Drag Illustrated Issue 118, February 2017 | Page 34

DI WORLD SERIES OF PRO MOD is the use of shakedown runs instead of quali- fying sessions. The scoreboards won’t be turned on until the final round, leaving fans and teams to guess what the cars are running. Why leave out the details – the incredible numbers these cars are capable of producing – when these performances are usually so heav- ily promoted? you won’t know what one racer ran compared to another. Usually when a lower qualified car faces a higher qualified car, it’s a foregone conclusion that the higher qualified car will probably win – and it’s big news when they don’t. How cool is it that we’re going to ensure that uncertainty exists for every matchup? Some people have asked why you’re holding this race at a high-altitude track like Denver as opposed to a track with ideal conditions. For me, another way to build excitement is to create some mystery. While it’s important to control certain things, it’s also important to allow there to be some imagination involved; to allow people to wonder. I’m interested to see how the fans will respond to really not knowing how fast these cars are running until it’s time for the racers to show their hands. We all know they’re five- second cars producing 250-mph trap speeds, but Why did you choose Bandimere Speedway to host the WSOPM? Because Sporty Bandimere and everyone in- volved at Bandimere Speedway believe in what we’re trying to accomplish here. They share my vision for creating a drag racing entertainment property that involves a tight, concise show cen- tered on Pro Mod drag racing. They also share my belief that Pro Mod is a headlining attraction Pro mod to pro street – not an afterthought or show filler. The Bandi- meres are my kind of people, and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnered with them for this event – and hopefully many more. There are a couple sideline factors in the de- cision. Denver is one of the most aesthetically pleasing, magical dragstrips that I’ve ever been to – and I’ve been to a lot of dragstrips. It’s so picturesque. It’s a perfect venue for the WSOPM. And the Bandimeres have a proven track record of packing the stands at big events. They have a great promotional team with a strong strategy. Another thing, and this was something kind of point- ed out to me after the fact, is that hardly any of these rac- ers have any experience on the mountain. You’re talking 10,000-feet of elevation. We could’ve done this race at sea level at a track these guys have raced at before, but this is more fun. No one knows what to expect. The closest these guys have been to rac- ing on the mountain is maybe Las Vegas. It will be very in- teresting to see how everyone handles the elevation. The high altitude will obviously affect the three different power adder com- binations differently. How do you plan to combat that? Obviously, I want to have a hyper-competitive race, and it’s very important to me that we make the minor adjust- ments to the established NHRA Pro Modified rule- book to account for the conditions. It’s critical to make those adjustments to ensure we have a level playing field between the nitrous cars, the turbocharged cars and the supercharged cars. I believe in a unified set of rules for Pro Mod, and want to support what NHRA is doing by utilizing their rule set. We will make extremely minimal changes to the rules to account for the elevation, and that’s DI it. DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI shifting gears is just more fun! Pro Mod, Gasser, Class racer, or fast street, RAM has a clutch system to meet your needs! RAMCLUTCHES.COM 803.788.6034 34 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com Issue 118 Dirt