Carl Stevens Jr. did not have to wait long to realize the biggest moment in his drag racing career was not a dream.
 
He had finished the yells of extreme jubilation inside the car following his final-round win at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod at Bandimere Speedway and as he came back up the return road, the massive $100,000 check was within site.
 
It almost seemed to good to be true, but any chance he was dreaming was put to rest in the form of a champagne cork that walloped him in the face during the ensuing winner’s circle celebration.
 
This was real and it was magical.
 
“I was actually going to ask somebody to pinch me, then I got shot in the nose with a cork, so I was like, ‘This is real, this is really happening,’” Stevens said with a laugh.
 
It was unlike anything Stevens had achieved in his standout Pro Mod career. Driving the turbocharged ’69 Camaro owned by Jim Bell, the North Haledon, New Jersey, native waded through deep waters at the biggest and richest Pro Mod race in the history of the known universe, ultimately knocking off Danny Rowe with a blistering 5.856 at 246.26 mph to claim victory at the second annual World Series of Pro Mod.
 
The custom WSOPM championship belt was around his waist, the champagne was cracked – errant cork and all – the check was held high in the air and Stevens had secured his ultimate moment among the Pro Mod elite.
 
He had accomplished a great deal in his Pro Mod career, including a marvelous, record-breaking 230-mph run in the PDRA in 2015 and, most recently, a victory in June at the NEOPMA Doors Warz event at Maple Grove Raceway.
 
But the victory on Thunder Mountain was unlike anything the skilled tuner, engine builder and driver had ever won. Even in the midst of an enjoyable celebration and still floating on the sheer emotion of the biggest victory of his career, Stevens had no problem relaying exactly what this accomplishment meant.
 
“This is easily the biggest event win we’ve ever had,” Stevens Jr. insisted. “Being on the biggest stage for Pro Mod and getting the win, it’s just incredible. That’s really what it’s all about. The money certainly doesn’t hurt, obviously, but on this grand stage that we’ve been given, in my opinion there’s nothing bigger.”
 
Stevens’ reputation as a tuner and his ability to make a car go fast is well-known, as is the job he and his father, Carl Sr., do building high-performance engines at their Xtreme Race Cars facility.
 
Still, among observers, fans and media members heading into the race, Stevens likely wasn’t considered a favorite, though he kept a quiet confidence about him throughout the week. After watching the inaugural race a year ago, Stevens simply wanted to be part of the event in 2018 and he didn’t disappoint, laying down a strong run in the 5.80s in his final Summit Racing Equipment Shakedown run. With the scoreboard turned off, it didn’t send a direct message to the all-star lineup of Pro Mod competitors, but it was enough for Stevens to realize he had potentially had something big in store for eliminations. There was nothing to compare it to in terms of time, but he felt good and, ultimately, that’s all that mattered.

 
“It was hard to gauge because we couldn’t see anybody’s numbers, but we knew what it ran and we knew it was really fast, and we knew we could go a little faster if we needed to, so we were pretty confident,” Stevens confessed. “I think people were pretty aware we were fast. We’ve just been trying to connect the dots and put it all together, and what better place to put it all together than (Bandimere Speedway).”
 
Stevens didn’t disappoint in that regard, and on the strength of one incredible performance after another in Denver, he was the last one standing on Thunder Mountain, capped off by the quickest run in the two-year history of the World Series of Pro Mod.
 
To get to that point, Stevens eliminated a who’s-who list of competitors, starting with Marc Caruso in the opening round. Stevens went 5.93 at 245.94, setting up a must-see matchup with two-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders. Stevens went 5.897 at 246.66 to slip past Enders’ 5.922 at 243.99, continuing that improvement in his quarterfinal showdown with defending World Series of Pro Mod winner Mike Bowman.
The two turbo-powered talents provided the most thrilling side-by-side duel of the weekend, as Stevens’ 5.880 at 246.21 ousted Bowman’s 5.912 at 249.03 by a mere .007. It was a duel that left everyone talking, and the make-or-break moment went Stevens’ way, signifying it may just be his weekend.
 
“It’s got to be your day at the end of day, but (the race with Bowman) was really exciting,” Stevens said. “That was exciting the whole way down the track. We love close racing and that’s what we were expecting.”
 
From there, Stevens beat Michael Biehle when he went red, running a quicker 5.863 at 245.90 to move into the final-round matchup against Rowe. Stevens again dialed up another spectacular run in his Xtreme Racing Engines-powered Camaro, tracking down Rowe after the veteran left first.
 
“I was pretty jacked up inside the car,” Stevens said. “The people probably heard screaming inside the car as I was turning off the track. I was pretty pumped up. I wanted to see if I could pick it up a little more (in the final). As the tuner, I was looking at the data and thought I could make it go a little better, so I had to try. I was pretty confident in the tune-up.”
 
Stevens was on a roll throughout eliminations following his strong blast on the final Summit Racing Shakedown run on Friday night. In all, he improved during all five elimination runs, knocking off a standout list of talents en route to the six-figure payday.
 
“We knew it was really fast and we knew we could go a little bit faster if we had to,” Stevens added. “We were really pretty confident and just trying to not beat ourselves. Everything just fell together against some huge names.”
 
It was the speed that lured Bell into Pro Mod racing in 2013, but never did the Edmonton native imagine it would lead to a moment like he experienced on Thunder Mountain.
 
He had his share of success running NHRA Pro Mod in 2014 and 2015, claiming wins at the PSCA SCSN event in St. Louis and the Shakedown at the Summit that same year. But working with the Stevens family has been a dream come true for everyone involved. The team worked flawlessly together in Denver, an amazing feat considering the pressure and magnitude of the moment.
 
It wasn’t lost on Bell, who, like Stevens, did his best to soak it all in.
 
“I’ve been to a lot of races, but this one was over-the-top huge,” Bell announced. “It’s monumental. I’ve won a few big races, but I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. It’s the biggest win ever. It’s so exciting to win this and every round was tough. We faced some great drivers. The race against Mike could have gone either way and luckily it went our way. As far as winning this, it’s a team effort and we’re a solid team. We were consistent and going fast in the heat of the day. Danny did a great job (in the finals) and drove a really good race.”
 
The decision to work with the Stevens family was an easy one for Bell, who called Carl Jr. a top-drawer tuner and “his dad is just a magician when it comes to chassis work.”
It’s the perfect combination for Bell, who still drives the car in eighth-mile races. But when it comes to quarter-mile racing, Bell gladly concedes the duties to Stevens, who again proved in Denver he holds an all-around talent level when it comes to tuning, car set-up and driving.

 
“It’s a team,” Bell said. “Carl and myself are a solid and real tight team. Would I like to be driving the car? Sure, but I feel like Carl is a better quarter-mile driver than I am, and I’ve got a really good car. It’s got his engine program in it, and the motor is a work of art.”
 
Just the fact that Stevens tuned up the car to go faster in the final round told a great deal about the confidence he had that weekend. He knew he already had the numbers to beat Rowe, but Stevens wanted to push the envelope as much as he could. It gave him a run nobody could have ever predicted a year ago at the inaugural race, and a run that will go down in history. It’s also a mindset that has carried Stevens and his business far. Even with $100,000 on the line, there was no point in standing pat in the final round if the car was capable of more. What it left everyone with was a run that won’t be forgotten.
 
“I wanted to see if I could pick it up a little more,” Stevens said. “The crew and the team were like, ‘Just leave it alone,’ but as the tuner I was looking at the data and thought I could make it go a little better, so I had to try.
 
“We build the engines in the car and the consistency is big for our business. As a tuner, it’s nice for people to see we can put a consistent package together and make a handful of good runs.”
 
Stevens left Denver with a plethora of amazing memories, from the standout run to end Friday through five spectacular rounds of eliminations at what he called “a bad-ass facility.” He left an otherworldly impression in his debut at Bandimere Speedway, but Stevens didn’t do it alone. Along with Bell and his team, Stevens shared the moment – one that topped any other in his career – with his father, the man who introduced him to racing. Many years later, both are still heavily involved in the sport and just as passionate about all things fast in a Pro Mod car. With their names forever engrained in history as World Series of Pro Mod champs, they’ve also got a moment that will stay with both of them forever.
 
“The biggest thing is all the racing I do is with my dad,” Stevens explained. “Having him here and being able to win this huge event, the biggest event of our lives, together, that’s something I’ll never forget. It’s just awesome memories.”

In a drag racing world densely populated by American muscle, Keith Mayers has proved that his little Porsche is a potent player and that German cars have plenty of their own power, too.

“I was painting cars for a guy that did a lot of imports, and there was a BMW I had been considering,” recalls Mayers of his mid-‘90s career. “There was a Porsche there, too, and I have loved them since I was a kid so I talked the owner into letting me have it.”

Mayers wasted no time in stripping down the ’85 Porsche 944 and selling off all the viable components. Then, armed with a VCR and television set that he rolled into his garage, he watched video after video to learn how to build a race car.

Soon, Mayers had the car back-halved and stuffed a 396 ci big-block engine in.

“I only cut up what I needed to drop the motor in, and it still had power windows and stock suspension up front,” he notes of the unique combination. Mayers originally intended to run NHRA Super Street with his home-built Porsche, and also dabbled in some footbrake classes. “My first year out with it around ’96 or ’97 I wound up winning a championship.”

Since its early days, Mayers’s 944 has seen quite a few different engine combinations but currently runs a 565 ci big-block Chevy-based bullet with a Powerglide transmission and a Ford 9” out back. An all-aluminum big block is in the works, and the car runs consistent 10.90s in the quarter-mile. It also has a few little touches that show off Mayers’s fun personality, including a sunroof, CD player, and even a dancing hula girl on the dash.

“She makes the decisions,” laughs Mayers. “If she’s nodding her head, she’s telling me to hit the brakes at the stripe.”

Bouncing between Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, 51-year-old Mayers has accumulated an impressive track record with his Porsche over the nearly 25 years he has been competing with it. He has no problem being the odd man out with his German-engineered drag car, and has taken every opportunity to disprove the naysayers with his aerodynamically advantaged entry.

Mayers has earned multiple IHRA championship titles, including the 2005 and 2009 seasons, and racked up nearly a dozen national event wins. Footbrake and bracket races with prizes paying out upwards of $10,000 have all seen Mayers and his Porsche posing proudly in the winner’s circle, and he’s also found tremendous success in the Mid Atlantic .90 Association – including world titles three years in a row.

Even more impressive was Mayers’s recent winning streak where he won 33 consecutive rounds across multiple races. He took home the Wally at the 2018 NHRA Southern Nationals in Commerce, Georgia, for the Super Street category, and went on to win the 11.50 index class with his small-block-powered ’67 Dodge Coronet at a Mid Atlantic race in Maple Grove, Pennsylvania, where he doubled up by winning with the Porsche that day as well.

Mayers’s innovation and Porsche-pioneering spirit haven’t gone unnoticed. Companies such as Weldon High Performance Racing Pumps have partnered with Mayers for product testing and development, such as with the Weldon 16250-A Carb Series and 19420-A fuel pumps.

“When I went to a bigger motor a few years back, I found myself running out of fuel. I found a Weldon pump for sale, put it in, and it solved the problem,” explains Mayers of how the working relationship got started. Eventually, the pump needed to be replaced and Weldon worked with Mayers to find a replacement to work in his tight-fit location. “They have been great about getting me what I need, and I ain’t had a lick of trouble with their products. Now I know I‘ll have plenty of fuel supply for when I move to the 632 ci aluminum motor, too.”

Looking ahead, Mayers is content to stick to NHRA Super Street as long as he’s got his wife, Etta, by his side and support from his friends and fellow racers like Gerald Pierce and Jeff Fisher. Running against high-dollar cars with an unconventional ride and an open trailer pulled by a ’99 Ford F350 pickup truck may cause less-secure folks to feel down on themselves, but Mayers knows his homemade German hot rod has the goods to go up against any American muscle – and win.

NOTE: This article originally appeared in Drag Illustrated 140.

In one sense, 2018 was a year Jonnie Lindberg would very much like to forget.

The two-time Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion suffered through a frustrating – and that’s putting it mildly – 2018 season piloting Jim Head’s Funny Car, winning just seven rounds over 23 races.

It was one disappointing result after another and certainly not what Head or Lindberg were accustomed to throughout their careers.

“It was just a bad year for us,” Lindberg said.

But in another sense, the year included one of the most enjoyable moments of his career.

Lindberg and Richie Crampton combined on a wildly-creative project that took on a life of its own, as they used the screw-blown Hemi, Lenco, titanium can and clutch out of Lindberg’s TAFC and put it in Crampton’s all-steel ’57 Chevy Wagon.

It made for an incredible scene as they drove and raced the car during HOT ROD Drag Week, leading to a groundswell of excitement and buzz. The amount of support and fanfare the car received blew Lindberg away, but it was precisely the type of feel-good moment he needed to wipe away the frustration of his professional racing career.

“We built that car and we thought it’s kind of cool and let’s see how it goes, but the response we got from that car was unbelievable,” Lindberg said. “Everybody loves it and we created a monster, I think. People really liked that car.”

Lindberg hopes to translate those good vibes into a bounce back season in 2019 in Head’s Funny Car, which will include a killer new paint job according to Lindberg.

More than anything, though, he hopes the car gets back to performing at a high level, much like it did during Lindberg’s rookie Funny Car season in 2017.

But it was almost as though 2018 never had a chance. John Force crashed into Lindberg at the second race of the year in Phoenix and the single-car team could never find its footing after that. They didn’t qualify in Gainesville at the next event and once they got behind the eight-ball during a busy season, Lindberg and company never recovered, failing to make it out of the second round all year.

“I think we have a good plan for next year,” Lindberg said. “Sometimes you need a really bad season to start changing stuff. You just regroup and build up for next year. We were both frustrated.”

After the crash with Force, the team struggled with the changing track prep and then had issues with the tune-up and clutch discs. But despite ample frustrations throughout the course of the season, Lindberg has high hopes for 2019, partially because he is fully aware of the work Head puts in.

Lindberg is no slouch there, either, and that combination brings out the best in both the veteran Head and the rising star in Lindberg.

“People think it’s easy to tune a fuel car and they’re wrong,” Lindberg said. “It’s really tough and they’re so finicky. But we get along great together and I think they don’t just want a driver. I think he hired me because I know how to work on a car and that’s why it works with him. The whole team is great, we get along good and I think next year we’re going to turn things around.”

Lindberg believes the team will be in its sweet spot as far as next year, too. The plan is to cut back to 16 races, with the team starting the year in Gainesville in March. That gives time for everything to be ready to begin the season and also ensures the team has time to work through any issues over the course of the year.

It also allows Lindberg the opportunity to tune the TAFC and even head back to Europe. Lindberg also promises something impressive – think orange and plenty of skulls – when it comes to the look of the Head Racing Funny Car.

“We had wraps on the car and Jim Head, he hates the wraps, “Lindberg said. “We’re going to have real paint jobs on the car again, like old Jim Head bodies. It’s going to be pretty cool. I’ve seen some sketches and you’re going to see a pretty cool body coming out.”

Speaking of cool, expect Lindberg and Crampton to return to Drag Week with something incredible. They have plans for something wild, but the whole atmosphere of Drag Week was something Lindberg really enjoyed and the following the duo built up during that span was too memorable for them to stop after one year.

“We would like to build a really lightweight car to do it,” Lindberg said. “We’ll see. We’re probably going to do it because people want to see it.

“It took me back to where I started, really. It felt like I was home in Europe. It was cool and I think Richie felt the same. He started driving big-block blown motors. I like Drag Week. It’s real-deal racers. It doesn’t matter if it rains or snows, they’re going to drive in it.”

With no points in hand, each driver that took a time to try to qualify for any of the six events that compose the Big Dog Shootout series at Piedmont Dragway would experience the highs and lows of our sport, a sport that epitomizes the term “hero to zero.” This would begin with the April event that saw Brian Shrader win the event over Tim Lawrence, the 2017 champ. Also contested was a contest within a contest to see which driver could cover the historic eighth-mile in the 3-second zone. As fate would have it, Shrader lined up before Lawrence and clicked off a 3.976-second ET followed by Lawrence’s 3.992, thus giving the first and only drivers to set the mark in April. The only other driver to accomplish the feat was Bubba Turner in May, running a 3.997 in the Rentman Racing Camaro.

Lawrence would experience the lows of our sport when his ‘chutes did not open in the first round, and a careful excursion to the very end of the track would do damage to the front of the beautiful Rick Jones-built Camaro and force him to set out the rest of the event. Did someone say points?

Cam Clark

Mother Nature would win the June event and cause it to carry over to July, only to have history made by the H&H Camaro, driven by young Cam Clark, who won both events in one day. This was a feat previously only accomplished by the ATI Camaro of Chris Rini in 2012. This would put Clark high in the points chase that many felt would be a contest between Shrader and Lawrence. But wait, there was another driver with other ideas, that being engine builder Brett Nesbitt. Always within striking distance, Nesbitt was right there all year, as was Turner. Only a missed event by the Nesbitt team could have made the points title a different story.

Did I mention that the RJ Camaro of Nesbitt won the August event over Cam Clark, thus keeping Clark from doing the three-peat or three in a row, which has never been done in Big Dog history. Clark would enter the September event carrying an ever-so-slim points lead over Shrader, only to have the H&H Camaro break one side of the front end and not qualify for the September event.

To recap, Nesbitt missed one race, as did Lawrence when his car went off the end of the track and Shrader broke his trusty ’63 Vette in the center of the frame and cost him one race. So if you are keeping score, the top four competitors each missed one event, as did Bubba Turner. Along with this confusion, other drivers were running personal bests, with Justin Wall running a 4.03 and Scott Lang running a 4.0 at the end of the season.

All of this added up to a great year for the Robert Hayes-tuned, Gene Fulton-powered Corvette C-7 of Shrader, giving him his first Big Dog points title. Shrader also had the honor of becoming the very first Big Dog recipient of an NHRA “Wally” for winning the final event of the year. This was a result of 2018 being the first time ever for Piedmont to be a track within the Southeast Division of NHRA and their King of the Track program. The program also included other winners for the night: Chris Dean in O’Reilly Auto Parts Outlaw Door Slammer, Kyle Shipmon in Deep Creek Motors Rico’s Real Street, and Gerald Thomas in the Carolina Classic Car Restoration 6.0 eliminator.

The 2019 season should be just as exciting with new cars for Scott Lang, Charles Terrell, and possibly Shrader. All of the accomplishments will be recognized on January 26th during the Piedmont Dragway Awards banquet with Shrader’s Camaro to be on display during the annual Shriners’ Hot Rod & Drag Expo at the Greensboro Coliseum over the weekend of February 15-16.

All of the competitors and staff at Piedmont wish to thank all the fans for their support and be sure to look forward to a very special event to kick off the 2019 season, Piedmont’s 62nd season.

Story and photos by Greg Burrow

With championship aspirations heading into the 2019 NHRA Pro Mod season, veteran Steve Matusek today revealed a major partnership with Garrett Advancing Motion and its technology-driven line of turbochargers.

Matusek will team up with the turbocharger powerhouse, adding a proven and innovative name to an already impressive list heading into the NHRA Pro Mod campaign. Matusek, who also joined Elite Motorsports’ burgeoning Pro Mod camp in the off-season, will run Garrett Advancing Motion turbochargers on his Pro Mod Mustang as he enters the season with big expectations.

“We want to work with companies that want to work with us and learn with us, and we have a great opportunity to work with a real high-tech company like Garrett Advancing Motion that will give us good feedback to advance our program quickly,” Matusek said. “It’s a very good, very safe product that will help us reach our goals and I’m very excited to work with Garrett in 2019.”

Boasting a long track record of success and a revolutionary line of turbochargers, Garrett Advancing Motion has been at the forefront of technology for six decades. Teaming up with Matusek and Elite Motorsports, as well as tuner Shane Tecklenburg and Modern Racing crew chief Justin Elkes provided another great opportunity for Garrett to dive into the NHRA Pro Mod ranks on a larger scale and showcase a turbocharger program that has been continually praised for its performance, efficiency and safety.

“For us, it’s extremely thrilling to partner with such a professional team and a guy like Steve with so much history in the sport,” Garrett Advancing Motion Marketing Specialist Tim Coltey said. “This is the best of the best in the class and we’re really putting the product to the test. It’s a great opportunity to see what our products will do. It’s really a big deal for Garrett to get involved at this level and it’s definitely the right opportunity and team to be involved with. When you look at Steve and just the whole program with Elite Motorsports and Shane and Justin, it really was a no-brainer for us.”

Highly-regarded tuner Tecklenburg enjoyed previous success with Garrett turbos more than a decade ago, which only furthered his enthusiasm for the partnership between Matusek and Garrett Advancing Motion.

“I’m super excited to be working directly with Garrett on a project once again,” Tecklenburg said. “I can’t wait to go feed one of these Elite Performance, Alan Johnson Hemis with the new offerings from Garrett and start Advancing Motion.”

Matusek, who founded Aeromotive in 1994, recognized the innovation that has been part of Garrett’s makeup for more than 65 years and also lauded the company’s dedication to performance without sacrificing safety. He believes that bodes well for a season that has all the makings of a big year for Matusek. The E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service starts in March at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, and Matusek is ready to start the partnership with Garrett on a good note at the first of 12 races in 2019.

“They’re concerned about more than just maximum performance,” Matusek said. “They’re not willing to give up safety for performance. Garrett has a product that can compete at a high level, but they also care about you and care about your safety. That’s really important and I have so much confidence with the team and I believe, in a short time, the car will be near or at the top. I don’t see how it can’t be successful and that’s what I’m expecting.”

Drag Illustrated Founder and Editorial Director Wes Buck has been nominated by the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council of SEMA (MPMC) for their annual Robert E. Peterson Award. The award is given each year to one member of the automotive media for outstanding contributions specifically to the motorsports/performance parts manufacturing industry.

The prestigious award will be presented during the Media Reception at the 2019 MPMC Media Trade Conference, which takes place Tuesday at the Embassy Suites in Santa Ana, Calif.

“For someone who has spent their adult life trying to make a difference in the drag racing and the automotive high-performance world, this is literally a dream come true just to be nominated,” Buck said. “To be in the conversation as someone who is making a difference and having an impact, it’s incredible.”

A lifelong drag racer, Buck launched Drag Illustrated in 2005 and the publication has continued to find a prominent place in the drag racing and motorsports world. Through impressive vision and work ethic, Buck has guided Drag Illustrated’s significant growth, both as a print product and in the digital world.

His popular weekly “Drag Illustrated Facebook Live!” show and behind-the-scenes selfie videos at events have drawn millions of views on social media, drawing remarkable fanfare and interest to the sport. Buck and Drag Illustrated continue to branch into new avenues as well with its high-quality “Embedded” and “All-Access” video series productions, furthering the Drag Illustrated name on new platforms.

“I’m tremendously grateful to the SEMA family to be in this conversation, and to be mentioned in the same breath as all of those who have won previously and are nominated this year is really humbling,” Buck said. “SEMA has their fingers to the pulse of the sport and industry, and it is responsible for so many of the positive outreach programs this industry has. This really is a huge honor.”

Previous winners include Chad Reynolds, John Dibartolomeo, Michael Murray, James Lawrence, David Freiburger and Steve Wolcott.

Race Star Wheels, manufacturers of high performance alloy drag-style wheels, has been named the Official Wheel of the Professional Drag Racers Association, PDRA officials announced today.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Race Star Wheels to the PDRA family as the Official Wheel of the PDRA,” said Will Smith, marketing director, PDRA. “Race Star Industries is the first wheel company to partner with the PDRA, and we’re grateful for their support of our 2019 season.”

“We’re really looking forward to working with the PDRA and its racers this year,” said Greg Bennett, national sales manager, Race Star Pro Series. “We really appreciate the fast doorslammer guys and we want to make sure they’re supported. I like everything about the PDRA and its family atmosphere. We’re excited about this partnership and supporting the PDRA as much as we’re sure they’ll support us.”

Race Star Industries manufactures a variety of wheels for street/strip applications and hardcore race cars, but of great interest to PDRA racers are Race Star’s new Pro Series forged wheels. The Pro Series line includes SFI 15.2-tested front runner wheels, SFI 15.1- and 15.3-tested rear wheels and accessories. A highlight of the line is an innovative one-piece configuration liner wheel.

“We’ve actually built a liner wheel like nobody’s ever built,” Bennett said. “It’s going to save on weight, but more importantly it’s a lot more structurally sound because of its design. We’re real proud to offer that new design because it’s the first of its kind.

“We built our product around what the racers have been asking for. This product has all the bells and whistles. Our 16×16 double beadlock has a bolt system, which makes it easy to change tires. There’s advantages that we’ve built into the wheel to make it more user friendly and functional. We’ve also added our race grip technology on our non-beadlock wheels to aid in reduction of tire-to-wheel slippage.

“The fusion welding and manufacturing processes allow for the most advanced production and quality control. Each wheel is laser measured and X-rayed to ensure the highest quality product for the racer. A visual inspection is just not enough when so much is riding on it.”

With the PDRA offering a variety of highly competitive, fast classes, Race Star similarly offers a range of options for sizes and wheel types.

“We also realized a need for an improved product for our friends running 15-inch wheels,” Bennett said. “We respect performance improvements these guys are making as well. They are going quicker and faster all the time. We felt a need to provide the same technology in a product for them as the 16-inch guys. Our one-piece configuration 15-inch wheels are the only ones on the market.”

Bennett and the Race Star design team will continue to listen to suggestions from racers to build on the racer-friendly aspects of the wheels.

“We’re catering to the racer,” Bennett said. “First off, we worked hard to reach an affordable price point. These products are built for the racers, basically by the racers. We’ve taken suggestions that I’ve received from racers over the years and applied them to these wheels. Who better to listen to than the people who actually use the product?”

The 2019 PDRA Tour will kick off at the PDRA East Coast Nationals presented by FuelTech, April 4-6 at GALOT Motorsports Park in Benson, N.C.

Fresh off of a strong season in PDRA Top Sportsman competition, Jamie Fowler announced today that he will race with NGK Spark Plugs as an associate sponsor on the 2019 PDRA Tour.

“I’m very honored, excited and humbled all in one,” said Fowler. “We’re just a small family team, so to be chosen by NGK to help represent their brand in the motorsports world is humbling and we’re honored. Not to mention it’s a great product on top of that.”

“We are excited to be affiliated with PnL Motorsports and enthusiastically welcome Jamie to our racing family,” said Danielle Orlando, General Marketing Manager, NGK Spark Plugs. “His positive mindset and never-quit attitude is intrinsically aligned with our NGK beliefs and culture. We look forward to supporting Jamie in his drive to pursue his racing dreams.”

Driving his Tommy Mauney-built, Fulton-powered ’63 Corvette, Fowler finished fifth in the PDRA’s 2018 MagnaFuel Top Sportsman 32 championship points standings. He attended all but one of the eight races on the PDRA schedule, racing to a semifinal finish at the season-opening East Coast Spring Nationals. The former competitive bodybuilder was also honored with the “Spirit of the PDRA” award at the PDRA Awards Banquet in December.

“Last season’s results definitely have us excited moving into 2019,” Fowler said. “2018 was a huge learning experience for us. We learned a lot about what our car wanted. Moving forward, we now know some things that work and some things that don’t work. We feel like we’re at a great starting point for 2019. Using everything that we learned last season, we’re going to focus on qualifying for Top Sportsman Elite 16 this year.”

Another one of Fowler’s 2018 highlight moments was actually powered by NGK spark plugs.

“At the PDRA World Finals, we had gotten ourselves in a bind,” Fowler said. “Ryan and Tom Martino, an NGK Spark Plugs-sponsored Top Dragster team, were pitted right beside us. Not only did they give us a set of NGK spark plugs to run so we could finish the World Finals, we also recorded a career-best run (4.180) after we put the plugs in the car. That’s something that excites me tremendously: We were introduced to NGK there, we had our best-ever run with the product, and here we are going into 2019 with NGK’s support.”

In addition to the full eight-race PDRA schedule, Fowler and his PnL Motorsports team also plan on attending select Big Dog Shootouts at North Carolina’s Piedmont Dragway and GALOT Motorsports Park, and Carolina Xtreme Pro Mod events. Fowler will also race with continued backing from Gopher Utility Services.

With an eye on outside-the-box and innovative thinking, Steve Matusek and Elite Motorsports’ Pro Mod operation announced a key partnership with Turbosmart, a leading worldwide manufacturer of performance accessories for forced induction vehicles, that will stretch across the entire Elite Motorsports Pro Mod group.

On the heels of the recent announcement utilizing Garrett Advancing Motion turbochargers, this represents another major move for Matusek, Elite Motorsports, crew chief Shane Tecklenburg and Modern Racing’s Justin Elkes as they prepare for the 2019 NHRA Pro Mod season. Tecklenburg’s previous relationship with Turbosmart was instrumental in putting together the deal between the company and Elite Motorsports, and Turbosmart’s creative and forward-thinking designs and applications will be apparent on Matusek’s turbocharged Mustang. It adds up to another exciting incentive for the veteran standout heading into the upcoming year.

“We want to create a package that is the best package available and it’s exciting to team up with a company like Turbosmart,” said Matusek, who is also the president of Aeromotive, Inc. “We’re finding manufacturers that want to be involved with us, looking at the talent involved with this team, and they’re not going to get involved if they don’t have something to offer that moves the needle. This is the best of the best with what Turbosmart does. They have innovative ways to do things, they want to learn and they want to evolve their product line, and those are the things that excite me.”

Founded in 1997, Turbosmart started in a small garage in Sydney, Australia, developing into a dominant force when it comes to performance products for turbocharged vehicles. Turbosmart opened its North American office in 2007 and has racked up a slew of industry awards for its high-quality blowoff valves, wastegates, boost controllers, gauges, pressure regulators and hoses. In 2018, Turbosmart claimed six awards at the SEMA show for its revolutionary Gen-V Wastegate range.

“Turbosmart is incredibly honored to be helping the Elite Motorsports teams and Shane Tecklenburg in their pursuit of NHRA Pro Mod wins,” Turbosmart General Manager & VP Marty Staggs said. “Drag racing is in our DNA and we are excited to bring our 22 years of experience in manufacturing world class boost control products to these teams and do our part in helping them go after those Wallys.”

Adding Turbosmart’s innovative line to an already talented team that includes Tecklenburg and Elkes adds to the big expectations for Matusek and the rest of the Elite Motorsports Pro Mod teams, which also include two-time Pro Stock world champ Erica Enders and Alex Laughlin.

“Turbosmart are my go to for boost control,” Tecklenburg said. “With the integrated sensors available for both the wastegates and blow off valves, they really make a big difference when you are trying to extract every last bit of performance from a turbo combination. The gates are very consistent, particularly at low boost, which is important for launch. I’m really happy to have Marty and Turbosmart on board with us. As a race engineer, it gives me real peace of mind.”

Matusek has been impressed with the way his team has come together, adding exciting partnerships with companies like Turbosmart along the way. He has maintained a steady dialogue with Elkes and Tecklenburg as the team prepares to put its best foot forward in Gainesville, the site of the 2019 E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Mod Drag Series season opener in March.

“We’re excited to partner with Turbosmart and utilize their waste gates and boost controllers not only on the Elite Motorsports Pro Mod cars, but on each and every turbo project that comes through the shop at Modern Racing,” Elkes said.

Pronto Auto Service Center driver Blake Alexander will return to Funny Car for the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. The two-time Top Fuel event winner will own and operate his equipment out of Tim Wilkerson Racing in Springfield, Ill., in a working partnership. Alexander will field his team at 12 races with crew chief Daniel Wilkerson.

“I am thankful to be in this position and have so many people that have helped me along the way,” Alexander said. “This has been a lifelong dream and taking this huge step will be stabilized with Daniel and Tim’s expertise. We will hit the ground running at Phoenix and are excited to continue building on the success of the Pronto Nitro Club promotion. The Funny Car class is stacked with talent and I am excited to get back into the fold.”

“We are excited to continue our partnership with Blake Alexander Racing and our vendor partners who have supported us to provide the Nitro Club promotion to Pronto members and their customers nationwide,” said Robert Roos, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, National Pronto Association.“The 2018 season was a great one and we have been working hard to continue providing a valuable program for Pronto membership in 2019.”

Alexander, who has been one NHRA’s youngest competitors in Top Fueland Funny Car since he made his professional debut in 2011, will now establish himself as NHRA’s youngest team owner in 2019. Alexander and Daniel Wilkerson are both 30, leading a team of similarly aged crew members with experience in the nitro ranks.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to race with Blake and our strong crew in 2019,” Dan Wilkerson said. “Many friends that are former crew guys from my dad’s team will be assisting us at our 12 events. Pronto and their local members give us everything it takes to be competitive in the loaded Funny Car field and I’m looking forward to getting started in Phoenix.”

Alexander and the Pronto Auto Service Center Funny Car team will make their 2019 debut at the 35th annual Magic Dry Organic Absorbent NHRA Nationals, Feb. 22-24, at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz.

Most of the time the first thing people wonder is, “How did you start racing?” For a lot of racers, the same answer is true: their family has been racing since before they were alive. Well, that is true for me as well. I don’t know what my life would be like if I hadn’t grown up around drag racing, but I am very thankful that I had the chance to grow up around such an amazing sport. When you grow up in racing you meet so many people that will share the same love for the sport as you do. People make the sport even better than it already is.

Camrie and her father, Marc

I am a 20-year-old, third-generation race car driver from Fairport, New York. Racing is my life and I wouldn’t want to do anything else with my time. The passion, determination and persistence that I have for racing will help me achieve my dreams of being a professional race car driver. I have been around racing my entire life. I began racing at the age of 8 and have been in a race car ever since. When I turned 16 years old, I jumped into a Super Comp dragster after I went to Frank Hawley for my license. When I turned 19, I decided I wanted to run competitively in PDRA Top Dragster, and we bought a new dragster from Danny Nelson and switched my motor to a blown alcohol motor. Last season we gained “Lola,” a new Top Dragster with a 481x to put under a supercharger. She went 3.68 at 201.9 mph at the PDRA World Finals.

My dad wanted to run NHRA Pro Mod for the 2019 season and that’s when I decided to take the leap into Top Alcohol Dragster. I will be going to the Phoenix test session to gain my license for TAD and then the “Baby Gators” NHRA Division 1 race at Gainesville will be my first race out in Top Alcohol Dragster. I am planning to run 5 races this season. If the opportunity to run more comes up then I will jump at it.

Aside from racing, I work at the family business, Kornerstone Kitchens and Baths, putting kitchens together in 3D renderings, as well as ordering them. I also go to school full time at Empire State College for my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Finance. I take all my classes as an independent study, which means I talk to my professors over email or the phone to get my assignments, then I email them back once I complete them. With the flexibility in my independent study it fits perfect with working full time and the racing schedule.

Make sure to look out for the new shirt Caruso Family Racing and Racers Evolved have come together to release just in time for my debut race at Gainesville, March 8-10.

The Northern Nationals, the fifth race on the eight-race 2019 Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Tour, will be presented by Callies Performance Products, PDRA officials announced today. The inaugural PDRA Northern Nationals presented by Callies Performance Products will take place July 18-20 at Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio.

“It’s exciting for us to enter a new market, northern Ohio, with the support of Callies Performance Products,” said Will Smith, marketing director, PDRA. “Callies is a new PDRA sponsor for the 2019 season and we couldn’t be more pleased to have them on board as the presenting sponsor of the Northern Nationals.”

Located in Fostoria, Ohio, Callies Performance Products designs and manufacturers a wide-ranging line of engine components, including crankshafts, connecting rods and camshafts. Callies products are used by a number of teams across the PDRA’s professional and sportsman categories, especially the highly competitive Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous.

“We have a ton of customers in the PDRA, so it just made sense to partner with the PDRA for the Northern Nationals,” said Brook Piper, sales & tech, Callies Performance Products. “Now that we’re also making spline post crankshafts for the blower guys, it felt like now is the right time to hook up with the PDRA and their growing brand of Pro Modified racing.”

As a part of the presenting sponsorship, Callies will have a product display tent on the midway during the Northern Nationals. Many local Callies employees also plan on attending the Northern Nationals.

“Everyone here at Callies follows Pro Mod racing because these are the racers who use our products,” Piper said. “Now that the PDRA will be in our backyard, our employees will get to meet some of our customers and see our products in action.”

Callies Performance Products’ sister company, Energy Manufacturing, has also signed on as a PDRA Series Supporting Sponsor. Energy Manufacturing’s performance products – billet blocks, intake manifolds and cylinder heads – are engineered to perform reliably in high-horsepower naturally aspirated, nitrous-assisted and boosted applications.

“Energy manufactures products that a lot of our Callies customers use, especially in PDRA where they’re allowed to run a billet block and billet heads,” Piper added. “It was just the right fit for them to also be involved in this type of racing.”

Fresh energy, ideas and enthusiasm is exactly what Clay Millican ordered for the Parts Plus/Strutmasters.com Top Fuel Dragster and the “Unfinished Business Tour” seeking the 2019 NHRA Mello-Yellow Series Championship. Millican who finished 3rd in the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel standings is looking to pick up where he finished in the championship hunt.

With a new ownership group, Straightline Strategy Group, LLC (SSG), and Parts Plus continuing their sponsorship with the addition of Strutmasters.com stepping up their involvement, the outlook is better now than it has been in years.

“Change is a scary word as fear of the unknown can keep people from moving forward, but I’ve fully embraced this change even with the valleys and hills that are expected in the process,” says Tennessee based driver, Clay Millican.

With this plan, the entire team will be sporting a fresh look for 2019.

“We developed an awesome, new look for Part Plus/Strutmasters.com dragster, semi transporters, uniforms and more that matches our goals and ambitions,” says Millican.

A big contributor of this transformation is SSI Decals, who provided and applied the vinyl materials. More changes will appear in the team operations. This includes bringing Mike Kloeber back as Crew Chief, veteran Jack Wyatt as the Car Chief and a new crew to outfit the team.

“It’s been deja-vu of sorts with Mike and Jack back in the shop,” continued Millican. “I have total confidence that they will provide the performance we need with the new parts that have been arriving daily. Our new look and our new crew will be in the hunt for a championship this year.”

Clay Millican will be testing the Parts Plus, Strutmasters.com Top Fuel Dragster at Phoenix on Jan. 31 through Feb. 1 in preparation for the NHRA season kickoff event in Pomona, CA.

Dodge//SRT and Mopar are continuing their partnership with Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) with the announcement of a new multiyear sponsorship agreement to kick off the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

The high-powered relationship began during the 2003 season and ranks as one of the longest running partnerships in motorsports. DSR Mopar-powered Dodge//SRT teams have claimed 12 championships in Funny Car, Top Fuel and Factory Stock Showdown, beginning with Tony Schumacher’s 2004 Top Fuel title and the latest with Leah Pritchett’s 2018 Factory Stock Showdown crown. The first triumph for the partnership came in Englishtown, New Jersey, when Whit Bazemore turned on the win light, and the most recent victory was captured in October 2018 when Ron Capps scored the 252nd for a DSR Mopar-powered driver.

“Don Schumacher Racing is one the most successful and respected organizations not just in NHRA, but in all of motorsports, and Dodge//SRT and Mopar are proud to extend our long-running partnership with Don Schumacher, his drivers and teams,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar) and Passenger Car Brands, FCA – North America. “In addition to our long list of accomplishments on the strip, our brands have worked with DSR off the track in developing and debuting the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car body and elevating our Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak program to the 2018 Factory Stock Showdown championship. We look forward to continuing to win with DSR in 2019 and beyond.”

“DSR is pleased to continue this partnership with Dodge//SRT and Mopar,” said DSR owner Don Schumacher, a former Mopar-powered Dodge Funny Car driver himself in the 1960s and 1970s. “We take a lot of pride in the relationships we have built with our NHRA program and this one has been truly unique. From the early years, Mopar and Dodge have played a major role in our climb to prominence in the Funny Car class and that carried over in our efforts in Top Fuel and the winning continued in another class last year when we secured the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown championship. It’s been a tremendous partnership and we are thrilled to continue it for seasons to come.”

DSR drivers Matt Hagan and Leah Pritchett will carry the torch in the brand’s quest for championships in Funny Car, Top Fuel and Factory Stock Showdown, while Ron Capps, Tommy Johnson, Jr., Jack Beckman and Tony Schumacher will also look to add to Dodge//SRT and Mopar’s rich NHRA heritage.

Heading into the 2019 NHRA campaign, Hagan and Pritchett headline a star-studded stable of drivers that have combined to earn more than 200 of the DSR organization’s 333 overall victories and have reset countless track and national records.

The bar is set high with the goal of increasing those numbers starting in Pomona, California, where Hagan returns as the two-time defending event winner of the season-opening NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway, February 7-10, the first of 24 national events. Pritchett, who won the final three Factory Stock Showdown races in 2018, will begin her title defense in that class at the 50th annual NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, March 14-17, 2019.

To follow Dodge//SRT and Mopar during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, visit Dodge Garage, a digital content hub for muscle car and race enthusiasts.

The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season is less than a month away and dozens of top tier teams are preparing for the 24-race national tour. In advance of the grueling and exciting professional drag racing season a private preseason test session will be conducted January 30 – February 2, at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Chandler, Ariz., just outside of Phoenix. This year CompetitionPlus.com will be live streaming all four days of the private test session offering fans around the world the first look at on-track action. The daily test sessions will not be open to the public, so the CompetitionPlus.com live stream will be the only way to see comprehensive live action.

“We heard the track for a variety of reasons was not going to sell spectator tickets and we reached out to see about live streaming the event,” said Bobby Bennett, CompetitionPlus.com owner and publisher. “The management team at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park was receptive to the idea so we got to work on the logistics. Fans will be able to watch testing all day through the CompetitionPlusTV YouTube channel.”

In addition to watching the testing session, Bennett is not putting any restrictions or roadblocks in the way of fans who would like to share their passion for NHRA with their friends and family.

“We are setting up the stream through YouTube so anyone can share it or embed it on their own social media platforms and simultaneously stream the test sessions,” added Bennett. “We have a history of being internet innovators when it comes to covering and promoting drag racing and we want to get as many people excited about the upcoming NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season as possible.”

There will be multiple cameras filming the testing action. The primary camera will be set up on the west side grandstands traditionally used for TV and will be able to follow race cars down the track. There will be additional cameras on the starting line filming the water box action as well as a camera at the finish line for scoreboard updates.

“The biggest challenge is to keep the broadcast entertaining and engaging for the audience,” said Warren Evans, CompetitionPlusTV.com Executive Producer. “Testing isn’t constant action so we want to be able to highlight the top ten runs and use graphics for information. Our goal is to show how the session is progressing. We are going to try and deliver the best show.”

In the past the test sessions were open to the public for one or two days. This year Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park decided to not sell tickets to the test session.

“When our great fans come back to Wild Horse Pass for the Arizona Nationals we want them to have a world class experience and there will be too much work going on around the grandstands during testing that we don’t believe it will be save for spectators. We might be able to open the test session up in future years but right now we are excited to partner with CompetitionPlus.com to share the on-track action. They always do an excellent job covering drag racing and adding live streaming will only enhance their reputation as one of the top ‘go to’ outlets for drag racing news and coverage.”

Fans can subscribe to CompetitionPlus TV here and during the testing sessions January 30 – February 2 fans can view testing on any of the CompetitionPlus.com social media channels including the recently launched free App. Fans can download the app for free in leading app stores such as Apple App Store and Google Play.

After 22 years of racing Top Alcohol, former NHRA Division 4 Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Lee Callaway will be making the jump to Top Fuel in 2019. Callaway has purchased a complete running car from Scott Palmer Racing and will be competing at five NHRA Mello Yello events with assistance from Palmer.

Callaway, from Baytown, Texas, has competed in the NHRA Top Alcohol categories since 1996, winning the Division 4 Championship in 2002 and most recently won his hometown race, the O’Reilly Spring Nationals in 2016. He is the only driver since the inception of the Top Alcohol categories to win divisional events in a Blown Alcohol Dragster, an Injected Nitro Dragster and a Top Alcohol Funny Car.

“I pretty much grew up racing nitro and alcohol cars,” said Callaway. “My Dad (Dickie) ran with Johnny White’s “Houston Hustler” Nitro Funny Car and built and wrenched on a number of cars over the years. In ’96 I got my first TAD and we have raced as a family since.”

“Obviously running Top Fuel has always been a dream,” Callaway continued. “I mean, who doesn’t dream of that when you’re around it that long? It’s never really been feasible for me to do it competitively until now. Running my business takes a lot of my time these days, so I can only go to a few races a year. It just made more sense to run Top Fuel a few times a year with a nice car and operation than continue to chase the Top Alcohol deal.”

Callaway’s car will fly the colors of his collision repair shop, Callaway Collision as primary sponsor when he makes his debut at his home track for the Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park, April 12-14. His car will also receive help from Run-N-Hide Ranch. He will receive technical assistance from Scott Palmer Racing and Lagana Racing. Callaway’s long-time Crew Chief Stacy McLemore will be making the jump with him.

“There’s no way I could have done this without the help of Scott,” stated Callaway. “We have been good friends for a long time. He has run on a budget before and knows where you can save money and where not to cut corners. We’re going to run this car like I did my Top Alcohol cars – we didn’t run a bunch of races, but we had the right parts and ran hard when we showed up. We have a lot to learn as a team, but with Scott’s help we are working hard to do it the right way.”

“At the Houston race, we are going to use this to promote my business Callaway Collision along with our other sponsors and partners,” Callaway added. “We are working hard to not only have a good car on the track, but present our operation in a professional manner to entertain our guests. We will be professional in everything we do, but anyone who knows me knows we are going to have a good time doing it. Running with Scott, there will be a lot of good times to be had in the SPR-Callaway Racing pits.”

The Callaway Racing Top Fuel team plans to attend the Dodge Mile-High Nationals in Denver, the Northwest Nationals in Seattle, the AAA Texas FallNationals in Dallas and the Nevada Nationals in Las Vegas.
Keep up with the team on Facebook and Twitter @CallawayTopFuel.

Winters Racing is proud to announce a new sole primary sponsor for their NHRA Pro Mod 2019 season. Joining Winters Racing on their Andy McCoy Race Cars ’69 Chevelle will be the Bandit Big Rig Series.

The Bandit Big Rig Series has taken family entertainment by storm through its grassroots push to bring something new and exciting to the world of the asphalt. Fans of all ages find excitement as these iron giants scream around the track. At its heart, the Bandit Series exists to support the trucking industry.

This fun and affordable family event highlights the Bandits’ skills and the powerful trucks they race. These “nearly stock” trucks produce massive horsepower, testing the Bandits’ abilities at every turn.

The owner of Bandit Big Rig Series is Craig Kruckeberg of Kruckeberg Industries. Craig sees a great potential to cross market between NHRA events and Bandit Big Rig Series.

“The Bandits love all types of racing and we love the way Doug drives and markets his partners,” said Craig.

Winters Racing will partner with Bandits Big Rig Series to market and promote Bandit Big Rig Series through displays at Bandit races and promoting Bandits at NHRA races. Special attention will be given to promote local Bandit races when NHRA is in the area prior to Bandit race.

Throughout the racing season special activation for Bandit Big Rig Series partners will be performed at NHRA events. This will include car signage on the Winters Racing ’69 Chevelle and VIP treatment for special guest.

Currently, the 69 Chevelle is back at Andy McCoy Race Cars getting fitted with a new body. After tagging the wall at Bristol, along with the wear and tear over the past season, it was time.

Doug explained, “This time around we are going with the carbon fiber body instead of the composite. This will save us over 50 pounds, therefore letting us work with weight placement to make the car more tunable.”

Along with a new carbon fiber body, Doug and his brother Allen, reached back out to Jan Cen Motorsports to procure a new power plant. Mike Janis and team will be utilizing the same design that won them a NHRA National Championship in 2018. And as with past seasons, Winters Racing will once again have a Janis Supercharger on top of the new engine.

All this is planned to come together back in the shop in Kernersville, NC in early February.

“We have our work cut out for us to get to testing before NHRA Gatornationals,” said Doug.

Preseason testing will get started at Orlando Speedworld Dragway on February 26^th with the Real Pro Mod Association Winter Warmup event.

“We can’t wait to get started on 2019,” Winters said. “We started out good in 2018 at last year’s Gator Nationals, were we qualified pretty good and even won a round during eliminations. But after that, we were plagued with small issues that got us behind and was never able to catch back up with the incredible competition. We are hoping this year will be different. With Craig’s dedication and having Bandits join us, along with a new body and power plant, this is our year to make a statement.”

Winters Racing plans to compete at all 12 NHRA Pro Mod events across the country.

Along with Bandit Big Rig Series, Winters Racing would like to also thank their long time partners that will also be a part of the program in 2019. They are Truck Supply of South Carolina, NGK Spark Plugs, Richmond Gear, Liquid Wrench, Gunk, Optima Batteries and Andy McCoy Race Cars.