Sat, 07 Dec 2024, 15:09 PM Dan Whetstine Earns Super Street Title, Joins Crew Chief Tim Essick as PDRA World Champion

Courtesy of Drag Illustrated on behalf of the Professional Drag Racers Association Photos by Tara Bowker and Gary Rowe

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - Veteran small-tire racer Dan Whetstine helped longtime friend Tim Essick win the 2021 and 2022 Pro Street world championships in the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series, and now the duo reversed the roles as Essick tuned Whetstine to the 2024 Afco Racing Super Street presented by Menscer Motorsports world championship. Whetstine won twice in four-final round appearances across the seven-race Super Street season. He also qualified No. 1 twice.

Whetstine in his ProCharger-boosted "Red Velvet" '90 Mustang qualified No. 2 at the first two races of the season, but he didn't have much success on race day until the American Doorslammer Challenge at Summit Motorsports Park, where he reached the final round. Major changes in the engine program paid off with a No. 1 qualifier award and event win at Whetstine's home race, the North vs. South Shootout at Maryland International Raceway. He reached another final round at the next race, the inaugural Thunder Valley Throwdown at Bristol Dragway, then claimed another No. 1 qualifier and event win at DragWars at GALOT Motorsports Park.

Dan Whetstine (right) with crew chief Tim Essick.

Whetstine secured the championship when he won in the first round of eliminations at the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park. He held off No. 2 finisher Derek Mota by just over one round worth of points.

"Tim Essick, my crew chief, my best friend, is always working hard on my program and always trying stuff," Whestine said. "We changed the whole top end of the motor in the middle of the year and had a few growing pains, but that really helped our program. Once the converter and engine package was happy together, we could really put together some solid passes in the heat. In Maryland, it all came together where we could actually go fast at nighttime, too. I always felt like we could run in the heat, but now that we have a really good top end, I feel like we can run up front with anybody, anytime."

After being a part of Essick's Pro Street championships, it was rewarding for Whetstine to earn a title of his own as a driver.

"It's special, but it's even more special because Tim was involved," said Whetstine, who's known Essick since middle school. "I tell people all the time, we're a friendship where no one keeps score and no one's ever keeping track of who did more for the other one. That just doesn't happen in today's world. I'm super grateful and blessed to have a guy like Tim in my corner."

Whetstine emphasized the team effort that it took to win the Super Street championship, thanking his crew and partners like ATI, Menscer Motorsports, Maxima Oils, UPR Products, Brodix, and ProCharger.

"My wife, Michelle, supports my hobby. Our friends are always texting me encouragement," Whetstine said. "Last year I struggled on the tree. I really concentrated this year on being more focused as a driver. The other big thing is just our pre-race checking things out so we didn't have issues at races. All of that goes into Tim being a multi-time champion. He knows what it takes to make it a champion team. The best thing is my team - Tim Savoy, Allen Thompson, Don Miller, and everyone around me."

Mota, the championship runner-up for the second consecutive season, earned one win in three final-round appearances driving his turbocharged East Point Recovery Centers '93 Mustang. He also set a new class E.T. national record twice and earned three No. 1 qualifier awards. Young gun Connor McGee missed the season opener but won twice and qualified No. 1 once in his nitrous-fed '90 Mustang to finish third.

The Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series will celebrate its 2024 world champions at the annual PDRA Championship Awards Banquet on Friday, Dec. 13 in downtown Indianapolis.