellow Allen-powered driver and No. 1 qualifier Elijah Morton in the second round, but he charged to a 4.142 at 175.37 to win over Morton, who slowed to a 5.542. Boone set low E.T. of race day with his 4.10 at 175.10 in the semifinals to take out Jeremy Huffman and his 4.11 at 174.42.
PRO 632
Defending Pro 632 world champion Jeff Melnick successfully defended his Northern Nationals event win, securing his first win of the season in the process. Driving Alan O’Brien’s Barry Allen-powered Greenbrier Excavating & Paving ’20 Camaro, Melnick cut a .006-second reaction time and recorded a 4.184 at 169.94 in the final round to deny Jason Ventura his first Pro 632 win. Ventura ran a 4.235 at 166.17 in the runner-up effort, while Melnick set low E.T. of the event with his performance. One year ago, Melnick won the same race while battling non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which he beat after winning the world championship.
“Looking back on last year was awesome,” Melnick said. “Going through cancer and dealing with all the chemotherapy side effects, to be able to get the win last year was special because of that. Plus, the AMC small-block we were running, it had a lot of meaning with Alan and his family. So, to switch over to the big-block Chevy now and be feeling good, I'm just happy to be here. These guys got this thing figured out, and in the first five races here, we're holding the trophy.
“I’ve got the best crew in the world,” Melnick continued, “and that's where I can attribute all of it to – Alan for putting it all together, Barry Allen for building this awesome motor, Patrick Barnhill and him tuning it together, Travis Pope for working on it, and everybody else that supports us. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world driving this thing.”
Melnick qualified No. 2 and set low E.T. of the first round with his 4.202 at 169.81, driving around season opener winner Andy House and his 4.301. He was the quickest of the round again in the semifinals, running a 4.198 at 168.86 to beat Kyle Salminen’s 4.248 and earn lane choice for the final.
Ventura, who qualified fourth in his HRE-powered Brand X Marine ‘70 Camaro, used a pair of holeshots to get to the final round. In the first round, when he matched Walter Lannigan Jr.’s 4.263, it was Ventura’s quicker .015 reaction time that got him the win. He was even quicker with a .013 light and a 4.256 at 166.54 in the semifinals to knock out No. 1 qualifier and points leader Amber Franklin and her 4.233.
PRO STREET
Pro Street rookie Brian Weddle admitted things didn’t go his way in testing or qualifying at Martin, but after surviving the first round of eliminations, the Maryland-based team made changes that helped take Weddle to his first career Pro Street win. In a final round that saw both Weddle and young gun Scott Kincaid leave with .003-second reaction times, Weddle fired off a 3.979 at 195.40 in his screw-blown ’68 Camaro, while Kincaid had to do some driving and crossed the finish line second with a 4.076 at 191.41.
“This is huge. It’s everything,” said Weddle, who thanked parents Jeff and Gina, his crew, and supporters like 1320 Fabrication, Xtreme Racing Engines, Debo Tuned, Competitive Wiring, and Resolution Racing. “It's why we waste all our time and money building cars and racing and everything. To come here with my friends and family and just kick ass, it’s awesome. It's hard to describe. It’s just crazy. You never expect this.”
Weddle qualified No. 8 and made it through the first round by running a 4.241 at 197.81 next to defending event winner Chris Cadotto’s 4.353. He then cut a .001 reaction time and improved to a 4.078 at 194.13 to take out No. 1 qualifier Nick Agostino, who had to pedal to a 4.684. Weddle set low E.T. of race day with his 3.972 at 195.65 to eliminate Michigan’s own Joel Wensley Jr. and his 4.024.
Kincaid qualified third in his screw-blown ’69 Camaro and laid down low E.T. of the opening round, a 4.025 at 193.97, while his opponent, points leader Ethan Steding, took the tree but couldn’t launch due to mechanical issues. It was a battle of young guns in the second round, as Kincaid lined up against Ty Kasper. The two drivers left the line with equally quick reaction times, then Kincaid pulled ahead to win with a 4.032 at 193.38 over Kasper’s 4.062. Kincaid stepped up to his best run of the weekend, a 3.982 at 192.72, in the semifinals to defeat reigning world champion Bill Riddle, who lifted to a 9.872.
TOP SPORTSMAN
A pair of Ohio-based Top Sportsman racers met up in the Elite Top Sportsman final round, with No. 1 qualifier Glenn Butcher lining up alongside No. 14 qualifier Ron Biondo. Biondo left the line first in his ’94 Lumina, but he broke out with a 4.177 on a 4.18 dial-in. Meanwhile, Butcher drove his Albert-powered ’69 Camaro to a 3.802 on a 3.77 dial-in to secure his second win of the season, moving back into the points lead in the process.
The Top Sportsman 32 final round featured a touring PDRA regular, Virginia’s Mark Reese, and a Midwesterner making his first PDRA appearance of the season, Wisconsin’s DJ Mateicka. Reese got off the starting line first in his ’08 Mustang and followed through with a 4.277 on a 4.26 dial-in to defeat Mateicka, who posted a 4.585 on a 4.55 dial-in in his ’05 Cavalier.
TOP DRAGSTER
Howell, Michigan’s Tony Elrod kept the Elite Top Dragster trophy in Michigan by earning his first win in the class, defeating Pennsylvania’s Mike Kopko in the final round. Elrod in his ProCharged, PAR-powered ’14 American dragster cut a .008 reaction time and ran a 3.944 on a 3.92 dial-in to turn on the final win light. Kopko ran a 3.886 on a 3.87 dial-in driving his supercharged ’12 M&M dragster.
Lucas Salemi has been a part of numerous winner’s circle celebrations with the Salemi family’s Pro Boost team, but the New York-based driver got to celebrate a win of his own when he won in Top Dragster 32. Driving his new supercharged ’07 S&W dragster, Salemi was first off the line in the final round and ran a 4.341 on a 4.33 dial-in, while opponent Tom Reese broke out in his ’99 Undercover dragster with a 4.335 on a 4.34 dial-in.
The next stop on the 2024 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series tour is a first for the series, the inaugural Thunder Valley Throwdown, Aug. 22-24, at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tennessee.