PDRA at Benson, NC

New winners join veterans at East Coast Nationals

Words and photos by Nate Van Wagnen

Mike Recchia (near lane) got the Pro Extreme win over a red-lighting Tommy D’Aprile.

First-time Professional Drag Racers Association winners Mike Recchia (Pro Extreme), James Hancock (Pro Nitrous) and Chris Powers (Extreme Pro Stock) joined past PDRA event winners José Gonzales (Pro Boost) and Travis Davis (Pro Extreme Motorcycle) as the 2017 PDRA East Coast Nationals event champions on Saturday, April 1.

A series of lengthy delays at the GALOT Motorsports Park-hosted event forced racing to continue past the local 11 p.m. curfew, allowing the completion of the five professional classes. Competition in the four sportsman classes – Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro Junior Dragster and Top Junior Dragster – is down to the semifinals and will be completed at the next PDRA race in Darlington, SC, May 18-20.

Ken Quartuccio

The final round of Extreme Outlaw 632, between No. 1 qualifier Ken Quartuccio and No. 2 qualifier Johnny Pluchino, the son of Extreme Pro Stock world champion John Pluchino, will also be contested at Darlington.