Former NHRA Pro Mod world champion Khalid alBalooshi drove his Bahrain 1 turbo charged Camaro to his first victory of the E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod Drag Racing series presented by J&A Service. The series event was presented by Plochman's Mustard in Norwalk was the eighth of twelve races scheduled for the 2019 NHRA Pro Mod season. It was alBalooshi's second win at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, with his first victory coming in the Top Fuel division.
Mike Castellana drove his Frank Manzo-tuned car to the top of the qualifying sheet with a 5.701-second ET, which was a full .04-second quicker than Mike Janis second place. Defending world champion Mike Janis qualified second with a 5.741 ET, just a thousandth quicker than Sidnei Frigo. Steve Matusek and Alex Laughlin were also within thousandths of Frigo to round out the top five. The last winner on E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod tour, Jose Gonzalez, qualified sixth with a 5.748-second ET.
In the finals, Khalid would be paired against the Bristol Pro Mod winner Jose Gonzalez. At Norwalk, Gonzalez defeated Doug Winters, Brandon Snider and points' leader Stevie "Fast" Jackson to reach the fifth final round of his career. It would also be the second final round in a row for Gonzalez. alBalooshi eliminated a "Who's Who" listing of E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod racers by defeating Todd Tutterow, number one qualifier Mike Castellana, and three-time world Pro Mod champion Richie Smith.
After the doorslammer class tripped the lights for the final round, alBalooshi posted a 5.765-second ET at 259.01 mph in his turbocharged Bahrain 1 Racing Camaro to defeat Gonzalez's 5.801-second ET at 258.81 mph. The E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service continues at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Aug. 28-Sept. 2 at Lucas Oil Raceway Park at Indianapolis.
Photo courtesy of RPM: Real Pro Mod
Featuring the world’s fastest and most exotic doorslammer racecars, the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service offers something for every kind of drag racing fan. With more than 3,000 horsepower, the "suspended door" Pro Mod cars travel the quarter-mile in less than six seconds at speeds exceeding 250 mph. Visit Real Pro Mod online to learn more.
