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Strickland, GALOT Motorsports Welcoming Teams and Fans to
Home Track for PDRA Dragstock XIII
BENSON, N.C. (September 6, 2016) – For the first time
ever, the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) and
its racers will converge on the new GALOT Motorsports Park
for PDRA Dragstock XIII, Sept. 8-10. The storied race will
be the first national-event for the North Carolina track
after being purchased and completely rebuilt by track
owner Earl Wells, who also owns the three-car GALOT
Motorsports team.
“I think everybody is going to enjoy our facility that
John (Strickland) and his crew have built. John’s been
down a lot of tracks and he can attest to what we have to
offer,” said Mr. Wells.
While many of the PDRA racers call North Carolina home,
Dragstock XIII will be a true homecoming race for GALOT
Motorsports Pro Boost drivers John Strickland, Kevin
Rivenbark and Todd Tutterow. All three drivers have made
dozens of test runs on the new track surface, and
Strickland was even actively involved with designing,
planning and building the facility.
“We’ve put a lot of time and resources into making this
the best racetrack it can possibly be. We tried to make it
a nice facility for racers and fans. We did all of the
demo and most of the construction. It was a lot of work,
but we’re real proud of it and we hope everyone else
enjoys it as much as we do.”
Strickland, who recently won the prestigious National
Tractor Pulling Championships and the National Tractor
Pulling Association (NTPA) Grand National season
championship in Super Stock Open, is looking forward to
racing at a track that he’s so familiar with.
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“I don’t know what to expect
when I go to tracks that I’ve never raced at,” added Strickland, competing
in a full PDRA season for the first time. “Here at GALOT, I know what this
track can do because we’ve had some really fast cars go down the track. I
feel comfortable at our track. Plus, we have folks at home who come out to
see us, so that’s always nice.”
Strickland and GALOT Motorsports teammate Kevin Rivenbark enter this
weekend’s Dragstock XIII in the middle of a Pro Boost points battle.
Rivenbark dominated the first three PDRA races of the season, then
Strickland took over and claimed the three most recent races on tour.
Other Pro Boost players to watch this weekend are South Carolina’s Ric
Fleck and Tylor Miller, who finished runner-up to Strickland at the last
two races.
Thrilling competition in the all-eighth-mile series’ quickest and fastest
class, NAS Racing Pro Extreme, is also expected as the “Mississippi
Missile” Jason Scruggs and Memphis winner Brandon Snider continue their
yearlong battle for the points lead. Michigan race winner Frankie “Mad
Man” Taylor will be in attendance to race for the Dragstock XIII title,
but also for a special grudge race against defending NHRA world champion
Jonnie Lindberg in his Top Alcohol Funny Car. The grudge race will take
place during the third qualifying session on Friday night.
In Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by MoTeC, nearly all of the
biggest hitters hail from the “First in Flight” state. Jay Cox, Tommy
Franklin, Travis Harvey, Lizzy Musi, and Jason Harris will be looking to
keep the event trophy in North Carolina, while Georgia’s Steve “Stevie
Fast” Jackson will attempt to rebound from a DNQ at the last race in
Memphis.
The two-wheeled machines of Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle will be in
attendance as well, with Chris Garner-Jones leading the championship
standings by just two points over defending world champion Eric McKinney.
PDRA Extreme Pro Stock racers are also included in the line-up for the
penultimate race on the five-race XPS schedule. Rounding out the list of
classes to compete at PDRA Dragstock XIII are the sportsman classes –
Ronnie Davis Top Sportsman presented by MagnaFuel, Lucas Oil Top Dragster,
Talbert Pro Junior Dragster, and MegaCorp Top Junior Dragster.
Activities surrounding PDRA Dragstock XIII will kick off on Wednesday,
September 7th, at the official Pre-Race Party at Buffalo Wild Wings in
Smithfield, NC, from 6-10 p.m. GALOT Motorsports Park is also hosting a
live auction featuring unique racing items to benefit Make-A-Wish. The
auction will be held after open testing on Thursday from 8:30-10:30 p.m.
at the track. Country recording artist the Denver Nixon Band will perform
a live concert as well. The Pre-Race party, auction and concert are all
open to the public.
Qualifying action at PDRA Dragstock XIII is set to begin with Top Dragster
at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 8th. Additional pro qualifying sessions
are scheduled at 5 and 8 p.m., followed by final qualifying at 11 a.m. on
Saturday. Eliminations will begin at 4 p.m.
For the complete schedule, ticketing information and discount coupons,
please visit www.pdra660.com.
Photo: Joe McHugh
ABOUT THE PDRA
With offices in Pittsboro, North Carolina, and Saltillo, Mississippi, the
Professional Drag Racers Association is the top sanctioning body in the
United States for the sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The PDRA’s
professional categories include Pro Extreme Motorcycle, Pro Boost, Pro
Nitrous and Pro Extreme, the quickest doorslammer class in drag racing.
The 2016 PDRA schedule consists of nine national events. For more
information on the PDRA, visit www.PDRA660.com.
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