The FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Series presented by Type A Motorsports rolled into Wide World Technology Raceway for their penultimate round of the 2023 Road to the Championship. As part of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, the FuelTech-sponsored series joined the nitro and stock classes at the 12th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals over the weekend. The ninth of ten Pro Mod series was powered by Jerry Bickel Race Cars and M&M Transmission.
Located just a few minutes east of downtown St. Louis, the quarter-mile asphalt strip resides in the shadows of the Gateway Arch. Formerly known as Gateway International Raceway, the fan-centric facility makes it easy to get close to the action and enjoy three days of incredible speed in side-by-side fashion. Wide World Technology purchased the naming rights to motorsports facility in 2019.
The FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series features suspended door cars that can travel a quarter-mile in less than six seconds at speeds exceeding 250 mph. Last year relief driver Daniel Pharris won the event in his third-ever Pro Mod race filling in for Jose Gonzalez. Defending FuelTech Pro Mod world champion Kris Thorne entered the weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway with the points lead and looking to defend his 2022 championship.
Jordan Lazic Wins Pro Mod in First Career Race
Jordan Lazic may not be a household name for E3 Spark Plugs drag racing fans but the driver of Dean Bettenson’s screw-blown super charged “Junker Bunker”, a rusty Larkspur Blue ’57 Chevrolet, won Pro Mod “Full Blown Frenzy” at Pacific Raceways. At this summer’s Doorwarz in Mission BC, Lazic eliminated Khalid al Balooshi in the semifinal round but lost in the Final to Khalid’s teammate Justin Bond’s 3.73-seconds elapsed time.
His performance at Mission earned Lazic his first start in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod series behind the wheel of a Bahrain 1 Racing Camaro. Lazic raced his way through eliminations with wins over Mike Thielen, Stan Shelton and Mike Castellana. Number One qualifier Jason Scruggs defeated Doug Winters, Kris Thorne and Khalid al Balooshi enroute to the money round. As the Number Two qualifier, Lazic was handed the win in his first career race when Scruggs couldn’t make it to the starting box.
Artwork courtesy of NHRA
UP COMING:
NHRA Nevada Nationals
FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod teams will return to action at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for fall race featuring head-to-head competition as the final race of the 2023 FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod season presented by Type A Motorsports. It is also the final race of the year for Factory Stock and the penultimate event for other NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series classes.
