Robert Patrick's Pro Mod.

Mountain Motor Nationals at Maryland International Raceway

Horsepower, Speed and Variety

Words by Rick Lindner
Photos by Chris Simmons

The 37th Annual Mountain Motor Nationals delivered in its promise of horsepower, speed and variety for the annual May classic at Maryland International Raceway. Mother Nature also delivered on her promise of plentiful sunshine and blue skies for the weekend, which resulted in a great weekend of drag racing action.

The unique annual event featured the region's ever popular 900+ cubic inch, turbocharged, supercharged, and nitrous-injected Pro Mods in the second stop of the season for the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Drag Racing Series 2015 points series chase. The 16-car field lived up to the pre-race hype as big numbers were posted all weekend long.

Perhaps the best race of the weekend came in the semis as Robert Patrick Jr. of Fredericksburg, Va., and his nitrous entry topped the turbocharged '53 Corvette of Craig Pio in the second fastest side-by-side race in the track's Pro Mod history, with a winning 5.873 to a losing 5.929.


Kevin McCurdy and his Hamburg, Pennsylvania-based supercharged '68 Camaro continued his march through the completion this seasoncapturing his second title in as many events in NEOPMA competition taking down Patrick in the final with a 6.228 effort at 233.76 to Patrick's 6.424 number.

The popular wheelstanding Outlaw Drag Radial class also made its second visit to MDIR this year. The eight-car bracket turned into a slug fest with Hamptonville, North Carolina's Barry Mitchell and his '92 Mustang coming out on top, beating Steve Willingham and his '67 Mustang in a close final, with a 4.34 winning effort in the 660-foot completion.