Drag Illustrated Issue 136, September 2018 | Page 100

20 REASONS DO-IT-YOURSELF 9 NITRO RACERS: SHOWING UP & SHOWING OUT No. No. 7 S MID-WEST PRO MOD SERIES CONTINUES TO THRIVE elf-promoter extraordinaire Keith Haney has successfully lent his hype machine to the Mid-West Pro Mod Series he founded in 2017, and the horn-tooting online and in print is paying dividends. More of a booked-in show than a standalone series, the MWPMS rolls into race tracks with a $10,000-to-win Pro Mod shootout and a 16-car qualified field that is the perfect headlining attraction for many a strips’ major events. Racers and track operators have spoken out – loudly and proudly – in support of the series; racers happy to have a place to race for good money against tough competition, and tracks thrilled to have a surefire winner. Interestingly, Haney and a sharp group of racers and tuners formed a rule committee in the early stages to work together in an effort to maintain parity and keep performances in check. Their goal, collectively, is to keep cars running in the 3.70s across the board - some- thing that, unbelievably, is seemingly rather attainable by a large number of racers with a slew of different combinations. Also of note is the inclusion of screw-type superchargers, which have very few other places to roam, al- though they are burdened with overdrive limits and weight minimums. - WES BUCK N ot only are fan-favorite racers like Scott Palmer, Terry McMillen, Mike Sali- nas and the Lagana Brothers consistently showing up to race NHRA Top Fuel – they’re going rounds on race day. It’s racers like these who are fighting the good fight (racing against “the factory”, so to speak) that will undoubt- edly inspire others to do the same for years to come. Racers like Palmer and his band of good ol’ boys from Missouri also champion the out- law spirit that made drag racing cool 60-plus years ago, and it’s incredibly refreshing in this increasingly sterile, politically correct envi- ronment we live and race in. Plus, Palmer still whacks the throttle of his 11,000-horsepower nitro digger when they seat the clutch in the pits and, well, it’s awesome. The NHRA gives out leather jackets, big checks and a massive trophy to their champions at the end of the season. We hope they have something special in mind for Scott Palmer no matter where he finishes in the points. - WES BUCK No.8 F rom Megan and Rachel Meyer to Justin Ashley and Corey Michalek, amongst several others, it seems that the NHRA’s Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes are chocked full of superstars and superstars in the making. While many of sportsman racing’s top youngsters are showing promise on the drag strip, it’s the marketing and promotion arena where they are truly shining. It’s our belief that more can and should be done to present TAD/TAFC as the or- ganic nitro feeder league that it should be, but these fiercely competitive and determined-to-succeed next-generation racers are perpetually mak