Feedback, Friendly Notes, & Hate Mail

[ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WES BUCK REPLIES: Well, I hate to collectively take credit for any-and-all organized burnout contests( we didn’ t invent the idea), but I can’ t say we didn’ t find the timing of NHRA’ s Pro Stock burnout contest announcement and our successful execution of the idea in Denver a little under a month earlier somewhat comical. More so than anything else, I appreciate you writing about this- just so we can talk about it. My big takeaway from the Smoke‘ Em If You Got‘ Em Initiative( also a hashtag we’ ve been using for all of 2017) was that it’ s really important to have the racers on board. We were massively fortunate in Denver during WSOPM in that the racers actually came to me and told me they were organizing a burnout contest. I couldn’ t believe it. Jim Whiteley tracked me down in the pits and said,“ Hey Wes, we’ re going to do a burnout contest tonight during qualifying and I’ m going to put up $ 1,000 to the winner. Is that OK with you?” I couldn’ t get it out quick enough …“ Yes, sir! You sure can!” I think that was the magic with our deal back in Denver- it was the racers’ idea, and I believe it made all the difference. I felt like NHRA, if there was a misstep with their burnout deal, it was that it felt somewhat forced, it didn’ t feel natural- especially when it became clear several of the top guys( and girls) just weren’ t on board. Even the ones that were or at least liked the idea, didn’ t have the green light from their crew chief or team owner to lay down a big, smoky one. Also, I have to say that I got a kick out of the fact that our burnout contest in Denver was

Dying to know if there was a single moment from the inaugural Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod that stood out to you as especially significant or special to you guys.

Donnie Scott, via the Internet

[ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WES BUCK REPLIES: Without question, at least for me, the start of the first round of eliminations. Leading up to that there had been a lot of powerful moments- the racer-organized burnout contest on Friday night, the super fun party on Thursday night, Pete Farber making the first test pass on Tuesday afternoon, Mike Bowman knocking down the first-ever five-second pass for a doorslammer on the mountain during testing and a slew of others. But there’ s no doubt in my mind that the start of that first elimination round was when the gravity of the entire situation really set in for me. I’ ll admit that it brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’ t believe what was happening- that we were about to make history and have a $ 100,000-to-win Pro Mod drag race, and that 16 of the baddest Pro Mod racers in the country had all come to Denver, Colorado, to support this crazy idea of mine. It was a crazy moment, which you’ ll read much, much more about in DI 125. Thank you for asking!]

Turbos Get Dinged

What do you guys take away from this whole turbo situation in NHRA Pro Mod? What’ s the answer

SPEAKS HIS PIECE so that the momentum in the class isn’ t killed? Was a late season rule change really necessary?

Joe Kidd, via the Internet

[ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WES BUCK REPLIES: The timing of NHRA’ s boost reduction for the twin-turbocharged combinations in Pro Mod was certainly a little surprising, but I think it comes from a good place. It was the consistently crazy speeds of the turbo cars over the course of 2017 that triggered NHRA’ s technical department to make a change. We’ re seeing these turbo cars consistently approaching 260mph, and it’ s a common rule of thumb in drag racing that trap speed indicates horsepower. Well, the turbo cars consistently have the rest of the field covered by darn near 10mph, so I can’ t say that I’ m shocked by this development. I think there are many factors at play right now that could hinder the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series’ momentum and amongst the most important right now are maintaining some semblance of parity amongst the three different power adders. There’ s no pleasing everyone, but all of these guys want to feel like they’ ve got a fair shake at winning the deal come race day, and I think that notion

has faded for a lot of guys. It’ s a tough spot, though, especially considering that the quickest Pro Mod car in the country is a supercharged entry. There’ s no denying Mike Castellana’ s recordsetting performances have come in uniquely good conditions and on a uniquely tight race track. It’ s when the conditions aren’ t excessively favorable and the track starts to fade that the turbo cars seem to really separate from the pack. It’ s a really interesting storyline, in my opinion, and one of the most hotly debated of the year. As a reminder, last summer the turbo cars were taken from 41psi to 38psi and it didn’ t seem to change anything when it comes to their 255-258mph trap speeds. I’ m curious to see what the rest of 2017 will look like. That’ s for sure.]

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12 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 124