91°µÍø

NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Mountain Motor Pro Stock leaves us wanting more at last stop on 2019 NHRA tour

This is the last stop on tour for Mountain Motor Pro Stock, we miss it already.
06 Jul 2019
Jacob Sundstrom, NHRA National Dragster Associate Editor
Feature
John DeFlorian

John DeFlorian is as good a spokesperson for Mountain Motor Pro Stock as there is right now. He grabbed the first official Mountain Motor Wally in Houston and he couldn’t have been any happier about it. He’s gone on to have success, but not win at either of the other stops on the abbreviated Mountain Motor tour (Charlotte and Bristol, where Chris Powers and Todd Hoerner won).

There have, as a matter of fact, been five different finalists in three finals in the category. Small sample size? Absolutely. But Mountain Motor has delivered both a great show and an introduction to a variety of competitive teams in its short time on the NHRA Drag Racing stage. Hoerner currently stands as the only multi-time finalist (he runnered up in Charlotte and won in Bristol).Ìý

That brings us to Epping, another former stronghold of the ginormous powerplants that make the category what it is. Throw a dart at a map of former IHRA facilities and you can bet Mountain Motor Pro Stock burned rubber there; at least, for the portion of the track all four wheels touch the ground.Ìý

DeFlorian leads the 10-car field, which will be trimmed to eight by the end of Saturday qualifying, with a 6.362-second lap at 223.17-mph. He made that pass in a 2015 Camaro, one of six Chevys in the class. The other four cars in the field are Mustangs, the highest qualified is Elijah Morton’s in the No. 5 position.Ìý

The top four cars are separated by .013-second, and the two cars outside of the bump have yet to make full pulls down the track. A track ranging between 120-139* on Friday contributed to that (and it’s not going to change on Saturday), but figure the field will bunch up even more before it is ultimately set on Sunday.Ìý

There will be more Mountain Motor Pro Stock racing on the 2020 NHRA Drag Racing schedule, which is a good thing because more racing is always a good thing. We already know former 500-cubic inch Pro Stock racer Vincent Nobile will get a seat in a Roy Hill-backed machine, and it would not be a shock if more racers come out of the woodwork to participate in the class.Ìý

For now, there are six more rounds of Mountain Motor left on the 2019 NHRA schedule to enjoy. That sounds like as good a way to spend a holiday weekend as any. You can catch all of their runs live on if you won’t be joining us at New England Dragway.

Full NHRA New England Nationals ScheduleÌý