PHOTOS : JOE MCHUGH , SCOTT ARNOLD |
Guys like Menholt shaped their entire racing season around the WSOPM . For that to happen , there has to be a secret sauce involved . It can ’ t just be a regular race and , by all accounts , the World Series of Pro Mod is no typical race .
One thing every driver would say is the race is the most fun they have all year . But there ’ s also $ 100,000 on the line , meaning it ’ s also the biggest single-race payout they ’ ve raced for in their successful careers .
How do those mix ? It ’ s an interesting conundrum , but also probably the most enviable for anyone associated with the event . It ’ s low-pressure , big fun , laidback , high-stakes – and all at the same time .
It takes something special to get to that point , meaning you need an incredible group of racers combined with people who are passionate
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about putting on a heck of a show while making sure to treat everyone in a memorable way .
The Bandimere family has that covered , going to the ends of the world to ensure every racer , team member and fan feels like they won the lottery . The scenery at the track speaks for itself , setting the stage for the racers to put on a show . In the two years of the WSOPM they ’ ve done that and upped the ante almost every time down the track .
It ’ s mind-boggling we ’ re already in the 5.80s with these Pro Mod
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beasts in the mountains , but it simply speaks so highly of the special group of drivers and teams competing in Pro Mod . It is truly the golden age of the Pro Mod class and we ’ re honored to give them a stage . |
Back to Bowman , he had likely heard what Menholt had ran during testing , yet they were both chatting it up just a short time before they were facing off . It ’ s that type of camaraderie that makes the event special , yet when they lined up they were ready to tear each other ’ s throats out . That ’ s simply how this class works and it ’ s awesome to see .
As it turned out , Menholt went red and then unfortunately crashed into both walls . Almost immediately , Menholt was talking about a new
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car and being back at the World Series of Pro Mod in 2019 . Like his opponent – the guy who spent days away from home to get his car ready – this race is on his “ Do Not Miss ” list .
Bowman didn ’ t make it backto-back wins , falling in the race of the weekend in a thrilling duel against Stevens , but he said he had a better time this year than his $ 100,000-winning year in 2017 . That , folks , is progress as an event , and a sign that the best is yet to come . Stevens reveled in the glory of winning the event , a career-making victory where he went an incredible 5.856 at 246.26 mph to beat Danny Rowe in the final round . It was a magical moment and the reactions from Stevens to his dad , Carl Sr ., to team owner Jim Bell were genuine and will be treasured forever .
But , then again , it ’ s really how we all felt when the event was over . They were just the ones enjoying an extra $ 100,000 with it . DI
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