NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

As a veteran of the class, Steve Matusek loves the impressive depth and talent in the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series. But Matusek also saw firsthand the result of that much talent in a racing weekend when things don’t go as planned.

Matusek could not get on track at the most recent race in Indy, failing to qualify for the first time this season against a field that once again topped 30 cars. Getting a chance at redemption comes soon, as Matusek and the rest of the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series competes as part of this weekend’s ninth annual NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. This weekend's Pro Mod racing is presented by The Real Pro Mod Association.

Matusek and his Agave Underground Chevrolet Camaro are part of a field that includes 31 cars, meaning another challenging weekend awaits.

“Of the 31 cars at Charlotte, I would say probably 29 of them have a legit chance of winning the race,” Matusek said. “It makes you dig down, but I tell you what, I love it. I would much rather have it this way where every qualifying round means something. Even though there’s a lot of pressure, there’s a lot of camaraderie in the points. We’re all doing it because we love it, and it’s just a really unique class.”

This weekend’s race, which will air on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and FOX Sports 2 (FS2), is the eighth of 10 events in 2016 in the NHRA Pro Mod class. Two-time world champion Rickie Smith is the current points leader, with Troy Coughlin Sr. sitting 87 points back heading into the final three events of the year.

Matusek’s teammate, Danny Rowe, is the defending winner of the event. That gives Matusek good vibes heading into the weekend despite the recent struggles in Indy.

“We've had some good experience at this racetrack,” Matusek said. “(Crew chief) Jimmy (Rector) is coming back with a vengeance this weekend, and we’re going to be very aggressive. That’s going to go one of two ways.”

Matusek hopes it is the opposite of what happened in Indy, where a series of issues led to him qualifying 17th and missing eliminations in what ended up being the quickest field in NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series history. It was a stark contrast to Matusek’s early-season success, which included two semifinal berths and had him sitting as high as third in points.

The Indy struggles dropped him to sixth, but that hasn’t dimmed Matusek’s outlook for what his team can accomplish this weekend in Charlotte as he searches for his first career NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series victory.

“I’m very excited to get back in the car, but the margin for error is very slim in this class,” Matusek said. “There are a lot of quality cars, but we feel like we have a good race car. We stumbled in Indy, and a couple of things that could have gone in our direction didn’t, but we’re very confident. We’re going out there swinging and hopefully we can qualify well, go rounds, and win. To do that in a class like this would be very rewarding.”

Featuring the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer race cars, the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series offers something for every kind of hot-rodding enthusiast. The class is highlighted by historic muscle cars, like ’67 Mustangs, ’68 Firebirds, and ’69 Camaros, as well as a variety of late-model American muscle cars. With more than 3,000 horsepower, the suspended-door Pro Mod cars travel the quarter-mile in less than six seconds at speeds exceeding 250 mph.
 
NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying begins Friday, Sept. 16, with sessions at 2:30 and 5 p.m., continuing with the final qualifying session on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 12:15 p.m. Round one of eliminations is slated for Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call 800-455-FANS (3267). Tickets also are available online at www.zmaxdragway.com. Kids 12 and under are free in general-admission areas with a paid adult.