At DRAG357, we hold ourselves to exceptionally high standards. Our journey with the Public Enemy 1969 Camaro has been a relentless battle since day one, and there were moments when we contemplated stepping back. However, our recent breakthrough at Bradenton Motorsports during the U.S. Street Nationals reignited our determination, clocking in a personal best of 4.30. This achievement fueled our optimism as we geared up for the start of the PDRA Racing season at GALOT Motorsports Park.
The kickoff for the 2024 Red Line Oil PDRA Racing Pro632 class commenced with qualifying on April 5th, 2024, at GALOT Motorsports Park. Our journey began with a twist during testing on April 4th, as our freshly installed transmission decided to call it quits during the burnout. Fortunately, a spare transmission was on hand, swiftly replaced in time for the first round of qualifying the following day.
Under the guidance of my tuner, Jordan Ensslin, I entered Q1 with cautious optimism. When asked about my expectations, I joked about hitting a 4.25, though realistically, I would have been content just to complete the run given the transmission replacement the night before. However, deep down, I believed we could achieve a personal best of at least 4.29, a milestone that had eluded us so far. As I embarked on my run, surrounded by my dedicated team ensuring every detail was perfect, the adrenaline kicked in. The results were beyond expectations, smashing our previous best ET and setting a new record at 4.273 seconds.
The momentum carried into Q2, where we aimed for a slight improvement in our qualifying position. Despite some initial nerves, the car delivered, clocking in at 4.268 seconds, albeit without a change in our position due to the competition's improvement.
As we approached the final qualifying round amidst cold and windy conditions, optimism prevailed. The exhilarating run that followed surpassed all expectations, with the car achieving a remarkable 60ft time of .983 seconds and setting a new personal best record of 4.245 seconds at 166.85 MPH. The synergy between my tuner, Jordan, and the car's performance left me ecstatic as we prepared for race day.
In our lone elimination round, we faced off against Bobby Bladen, who had qualified 5th with a formidable 4.199. Despite our readiness, the car faltered, clocking in at 4.268 compared to Bladen's winning 4.239.
Overall, I'm thrilled with the performance of the Ensslin Racing-prepared Pro632 Public Enemy Camaro. As we regroup at the shop, we're already gearing up for the next challenge in Virginia in two weeks' time.
Thank you to Jordan, Jacie, Larry, and John for all your hard work making this a reality.
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