2024 PDRA Racing Review

The 2024 PDRA racing season was marked by change and challenge. We began the season opener at GALOT with optimism, confident after addressing a persistent issue at the U.S. Street Nationals. Unfortunately, in Q1, a transmission parts failure during the burnout set us back, casting a shadow over the season's start. Despite this, we replaced the transmission and kept improving each pass, leaving GALOT with a new personal best of 4.24 ET.

Heading to Virginia for the next race, motivation was high, but it was short-lived when a rod failure abruptly ended our run. It felt like the season might be over, but my team’s determination kept us moving forward, and we assembled another engine in time for Norwalk. However, Norwalk brought new challenges with a different camshaft that required adjustments in timing and fuel curve. A recurring issue caused a large backfire on the starting line, resulting in a less-than-stellar event.

Our frustration carried over to Maryland, where the car continued shutting down unpredictably at the starting line. After a difficult appearance, I told Jordan I was ready to stop until we could make the necessary improvements. Undeterred, Jordan immediately began coordinating significant changes, including a switch from carburetor to fuel injection. Although this transition caused us to miss the PDRA Pro Star event and the race in Martin, Michigan, we pushed through.

With no chance to test before Bristol, TN, we still made impressive strides with the fuel injection setup, improving steadily with each pass. By the second GALOT race, I felt both motivated and comfortable in the driver’s seat, and we finally advanced past Round 1 of eliminations.

Our momentum continued into Virginia for the season’s final race, where we made steady progress with each pass, setting a new personal best of 4.23, even though we lost in the first round. The 2024 season was a journey—from early hope to mid-season struggles, ending on a high note. Despite being one of the most underfunded teams, my crew’s resilience has proven that we’re not to be counted out.