Drag Illustrated Issue 142, March 2019 | Page 26

Dirt Mountain Motor Pro Stock coming to four NHRA events in 2019 By Allyson Johnson P ro Stock has long been a fan- favorite at NHRA events, but with the changes to the class over the last few years, fans seem to be left wanting more. But what can fill this gap? More nitro-fueled classes or more airtime for sportsman racers? Well, the NHRA seems to think that Mountain Motor Pro Stock cars may be able to do the trick. Mountain Motor Pro Stock cars made their NHRA national event debut in 2018 at the U.S. 26 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com Nationals in Indianapolis. While it was just an eight-car exhibition appearance at The Big Go, it made an impact on fans and left them begging for more. This led to the NHRA creating a place for the class at four 2019 races: the Spring Nationals in Houston, the NGK Spark Plugs Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, the Thunder Valley Na- tionals in Bristol, and the New England Nationals in Epping over the July 4th weekend. But what’s so different in this class versus the traditional Pro Stock class that fans are familiar with? It comes down to engine size. Mountain Motor Pro Stockers can have up to an 800ci engine, while traditional Pro Stockers are limited to 500ci. You’ll also see things in the Mountain Motor class that you don’t see when the 500ci cars are on the starting line: hood scoops and wheelies. And fans can’t seem to get enough of these. Florida-based racer Dillon Voss says Moun- tain Motor Pro Stockers are very relatable to fans. “The cars still look like cars,” Voss points out. “They look like the old-school Pro Stockers with hood scoops and wheelies. We aren’t backed by millions of dollars. Guys will show up in a Issue 142 Big Motors at ‘The Big Show’