Doug Winters Previews 1,000-Foot B’laster Pro Mod Shootout at Norwalk’s Night Under Fire
The Congruity HR NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV was noticeably absent from the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park this past June. The Norwalk, Ohio, facility has been a Midwest hotbed for Pro Modified racing for many years, and not racing there this season didn’t sit right with some racers in the series. Doug Winters was one of those drivers who missed out on a trip to Norwalk, and after discussions with track owner Bill Bader Jr., Winters found a way to bring NHRA Pro Mods to “America’s Racetrack” after all.
This Saturday, the B’laster Pro Mod Shootout will bring Winters and three other NHRA-legal Pro Mods to Norwalk to take part in the track’s 47th annual Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire. B’laster Products, a longtime track sponsor as well as the primary sponsor on Winters’ roots-blown ’69 Chevelle for several races this season, pledged its support of the shootout.
“The first inspiration was Pro Mod didn’t run at NHRA Norwalk this year, so we missed out on going to Norwalk. I think it’s the first time in probably 15 years that Pro Mods weren’t at Norwalk,” Winters said. “The second thought was, B’laster, my primary sponsor now, is located in Cleveland. This is about doing something for them as well, so we’re inviting 20-some B’laster people out to the track on Saturday.”
The B’laster Pro Mod Shootout was a late addition to an already stacked Night Under Fire lineup. The four-car exhibition, which also includes Nick Januik and his Red Line Oil ’20 Corvette, Dwayne Wolfe and his ’18 Camaro, and Steve Easton and his ’63 Corvette, will join four-car fields full of NHRA stars in Top Fuel and Funny Car, a pair of jet trucks, four Jet Dragsters, two Jet Funny Cars, four Top Fuel Harleys, two wheelstanders, and eight-car Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car fields competing in an NHRA regional race.
“I got with Bill Bader, basically after he already had his plans set, and talked to him about bringing some NHRA cars up there to run at Night Under Fire,” Winters explained. “He loved the idea and was especially grateful since the NHRA race didn’t have Pro Mods this year, but there wasn’t a lot of time left in the schedule, so he proposed a four-car show. Then I said to make it a little different, how about we run 1,000 foot? He thought it was a great idea as well. We’re touting it as the first 1,000-foot Pro Mod race.”
David Beitler photo
Winters believes the 1,000-foot format will help level the playing field and take away some of the aerodynamic advantage that the new-style Camaro body has over other body styles, like his fan-favorite ’69 Chevelle.
“I’ve been doing a lot of analysis on spreadsheets associated with back-half numbers –1,000 foot to quarter-miles on all body styles – and it’s evident that the new-style Camaro is at least two hundredths better than any other body style, at least from 1,000 foot to the quarter mile. When you look at the 1,000-foot breakdowns, all the body styles are pretty close. We’re taking some of the body equation out of it, so it’ll be interesting.”
The B’laster Pro Mod Shootout format features one qualifying session on Friday evening and another one on Saturday around noon to set the order. Once the Night Under Fire show begins, the No. 1 qualifier will face the No. 4 qualifier and No. 2 will face No. 3. The winners will race each other in the final round, then the losers will also line up against each other. It’s a classic match racing format that has made Night Under Fire a motorsports entertainment destination for nearly 50 years.
“We can’t wait,” Winters said. “I have unfortunately never been to Night Under Fire, but I’ve always heard the accolades about it and seen it on the YouTube channels and what goes on there. We’re more than happy to show up and participate with everyone else. I’m coming from the days of Nitro Coupes and Super Chevy Shows, so I know what it’s like to put on a show for fans. Not just a race, but we’re actually doing a show. I understand that philosophy and Bader’s philosophy about entertaining the fans. It’s our opportunity to not only be a part of that, but to also be a part of a show like we used to be with Super Chevy Shows.”
Tickets for the 47th annual Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire including the B’laster Pro Mod Shootout are still available at SummitMotorsportsPark.com.
This story was originally published on July 31, 2024.
The post Doug Winters Previews 1,000-Foot B’laster Pro Mod Shootout at Norwalk’s Night Under Fire first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
