Drag Illustrated Issue 129, January / February 2018 | Page 36
Dirt
Just What the
Doctor Ordered
W
hile Pro Mod racer Joe Baker
has enjoyed competing in every-
thing from ADRL to NHRA, the
Florida native has experienced the
most success in the Southern Outlaw Tour (SOT),
the Pro Mod series that was launched a decade
ago at Montgomery Motorsports Park. Living
most of his life in the panhandle of Florida, Baker
particularly enjoys the proximity of the Southern
Outlaw tour, which, in addition to Montgomery,
also tours to Alabama’s Atmore Dragway, where
Baker grew up bracket racing. Additionally, the
SOT series also schedules events at the recently
renovated Emerald Coast Dragway, which is only
a mere 10-mile drive from Baker’s house.
“My whole life was at Atmore until Emerald
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Coast opened up,” says Baker, who probably col-
lected 40-50 bracket trophies at Atmore dur-
ing his sportsman days. The opportunity to race
heads-up at these local tracks is something that
Baker takes full advantage of. “Me and Montgom-
ery get along pretty well too; I’ve probably won
10-12 heads-up races there.”
Many of Baker’s early Pro Mod wins came be-
hind the wheel of his popular “Medicine Man”
Studebaker, which was always a fan favorite. He
retired the car a few years ago, and while he ex-
perience