Finesse is Fine

Steve Matusek

Clay Millican

Mark Luton

Doug Foley

Preston

Tanner

Jr. Dragster Phenom

Graduates to MX235

EXCLUSIVE

Michael Biehle on Wheeling a Turbo Pro Mod

THE INTERVIEW ISSUEBo

Butner

The People’ s Champ

I’ d be lying if I wrote in and told you that I didn’ t at least kinda miss the days of wall-to-wall madness and routine chaos in NHRA Pro Mod, I have to admit that the level of side-by-side competition we’ re seeing in 2018 is almost unbelievable. I first started watching NHRA Pro Mod a little under 18-years ago( I think it started in 2000) and I remember watching cars hit each other( or damn near it) during their burnouts. It seemed like there was a point not too terribly long ago when there was a significant crash or oil down at every event. Now, it’ s as if the Pro Mod category is the star of the show at every national event. They’ ve come a long way and I’ m thrilled with the competition, but I love to read about the cowboy characters in the class like Michael Biehle, and I’ m sure there are others. Drag racing needs more of this!

Robert Gibson, via the Internet

WSOPM 2K18

“ If you want a split, go to Dairy Queen,” has to be the quote of the year. Shout out to Steve Matusek for saying what everyone else wants to. Wish him the best of luck at WSOPM 2018.

Allan Odell, via the Internet

Sign Me Up

Writing to see if there is a chance at being adopted by Preston Tanner’ s parents, or if there is anyone that could put me in touch with them. A roots-blown radial-tire car seems way cooler than the $ 1,000 I was able to round up from about 37 different cards I got when I was done with high school. Of course, I’ m just playing, but I do think it’ s fantastic to see someone climb the ranks from Jr. Dragsters to Top Dragster to big time small-tire racing. Being out of the Midwest, looking forward to seeing what Preston can do in 235 / 275 competition. Good kid!

Jerry D. Moyers, via the Internet

Rising Expectations

Is there a potential downside to the wave of“ big money” heads up races that seem to be popping up? I’ ll admit, I was genuinely excited when I read the $ 100,000-towin World Series of Pro Mod announcement last February and felt

the class was more than ready for a big event like that – especially with the caliber of racers involved and the fact that it was a once-a-year deal. Since then we’ ve seen Street Outlaws do a $ 100k deal, Donald“ The Duck” Long put on a massive $ 101,000 race and will likely follow it up with another even bigger purse for Radial vs. World cars and is also doing a $ 50k race for X275 racers. Keith Haney just announced a $ 50,000-to-win deal for outlaw Pro Mods. There’ s also supposedly a $ 200,000 race coming up for No Prep Kings, which I’ m not sure really counts because it’ s made-for-TV, but still … is this what it takes to register a reading on the Richter scale these days? I’ ve read stories on these very pages about how the $ 50,000-towin Outlaw Nationals at Huntsville Dragway for Outlaw 10.5 racers was the beginning of the end. Does that also apply to Pro Mod, Radial vs. World, and X275?

William Fisher, via the Internet

[ FOUNDER AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR WES BUCK REPLIES: Wow, William! Great and fair question. I think you’ re right on the money – it’ s about timing, and where the eliminator is evolution-wise. For what it’ s worth, we believed that quartermile,“ legal” Pro Mod drag racing was more than ready for a“ King of the Hill” type event that would deliver big money, pomp and circumstance and do so on a grand stage when we announced WSOPM. The racers spoke in 2017, and they spoke louder in 2018 – pushing us to

expand the field and include more racers for our second-annual event. Historically, big money, heads up drag racing events have almost always reduced in size and scale( especially in terms of racer participation) in the years to follow an event that pays considerably more than a typical race. The challenge is always going to be maintaining enthusiasm and excitement in any event, especially after the inaugural, and many promoters lean on purse money to do so. For what it’ s worth, I feel, depending on the class, these big money races have the ability to do one of two things – serve as a launch pad, or serve as a death sentence. I look at categories like Limited Drag Radial, largely organized by promoters Jason Rueckert and Tyler Crossnoe, and their promise not to pay over a certain amount( I think it’ s $ 5,000-to-win) and I see something that can really help keep things from going completely insane – for better or for worse. It’ s a matter we’ re sure to discuss more in the future on these very pages. Thank you for writing!]

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