{"id":31009,"date":"2026-02-28T10:40:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T15:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/competitionplus.com\/?p=31009"},"modified":"2026-02-28T10:45:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T15:45:13","slug":"as-nhra-celebrates-25-years-of-pro-mod-class-exhibition-roots-trace-back-to-two-memorable-debuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/competitionplus.com\/as-nhra-celebrates-25-years-of-pro-mod-class-exhibition-roots-trace-back-to-two-memorable-debuts\/","title":{"rendered":"AS NHRA CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF PRO MOD, CLASS EXHIBITION ROOTS TRACE BACK TO TWO MEMORABLE DEBUTS"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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As NHRA celebrates the 25th season of its Pro Mod Drag Racing Series in 2026, the milestone invites a closer look at how the doorslammer category was introduced at the national level. The anniversary, spotlighted in a recent NHRA announcement, traces directly to a rain-delayed exhibition in 2001 \u2014 but the class\u2019 foundation was shaped by two sanctioning bodies and two very different debuts.<\/p>

While NHRA and IHRA operated under separate rulebooks and philosophies, both launched Pro Modified through exhibition events that became defining moments in drag racing history. Those introductions, 12 years apart, unfolded under dramatically different circumstances yet helped establish one of the sport\u2019s most resilient doorslammer divisions.<\/p>

NHRA\u2019s first Pro Modified exhibition took place in March 2001, marking its formal step toward integrating the class into national competition. Sixteen cars entered, competing for eight qualifying spots.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The bump spot belonged to Troy Critchley at 6.372 seconds. The field split evenly between four supercharged and four nitrous-injected entries.<\/p>

Only two qualifying sessions were completed before rain washed out the weekend. The exhibition was rescheduled for the following weekend, placing it directly on top of the IHRA season opener in Darlington.<\/p>

The scheduling conflict thinned the field, as most teams honored their Darlington commitments. Only four of the original entries returned for the rescheduled NHRA exhibition.<\/p>

When eliminations were finally contested, Rickie Smith, driving a nitrous-injected Dodge Viper, defeated Kirk Kuhns to claim the inaugural NHRA Pro Modified exhibition title. The victory provided early validation for a class still carving out its place within the NHRA structure.<\/p>

One of the most memorable moments of that debut came during qualifying.<\/p>

Paul Athey, driving Johnny Rocca\u2019s 1949 Mercury, lost control during his burnout, crossed the centerline and sideswiped Ronnie Hood\u2019s 1963 Corvette. Both drivers backed up and staged despite the contact.<\/p>

Athey aborted his run early, while Hood posted a 6.322-second pass at 224.25 mph to take the provisional pole.<\/p>

There were a score of onlookers watching the exhibition, including 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force<\/span><\/span>. The moment became part of Pro Mod lore not because of the contact, but because of who was paying attention.<\/p>

Alcohol Funny Car standout Jay Payne<\/span><\/span> stood alongside his father-in-law, Top Alcohol icon Brad Anderson<\/span><\/span>. After seeing Rocca \u2014 dressed in full Indian garb \u2014 back the car up and then witnessing the contact and continuation of the run, legend has it Payne turned to Anderson and said, \u201cThey have Indians, they crash into each other and still race, \u2018we gotta have one of those.\u201d<\/p>

Shortly thereafter, they fielded a supercharged Camaro Pro Modified, adding to the growing momentum behind the category.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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That 2001 exhibition laid the groundwork for expansion. The class evolved into a regional presence before becoming an official NHRA national championship category in 2010.<\/p>

Now, as NHRA celebrates its 25th Pro Mod season as part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the class competes at 11 national events across the country. To commemorate the milestone, NHRA is streaming one round of qualifying each day and the opening round of eliminations live and free on its YouTube page at every Pro Mod event in 2026.<\/p>

\u201cNHRA Pro Mod being streamed live on YouTube isn\u2019t just exposure \u2014 it\u2019s proof of our evolution,\u201d NHRA Pro Mod driver and Team Shelton Motorsports owner Stan Shelton said. \u201cWe\u2019re a self-managed class with a clear identity, and this growth reflects the power of that model within the NHRA. We\u2019re excited to celebrate the 25th year of Pro Mod in NHRA and we\u2019re looking forward to a great season.\u201d<\/p>

NHRA Senior Vice President Evan Jonat said the anniversary reflects the category\u2019s competitive depth and staying power.<\/p>

\u201cThe 2026 season is a milestone moment for NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, which continues to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable categories in drag racing,\u201d Jonat said. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to celebrate this anniversary across all 11 events this year and offer fans free coverage on the NHRA YouTube page. With a bigger spotlight, it\u2019s a great opportunity for these talented drivers to showcase their skills and what makes this class so enjoyable to watch.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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More than a decade before NHRA staged its exhibition, IHRA introduced Pro Modified in October 1989 at Atco Dragway. The 16-car exhibition carried no points and offered a $4,000 winner\u2019s purse along with the right to display the No. 1 designation for the inaugural season.<\/p>

The class had been formally named only days earlier in Drag Review, and event flyers listed it simply as \u201cPro 16.\u201d National coverage was minimal, and the IHRA media guide made little mention of the debut.<\/p>

Much of the recollection of that weekend comes from interviews conducted in 2005 with those who were present.<\/p>

\u201cEver since I came on the scene in 1987 and watched Kuhlmann run the 200, I fell into this whole excitement and as a west coast guy, we always had a lot of racing excitement out there,\u201d Don Gillespie said in a 2005 interview. \u201cBut, seeing this whole thing unfold and the excitement on the faces of those people in an area that didn\u2019t experience a lot of that was priceless. It was really big on a race-to-race basis. This was the center of the drag racing universe for this period of time.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cWhen the race started, there was a very positive feeling throughout the place,\u201d Ted Jones said in 2005. \u201cEverybody was up and excited about the event. We felt like we were on the cusp of something really big.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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That optimism changed during eliminations.<\/p>

Walter Henry lost control of his Corvette when a tire entered the grass recovery area between the racing surface and the retaining wall. The car crossed lanes, went airborne and struck a scoreboard beam, killing him instantly from massive internal injuries.<\/p>

Lane Green, in the opposite lane, had lifted early after tire shake. Had he remained alongside Henry, the accident might have involved both cars.<\/p>

Henry had planned to retire after the event and turn driving duties over to his son Gary, who was preparing to begin licensing.<\/p>

In a 2005 interview, Bill Kuhlmann reflected on leaving the track after winning the event.<\/p>

\u201cI had mixed emotions about leaving that place when I pulled out and saw Walter\u2019s rig sitting over there like a ghost,\u201d Kuhlmann said. \u201cIt was really emotional. You get to win the first race and a friend gets killed. All of my circuits were overloaded that day.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cThere was an eerie feeling about that whole weekend and the experience,\u201d Gillespie said in 2005. \u201cIt was just before Halloween and all of the houses and everywhere were decorated with skeletons and various things associated with death. That whole thing made it eerie. Knowing that a good friend has just died violently and seeing all of those images just made me sick to my stomach.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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