“ This is what we always dreamed of for Pro Mod : racing on this kind of stage for this kind of money . It ’ s just unbelievable to see it actually happen .” - CHARLES CARPENTER , THE “ GODFATHER OF PRO MOD ”

FAMILY TIME : In the calm hours at the end of a busy day at the track , WSOPM promoter Wes Buck cruises around the pits with his wife , Alisha , and their children , Max and Sophia .

IN THE ZONE : Florida ’ s own Dillon Voss gets focused as he prepares to make a Mountain Motor Pro Stock qualifying pass in the family ’ s Voss-powered “ Bad Banana ” Cavalier . Voss reached the semifinals , falling to Elijah Morton .

ALL GOOD FOR GRAY : Grudge racer turned NHRA Pro Mod standout J . R . Gray is all smiles in the staging lanes before strapping in to the Janis family ’ s Gray Contracting Camaro . He made it into the 32-car Pro Mod field and grabbed a first-round win .

MISSILE LAUNCHER : Multi-time Pro Extreme world champion Jason Scruggs takes a moment to collect his thoughts before getting suited up to make the first qualifying pass in his screw-blown “ Mississippi Missile ” Camaro .

TEAM CALI REPRESENTS : Brandon James , the 2020 Mega Cash Days champion , helps fellow Team Cali driver Mike Bowman navigate the jam-packed Bradenton staging lanes . James made the trip out to Florida with Bowman to help the 2017 WSOPM champion chase one more $ 100,000 victory .

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TARA BOWKER , CHRIS SEARS , JOE MCHUGH , DAVID BEITLER , DAVID HILNER , AND PHIL HUTCHISON

64 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 182