MOVERS & SHAKERS
POWER COUPLE
Jess Franz (left) modestly confesses to
winning “a few” races at Mountain Park
Dragway in Clay City, Kentucky, although
his runner-up finish in points last year
would suggest he’s more of a heavy
hitter in the Top E.T. class. Franz is also
an engine builder, assembling power
plants for his competitors, as well as
his dragster and fiancee Becky Scott’s
(right) Chevy S-10.
YOU’RE INVITED
World Series of Pro Mod founder Wes Buck presents Pro Modified veteran Danny Rowe with one of the first invitations to
the second annual Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod at Bandimere Speedway. Rowe is one of the returning stars
from last year’s inaugural $100,000-to-win shootout on “Thunder Mountain”.
WEEKEND WARRIOR
F.L. Smith and his fiancee, Susan Barefoot,
love racing at South Carolina’s Darlington
Dragway, where Smith races his Chevy
S-10 truck in the bracket points program.
Smith is a 40-year veteran of the sport
and has experienced success at tracks
across the Carolinas.
Mission
Accomplished
Charlie Buck can’t help but smile as two of his Buck Racing
Engines customers topped the qualifying orders at the PDRA
North-South Shootout. Terry Leggett was the quickest Pro
Extreme driver with his screw-blown ‘71 Mustang, while Jay
Cox led Pro Nitrous in his “Pumpkin” ‘69 Camaro.
50 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
MO-KAN MIKE
Mike Hodge has been a fixture on the
starting line of Missouri’s Mo-Kan Dragway
for approaching 30 years. He and his
brother, Jerry, came to work here together
back in the 1980s and took turns working
the water box and starting line for the next
few decades. Jerry retired awhile back,
but Mike continues to oversee every race
here at this legendary southwest Missouri
drag strip.
Issue 133