Mon, 05 Jan 2026, 15:35 PM Ethan Steding Locks Down Second Consecutive PDRA Pro Street World Championship

Courtesy of Drag Illustrated on behalf of the PDRA Photos by Tara Bowker and Gary Rowe

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - Ethan Steding had his work cut out for him as he rolled into the 2025 Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series season looking to defend his 2024 Liberty's Gears Pro Street presented by Menscer Motorsports world championship. Competing against an increasingly competitive field that included 2023 Super Street world champion Blake Denton and Super Bowl champion turned Pro Street rookie Fletcher Cox, Steding raced to a nearly perfect second half of the season - three wins in four final rounds - to claim his second straight championship.

Steding's sophomore season behind the wheel of his roots-blown P2 Contracting "College Fund" '24 Camaro began with a first-round exit at the season-opening East Coast Nationals at GALOT Motorsports Park. He rebounded with a final-round win over season opener winner Blake Denton at the Mid-Atlantic Showdown at Virginia Motorsports Park. Steding bowed out in the semifinals at the North vs. South Shootout at Maryland International Raceway, while Denton picked up his second win in three final rounds to extend his points lead.

Ethan Steding celebrates with his P2 Racing teammates after winning the Pro Street world championship and the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Gary Rowe photo

The turning point in Steding's season came at the Northern Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, where he defeated Denton in the final round. He never let up after that. At the Thunder Valley Throwdown at Bristol Dragway, Steding paired up with Denton in the opening round, but mechanical issues prevented Denton from making the run. When the rain-plagued race continued at GALOT leading into DragWars, Steding raced to another final round, where Fletcher Cox defeated him to earn his first career Pro Street win. Steding went on to win DragWars, taking over the points lead in the process. At the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals at VMP, Steding and Denton met up in the semifinals for one final battle with the championship on the line. Steding won in a side-by-side 3.95-second race to clinch the title.

The semifinal match with Denton at the World Finals was perhaps Steding's most memorable round of the season. The two young guns went head-to-head five times this season, but that semifinal round had the most riding on it.

"My dad [Pro Boost driver Kurt Steding] is real big on being calm, so I learned from him and he gives me little pointers here and there on dealing with the pressure," said Steding, who was the only driver to defeat Denton this season. "But I'm going to be 100% honest, that was my most nervous round, but we overcame it and we're here, so it worked out good."

Though the championship pressure was off, Steding remained amped up for the World Finals final round, where he defeated No. 1 qualifier Richard Reagan on a holeshot to end the year with four wins in five final-round appearances.

Ethan Steding's roots-blown P2 Contracting "College Fund" '24 Camaro Tara Bowker photo

"The relief was awesome," Steding said. "Richard and I are real good buddies. We like battling out. He's got a fast hot rod, but it was about the same nervousness. It's no different to me. I try to race all my races exactly the same, so it's really no different to me."

Steding, who also has a Pro Jr. Dragster world championship on his resume, thanked the P2 Racing team led by tuners Ty and Todd Tutterow for providing him with a championship-caliber hot rod.

"Honestly, it's my team. Without them, I wouldn't be here," said Steding, who also thanked partners like P2 Contracting, Red Line Oil, and Ty-Drive. "We fought hard and I came around as a driver and we just kept taking it and that's what you have to do. It's a lot of stress on your back, 100%, but whenever you surround yourself with great people, it relieves you a lot. I really want to thank my mom and dad and my main crew guy, John Redfield. We're real busy at home with work so we're fortunate to have him helping us."

Denton, who drives the nitrous-fed, Musi-powered "Bonnie" '69 Camaro previously driven by the late Lizzy Musi in No Prep Kings competition, finished second in the points standings with two wins, two runner-up finishes, and three No. 1 qualifier awards. Cox, who made his Pro Street debut at the second race on tour, wheeled his nitrous-assisted "Training Day" '69 Camaro to one win and three No. 1 qualifier awards to end up third.

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