Drag Illustrated Issue 137, October 2018 | Page 84

DANNY ROWE Danny Rowe made it up to the winner’s circle celebra- tion to congratulate Carl Stevens Jr., and perhaps partly to witness what he just missed out on. Rowe maintained a smile on his face through it all, an im- pressive feat considering minutes earlier he was oh so close to winning $100,000 at the World Se- ries of Pro Mod at Bandi- mere Speedway. Rowe and his Jimmy Rector-led team turned in what could very well have been the run of their careers on Thunder Mountain, leaving first on Stevens and posting a 5.949 at 242.54 mph. It wasn’t quite enough to top Stevens, yet Rowe had made tremendous strides since the inau- gural race a year ago. So, perhaps the smile was war- ranted after all. Rowe had just debuted a new car earlier this year and made one consistent run after another in Denver. There are no consolation prizes at the WSOPM and only one person gets the $100,000 check, but Rowe knew there was plenty of merit to what he was able to accomplish on Thunder Mountain. “It was absolutely amazing,” Rowe said of his team. “The job they did was fantastic. Just getting a com- bination to go down the track was part of the struggle and to do it five times in a row is amazing. It was a pretty cool deal.” Rowe was one of a handful of drivers to make exhibition runs at Bandimere Speedway as part of the track’s annual “Night of Fire & Thunder” event just a few short years ago. There, Rowe impressed the crowd with passes in the 6.00s, a seemingly monumental feat for a Pro Mod car at an altitude of nearly 6,000 feet. Rowe crept into the 5-second range last year, and with turbo cars venturing into the 5.80s in 2018, Rowe’s 5.949 in a blower car was every bit as impressive and a ca- reer-best for him at Bandimere Speedway. That Rowe and company were in that range the entire weekend was even more noteworthy, further signifying the rapid pace Pro Mod is advancing these days. But Rowe and his team are a major part of that advancement, as evidenced by the impressive job they did in Denver. “It was really, really a challenge to run the numbers we did,” Rowe said. “Right now, everybody in legal Pro Mod has stepped up their program and their performances. There’s a lot of good teams doing great things and it forces all of us to get better. It’s good for everybody.” Rowe performed at a high lev- el in his RJ Race Cars Camaro in Denver, taking out standout Shane Molinari in the opening round, 2017 WSOPM runner-up Steven White- ley in the second round and U.S. Nationals winner Stevie Jackson in the quarterfinals. A solo pass after Brandon Pesz broke in the semifi- nals sent Rowe to the final round, where Rowe and his team knew they had their work cut out for them against Stevens. While Rowe isn’t racing for moral victories, the veteran did like how his team rose to the occasion in a big moment. It wasn’t enough for a six-figure payday, but it was a run worth remembering. “The whole day has been a strug- gle and a fight, and my crew did a great job and I was able to drive a good race car today,” Rowe said fol- lowing the event. “We’ve got a great foundation (for this race). The fans were great and it was fun, and it’s just a matter of building on it.” That’s the proud papa in Rowe talking when it comes to the con- tinued rise of the WSOPM. Rowe’s long-standing support, work eth- ic and forward-thinking vision when it comes to Pro Mod racing has been an important factor in the impressive rise of the class, and that has carried over to the WSOPM as well. The lure of $100,000 is a major carrot for fans and drivers alike, but the class has provided staying power on Thunder Mountain. The fan turnout was strong in 2018, and Rowe had fans coming to his pits this year wearing shirts from the inaugural race. It’s that aspect that has Rowe excited for the future of the WSOPM, hopeful that next time the winner’s circle celebration takes place at Bandimere Speed- way he’s the one being showered in champagne. “I think what the WSOPM is doing is bringing it back to the roots,” Rowe said. “To see more ex- citement, more cars in the second year, it shows how strong the Pro Mod class is. It says a lot about the quality of people and teams involved in what we’re doing, and I’m happy to be part of it. “The one thing I really noticed and thought was interesting to me was how thankful the fans were. They were just excited to be a part of something. I love the fan appeal of what’s going on and they’re all engaged and want to be a part of it. It’s building a fan following.” - JOSH HACHAT DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI 84 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com Issue 137 WORLD SERIES OF PRO MOD 2018