Dirt
Coming Back from the Brink
NHRA Pro Stock stars break
down the class’ resurgence
By Josh Hachat
26 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
new drivers, coerced many back into the class,
all with little to no negatives.
Some had to make adjustments to less sponsor-
ship dollars coming with less races, but it would
be difficult to find anyone who has a problem with
six fewer events. The next step, Deric Kramer
says, is finding the best way to split up the sched-
ule without the large gaps that have included six
weeks and then three weeks off during the first
part of the season.
“I think 18 races is a great number. I think 20 is
a sweet spot, personally,” Kra-mer says. “However,
I don’t think the 18 races solved our problem
and our prob-lem is too many weekends in a row
on the road.
“Our particular issue of so many races in a row
didn’t get solved. We had 5-6 weeks off and now,
starting in Denver, we’re going to have five races
in seven weeks and then nine races in 13 weeks. I
think 18 or 20 races is perfect, but we have to do
a better job of splitting up those events.”
The extended downtime from early April to
mid-May struck an odd chord, to say the least,
and there are whisperings that Houston will have
Pro Stock on its schedule in 2020. But while the
full schedule is yet to be released for the class, 18
races seem to have had its overall intended effect.
The class has enjoyed full fields at every race,
often outdrawing either Top Fuel or Funny Car.
There were 19 cars in Chicago, 18 in Norwalk and
full fields on the Western Swing.
Just two years ago, Pro Stock drew 14, 15 and 13
cars in Denver, Sonoma and Seattle, respectively.
It’s a small move in the right direction and many
in the class think it’s just the beginning of what’s
about to take place in the class.
“I think some good things are coming and I
think we’re on the right track,” says Pro Stock
Issue 147
NATIONAL
A
s the 2019 NHRA season began,
there was one resounding message
reso-nating from Pomona as 18 Pro
Stock cars showed up: the class isn’t
going any-where.
That entry list was more than any other profes-
sional class on the property, a sign that the class
may be inching forward on a positive ascension.
A reduced schedule from 24 to 18, reduced
spending and the ability to afforda-bly rent an
engine from a top team have all played a part
in the momentum shift-ing in the class. Some
would consider it a drastic shift, but no matter
the level, there’s no denying Pro Stock is back on
a better path.
“I definitely agree it’s on an upward trend,”
Erica Enders says. “Richard [Free-man, owner
of Elite Motorsports] was kind of a breath of
fresh air into the class, getting all the competi-
tors to swim in the right direction. It just got
out of hand because of the costs, and it took the
class in a direction where the racer was under
the impression they couldn’t afford to compete.
“So I definitely feel like things are working in
the right direction. We’ve changed the percep-
tion that it’s unattainable to run and compete
in the class.”
Like many, Enders also believes the 18-race
schedule helped significantly. It’s brought out