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If you like Pro Mods, you are going to love the great photos that Benoit Pigeon got from last weekend’s NHRA Carolina Nationals at Z-Max Dragway in Charlotte. We’ve got an entire gallery of goodness for you to enjoy, plus Benoit’s reporting on the happs as we industry folks call them. Check it out.
(Words and Photos by Benoit Pigeon) Last weekend was the 8th stop for Pro Mods on the 2013 NHRA Pro Mod Tour where they race 1/4 mile, which is a great opportunity for turbo cars to show the crowd how they can catch up with the nitrous and blown cars at the top end and run big speeds. A total of 27 Pro Modifieds showed up to battle it out just to get into the 16 car NHRA field, a site that has become very unusual in most NHRA classes. Many of the racers were not regulars of the NHRA Pro Mod series, a phenomenon that is becoming more of a trend than anyone would have expected early in the year. Certainly, the crowd is getting very accustomed to the wild class as the stands stayed very full for each pass. Given the fact that NHRA Pro Stock, a class we love, has a hard time keeping anyone in the stands, this is a good sign for Pro Mod.
Pro Mod is made up of a tremendous amount of varieties in cars styles, transmissions and types of engines, and it is absolutely astonishing to see how many can go from 1/8th to 1/4 mile and qualify with little effort and minimal mechanical adjustments despite the common argument that 1/4 mile Pro Mod racing is too hard on parts and to expensive. Another incredible feat is the amount of work done by the teams with single motors. Teams do an overhaul of the entire engine at the race and stay working very late just to replace parts that have reached the end of their rather short cycle. A good qualifying run at an NHRA event is in the 5.90’s and can reach 250mph. Top qualifying spots will be in the 5.80’s, which is not bad for suspended cars with doors!
Leading the NHRA Pro Mod Series points is the nitrous car of Rickie Smith, however Adam Flamholc from Sweden took him out of the race in round one with his blown ’69 Camaro at Charlotte. With two races left in Pro Mod, Smith still has the points lead for the title, but it will most likely be decided on the very last event of the tour because the racing has been so close in this series year after year. If you happen to live near St Louis or Las Vegas, head to the NHRA National Event and watch Pro Mod as they are guaranteed to put on a show. The battle is going to be fierce when they come to your area, so don’t miss it!
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Hope to see him on the next “Drag Week”. 🙂
I have always liked the Pro Mod cars but they have turned into unrecognizable blobs much like NHRA funny cars have. So I have a question. WTF is the car that is red with white stripes and Martin on the side supposed to be??? (opening pic on the gallery)
Please search for Harold Martin on the net.
“I have always liked the Pro Mod cars but they have turned into unrecognizable blobs” and this is EXACTLY what I was thinking. Just heat up a piece of this plastic, and drop it over the rolling chassis, then paint it. Not cars anymore…
I’m with Bob on this, the US Pro Mod cars have gone too far and the scary thing is that these cars are now being converted to ‘street’ cars for Drag Week. Our Australian Top Doorslammer cars retain a bit more of their production car looks but there are those here that want to run Pro Mod style bodies. Cars like these are just another way to disengage your race fans from the racers and their cars. Sure they are wild on the track but you can’t associate with them at all. Kudos to Harold Martin for building a new Stingray body but it is unidentifiable. and looks ridiculous
I am glad there is a bright spot for NHRA with Pro Mod. That said they have jumped the shark with the blob bodies. NHRA Pro Stock needs to look at the Cobra Jet vs. COPO, vs. Drag Pak Challengers for where that class ought to be. Half the field is still Pontiac GXP? I don’t think I’ve ever even seen one of those in real life and sadly PMD has been gone for years now.
I’d hoped that NHRA would learn the NASCAR lesson that a lot fans root for their brand of car, not logo’d up “action figures”.