PDRA Thunder Valley Throwdown: Butner, Tutterow, Mac, Beattie Jr., Vincent Top Qualifiers

BRISTOL, TN (July 11, 2026) – The second day of qualifying at the PDRA Thunder Valley Throwdown presented by Larry Jeffers Race Cars delivered a dramatic turnaround at Bristol Dragway. After oppressive heat and humidity made track conditions treacherous for the first two sessions, the final runs under the lights saw drivers push their machines to the limit, with lightning flashing overhead. Five Pro class drivers captured provisional No. 1 positions, setting the stage for a high-stakes elimination day.

Defending Pro Nitrous champion Marcus Butner, who had been searching for consistency early in the season, laid down a dominant 3.659-second pass at 206.51 mph to lead the class. The run, made in a side-by-side final session with Tommy Franklin, marked Butner’s second No. 1 qualifier of the year and signaled a return to form for the Butner Construction team.

“It’s on rails right now, no doubt,” Butner said. “We had a hell of a team working hard to get the car back. We chased little gremlins early in the year, tested a lot, and finally got it dialed in. This weekend it’s showing up. I think it’d go down a dirt road and go fast. We’re confident.”

Three-time champion Tommy Franklin, currently leading the points, qualified second with a 3.665 at 206.20 mph in his “Jungle Rat 3.0” Camaro. Rickie Smith, the “Legend of Thunder Valley,” took third at 3.711. Butner’s strong qualifying puts him in position to leap from fifth in the standings, especially if Franklin stumbles early in eliminations.

In Pro Boost, Ty Tutterow, the defending class champion and winner of last year’s rain-delayed Throwdown, secured the No. 1 spot with a 3.613-second pass at 207.08 mph in Justin Smith’s Quik Fuel Camaro. Tutterow, who is third in points, solved handling issues that plagued his earlier runs and now sits just two rounds behind leader Jason Harris.

“We were chasing it all day,” Tutterow said. “First run was good but the car drove left. Finally chased it down in Q3. I love racing for the points lead mid-season because you control your own destiny. This is one of my favorite tracks – only two hours from home. I’d love to get a winner’s circle photo here.”

Super Bowl champion and Pro Boost rookie Fletcher Cox impressed with a 3.616 at 207.02