Drag Illustrated Issue 137, October 2018 | Page 78

WORLD SERIES OF PRO MOD 2018
GO BIG OR GO HOME
CARL STEVENS JR.’S JAW-DROPPING
PERFORMANCE ENDS IN
$100,000 PAYDAY
BY JOSH HACHAT
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOE MCHUGH
C
arl 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 Ban-
dimere 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.
MARQUEE MATCHUP
Carl Stevens Jr. was just a tick
behind Michael Biehle in prior
eliminations before the two
turbocharged titans met up in the
semifinals. Stevens stepped up
when it mattered most, running five
thousandths quicker than Biehle,
who negated his third consecutive
5.8-second lap with a red light.
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Issue 137