XDA started its sixth season strong as they overcame a poor weather forecast, yet still delivered a weekend of quality racing action with 645 motorcycle drag racers at the Maryland International Raceway for the 29th annual Platinum General Services (PGS) Spring Nationals.
The pre-event weather forecast showed potential storms on Saturday with a 100-percent chance of rain. But this did not deter loyal XDA racers from loading up and heading out for the event. Before XDA even opened the gates on Thursday, the Miller brothers had already laid out and announced a plan to adjust the schedule with the forecast on Saturday. Sportsman morning qualifying would stay intact with 2 qualifiers, the Voodoo Bracket Bash was canceled, the Pros would only receive 2 qualifying sessions and the Bulls would get 2 shakedown runs, then eliminations for everyone would be on Sunday. It was a perfect solution that allowed the entire event to move forward while still giving the racers what they needed.
The PGS Spring Nationals at Maryland International Raceway was packed with intense racing action, as competitors in various categories battled it out for top honors. In the DME Racing Real Street category, Courtlan Whiting claimed his first-ever win, defeating previous class champion Mark Hylton in a thrilling final. Meanwhile, Chris Cutsinger took home the victory in the MaxxECU Pro Xtreme class after Dale Leeks suffered a broken transmission.
The HTP Performance Super Stock class saw Mark Blake and Patrick Cooper face off in the final, with Blake ultimately taking the win due to Cooper’s red light. In Boosted Bulls, Malcolm Phillips and Geoff Godfrey went head-to-head, with Phillips emerging victorious after a strong start.
APE Nitrous Bulls featured an exciting final between Desmond Spaulding and Matt Dozier, with Spaulding taking the win. The 3 Sixty 5 Monster Bulls category saw Brandon Tyree claim victory over Ken Alston, while Desmond Spaulding also won the Tommie’s Motorsports DMV Bulls class.
In the All Motor Bulls category, David Fondon emerged victorious over James Culbreath, who crashed but was thankfully unharmed. The Vance & Hines 4.60 class saw Darion Payne claim his first XDA 4.60 win, defeating Troy Hausmann, who went red in the final.
Dustin Davis won the 1 Stop Speed 5.60 class in a photo finish against Duane Jackson, while Mickey Thompson Tires Top Sportsman saw Dustin Lee triumph over Bill Maturo Jr. Lee also won the MPS Racing Pro ET class, with Barry Pryer Sr. finishing as runner-up.
Derrick Barbour emerged as the winner in Brock’s Performance Street ET, defeating Donta Yates, who went red in the final. The Hard Times Parts & Service Gambler’s Race saw Robin Procopio and Shayne Proctor split the purse after on-track accidents delayed the event.
Racing enthusiasts can look forward to the 37th annual MTC Engineering Summer Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park on June 2-4, 2023.
This story was originally published on April 27, 2023. 
