IHRA: Pro Mod field packed for President's Cup

If you're IHRA Pro Mod driver Billy Harper, we'd advise that you not look behind you this weekend as the IHRA Drag Racing Series returns to Maryland International Raceway Friday and Saturday for the President's Cup Nationals Fueled by Sunoco.

During a normal event, there's plenty of competition for Pro Mod, but this weekend, the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association is joining the IHRA field, and at last count, the total Pro Mod entry list consists of about two dozen cars.

Harper is the defending Pro Mod champion for the President's Cup, and he's also the current IHRA points leader, having won at the Good Vibrations Texas Nationals at San Antonio Raceway, with a 5.8422-second run at 240.64 mph.

At the season-opening AMSOIL Nitro Nationals at Orlando Speed World Dragway, he was the fastest qualifier, but the Paducah, Kentucky, racer's 2000 Dodge Viper didn't make it to the finals.

To prevail in Maryland, Harper is going to have to knock off some formidable competition. As with the IHRA, NEOPMA racers can use nitrous oxide, superchargers or turbochargers on their way to runs over 250mph, in the five-second range. Established in 1992, the organization was originally known as the Northeast Pro Shootout Association.

The group visited Maryland International Raceway in April, and the newly repaved track made for some eye-opening runs, though the final round came down to a pedal-fest as both cars lost traction – it was won by Mac McAdams in his supercharged 1953 Chevrolet Corvette with a run of 6.121 at 201mph.

Harper takes a healthy points lead to Maryland, with 229; Ruben Tetsoshvili has 166, Adam Flamholc 164; Jerico Balduf 149 and Bill Lutz 126.

The President's Cup Nationals Fueled by Sunoco is this Friday through Sunday, June 17-19. The professional classes run Friday and Saturday, and the Summit Pro-Am Tour runs all three days. MDIR is located at 27861 Budds Creek Road, Mechanicsville, MD 20659. Their phone number is (301) 884-9833, and they are on the web at RaceMDIR.com.