Salemi, Butner, Mac, Pittman and McGee Qualify No. 1 at PDRA East Coast Nationals

Drivers secure top qualifying spots in professional classes at PDRA event in North Carolina

Apr. 18, 2026 at 4:39am

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A fragmented, geometric painting in bold primary colors depicting the dynamic motion and energy of a PDRA drag racing competition.A cubist interpretation of the high-octane action and competitive spirit of the PDRA East Coast Nationals drag racing event.Benson Today

Melanie Salemi, Marcus Butner, Andy Mac, Jeff Pittman, and Connor McGee all qualified No. 1 in their respective professional classes at the PDRA East Coast Nationals event held at Darlington Motorsports Park in Benson, North Carolina. Salemi topped the Pro Boost field, Butner led Pro Nitrous, Mac secured the top spot in Pro Street, Pittman qualified No. 1 in Pro 632, and McGee set a new class record in qualifying for Super Street.

Why it matters

The PDRA East Coast Nationals is a major event on the PDRA drag racing series calendar, and securing a No. 1 qualifying position is an important achievement that can provide momentum heading into eliminations. These top qualifiers will look to carry their strong performances through to race day and potentially earn event wins in their respective classes.

The details

Salemi overcame some early issues in qualifying to post a 3.580-second pass at 208.68 mph in her screw-blown '68 Firebird to lead Pro Boost. Butner ran a 3.636 at 208.20 mph in his '69 Camaro to top Pro Nitrous, while Mac piloted Fletcher Cox's nitrous-fed '69 Camaro to a 3.895 at 193.74 mph for the Pro Street No. 1 spot. Pittman ran a 4.147 at 171.29 mph in his '68 Chevelle to lead Pro 632, and McGee set a new Super Street record with a 4.467 at 160.29 mph in his '90 Mustang.

  • On Thursday night, the postponed Carolina Nationals final round was completed, with Fletcher Cox winning the Pro Street class and Connor McGee taking the Super Street victory.
  • Friday's qualifying sessions determined the No. 1 qualifiers in the professional and sportsman classes at the East Coast Nationals.

The players

Melanie Salemi

Defending Pro Boost event winner who qualified No. 1 in her screw-blown '68 Firebird.

Marcus Butner

Two-time Pro Nitrous world champion who qualified No. 1 in his '69 Camaro.

Andy Mac

Longtime crew member and veteran grudge racer who qualified No. 1 in Fletcher Cox's nitrous-fed '69 Camaro.

Jeff Pittman

Racer who previously competed in Top Sportsman and is now a teammate to Alan O'Brien's championship-winning Greenbrier Excavating & Paving Pro 632 team.

Connor McGee

Defending Super Street world champion and event winner who set a new class record in qualifying.

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What they’re saying

“It was a sigh of relief, honestly, when I looked up at the scoreboard and saw the .58 come up.”

— Melanie Salemi

“I try not to think about [defending the championship] because it is pressure. At the end of the day, I'd love nothing more than to win another championship, back-to-back.”

— Marcus Butner

“It's pretty special to carry on something that [Cox] started, that we started with him. Just being in the right spot at the right time and taking the opportunity to carry on where he left off.”

— Andy Mac

“Really what it takes is what everybody doesn't see. We went into Darlington testing, made some good runs, tested some things out. But what people don't see is the 10 times we're going to the track in the offseason to get runs, make 330 hit after 330 hit and blow stuff up and try new things and change stuff.”

— Connor McGee

“It's really a good thing. We've come close several times and just got knocked out. This year we've really kind of tuned the program up. It seems to be going a lot smoother, things are working a little bit better, and I'm a whole lot more comfortable in the car.”

— Jeff Pittman

What’s next

The PDRA East Coast Nationals will continue on Saturday with sportsman eliminations and the first round of pro eliminations. Connor McGee will look to back up his new Super Street class record during eliminations.

The takeaway

The top qualifiers at the PDRA East Coast Nationals have set themselves up for strong performances on race day, with several drivers looking to build on recent successes or continue championship-caliber seasons. The event showcases the high level of competition across the PDRA's professional and sportsman classes.