When it mattered most, defending world champion Ethan Steding reminded the PDRA Pro Street class exactly why there’s a No. 1 on the window of his hot rod.
Racing at the PDRA Northern Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, Steding climbed his way through a deep, competitive field to score a hard-fought victory over current points leader Blake Denton. In a nitrous-versus-blower final round showdown, the Carnegie, Pennsylvania-based driver laid down a career-best 3.888-second blast at 194.55 mph to capture his second win of the season and tighten up the championship race in one of the PDRA’s most intense eliminator categories.
“I give it all to these guys behind me – Ty Tutterow, Todd Tutterow, and their whole gang – Brad Schmidt and KB back in the shop and John Redfield on this car,” Steding said in the winner’s circle. “I’m super thankful for all of them. I know I’ve got a team that’s got my back, but we were on the struggle bus a little bit this week and we finally got a handle on the car.”
The final round pitted two of the toughest young guns in the class against one another – Steding in his Ty and Todd Tutterow-tuned, roots-blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” 2024 Camaro, and Denton wheeling the Musi-powered, nitrous-huffing ’69 Camaro known as “Bonnie,” a tribute to Lizzy Musi. Both racers entered the weekend at the top of the standings, with Denton holding a slim lead and Steding looking to close the gap. The stage was set, and neither driver blinked on the starting line.
Denton grabbed a slight advantage at the hit, but it was all Steding on the big end. His 3.888 under the lights edged out Denton’s 3.972 at 193.80 – Denton’s slowest pass of the weekend – and sealed a huge win for the reigning champ.
“Then on that pass [in the final], it just was riding and riding and I wasn’t lifting,” Steding added. “I was not lifting.”
Steding’s path to the final round wasn’t easy. After qualifying fourth with a 3.909 at 195.40, he kicked off eliminations with a decisive 3.942 at 195.48 to defeat Jake Blain. He then stepped up in round two, improving to a 3.929 at 195.23 to outrun Nick Agostino, who slowed to a 4.608.
In the semifinals, Steding squared off against former NFL star and Pro Street standout Fletcher Cox. Cox came into the race as the No. 1 qualifier after a jaw-dropping 3.829-second blast on Friday, but couldn’t duplicate that performance in the semis. Steding stayed consistent, delivering a 3.913 at 195.57 to move on while Cox’s 3.961 at just 165.93 fell short.
“It just was one of those races where you have to earn it every round,” Steding said. “We were chasing the track early in the weekend, but Ty and Todd kept after it and made this car come around.”
Meanwhile, Denton qualified second with a 3.893 and looked sharp all weekend. He opened eliminations with a stout 3.928 at 200.27 to defeat Richard Reagan, then followed it with a 3.932 to take out Adrian Herrera in round two. In the semifinals, Denton dipped back into the 3.80s with a 3.889 at 205.01 – the quickest and fastest pass of race day – knocking out No. 3 qualifier Ron Green and his 3.982.
But the final was Steding’s moment. After a weekend of adversity and a packed field of hungry hitters, he delivered the statement run of the weekend when the pressure was at its peak.
“Someone told me this weekend there’s a reason there’s a No. 1 on that door,” said Steding, reflecting on the win. “And that stuck with me the whole time – and now we’re here in the winner’s circle.”
Steding was quick to acknowledge the support system around him, thanking not just the Tutterow tuning braintrust, but also his parents, Kurt and Wendi, and marketing partners like P2 Contracting, Wyo Motorsports, Noonan Race Engineering, Mark Beatty with Red Line Oil, Ty-Drive, and NGK Spark Plugs.
“We’re blessed with great people and great parts,” Steding said. “That’s how you stay in the fight when it’s not easy.”
With this victory, Steding continues his pursuit of back-to-back world championships – and a whole lot of momentum heading into the final stretch of the PDRA season.
This story was originally published on August 3, 2025. 
