Dirt
$ 31,000 for 31 Years
Mike Decker Jr . closes out 2023 NEOPMA season with big-money win By Nate Van Wagnen
Two-time and reigning Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association ( NEOP- MA ) champion Mike Decker Jr . wrapped up the 2023 season with a $ 31,000 victory at the NEOPMA 31st anniversary race on the first weekend of October at Maryland International Raceway . It was an all-Maryland final round , as Decker Jr . faced off against Chuck Ulsch for the season finale win held in conjunction with MIR ’ s Superchargers Showdown .
“ I ’ m going to thank God for giving me the ability to get that win , and I ’ m going to give Him the glory for my team to have the ability to recover to get that win ,” Decker Jr . said . “ Without that , that wouldn ’ t happen . To win that 31st anniversary race , it ’ s not just another monthly race . It just shows the caliber of guys that I surround myself with on my crew . With the support I get from guys like the Tutterows and the relationships we ’ ve built , we ’ ve become a strong team and a contender that can win . I don ’ t believe we had the best car . We didn ’ t have the fastest car , obviously . But at the end of the day , we were gifted the win .”
In qualifying , “ Turbo ” Todd Moyer drove Carl Stevens Jr .’ s new twin-turbocharged Camaro to a 3.588-second pass at 227.08 MPH to qualify No . 1 . That pass also set both ends of the NEOPMA eighth-mile record , as well as the track speed record for eighth-mile Pro Mod . Derek Ward posted a 3.599 at 211.83 in his screwblown ’ 69 Camaro to qualify second . Mike “ Hollywood ” Decker III drove his screwblown Decker ’ s Salvage Camaro to a 3.613 at 208.68 to end up third . Decker Jr . qualified fourth with a 3.621 at 211.69 . Jay Santos recorded a 3.623 at 206.42 in his screw-blown ’ 69 Camaro to round out the top five . Thirteen of the 16 qualifiers ran in the 3.60s or quicker .
Decker Jr . started race day with a 3.654 at 211.59 to defeat Bubba Greene and his 3.906 . He lined up against fellow Maryland driver Fredy Scriba in the second round , winning with a 3.645 at 210.80 over Scriba ’ s 3.687 at 204.82 in his nitrous-fed “ Sorcerer ” ’ 69 Camaro . Decker Jr . had to face Moyer and his record-setting turbo car in the semifinals . Neither driver wanted to stage , then Decker Jr . got a holeshot advantage and followed it up with a 3.647 at 211.43 , while Moyer slowed to a 3.719 at 217.28 .
Meanwhile , Ulsch in his screw-blown ’ 68 Camaro qualified No . 7 and picked up a first-round win over Andy Jensen , posting a 3.672 at 206.20 . A consistent 3.678 at 205.79 followed in the second round to beat David DeMarco , who lifted to an 8.534 . Ulsch was first off the line against Decker III in the semifinals and won with a 3.68 at 207.18 to Decker III ’ s 4.358 .
Both drivers had extra work to do before the final round . Ulsch ’ s team asked the Decker team
PHOTOGRAPHS BY AJ PINDER AND DARREL JACKSON JR .
48 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 185