IHRA: Driver Profile: Bill Lutz, Pro Mod racer

Bill Lutz is the first to admit that there's nothing wrong with bracket racing – only that it isn't for him. "I never much liked it when I would lose because I went too fast. I wanted to win because I went too fast!"

He started out at age 15 in Super Gas, then moved to Super Comp, then bought a 1967 Camaro – which he still owns and races once in a while – and moved to head's up classes, where going fast is a good thing. If you lose, you lose.

But Lutz doesn't like to lose, for any reason. He was running a nitrous car, and had a lot of success with it, but after he and he crew went to a massive door-slammer event and failed to qualify, he pledged on that long drive home that he would commit whatever resources he had to for his car to make sure they never failed to qualify again. That's when they went with turbocharging, "and we don't regret it."

Lutz said he always wanted to go Pro Mod racing, "but we never really had the funds to do it." That's where his story gets especially creative: Lutz owns an insurance agency, Central Ohio Insurance in Pickerington, which is an independent agency, meaning he writes insurance not with just one company, but 20.

One day he got a call from a company that said they wanted to write insurance on race cars – both on and off the track – and given his background, they figured he'd be perfect as an agent, even though "I thought they were crazy at first!" They were right. Lutz works closely with the IHRA and its racers, as well as racers in other disciplines.

That's how he got into Pro Mod: Jason Hamstra wrecked his new car, and Lutz bought the remains from the insurance company. "That's the car I race now. We won our very first race in it, and we never looked back. Of course, we have great sponsors, otherwise I'd never be able to do it.

"We race on our own dime, as a family. If my family wasn't interested, I'd quit tomorrow."

Helpful is the family atmosphere in the Pro Mod class at the IHRA events. "The camaraderie at the track is what really makes it fun," Lutz said.

His sponsors include Turbos by Garrett, Haltech, EMS 2000 boost controllers, The Driveshaft Shop, Fire Core ignition wires, Pro Torque convertors, Manton rocker arms and Mickey Thompson tires.

Lutz competed in both the season-opening Nitro Nationals at Orlando Speed World, and the Texas Nationals at San Antonio Raceway, and was planning to carry his fifth-place in season points to the Presidents Cup Nationals at Maryland International Raceway June 17-19, then on to the next two races, in Canada. But at the moment, it looks like the next race Lutz and his Garrett Turbo 1969 Camaro Pro Mod will be attending is the Northern Nationals Aug. 12-13 at U.S. 31 Motorsports Park at Martin, Mich.

And frankly, he feels pretty lucky to have that race in his future. Not long after the San Antonio race, Lutz underwent what he thought was routine gall bladder surgery, but multiple complications had him, quite literally, fighting for his life.

As Lutz is on the road to recovery – a far longer one that he was contemplating – he says not to expect to see him at the track until he's cleared to race. "I'm a terrible spectator," he said.