BENSON, N.C. Racing in his Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous debut, former Elite Top Sportsman racer Tim Paap claimed a Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series season-opening win at the Summit Racing Equipment East Coast Nationals Saturday night at GALOT Motorsports Park.

Paap lined up against three-time world champion Tommy Franklin in the final round and led wire-to-wire, using a 3.651-second pass at 205.26 mph to hold off Franklins 3.652 at 205.66. With Pat Musi Racing Engines doubling the winners purse through the PDRAs new Power Purse program, Paap collected a $20,000 check for his victory.

PRO NITROUS

After making the move from Elite Top Sportsman over the winter, Paap quickly became the latest first-time Pro Nitrous winner as he raced to victory in his debut. With a team led by past NHRA Top Sportsman world champion Jeffrey Barker and past PDRA Elite Top Sportsman world champion Donny Hollywood Urban, Paap qualified No. 1 and marched through eliminations to meet three-time world champion Tommy Franklin in the final round.

Paap moved first in his Musi-powered Paap Auto Body 16 Corvette and never looked back, setting low E.T. of the event with his winning 3.651 at 205.26. Franklin posted a 3.652 at 205.66 in the runner-up effort.

Its just surreal right now. Absolutely surreal, said Paap, who thanked his team and supporters like Killin Time Racing, Larry Hodge Racing Tire, Holley, Switzer Dynamics, and RK Racecraft. Theres so many people to thank. It hasnt sunk in yet. Well be up all night until our flight in the morning. You cant top this. You cant even script this qualifying No. 1 and then winning the race. We were 0 for 7 in testing, then to come out and do this, its unbelievable.

Paap was a killer on the starting line throughout eliminations, starting with a .017 reaction time paired with a 3.699 at 203.95 in the first round to take out Edward Wilson, who slowed to a 10.55.

Paap was .005 out of the gate in a second-round battle with another Elite Top Sportsman racer who stepped up to Pro Nitrous this season, past world champion Tim Molnar. Paap led the whole way, posting a 3.679 at 201.67 over Molnars 3.732. He left second against North Carolinas own Tony Wilson in the semifinals, but his 3.688 at 203.80 was enough to get around Wilsons 3.736.

PRO BOOST

In a rematch of the Pro Boost final round at the 2023 East Coast Nationals, Melanie Salemi and johnny Camp squared off for the 2025 event title. This one went Salemis way also as she cut a .001 reaction time in Eddie Whelans screw-blown Al-Lee Installations Purple Reign 68 Firebird and fired off a 3.622 at 206.29 to defeat Camp, who was right there with a .018 reaction time and a 3.628 at 205.13. Tuned by husband Jon Salemi and brother-in-law Jim Salemi, Melanie is now a three-time East Coast Nationals winner. She had a .015 reaction time average on race day.

Weve struggled with this car a lot and we came here and tested late last week, Salemi said, thanking Al-Lee Installations and a long list of marketing partners. I finally have my race car back and it feels so good because when I have a good race car under me, I know that I can be good on the tree.

Starting with a 3.639 at 205.41 to knock out Pro Boost newcomer Lyle Barnett in the opening round, Salemi steadily improved on race day. The No. 1 qualifier drove past young gun Preston Tanner in the second round, laying down a 3.625 at 206.29 to Tanners 3.651 at 205.41. Salemi then set low E.T. of race day with her 3.617 at 206.61 to knock out newly crowned World Series of Pro Mod winner Steve King and his 3.64 in the semifinals.

PRO STREET

Blake Denton, the 2023 Super Street world champion, made his Pro Street debut late in the 2024 season with the goal of paying tribute to the late Lizzy Musi behind the wheel of the Musi-powered Bonnie 69 Camaro previously driven by Musi in Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings competition.

With Lizzys parents, Pat and Liz, supporting the Tommy Franklin Motorsports team all weekend, Denton swept the event, qualifying No. 1 and racing to victory. In the final round, opponent Chris Tuten suffered fiery catastrophic engine failure and came to a stop before the finish line, while Denton charged to low E.T. of the event, a 3.951 at 194.83.

Its a big deal. This is a serious class and the competition is tough, said Denton, who thanked Tommy and Judy Franklin, Pat and Liz Musi, wife Amber, the Tommy Franklin Motorsports team, and partners like Red Line Oil, Pat Musi Racing Engines, and Menscer Motorsports. These guys make you come up here and put in the work and thats what Im here to do. I had the confidence in the car before the weekend. Struggling and not being able to get down the track early in the weekend really got me behind the eight-ball. Being able to come out and go No. 1 [in the final qualifying session] gave me all the confidence going into today that I could do this and the car could do this and I was going to win this race.

Denton faced John Carinci in the opening round of eliminations and used a 4.059 at 192.03 to defeat Carincis 5.897. Second-round opponent Marty Merillat went red on a 4.063 pass, while Denton was second-quickest of the round with his 4.011 at 193.38. Denton got a slight advantage on the starting line in the semifinals against Richard Reagan, then ran a 3.967 at 194.04 to get the win over Reagan and his 3.99.

EXTREME PRO STOCK

As a three-time winner of the East Coast Nationals, two-time and reigning Extreme Pro Stock world champion Chris Powers is no stranger to winning at GALOT Motorsports Park in his Sonnys Racing Engines 21 Camaro.

Its where he earned his first win in the class and where he won in an emotional tribute to engine builder and friend Sonny Leonard following his passing. Powers added another East Coast Nationals 660 Man to his trophy case when he got the final-round win over 2023 world champion Alan Drinkwater, who went red by .003 seconds. Powers was ready for him, though, as he laid down low E.T. of the event, 4.066 at 177.42.

Powers, who qualified No. 1, lined up with young gun Jordan Ensslin in the first round, where Ensslin went red by .009 seconds, while Powers set low E.T. of the round with his 4.086 at 176.84. Powers grabbed a holeshot advantage in the semifinals against Elijah Morton and charged to a 4.098 at 176.49 to get the win over Morton and his 4.122, earning lane choice for the final round in the process.

PRO 632

Walter Lannigan, last years Pro 632 championship runner-up, kick-started his 2025 season behind the wheel of Chris Holdorfs Nelson-powered Freedom Grow 10 GTO with a big win at the East Coast Nationals. Lannigan, the No. 2 qualifier, faced first-time No. 1 qualifier Lexi Tanner in the final round. The two drivers left the line with identical .054 reaction times, but the incremental numbers showed Lannigan gradually pulling ahead. He lit up the boards with the quickest pass of the event, a 4.166 at 168.16, to hold off Tanners 4.185 at 169.23.

Lannigan qualified second to pair up with defending event winner Andy House in the opening round. Lannigan left first and held the lead through the finish line with his 4.236 at 166.81 to Houses 4.358. The red-light bug bit second-round opponent Jason Ventura on a 4.257 pass, while Lannigan improved slightly to a 4.223 at 167.18. Lannigan was slightly quicker than Pro Nitrous driver Chris Rini in his Pro 632 debut in the semis, recording a 4.177 at 167.57 to Rinis 4.212 at 167.24 to reach the final round.

SUPER STREET

Two-time Super Street winner Connor McGee didnt have the quickest car in qualifying or eliminations, but his family-based team stepped up when it mattered on race day. Qualified No. 2, McGee made it through three rounds to meet No. 3 qualifier Matt Schalow in an all-nitrous final round. Schalow picked up a starting line advantage, though it wasnt enough of a lead to hold off McGees 4.629 at 149.83 in his Fulton-powered Brians Heating & Cooling 90 Mustang. Schalow wasnt far off with his 4.663 at 157.52.

McGee paired up with newcomer Carson Perry in the opening round and posted a 4.753 at 146.15 to get around the quicker-leaving Perry and his 5.862. McGee left first ahead of Michael Webb in the next round and stepped up to a 4.713 at 152.80 over Webbs 5.038. He then had a bye run in the semis, where he coasted to a 6.499 at 73.25.

TOP SPORTSMAN

Two heavy hitters met up in the Elite Top Sportsman final round, with Jeremy Creasman in his ProCharged PAR Racing Engines Camaro taking on Tim Lawrence in his nitrous-fed, Albert-powered Bell Trucking 13 Camaro. Lawrence had the starting line advantage, but he broke out with a 3.888 on a 3.89 dial-in. Creasman lit up the win light with his 3.979 on a 3.91 dial-in.
In Top Sportsman 48, one of the slowest cars in the field lined up against one of the quickest in the final round. No. 43 qualifier Ken Langlois proved that its still a bracket race, after all, as he moved through five rounds to reach the final, where he left first and ran a 4.521 on a 4.49 dial-in to get the win in his Milan, Michigan-based 92 Cutlass. No. 2 qualifier Mark Payne posted a 4.112 on a 4.10 dial-in in his turbocharged, small-block House of Payne 06 Cavalier. Langlois pocketed a $6,000 payday, double the usual winners prize, thanks to Power Purse sponsor House of Payne.

TOP DRAGSTER

The Elite Top Dragster final round was out of control with two-time world champion Steve Furr and reigning world champion Kyle Harris both running off their usual paces. Harris had the quicker reaction time in his supercharged KHR 32 Bantam Altered, but the short wheelbase machine crossed the center line. That disqualified Harris and handed the win to Furr, who coasted to a 7.383 in his ProCharged 13 American dragster. Furr also won the 2023 East Coast Nationals and was the runner-up in 2024.

Perfect .000 reaction times are rare, but past Top Sportsman world champion Chad Traylor was perfect twice in a row to pick up the win in Top Dragster 48. The first one happened on a semifinal bye run, then he did it again against Cameron Manuel in the final. He then ran a 4.264 on a 4.26 dial-in in his 22 Maddox dragster to deny Manuel and his 4.291 on a 4.29 dial-in in his 18 Elite dragster.

Sportsman class victories went to Jeremy Creasman in MagnaFuel Elite Top Sportsman presented by PAR Racing Engines, Steve Furr in Laris Motorsports Insurance Elite Top Dragster presented by Greenbrier Excavating & Paving, Ken Langlois in MagnaFuel Top Sportsman 48, and Chad Traylor in Laris Motorsports Insurance Top Dragster 48 presented by Derrick Wolfe Trucking.

Jr. Dragster program graduate Nicole Zuccarelli picked up the win in Edelbrock Bracket Bash presented by COMP Cams. She ran a 4.365 on a 4.36 dial-in to defeat Brandon Lane and his 4.797 on a 4.79 dial-in for a .006 margin of victory.

Makenzie Alexander and Knox Schween were victorious in Paragon Pro Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products and Classic Graphix Top Jr. Dragster presented by Philadelphia Racing Products, respectively. Alexander in her Mechanicsville, Virginia-based 17 Halfscale ran an 8.04 on the 7.90 index in the final round, while Brylan Biondo broke out with a 7.892. Schween left second behind final-round opponent Acelynn Christian, but a 9.234 on a 9.20 dial-in in the Schween Machine 04 Halfscale was enough to get the win over Christians 12.042 on an 11.97 dial-in.