Whatever magic, whatever marketability, whatever success he had, he knows it wasn't enough to please those who pay the bills. Cannon also verified that he would at least begin the 2004 Pro Mod season with the same Australian-built "Swing Arm" suspensioned, '53 Studebaker that he drove to the 1998 IHRA Pro Modified World Championship.

"That car has gone 3.90 to the eighth many times which is about what they are going now so I feel that it will still be competitive. I'll start testing after the first of the year to be ready for the 2004 season. I think it will take me about five races to get competitive."

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It should be noted here that when Cannon ran those numbers there weren't the tire size rules, rear-end ratio restrictions, blower overdrive restriction or the 2700-lb minimum weight that Pro Mods are now saddled with.

Cannon has three runner-up finishes and a career elimination-round record of 62-106. He has lost in the first round 15 times this year and failed to qualify at Memphis and Reading this fall.

Cannon also said that he will do what he can do to get his Oakley sponsor to try to get the Pro Mod class a few of the perks that NHRA's Pro classes currently enjoy. He didn't specify what those would be.

One thing is certain. Cannon's return to Pro Modified and especially NHRA Pro Modified can do nothing but benefit the class both from a fan and media attention point of view. There are plenty of Pro Mod racers that he used to race against waiting to show him what they have learned in the past four years. Next year sure won't be dull.

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