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Ethan Steding Wins Second Consecutive PDRA Pro Street World Title En Route to World Finals Victory

Gary Rowe photo

One round after securing his second consecutive PDRA Pro Street world championship, Ethan Steding cruised to a final-round victory lap of a win over No. 1 qualifier Richard Reagan at the Brian Olson Memorial World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Steding in his roots-blown P2 Contracting “College Fund” ’24 Camaro jumped off the starting line ahead of Reagan and held the lead through the 660-foot finish line, winning with a 3.925 at 196.79 to Reagan’s 3.920 at 198.58. It was Steding’s third win in four consecutive final rounds and his fourth overall win on the season. 

“This is real rewarding,” said Steding, who thanked parents Kurt and Wendi, tuners Ty and Todd Tutterow, crew member John Redfield, and supporters like P2 Contracting, Red Line Oil, and Ty-Drive. “I think I was about 400 points out at one point, and me and Blake [Denton] have been going at it all year long. Honestly, it’s my team. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. We fought hard and I came around as a driver and we just kept taking it and that’s what you have to do. It’s a lot of stress on your back, 100 percent, but whenever you surround yourself with great people, it relieves you a lot.”

Tara Bowker photo

Steding qualified second and unleashed a 3.899 at 197.59 on John Carinci and his 4.067 in the opening round of eliminations on Saturday night. When racing continued on Sunday, Steding got around 2023 world champion Bill Riddle and his 4.022 at 190.75 with a 3.944 at 196.70, which set low E.T. of the round. Steding’s biggest round of the year came in the semifinals, where he laid down a 3.950 at 196.50 to finish just .011 seconds ahead of championship challenger Blake Denton and his 3.957 at 195.99. That sealed the deal on Steding’s second Pro Street title and third in the series, counting his 2021 Pro Jr. Dragster title.

Reagan, who came into the World Finals as the defending event winner, qualified No. 1 and set a new class E.T. national record in qualifying. He was one of the quickest drivers in a thrilling first round on Saturday night with his 3.89 at 199.20 to beat Joel Wensley Jr.’s 3.994. The Rutledge, Tennessee-based driver dodged a bullet in the second round, as Marty Merillat went red by .006 on a 4.173 pass, while Reagan lifted to a 4.541 at 137.99. In the semifinals, he matched retired NFL star Fletcher Cox’s .035 reaction time and charged to a 3.955 at 197.42 to beat Cox and his 6.751. 

This story was originally published on October 7, 2025. Drag Illustrated

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