Dirt
Johnny Pluchino inks
Strutmasters.com sponsorship
for NHRA Mountain Motor
Pro Stock debut
By Nate Van Wagnen
S
econd-generation drag racer
Johnny Pluchino announced in April
he’ll make his NHRA Mountain Motor
Pro Stock debut later this season with
support from Strutmasters.com, a suspension
manufacturer. Pluchino, the 2018 PDRA Pro
Outlaw 632 world champion, will drive the 2013
Ford Mustang usually driven in PDRA competi-
tion by his father, 2016 Extreme Pro Stock world
champion John Pluchino.
Pluchino will compete in Mountain Motor Pro
Stock at the Fitzgerald USA NHRA Thunder
Valley Nationals, June 14-16 at Bristol Dragway
in Bristol, Tennessee, as well as the NHRA New
England Nationals, July 5-7 at New England
Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.
“Pro Stock has been something I’ve had my eye
on forever,” Pluchino said. “It’s my end goal. It’s
what I’ve always wanted to race. It’s what I’ve
been around my whole life. It’s what I enjoy the
most. Everybody has their Top Fuel, their Funny
Car, their Pro Mod – Pro Stock is it for me. It’s
what I love.”
Pluchino and Strutmasters.com founder Chip
Lofton struck up a friendship over Facebook, with
Lofton following the father-son team’s success
in PDRA competition. Their conversations led
to Lofton offering the support of Strutmasters.
com for a two-race deal in the new NHRA Moun-
tain Motor Pro Stock exhibi-
tion series.
“I’m able to accomplish my
dreams because of Strutmas-
ters.com and the program my
dad’s put together,” Pluchino
said. “Dad’s in the points hunt
over in PDRA, so we’re going to
leave him in that and I’m going
to stick to the points hunt in Pro
Outlaw 632. We’re going to be
able to go out and put on a show
at Bristol and Epping.”
The quarter-mile NHRA
Mountain Motor Pro Stock program will be a
major change of pace for Pluchino in two ways.
For one, he’s only ever made eighth-mile passes
in competition, and he’s only once let the clutch
out in his father’s Pro Stock car before making his
first test pass in the car during pre-race testing at
the PDRA Mid-Atlantic Showdown in early May.
But Pluchino’s countless runs in his comparable
Pro Outlaw 632 car have prepared him for the
new opportunity.
“To be completely honest, in a Pro Stock car ev-
erything happens in the first half of the run with
the gear changes and everything,” Pluchino said.
“The rest of it is holding on, getting the ‘chutes
out and getting it stopped. I’m not saying that’s
not a challenge, because of course it is. Things
can go wrong, especially at 225 mph. I’m very
aware of that. But I’m definitely excited for this
new learning curve.”
Pluchino is also thrilled with the chance to
race in front of a new crowd and interact with
longtime Mountain Motor Pro Stock fans at Bris-
tol and Epping, two tracks where the class has
a rich history.
“There should be a lot of Mountain Motor fans
at those races and I’m excited to interact with
them,” Pluchino said. “I always have a lot on my
mind, a lot that I’ll say, and I’m definitely one to
speak my mind. If there’s a camera in front of my
face or a fan in front of me, I’ll make sure they
know why I’m there and how I got there.”
On top of supporting Johnny’s Mountain Mo-
tor Pro Stock venture, Strutmasters.com will also
remain on the Mustang as John Pluchino pur-
sues his second PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world
championship.
In addition to Strutmasters.com, Pluchino of-
fered his thanks to team supporters Jon Kaase
Racing Engines, Book Racing Enterprises, Ram
Clutches and Precision Racing Suspension, as
well as his team.
“I really have to thank my dad and my crew,”
Pluchino said. “This is a small team doing a
big thing.”
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I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
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