Carolina Nationals
Darlington Dragway
September 14-16, 2023
Drag965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle
Chris Garner-Jones set two goals for race day after qualifying No. 1: run in the 3-second range and win the race. The 2021 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle world champion accomplished both goals in the final round when he fired off a 3.985 at 177.73 to defeat 😭. Jones Racing teammate Mohammed Alawad, who ran a 4.051 at 175.30. It was Alawad’s first final round in PDRA competition, though the two riders have faced off in final rounds during winter races in the Middle East.
“That was a win for me, seeing [Alawad] in the finals,” said Garner-Jones, who thanked his brother and tuner, William Garner-Jones, the rest of his family-based team, and Jerry Meddock of Red Line Motorsports Media. “After the semis, we got to the trailer, took the clutch apart, and our crank was messed up. So we had to change motors in between rounds. That was the first pass on that motor and it went 3.98. It took a lot to get the win, and of course, my tuner is pretty good.”
As the No. 1 qualifier, Garner-Jones started eliminations with a bye run, which he used to set low E.T. of the round, a 4.037 at 177.30. He stepped up in the semis with a 4.014 at 178.57 to beat Tyrone Lemons’ 4.076.
Alawad ran a 4.142 in the first round over Gerald Smith. His second-round match with points leader Brayden Davis was decided on the starting line, as Davis went red by .004 on a 4.039 pass. Alawad got the win with his 4.076.
The 10th PDRA season will continue in just three weeks at DragWars presented by ProFab, October 5-7, at GALOT Motorsports Park in Benson, North Carolina.
2023 Schedule
March 30 – April 1 / GALOT Motorsports Park / Benson, NC
April 20-22 / Virginia Motorsports Park / Dinwiddie, VA
May 25-27 / Summit Motorsports Park / Norwalk, OH
June 15-17 / Maryland International Raceway / Budds Creek, MD
July 21-22 / PRO STARS Night of Fire /Virginia Motorsports Park / Dinwiddie, VA
August 3-5 / US 131 Motorsports Park / Martin, MI
September 14-16 / Darlington Dragway / Hartsville, SC
October 5-7 / GALOT Motorsports Park/ Benson, NC
October 19-22 / Virginia Motorsports Park / Dinwiddie, VA
ABOUT THE PDRA
Celebrating its 10th season in 2023, 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 Boost, Pro Nitrous, Extreme Pro Stock, Pro Nitrous Motorcycle, Pro 632, and Pro Street. The series also features sportsman racing in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro Jr. Dragster and Top Jr. Dragster. The 2023 PDRA schedule consists of eight national events, plus the Summit Racing Equipment PDRA ProStars. For more information on the PDRA, visit www.pdra660.com. Follow the PDRA: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.
