Nate Van Wagnen

When a timing system malfunction potentially affected the outcome of the semifinal match between multi-time Mid-West Drag Racing Series Pro Mod champion Keith Haney and 2020 PDRA Elite Top Sportsman world champion Buddy Perkinson Saturday night at the PDRA East Coast Nationals, Perkinson faced a tough decision. He could either accept PDRA officials' ruling to rerun the race or decline the offer, accepting his loss to Haney. In a move that didn't surprise anyone who knows the humble young driver from Virginia, he declined the rerun with a simple reasoning: “We lost that round and he won.”

Two-time PDRA Pro Boost world champion Jason Harris overcame a 50-pound weight penalty on the centrifugal supercharger combination after the season-opening Carolina Nationals to win in front of his home crowd Saturday night at the Summit Racing Equipment East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech at Darana Motorsports Park, formerly known as GALOT Motorsports Park.

Nitrous oxide as a power adder has existed in NHRA Pro Mod since the very beginning when “Tricky” Rickie Smith won the inaugural race in 2001 and Shannon “The Iceman” Jenkins won the first series championship in 2002, but these days, it's uncommon to find a single nitrous-assisted entry on the qualifying order. Smith, whose Musi-powered J&A Service/Parkway Ford Mustang is one of the two nitrous cars on the entry list for this weekend's NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, says it doesn't have to be this way.

The Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association era – 30-plus years – will officially come to an end this weekend when the club hosts its “Last Blast” during Maryland International Raceway's 18th annual Door Wars presented by ATI Performance Products, May 1-3. Originally scheduled for last fall, the weather-postponed Last Blast will serve as one final celebration of NEOPMA's history and impact on regional Pro Modified racing.

As the NHRA celebrates its 75th anniversary this season, fans can expect to see plenty of familiar and even nostalgic elements – the return of legends, the celebration of the people and moments that made NHRA history, and even official uniforms that harken back to the “glory days” of the sport.

Siblings have qualified No. 1 together in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series' Jr. Dragsters classes before – multiple times, in fact – but siblings qualifying No. 1 with “perfect” passes was unheard of until McKenzee and Jayden Hogan accomplished the feat at the recent Summit Racing Equipment East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech at Darana Motorsports Park – Benson, NC.

Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series officials and FloRacing announced today that Friday qualifying at the upcoming PDRA Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix will stream for free on the FloRacing 24/7 channel. The Mid-Atlantic Showdown, May 21-23, at Virginia Motorsports Park, is the third of seven races on the 2026 PDRA schedule and will include the series' complete lineup of professional, sportsman, and Jr. Dragster classes. Fans can catch Friday qualifying on FloRacing 24/7 through Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Fubo, and other free video platforms. Saturday eliminations will also be available for FloRacing subscribers.

Now two races into the seven-race 2026 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series season, serious contenders are emerging as the series returns to Virginia Motorsports Park this weekend for the Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix, May 21-23. It's still early in the world championship battles, but racers across the PDRA's professional, sportsman, and Jr. Dragster categories are fighting for all the points they can get to contend for a season title. VMP, located in the history-rich area just outside Richmond, is the next battlefield in that fight.

Due to persistent rain and mist, as well as more inclement weather in the forecast, Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series officials have cancelled the PDRA Mid-Atlantic Showdown presented by Classic Graphix, May 21-23, at Virginia Motorsports Park. The event will not be rescheduled. The Mid-Atlantic Showdown was the third of seven races on the 2026 PDRA schedule.

As the NHRA celebrates its 75th anniversary this season, fans can expect to see plenty of familiar and even nostalgic elements – the return of legends, the celebration of the people and moments that made NHRA history, and even official uniforms that harken back to the “glory days” of the sport.