Ed Hoover used two chutes to slow his Camaro Pro Mod. (Ron Lewis photo)

Words by Ian Tocher
Photos Ian Tocher and Ron Lewis

In the fourth event of the season for the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod series, a racer using a supercharged engine, Ed Hoover, finally broke Al-Anabi Racing's grip on the winner’s Wally. The veteran driver and tuner, and one of the original group that started the Pro Modified class, beat both Al-Anabi nitrous oxide proponents  (KA Balooshi and Mike Castellana, winners of the first three races) along the way to securing his first official NHRA national event title (though he also won a Pro Mod exhibition race during the 2001 national event at Atlanta Dragway).

“Man, it sure feels good to get that out of the way,” the Gilbert, SC-based driver said of the breakthrough win. “To overcome the adversity we had hitting the wall on Friday the 13th like we did and now here it is Sunday the 15th and we’re in the winner’s circle; what more can you say to that?”

(Ian Tocher photo)

Significantly, Hoover’s supercharged, Hemi-powered ’68 Camaro also is the first non-nitrous car to visit victory lane in the NHRA series this year.

“We’re at a disadvantage with this 14-percent blower (overdrive, reduced from 20 percent by NHRA),” Hoover said. “But the more laps we get on it, the more I’m getting familiar with it. In extreme heat it still won’t run, but luckily it cooled off a little for us today and that helped to give us a race car.”