With just two races remaining in the 2026 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series season, championship implications will be front and center when the series returns to Darana Motorsports Park – Benson, Aug. 27-29, for DragWars presented by Big Stuff Total Power Management. Tight points battles across several professional and sportsman categories, combined with the strong contingent of regional Pro Modified racers traditionally drawn to Benson, set the stage for a pivotal late-season stop on the seven-race tour.
“Benson is one of the nicest eighth-mile tracks in the country,” said Tyler Crossnoe, series director, PDRA. “Whether we’re here in the spring for the East Coast Nationals or later in the season for DragWars, this place always produces some incredible racing in front of some of the most passionate fans in doorslammer drag racing. This area is a hot bed for Pro Modified racing, so we usually see some drivers and teams that we don’t typically see at every stop on tour. That can lead to some major upsets on race day and some serious spoilers in the championship battles. We’re deep into the championship discussions at this point in the season. From here on out, every round is a big one.”
Three-time Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by Jerry Bickel Race Cars world champion Tommy Franklin returns to Benson with the same points lead he left there with when he won the East Coast Nationals in his Musi-powered “Jungle Rat 3.0” ’69 Camaro. He raced to a runner-up finish at the most recent race on the tour, the Thunder Valley Throwdown presented by Larry Jeffers Race Cars at Bristol Dragway, where defending world champion Marcus Butner got the win. Butner is now just under two rounds behind Franklin in the points standings with a pair of No. 1 qualifier awards in his Musi-powered “Heartbreaker” ’69 Camaro. Fredy Scriba, the 2024 world champion, is also in the hunt after winning his home race at Maryland in the debut of his new Musi-powered “Sorcerer” ’69 Camaro.
Similarly, Jason Harris, who won the East Coast Nationals in WS Construction Pro Boost presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive, is the points leader in his Harts Charger-boosted “Party Time” ’69 Camaro entering DragWars. He’s been to the semifinals at the last two races. With two Pro Nitrous world championships and two Pro Boost season titles, Harris is looking to become the first five-time world champion in series history. Class E.T. record holder Johnny Camp in the ProCharger-boosted “Hells Bells” ’69 Camaro sits second by just under three rounds with his win at the season opener. Ty Tutterow, who won last year’s DragWars on his way to securing the world championship, is mere qualifying points behind Camp in third driving Justin Smith’s screw-blown Quik Fuel ’68 Camaro.
One single point separates Blake Denton and Richard Reagan in the fight for the Liberty’s Gears Pro Street presented by KTR Drag Racing world championship. Denton, who won the East Coast Nationals in the nitrous-assisted “Bonnie” ’69 Camaro, is the points leader pursuing another title to join his 2023 Super Street championship. Reagan, who drove his screw-blown ’91 Mustang to victory in front of his home crowd at the last race on tour, is seeking his first series championship to go along with his class E.T. record. Reagan’s teammate, Scott Kincaid, sits just over two rounds out of the points lead in third with his screw-blown ’69 Camaro.
J.C. Beattie Jr., who left Benson with a commanding points lead after his win at the East Coast Nationals, now leads PDRA Pro 632 presented my Mark Williams Enterprises by less than one round in his Reher-Morrison-powered ATI Performance Products ’18 Camaro. When Beattie slipped in the first round at Maryland, second-place driver Jeff Pittman capitalized by winning the race in his Barry Allen-powered Hickory Enclosed Trailer Sales ’68 Chevelle. Rookie David Cook Jr., who was runner-up to Beattie at the spring race, is third in points driving his Nelson-powered Copy&PrintWarehouse.com ’10 GTO.
The season-long battle between 1320 Fabrication Super Street presented by Brian’s Heating & Cooling young guns Austin Vincent and Connor McGee saw a major shakeup at Bristol. McGee, the defending world champion and points leader going into the race, lost in the second round when his Fulton-powered Brian’s Heating & Cooling ’90 Mustang went into a huge wheelstand and he had to lift. That opened the door for Vincent, who qualified No. 1 in his Vincent Performance ’88 Mustang and went on to win the event, taking over the points lead by less than one round in the process. Dan Whetstine, the 2024 world champion, rounds out the top three with a runner-up finish at the season opener in his ProCharged “Red Velvet” ’90 Mustang.
As always, the championship battles in the PDRA’s sportsman classes are tense as well. The points leaders going into DragWars are Zach Houser in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Josh Duggins in Greenbrier Excavating & Paving Elite Top Dragster presented by American Race Cars, Joe Roubicek in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman, and Joe Gary in ATI Performance Products Top Dragster presented by TBM Brakes.
Katelyn Page and Wyatt Piercey are the points leaders in Pro Jr. Dragster and in Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster, respectively. Despite a DNQ at Bristol, which hosted a massive field of Pro Jr. Dragsters, Page holds a solid lead over 2024 Top Jr. Dragster world champion James Beattie III. Piercey, on the other hand, won the Thunder Valley Throwdown to take over the Top Jr. Dragster points lead.
DragWars will also include Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by Philadelphia Racing Products, which provides a place for local bracket racers to compete on the PDRA national stage.
The DragWars schedule kicks off with pre-race Thursday testing at 9 a.m. and will roll into Top Sportsman and Top Dragster qualifying around 5 p.m. On Friday, the professional classes are scheduled to run qualifying sessions at 11:45 a.m., 5:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. Jr. Dragster classes will get one final qualifying session to start Saturday’s on-track action, with pre-race ceremonies and pro eliminations set for 10:50 a.m. Eliminations will continue into the evening until event champions are crowned in the FuelTech Winner’s Circle.
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