RULES INFRACTIONS IN PRO MODIFIED?

DRO got calls from several competitors after the U.S. Nationals and the NHRA event at Dallas saying that two of the better known Pro Mod racers on the tour were bending if not breaking the rules to their benefit. It wouldn't serve the sport of drag racing or the class of Pro Mod any good to reveal the names of these racers especially since they have already been outed to their peers and the sanctioning body. So, we'll leave it to the readers to figure out who the culprits were, but should it happen again and DRO gets the racers names, we will make a very big deal about it, and name names and all other information we have. STOP IT, DAMMIT! [9-27-2004]

NEW RULES FOR AMS PRO MOD IN 2005

Agent 1320 hears that AMS Staff Leasing honcho Dave Wood and team owner Tommy Lipar are going to fund the AMS Pro Mod circuit on the NHRA tour in 2005 and will raise the purses to equal that posted by IHRA. That's the good news. Now for the bad news. According to the Agent's sources, there were only three little changes that Wood and Lipar insisted on for next year: 1) no late-model car body styles that would be legal for NHRA Pro Stock competition; 2) 1963 'Vettes would get a 100 lb minimum weight penalty and 3)

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the maximum blower overdrive would be raised from 20% to 29%.
The rules haven't been officially released yet but if they are, the Agent thinks you can say "bye-bye" to nitrous oxide cars in NHRA competition. [9-27-2004]

IHRA NORWALK UPDATE

With IHRA, NHRA, and DragStock all happening on the same weekend of Oct. 8-10, and with those races all running Top Fuel, Pro Mod or a combination of the two, DRO wondered what IHRA policy would be concerning those cars that didn't return to Norwalk to attend one of those other two races, especially in light of the fact that some of the Pro Mods and Top Fuel cars qualified at Norwalk may decide to not to return to that race.

IHRA told DRO that any car qualified for the fields at Norwalk who didn't show would be treated as if they were never there and that alternates would replace them and receive points and money as if they had qualified for the spot originally. [9-27-2004]

ANOTHER PONY IN THE ASHLEY STABLE? SUDDENLY IT'S 2005!

The Agent hears that Mike Ashley will soon take delivery of a second Tommy Mauney-built GT-500S Mustang to replace the '63 'Vette currently driven by Danny Rowe. Hmmm.

On the subject of new cars, the Agent hears that nitrous company owner and super star driver Mike Castellano is about to take delivery of a new 2004 Cavalier out of Tim McAmis' Hawk Point, Missouri shop. The Agent wonders how Mike feels about the fact that the car might not be legal for NHRA Pro Mod racing next year? [9-27-2004]