Drag Illustrated Issue 182, May / June 2023 | Page 142

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

Meet the team behind the world series of pro mod
Like any other major event , it took a small army to put on the World Series of Pro Mod . This group included the Drag Illustrated team led by Wes Buck and Mike Carpenter , the Bradenton Motorsports Park staff led by track owner Victor Alvarez , the technical and
Track prep specialist Wade Rich worked throughout the week to ensure a safe , competitive racing surface for racers in all the classes . Since many Pro Mod teams test at Bradenton , most racers knew what to expect from Rich ’ s freshly resurfaced concrete eighth mile . competition team headed up by John Sears and Lonnie Grim , and a whole cast of additional individuals who worked together in the months ahead of the event , as well as throughout the week-long festivities . Here are just a handful of the people who made the World Series of Pro Mod possible .
JB Hamlin ( center ) and Tom Jones , seen here with Pro Mod star Lyle Barnett , travel in from Missouri to do whatever is needed , from hanging banners to launching T-shirts into the grandstands .
DI ’ s JT Hudson is a critical member of the team .
Race Director & Operations Manager Gavin Carter ( right ) spent most of the weekend in the control tower , but he stepped out to help his fiancée , Morgan Taylor ( left ), with the chip draws . The couple helped with the Pro Mod chip drawing , then handled the chip draws completely for all other heads-up classes .
Nancy Koeppen , seen here with her husband , Aaron , is the voice of reason as the CFO of DI and the WSOPM . Along with being involved in the planning stages , she jumped in to handle various other responsibilities during race week .
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LUKE NIEUWHOF , CHRIS SEARS , JENNIFER CHANDLER AND MELLIE SNEDEKER
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