Amber Franklin Denton Clinches Second PDRA Pro 632 World Championship
PDRA Pro 632 points leader Amber Franklin Denton went into last weekend’s ProFabrication DragWars presented by PST Driveshafts at GALOT Motorsports Park with a sizeable lead, but she knew her path to a second Pro 632 world championship wasn’t a clear one. Qualifying No. 1 made it a little clearer, but she had a full field of consistent and competitive racers standing in her way.
The past Pro Jr. Dragster world champion held her own and locked up the championship before taking down championship runner-up Walter Lannigan Jr. in the final round. Lannigan grabbed a slight holeshot, but Franklin’s Musi-powered “OG Jungle Rat” ’69 Camaro laid down a 4.16 at 171.82 to drive around Lannigan’s 4.188 at 169.30.
“I just tried to clear my mind each round and just try to take a deep breath,” said Franklin Denton, who dedicated the win and the championship to the late Lizzy Musi, as well as her late grandmother. “In the final round, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have butterflies and I wasn’t nervous, but honestly, it’s really fun racing like that. Running against Walt, they’re a great team and always a good race, so it was a super exciting final round.”
Franklin Denton’s 2024 championship scorecard includes victories at the North vs. South Shootout at Maryland and the Thunder Valley Throwdown at Bristol, as well as runner-up finishes at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown at Virginia and the American Doorslammer Challenge at Norwalk. She also qualified No. 1 at five of the seven races.
“I’m still pretty speechless right now,” said Franklin Denton. “This year has tested us. As a driver, this one felt really, really good. My team has provided me end over end and had my back through everything. We’ve changed things, put things together, and I’m just super proud of them. I give all the glory to God. Thanks to my parents [Tommy and Judy], husband [Blake Denton], Jeff Pierce, Red Line Oil, Pat Musi Racing Engines, and everyone who helps us.”
Tara Bowker photo
Franklin Denton set low E.T. of the opening round in her win over Hank Hughes, running a 4.169 at 171.93 to Hughes’ 4.514 at 160.73. She slowed a bit to a 4.237 at 171.99, but it was enough to drive past returning driver Brian Clauss and his 4.29 at 166.85. The 2021 world champion secured her second world title in the class in the semifinals when she used a 4.16 at 172.23 to defeat rookie Chevy Floyd, who ran a 4.233 at 167.20.
Lannigan, who stepped in to drive Chris Holdorf’s Nelson-powered Freedom Grow ’10 GTO this season, qualified No. 2 and beat a red-lighting Gary Hood in the first round with a 4.213 at 168.37. He was the quickest driver in the second round, driving to a 4.202 at 168.70 to finish ahead of Patrick Patterson and his 4.297. A .003 reaction time and a 4.198 at 168.98 put Lannigan well ahead of Jason Ventura in the semifinals, even though Ventura nearly matched his performance with a 4.199 at 167.66.
This story was originally published on October 8, 2024.
The post Amber Franklin Denton Clinches Second PDRA Pro 632 World Championship first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
