DRAG ILLUSTRATED ROUNDTABLE
JOHNNY PLUCHINO |
JR CARR |
JUSTIN KIRK |
JOHN MONTECALVO |
CHRIS POWERS |
Five star drivers in Mountain Motor Pro Stock weigh in on the state of the class
BY NATE VAN WAGNEN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY COLE ROKOSKY , JAMES SISK AND TARA BOWKER
OR AT LEAST the last 15 years or so , Mountain Motor Pro Stock has been in a state of flux . It ’ s bounced around from sanctioning body to sanctioning body , from quarter-mile competition to eighth-mile racing , from a nationally touring class to one with segments in different regions of the U . S .
Unlike its 500-cubic-inch cousin , NHRA Pro Stock , the mountain motor brand of Pro Stock has remained fairly consistent in technology and performance , though . A somewhat unspoken gentleman ’ s agreement among the teams and engine builders has kept the class at a relatively affordable competition level . Engine development is kept to a minimum , with cubic inches ranging from 822 to 843 depending on the block type . Electronic fuel injection is allowed , though carburetors remain the class standard . Eighth-mile performances that were earth-shattering in the early 2010s remain on the list of the top 10 quickest passes in Mountain Motor Pro Stock history in 2021 .
The class is in an interesting spot going into
the summer months of the 2021 season . The class has three different options to consider when it comes time to load up and head out to a race . The PDRA has offered Extreme Pro Stock as a class for all but one year since the all-eighthmile organization formed in 2014 . It ’ s served as a stable home for Mountain Motor Pro Stock racers , though the return of Kenny Nowling ’ s ADRL last year and the NHRA ’ s introduction of MMPS as an exhibition class in 2019 have divided the class again .
Fortunately , Mountain Motor Pro Stock drivers and teams are fiercely passionate about their class and its future . Teams have been known to field second cars at races to ensure a decent field , and drivers like John Montecalvo have even sent fill-in drivers to races they ’ re unable to personally attend .
Mountain Motor Pro Stock racers are an opinionated bunch , and they ’ re often quick to voice their opinions . Some opinions are polarizing , while others are shared across the class . For this
Drag IllustrateD Roundtable , we spoke with five different Mountain Motor Pro Stock drivers with varying backgrounds to get their thoughts on the state of the class .
After 2016 PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world champion John Pluchino decided to step away from driving in 2019 , his son , JOHNNY PLUCHINO , picked up right where he left off . He won an NHRA exhibition race at Indy and a handful of PDRA events before winning the 2020 PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world championship in his first full season in the class . He ’ s also a two-time PDRA Pro Outlaw 632 world champion .
JR CARR is a veteran of the class , though he also has experience racing NHRA Pro Stock . In 2020 , Carr and tuner Frank Gugliotta debuted a brandnew car that Carr promptly drove to his first two PDRA victories . He also broke the 6.10-second barrier in quarter-mile competition , recording a 6.179 at 228.23 MPH at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St . Louis . The Washington native advocates for the class through the Mountain Motor Pro Stock Association , a group of racers that represents the class in dealings with NHRA .
As a third-generation driver , JUSTIN KIRK has known Pro Stock his whole life . Following in the footsteps of his grandfather , hall of famer Carl
82 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 169