Pro Stock Time Machine – Check Out This IHRA Moutain Motor Action From St Louis, Circa 1985


Pro Stock Time Machine – Check Out This IHRA Moutain Motor Action From St Louis, Circa 1985

With all the talk about today’s modern NHRA pro stock category and how mountain motors may be a part of it heading into the future, we thought we would look into the past. See, the NHRA tour rumbles into Dallas next weekend. Dallas weekend will be pivotal for racers who want to end up on the stage at the season ending championship celebration. But none of that has anything to do with the video below. Nope, this film made in the early 1980s is a glimpse back into what the track in St Louis looked like and what IHRA mountain motor pro stock looked like three decades ago.

For starters, you’ll immediately recognize the fact that all the big names ran both NHRA and IHRA back then. Rehr and Morrison, Bob Glidden, Darrell Alderman, and others just to name a few. They would yank out their 500ci engines from the NHRA races and plug in the then monstrous 600+ ci mills which would make them competitive in the IHRA’s version of the category. To say that things have changed and pro mods now roll with 900+ ci nitrous engines would be an understatement. Yes, the elapsed times are not even strong enough to qualify for a modern top sportsman show but that’s beside the point. These cars were awesome and we still love this era of pro stock action.

You’ll hear Bret Kepner calling the action in only the way he can. The track at St Louis is completely different now than the one you will see here. It has evolved over the years into the massive facility that it is today. This is a great look back at a magical time in pro stock history, mini-mountain motors and all.

Press play below to head back 32 year into pro stock history –


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