KEEPING UP
THE PACE
DEFENDING MID-WEST
PRO MOD SERIES CHAMPION
AARON WELLS ROLLS TO WIN
AT THROWDOWN AT T-TOWN
BY JOSH HACHAT
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JASON DUNN
BY THE TIME Aaron Wells closed his trailer door at
Tulsa Raceway Park early Sunday morning, his clock
read 5 a.m. The reigning Mid-West Pro Mod Series
champ was exhausted and it was a long night by any
account. But it was a weekend that actually included
drag racing and a trip to the winner’s circle, so Wells
was more than happy to bask in the joy of the moment.
His offseason went far longer than expected thanks to the COVID-19
pandemic, but there was little rust to be found from Wells, his team and
the blown Jerry Bickel Race Cars-built ‘ 67 Mustang GT 500, leading to
a win at the Throwdown at T-Town in early May.
Wells went a blistering 3.64-seconds at 209.82 mph in the final round
against Judd Coffman, continuing a stretch of impressive performances
for the Mustang, Oklahoma, native.
“To have the winter or offseason be basically the length of three, and
then come out and qualify No. 1 and win the race, it’s picture perfect,”
Wells says. “It was unreal. It’s been an awfully long (offseason), so it was
amazing to get back in the swing of things. It was sure nice just to get
back to racing, and to win, it was just great. We’re having a blast and every
win still feels like the first one.”
This one will surely feel decidedly different from perhaps any.
With the public health crisis wreaking havoc on all events, Wells wasn’t
sure there would even be racing in Tulsa. The MWPMS had already
adjusted the early part of its schedule, and Wells was thrilled when he
received confirmation the race would happen.
To add to it, track owners Keith Haney and Todd Martin worked with
the local government to allow fans, with everyone following strict social
distancing guidelines. It made for a unique environment in Tulsa, but
Wells believed everything went well, noting it could serve as a guide for
track operators across the country.
“If you would have asked me a short while ago if this race was going to
happen, I would have unanimously said there’s no way. To have everyone
work through the problems and everything, it was sure nice,” Wells says.
“Honestly, I think they did well keeping everyone cleared from the starting
line and from congregating there.
“And for the most part, people were respectable in the pits and kept
their distance. The track worked hard as well, and in the stands they
were able to social distance as much as you could expect. Big tracks are
perfectly capable of doing the same thing as Tulsa, keeping everyone
safe and keeping everybody clear. Fortunately, I think it worked out
really well.”
Everything worked out almost perfectly for Wells, who looked like
he had not skipped a beat. After testing a number of different things on
Thursday, the team found something that worked, immediately vaulting
to the top with an impressive 3.666 at 207.75.
After clinching the MWPMS championship last year, winning the special
invite at the NHRA race in Dallas and then posting a remarkable victory
at the Street Car Super Nationals in Vegas, Wells wasn’t sure if he could
keep that incredible pace.
It didn’t take long to see he could.
“The minute we went down the track (in Tulsa), I knew we had something
to work with. We just continued to chip away at it and make improvements,”
Wells says. “I felt pretty confident we could make it do what it had
in the past. We went in not expecting to qualify No. 1, but we definitely
expected to go rounds.”
That expectation was met quickly, as Wells went 3.765 at 205.22 and
3.952 at 159.14 to reach the semifinals. The second-round victory came
with some issues, as Wells and his team, which includes tuner Travis
Cannon, as well as Wells’ mother, father, wife and two daughters, had to
work hard to make the call.
“From the firewall back, everything came apart between the second
and third rounds,” Wells reveals. “We had electrical issues and it was a bit
of a thrash, but we were able to make the call. I’ve just got good people
who help make this all happen. I’ll be the first one to admit I’m blessed.”
Wells found his footing in the semifinals, going 3.689 to beat Clint
Satterfield before making the quickest run of the weekend in the final
round against Coffman.
It was a spectacular start to his championship defense and Wells was
more than willing to pass along credit to his talented team.
“I’d obviously love to take the credit, but that’s not where it’s won,” Wells
offers. “[Engine builder] Darren Mayer is always working and building
something phenomenal, and Bickel builds a great car. All these parts
and pieces make a different, but it’s really the preparation that brings it
all together.” DI
June 2020
DragIllustrated.com | Drag Illustrated | 93