PDRA: Brunson Gruthson Wins Pro Extreme Motorcycle Championship and Season Finale
PDRA: Brunson Gruthson Wins Pro Extreme Motorcycle Championship and Season Finale
After years of chasing the elusive Pro Extreme Motorcycle world championship on a nitrous-assisted machine, Brunson Grothus wasn’t sure if he’d ever clinch the title. But this season, everything finally clicked for the Iowa native—and it all came together in an unforgettable way on Sunday. Riding Robert Varela’s turbocharged Dallas Flat Glass Distributors Hayabusa, Grothus not only qualified No. 1 and set a new E.T. national record, but he also clinched the world championship and capped it off with a race victory.
In the final, his opponent Meshal Al-Saber went red by just .005 seconds, handing Grothus the win despite a solid 4.017-second, 177.54 MPH pass. Grothus eased off the throttle to post a 4.169 at 142.82, sealing his Sunday sweep.
“This is the absolute highlight of my career,” Grothus shared, clearly emotional after the victory. He gave credit to his team, led by his father Ed Grothus, brother Bradley Grothus, motorcycle owner Robert Varela, Dan Wagner, Tom Klemme, and, of course, his wife and kids. He dedicated the championship to his late mother and close friend Ryan Young of Indocil Art. “I’ve won a few Pro Mod national championships, and those were great, but the PDRA Pro Extreme Motorcycle class—this is the baddest of the bad. If you want to prove you’re a top dog, this is where you come. I’ve been hunting this for almost 15 years. We’ve been grinding year after year, and now we finally did it. It’s the culmination of teamwork, and it’s just unbelievable. It’s hard to put into words.”
Grothus’ road to victory started with a No. 1 qualifying run, followed by a blistering 3.955 at 183.77 mph in the first round, defeating Jeremy Teasley’s 4.03. That set up a pivotal semifinal against points leader Chris Garner-Jones, where the winner would take home the world championship. Garner-Jones had a slight starting line advantage, but Grothus powered past him with a 3.935 at 184.45, backing up his E.T. record from qualifying and beating Garner-Jones’ 4.046.
Al-Saber, who qualified No. 6 on the Brad McCoy-tuned Q80 Racing/McCoy Motorsports Hayabusa, had his own journey to the final. After an off-pace 4.833 at 164.45 win over Paul Gast in the first round, Al-Saber got back on track with a 3.984 at 179.18 in the semifinals, defeating Jeff House’s 4.023. But in the finals, Grothus’ dream day was sealed when Al-Saber red-lighted, handing the win and the crown to the relentless Iowa racer.
Grothus’ victory was a masterclass in persistence and skill, a moment that will undoubtedly be remembered as the pinnacle of his career.
ABOUT THE PDRA
Celebrating its 10th season in 2023, the Professional Drag Racers Association is the top sanctioning body in the United States for the sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The PDRA’s professional categories include Pro Boost, Pro Nitrous, Extreme Pro Stock, Pro Nitrous Motorcycle, Pro 632, and Pro Street. The series also features sportsman racing in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro Jr. Dragster and Top Jr. Dragster. The 2023 PDRA schedule consists of eight national events, plus the Summit Racing Equipment PDRA ProStars. For more information on the PDRA, visit www.pdra660.com. Follow the PDRA: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.
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