Winning is Business to PDRA Top Dragster Champ

PITTSBORO, N.C. (January 30, 2016): PDRA Top Dragster 2015 World Champion Justin Melton will probably not be defending his title at the PDRA’s 2016 series opener in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His opportunity to pilot an M&M Race Cars dragster owned by good friend Danny Payne was a venture with good results, perhaps a little too good, in fact. The Melton/Payne partnership produced a Championship-winning season, which had the by-product of an increase in business at M&M Race Cars, the Melton family business that not only builds chassis, but also engines with a unique combination that is overtaking fast bracket racing.

This is Melton’s first World Championship and while he’s somewhat discouraged about not being able to run the full PDRA schedule in 2016, he remains humble and thankful for the Championship and what it’s meant for business.

“As soon as I can I’d like to be back on the PDRA tour,” told Melton. “M&M Race Cars is a family business with me, my dad and my brother. So between me taking off and running all the events this year, plus the increase in sales, I’m tied up here at the shop for a little bit. It’s a good thing. I’m not complaining.

“We’ve come up with a combination that dominated that field. We got a fast enough setup to qualify at every race and it proven to also be a very consistent, run-able combination. It’s proven itself and keeps on proving itself.”

The combination that Melton refers to is a Big Block Chevy with two carburetors and a blower. “We are able to drive the car to the staging lanes and back to the trailer after the run,” explained Melton. “Most any engines that have the power to run 4.0's or 3.9's don't like being driven around through the pits. Injected engines need a prime squirt of fuel to start each time. Ours start better than a new car on the street. The best part is how we were told it couldn't be done and other builders have tried to build engines like ours and have not had success making a similar copy. All the credit goes to my Dad, Danny Joe Melton; he is the motorman at M&M. We get around 200 runs on a rebuild and no maintenance throughout the year.”

For fast bracket racers, such as those in PDRA Top Dragster, a combination that allows for low maintenance, high performance, and consistency round to round is gold. “At Dallas we had four M&M entries. Out of 30 something cars, all of ours qualified [for the 16 car field]. We all four won first round. So we were four of eight. Then two won the next round, so we were two of four, and then one of them went on to win the race.”
 

Justin’s father, Danny, and brother, Jantzen, also race, typically focusing on local bracket racing near their Gleason, Tennessee home. When the Championship was on the line for Justin at the PDRA Finals last October, racing PDRA became a full family affair. The Meltons were able to secure Top Dragster rides for Danny and Jantzen, allowing the three of them to live the full experience together as Justin was crowned TD World Champion, something Justin says will “always be in the memory books.”

The event that was most instrumental in Melton’s Championship almost didn’t happen. “We originally planned not to go to Maryland,” Melton explained. “My kids race Junior Dragsters and the biggest event for junior drag races in the eastern half of the United States was on the following weekend in Bristol. We always go up the weekend before and make a big family vacation out of it. I wanted to go do the two weekend deal with my family, but we were in the points and we couldn’t say no to Maryland. So we busted up the vacation a little bit. We went early to Bristol and I dropped the rig off. Then picked up my partner, Barry Brown’s rig and I pulled it and his family up there to the Maryland race and met Danny Payne with the car I drive. Barry and I both qualified in M&M cars and I ended up winning the race. We got loaded up and left about 2 or 3 in the morning. Then we drove all night to Bristol so the kids could race on Sunday. That was by far the most memorable event of the year.”

That was Melton’s only win in the 2015 season, giving Melton much needed points to edge out Derrick Sholar for the Championship.

“This Championship means everything,” continued Melton in his easy, southern drawl, indicative of his laid back nature. “It’s a big accomplishment and honor. I have to thank Mr. Danny Payne and his wife, Ms. Judy Payne. They mean the world to me. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have got to do the circuit this year. Needless to say, they’re at the top. Then I have to give props to my wife and two kids to putting up with me being gone that much. My wife is an administrator for a nursing home, so she’s got her plate full already. Then with me running around, being gone, it makes it tough. Then the next ones down the line would have to be my dad and brother. They helped build the car. They kept the shop running while I was gone. They cheered me on all the way. My mom is a large supporter from home. As a retired school teacher she watches from the live feed and is a very special lady in my life.

“One other guy I can’t forget is Robby. He goes with Danny to a lot of the races. He cooks for us and crew chiefs for us a little bit. He’s really down with health problems. He didn’t get to go to some of the races, but he was there for the win in Maryland. That meant a lot.

“Schaeffer’s Oil by Greg is instrumental in our success. Greg’s a nice guy and has done great work for us. The Zone Bar and Grill is a local bar and grill down by Danny in Atlanta. They are super nice guys that race also. And of course, M&M Race Cars.”

Car owner Payne, who’s going into his 44th year of racing, sold his dragster and is working on a Top Sportsman operation for the 2016 season. After missing the PDRA Top Dragster World Championship by a scant five points in 2014, he was anxious to try again in 2015. But when he realized knee injuries would keep him sidelined for the season, he tapped Melton to drive for him. Payne says that winning the Championship as car owner was almost as good as if he’d driven himself. Almost.

“When you get my age, I enjoyed watching just about as much as I did driving,” elaborated Payne. “It’s still a little more fun to be behind the wheel, but I had a lot of fun watching and doing some crew chiefing. We worked together very, very, very well. We just had a great time out there. The PDRA - that’s what’s going on right now. I love it. There’s just good people there all the way around.”

“It’s so wonderful to be involved in the PDRA,” agreed Melton. “The conditions they give us to race on are above any other circuit I run. It’s by far the best. And then the banquet and the trophies and the ring and the jackets and all the prizes has just been so wonderful. It’s just amazing. It’s a wonderful organization. I can’t say enough about them. It’s a great, great thing for the sport, for businesses. It’s an honor to be involved, and then to win and stand on stage with those guys - it’s unbelievable.”


ABOUT THE PDRA

Based in Pittsboro, North Carolina, 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 Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Pro Boost, and Pro Extreme Motorcycle along with Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro Jr. Dragster, and Top Jr. Dragster. The 2016 PDRA schedule consists of nine national events. For more on the world’s premier eighth mile drag racing organization visit www.pdra660.com. Follow the PDRA: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.

Photo: Gary Rowe / PDRA660.com

PRESS CONTACT: Lisa Collier
Professional Drag Racers Association
lisa@pdra660.com