Even before reaching the quarter-century mark in 2017, this Northeast-based quarter-mile series was already recognized as the longest running act in Pro Modified history. Club founder John Mazzorana has been eagerly anticipating this celebration since last year, although reaching the milestone certainly wasn’ t on his mind back in 1992 when he and a handful of racers and crew members gathered on a snowy day inside a New York diner to discuss forming the series.

“ I didn’ t envision it lasting one year, much less 25 years!” laughed Mazzorana, as he reflected on the club’ s humble beginnings, followed by

Winner Steve King backs into the groove

mainstay success.“ We’ ve changed a lot of faces and names over the years, but it’ s always been the right spirit and enthusiasm.”

What better way to kick off the celebration than with a huge spread of food and friends, and that’ s exactly how the festivities began on Friday night after qualifying, as teams gathered to celebrate their club’ s landmark achievement. To mark the occasion of 25 years, Mazzorana increased the payout to an unprecedented $ 25,000 to the winner, with an additional $ 25,000 spread deep across the field of entries. The weather was picture-perfect throughout the entire weekend, along with exceptional track prep which made for some seriously fast racing, and since the NEOPM series allows for a wide variety of power-adders, the field is always comprised of a unique mix of race cars. In fact, the top three qualifiers of this event were utilizing vastly different power plants.

After three rounds of qualifying, longtime NEOPM member Fredy Scriba was sitting at the top of the qualifying sheet, stopping the clocks with a 5.828-second pass at 242.06 mph behind the wheel of his nitrous oxide-assisted‘ 63 orvette.

PHOTOS: VAN ABERNETHY