Agent 1320 Covers Pro Mod

Photos by Ron Lewis and Jeff Burk
9/9/04

HALSEY MAKES IT FOUR FOR FOUR FOR NITROUS

In the four years that Pro Mods have competed at the prestigious U.S. Nationals, only the nitrous oxide-injected cars have found their way to the most coveted winners circle in all of drag racing. This year Jim Halsey joined Ronnie Hood, Shannon Jenkins and Rickie Smith as winners. That factoid makes the Agent wonder where is the supposed parity between blown cars and the nitrous cars? Also did you know that every time a nitrous car won at Indy it was after IHRA made rule changes penalizing the supercharged cars the previous year?

JEFFERS '59 VETTE

One of the more interesting Pro Mods that didn't run at Indy was this still-in-primer '59 'Vette out of the Larry Jeffers's St. Louis racecar shop. The carbon fiber '59 is being built for Midwest Outlaw Pro Mod racers Ron Muenks. Muenks's current split window '63 features a screw blower/Lenco Glide drivetrain combination that has run a six-oh. When he takes delivery of the '59 from Jeffers, word is he is going to take the screw blower off and take a shot at legal Pro Mod racing

NITROUS CARS DOMINATE

Only three of the quick eight Pro Mods at Indy had nitrous oxide injection instead of a supercharger as a power adde, but they were the only Pro Mods at the U.S. Nationals to run sub six-twenty elapsed times. They were the dominant performers at the event with an obvious performance edge over the supercharged contingency.

HALSEY'S WIN WAS NO FLUKE

Jim Halsey not only drives for the Crouse family who happen to own the NHRA-sanctioned Cecil County Dragway but also manages that track. His win may have surprised a fence-full of fans at Indy but it was no fluke. Halsey brought a car out earlier this year at an IHRA event at Virginia driving a '63 'Vette but the Indy-winning '68 Camaro is a brand new Tim McAmis Race Cars piece. Halsey uses Gene Fulton motors but does his own fuel system. The car had run a 6.16 in testing before the Nationals, so his teens at Indy weren't a surprise.

NEW CAVALIER FOR CASTELLANA

The Agent hears that Mike Castellana is having a new 2004 Cavalier built for him at the Missouri shop of Tim McAmis. According to the Agent's source, the Cavalier body will be dropped on a chassis similar to the one under Halsey's '68 Camaro. The source told the Agent the reason for the switch is that Castellana can't get his current Tim McAmis Camaro down to minimum weight!