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D’Aprile
Set to Square off with Jet Dragster at PDRA Sunshine State
Shootout
BRADENTON, FL (September 26, 2016) – Fresh off of his
recent win at PDRA Dragstock XIII earlier this month, Pro
Extreme star Tommy D’Aprile has announced that he will
face off against a jet dragster at the Professional Drag
Racers Association (PDRA) Sunshine State Shootout
presented by Mel Bush Motorsports, Sept. 29-Oct. 1. The
rare doorslammer versus jet dragster match race is just
one of the reasons why D’Aprile is looking forward to his
home race at Bradenton Motorsports Park, the eighth of
nine stops on the PDRA 2016 tour.
“For Mel and Johanne (Bush) this is a big race. This is
the only time when PDRA comes to Florida, so we’re going
to be racing in front of local friends and family who
usually don’t get to see us race. We’re certainly wanting
to do well in the race itself, but we’re just excited to
have everyone out to enjoy the experience of seeing all of
these fast cars in one place at one time.
Last year’s PDRA Sunshine State Shootout was one of the
most hyped races of the season before a series of severe
rain storms forced the cancellation of the event. With a
clear, sunny forecast projected for this weekend, D’Aprile
will finally get to race Bush’s Al Billes-tuned 2016
Corvette in PDRA competition at his home track. |
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“We didn’t get to have our home race last year since the track was washed
out. This is the first time we’ll get to have a big PDRA race like this so
close to home. I grew up at this track. My first time down a dragstrip was
in the right lane at Bradenton when I was probably 12 years old,”
remembered D’Aprile, of nearby Port Charlotte.
In addition to competing in NAS Racing Pro Extreme, where he already has
two event wins on the season, D’Aprile and his 4,000-horsepower Mel Bush
Motorsports Corvette will line up against the Lucas Oil Terminal Velocity
Jet Dragster. The match race is set to take place at the end of the third
Pro Extreme qualifying session on Friday night.
“Motorsports is an entertainment business,” D’Aprile pointed out. “We
wanted to add a little ‘Wow’ factor to this race with it being Mel’s home
race. This is for the fans. Fans love the jet cars and they love Pro
Extreme cars. They’re going to remember this race, that’s for sure.”
As the PDRA race chaplain, D’Aprile will also host the Saturday morning
God Speed Ministry service to be held at 9 a.m.
“We have a really good message planned for Saturday morning, so I want to
encourage everyone to come out for that. Anybody who’s been to our
services knows that it’s not like church, it’s more like a big pep rally,”
laughed the always-positive D’Aprile.
Also competing at the PDRA Sunshine State Shootout will be the PDRA’s full
line-up of professional categories; ultra-competitive Switzer Dynamics Pro
Nitrous presented by MoTec, GALOT Motorsports Park Pro Boost, and Drag 965
Pro Extreme Motorcycle. The sportsman competitors of Ronnie Davis Top
Sportsman presented by MagnaFuel, Lucas Oil Top Dragster, Talbert Pro
Junior Dragster, and MegaCorp Top Junior Dragster will also be in action,
along with the locally popular Outlaw 632 class.
A pre-race party will kick off the PDRA Sunshine State Shootout presented
by Mel Bush Motorsports, from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday at Gecko’s Grill & Pub
in Bradenton. On-track action will begin with Thursday’s open test session
from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Qualifying is scheduled to start at noon on
Friday and will continue with a fourth session at 11 a.m. on Saturday
morning. First round of eliminations will follow pre-race ceremonies at 3
p.m.
For the complete schedule, ticketing information and discount coupons,
please visit www.pdra660.com.
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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