Drag Illustrated Issue 111, July 2016 | Page 22

Got Dirt? dirt@dragillustrated.com HAVING A LOOK Warren Johnson surveys the drag racing landscape at Bristol Dragway after qualifying 14th for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in 2011, the second-to-last year he would embark on the entire 22-race NHRA tour. In 22 starts, “The Professor” qualified 19 times and compiled a staggering 0-19 win-loss record. Informed Opinions Where is NHRA Pro Stock really heading? BY BRANDON W. MUDD 22 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com and fellow Summit Racing driver Greg Anderson won some races. Line won more races. In fact, just beyond the halfway point of the 24-race NHRA national-event schedule this year, those are the only two drivers to have won—at all! In fact, the only drivers to earn top-qualifier status were Line and Anderson until Shane Gray took the pole at Joliet, the 13th race of the season. So what is the state of Pro Stock in 2016? We spoke with four folks who have a pretty good feel for the class and picked their respective brains on a number of topics, including what NHRA can do to improve car counts, will EFI even the playing field and save teams money, and should Pro Stock move to a partial schedule like Pro Mod and the Pro Stock Motorcycle classes? LARRY MORGAN Nearly 30-year Pro Stock career 12 NHRA Nationals wins including 1989 U.S. Nationals ast year, Larry Morgan earned a berth in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship on the strength of two wins in three finals. This year, as the result of a loss in L Issue 111 PHOTO: MARK J. REBILAS T o paraphrase our late president, Gerald Ford, “The state of Pro Stock is not good.” Last year, NHRA mandated a change in the class from carbureted engines, used since Pro Stock’s beginnings, to electronic fuel injection as well as other changes such as shorter wheelie bars. The teams scrambled over the off season to ensure their cars would be ready for the Winternationals at Pomona in February. Jason Line of KB Racing showed he was ready by taking the season’s first Wally. His teammate