Drag Illustrated Issue 176, May / June 2022 | Page 55

Special Section
THE PDRA TOP 3 LIST IS AN EVER-CHANGING LIST OF THE BIGGEST NEWSMAKERS AND POWER PLAYERS IN THE PDRA ’ S PROFESSIONAL CLASSES . THIS EDI- TION , REPRESENTING PERFORMANCES FROM THE VORTECH SUPERCHARGERS DOORSLAMMER DERBY PRESENTED BY STROUD SAFETY , DOES NOT REFLECT THE CURRENT POINTS STANDINGS , THOUGH MOST OF THE DRIVERS WHO APPEAR ON THIS LIST CAN ALSO BE FOUND NEAR THE TOP OF THE POINTS STANDINGS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CLASSES . EDITOR ’ S NOTE : THE DRAG 965 PRO NITROUS MOTORCYCLE AND MENSCER MOTORSPORTS PRO STREET PRESENTED BY AFCO CLASSES DID NOT COMPETE AT THE DOORSLAMMER DERBY .
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TARA BOWKER
PRO NITROUS
PRO BOOST
EXTREME PRO STOCK
PRO OUTLAW 632
MIKE ACHENBACH JIM HALSEY TOMMY FRANKLIN
TODD TUTTEROW PRESTON TANNER MELANIE SALEMI
JOHNNY PLUCHINO JR CARR ELIJAH MORTON
AMBER FRANKLIN LEXI TANNER ALAN DRINKWATER
Consistency helped “ Mountain Man ” Mike Achenbach hold on to the No . 1 spot on the Top 3 list , as he raced to a second consecutive final round in his “ Deep Purple ” ’ 69 Camaro . But it was three-time and defending world champion Jim Halsey in his Fulton-powered “ Daddy Shark ” ’ 68 Camaro winning the all-Switzer-tuned final round with a weekend-best 3.688 over Achenbach ’ s 4.71 . Two-time world champion Tommy Franklin had his best weekend in some time , qualifying No . 1 in his Musi-powered “ Jungle Rat ” ’ 69 Camaro and racing to the semifinals , where he fell on a holeshot to Achenbach .
Todd Tutterow raced his way to victory yet again at Beech Bend , driving his screw-blown P2 Contracting ’ 20 Camaro to back-toback Pro Boost wins this season and back-to-back Doorslammer Derby wins . In the final round , he lined up against young gun Preston Tanner , who ran low E . T . of the second and third rounds in his Jeff Pierce-tuned , screw-blown ’ 15 Corvette . Tanner led most of the race , but a parts failure held him back to a 3.697 , while Tutterow drove around him with a 3.651 . Melanie Salemi followed up her record performance at GALOT with another strong showing , qualifying No . 2 and reaching the semis .
A red-light exit in the second round at GALOT didn ’ t sit right with 2020 world champion Johnny Pluchino , but he found redemption with a morale-boosting win at Bowling Green . After qualifying No . 2 in his Kaase-powered $ hameless Racing ’ 13 Mustang , Pluchino lined up against JR Carr in the final round . Pluchino left first and followed through with a 4.086 to beat Carr ’ s 4.087 . Carr was the No . 1 qualifier for the 10th time in the last 11 races . Elijah Morton and his Allen-powered ’ 19 Mustang showed signs of promise , qualifying No . 4 and posting a semifinal finish .
Pro 632 insiders knew it wouldn ’ t be long before Amber Franklin reached the winner ’ s circle in her Musi-powered “ OG Jungle Rat ” ’ 69 Camaro , and she proved them right . After consistently solid reaction times through eliminations , Franklin drove around close friend Lexi Tanner in the first all-female final round in class history . Franklin posted a 4.182 to Tanner ’ s 4.238 , her best run of the weekend in her Oakley-powered ’ 15 Camaro . Alan Drinkwater was on his way to another final-round appearance in his Kaase-powered ’ 04 Escort before Tanner stopped him in the semifinals in perhaps the closest race of the day .
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