Drag Illustrated Issue 153, February 2020 | Page 28
Dirt
Game Changer
Drag Illustrated World
Doorslammer Nationals Presented
by CTech Manufacturing to
Offer $50,000 to Pro Stock,
Pro Mod Winners at Orlando
By Josh Hachat
the headline-worthy drivers in Pro Stock and Pro
Mod, and it’s what he intends to deliver.
“We’ve got a bad ass facility in Orlando owned
by Ozzy Moya that will be perfectly prepared
by Wade Rich,” continued
Buck. “These are guys that
truly share our vision, that
want to make a difference in
the sport of drag racing, and
I couldn’t be more excited to
give these Pro Stock and Pro
Mod racers the opportunity
to compete in an event of this
magnitude and do it at-or-
near sea-level – where they’ll
make career-best passes and
set world records.”
Add in a $50,000-to-
win purse for both classes and it’s the making
of something special for everyone, so much so
that Buck is thrilled with the names already in-
volved with the event, noting the likes of NHRA
Pro Mod champ Stevie
“Fast” Jackson, NHRA
Pro Stock champs Erica
Enders, Jeg Coughlin Jr.,
and Greg Anderson, Alex
Laughlin, Deric Kramer
and more already honed
in on the race.
“When you’re the main
event – it changes every-
thing,” said Buck. “That’s
what these racers deserve.
It’s what their crew mem-
bers deserve. It’s what
their families and spon-
sors deserve. They deserve
to be the stars of the show.
We’ve already had a ton
of people reaching out,
so we’re excited. We know the ingredients re-
quired, and we believe we’re brewing up some-
thing special.”
The payday at the Drag Illustrated World
Doorslammer Nationals
presented by CTech Manufac-
turing represents a huge op-
portunity for drivers in both
classes to start the year strong.
It equals the entire champi-
onship purse in NHRA Pro
Mod in just a single race and
provides a thrilling scenario
for NHRA Pro Stock drivers
who have only competed for
purse money on this level dur-
ing the special shootouts of
yesteryear.
“We’re not putting on a race this March,” Buck
said. “We’re making history. We’re paying the
money these racers deserve to race for. We’re
giving them five rounds of qualifying. We’re
parking them up front. We’re pulling out all the
stops, we’re rolling out the red carpet, and I ex-
pect to see people swinging for the fences. We’re
going to see records sets, barriers broken, and a
couple racers go home with $100,000 between
the two of them.”
There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday,
followed by three on Saturday before eliminations
on Sunday. In the coming weeks, further details
will be revealed as to additional purse money,
specialty match races and more.
“A lot of drag racing history has been made at
Orlando Speed World Dragway over the years,”
Buck concluded. “I’m genuinely excited to work
alongside great men like Ozzy Moya and Richard
Freeman to keep that tradition alive. Together
we’re going to change the game and it starts the
first weekend in March at the Drag Illustrated
World Doorslammer Nationals.”
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I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
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Issue 153
W
ith big money on the line,
Pro Stock and Pro Mod will grab
the spotlight and take their place
as the marquee attractions for the
inaugural Drag Illustrated World Doorslammer
Nationals presented by CTech Manufacturing,
which is set to take place March 6-8 at Orlando
Speed World Dragway.
The first-time event will hand out $50,000
to the winners in both Pro Stock and Pro Mod,
and a bevy of stars are expected in both NHRA
classes. With the race taking place a week before
the NHRA Gatornationals, the World Doorslam-
mer Nationals gives the star competitors in Pro
Stock and Pro Mod a chance to start their season
off right with the potential for career-best per-
formances and a shot at a huge payday – plus
a massive spotlight on two premier doorslam-
mer classes.
“Right now today, the best drag racing hap-
pening on the planet is happening in Pro Stock
and Pro Mod – period. These are two eliminators
that I believe are headline attractions, yet they
rarely get that kind of treatment,” said Wes Buck,
founder and editorial director, Drag Illustrated.
“Well, we’re changing that,” Buck said. “It’s a
belief that started with the World Series of Pro
Mod – that fast doorslammer drag racing on the
quarter mile is a marquee attraction, a standalone
show – and the first-ever World Doorslammer
Nationals is a continuation of that belief. This
is a group of racers that are superstars, and they
deserve to be treated like it – which is exactly what
we’ll do the first weekend of March at Orlando
Speed World Dragway.”
Buck wanted a race that ticked all the boxes for