Every drag racing season since 1961, Indianapolis has hosted the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series event known as the “The Big Go”. The annual event is sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association-and is considered to be the most prestigious drag racing event worldwide. It is also the longest running Labor Day weekend motorsports event in the nation.
Maybe it is just because Labor Day marks the end of summer but The Big Go attracts huge crowds to the Indianapolis area to celebrate the past, present and future of the sport of drag racing. Once the gates open on Friday, the action on the track is fast and furious through qualifying, specialty events, and concludes with elimination rounds on Monday.
Added to the lure of NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series is that the U.S. Nationals are the final NHRA event prior to the start of the six-race playoff that crown champions in nitro and stock classes. This year center stage at The Big Go hosted the penultimate event for the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod presented by Type A Motorsports season at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Kris Thorne Claims Pro Mod Wally at Indy
Pro Mod is a fan-favorite class at the National Hot Rod Association nationals. With more than 3,000 horsepower, the FuelTech series features your choice of doorslammer cars powered by a broad range of racing fuel or nitro powerplants. The FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod event was part of the Labor Day weekend at the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park as the eighth of ten races scheduled for the 2023 season.
Thorne advanced to the Pro Mod final with wins over Jerico Balduf, Rickie Smith and Stan Shelton. Justin Bond advanced to the championship round at The Big Go with wins elimination wins over Mason Wright, Billy Banaka and Mike Castellana. The defending FuelTech world champion relied on a .017-second reaction time to hold off Bond’s quicker 5.777 ET to take over the points lead for the first time this season.
Artwork courtesy of NHRA
UP COMING:
NHRA Midwest Nationals
Pro Mod teams will return to action at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis. The Sept 29-Oct 1 fall race will host the penultimate race of the 2023 FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod season presented by Type A Motorsports. Kris Thorne holds a twelve-point lead over Justin Bond with two races to go.
