Up and coming artist Ian Hawkins, a bona-fide Pro Modified fan, wondered what the original fraternity of drivers would drive if today’s modern technology were accessible to them in 1990. Here are ten of his renderings of a back to the future scenario. If some of your favorite drivers were not included, they likely appeared in a previous editiion you can access PRO MODIFIED THROWBACKS, PART 1.
SCOTTY CANNON - The most iconic Pro Modified driver ever Scotty Cannon drove Corvettes, a Studebaker and even a Frankensteined Lumina, but there's no better kind of car for the six-time champion than a flamed Willys. A bit of trivia here, the flamed scheme which adorned his cars from 1991 until 1998 actually came about as a mistake when the airbrusher covered up a botched headlight with the flames. Another tidbit ... Cannon only won one race without flames - the 1993 IHRA Springnationals in Bristol, Tenn. SHANNON JENKINS - Technically, Shannon Jenkins wasn't in the original Pro Modified Class of 1990. However, when he made his debut in 1993 it marked the start of Pro Modified's most prolific career (and winningest). Of all of his championship runs, who could forget the 1997 and 1999 tours behind the wheel of 1941 Willys nicknamed Barney? Barney began life as the creation of chassis builder Tommy Mauney, who won the 1995 crown before selling the iconic ride to the Parsons Brothers.
BILL KUHLMANN - We were torn whether to put 200 MPH Bill Kuhlmann in a nitrous or blower car. However, judging by the success in Kuhlmann's career we'd venture to say his best campaigns came behind a supercharged engine. However, in the formative years of the Pro Modified era, when it was a Quick 32 bracket class, his most defining moment came in March of 1987 when he beat the Mountain Motor Pro Stocks past the 200 mph barrier. This achievement with a nitrous-injected Camaro, was easily the moment which made him and this style of racing a media magnet.
CHARLES CARPENTER - Talk about an icon; Charles Carpenter did more to put the 1955 Chevy on the map in drag racing than anyone on the planet. Yes, we said it. Until Dave Bishop proclaimed Carpenter's shoebox as the "World's Fastest '55 Chevy" for a series 8.8-second runs in 1983, the bowtie classic was dormant. Thus, thanks to Carpenter, the "World's Fastest Group" began with him as the charter member. And the double-nickel, well Carpenter made it cool again.
ROBBIE VANDERGRIFF - If Charles Carpenter was the New York Yankees of shoeboxes, then Robbie Vandergriff was the Boston Red Sox. There was one difference in using this analogy, unlike these baseball teams, the two liked one another. Vandergriff burst onto the scene in 1987 while driving a plain jane white '57 Chevy. The funny thing about the modern versions of the '57 Chevys was Vandergriff's 1988 and 1991 offerings of the "Studebaker Bel-Air" were about a decade ahead of their time.
BLAKE WIGGINS - Blake Wiggins never went for the classic body styles in his days of pioneering the fast doorslammer style of racing. Wigglns ran a 1981 Corvette nicknamed "Wicked Wanda" in Top Sportsman before commissioning Tommy Mauney to build a couple of late model Trans-Ams. However, in today's world, we could see Wiggins going to a classic style of Firebird, which by all accounts, probably has as much aerodynamic value as his late model cars from yesteryear.
TIM MCAMIS - The winner of the inaugural Pro Modified championship Tim McAmis would have been best suited in a modern-era, space age Corvette. McAmis ran a late model Firebird in his inaugural championship run and knowing him, this Corvette would be chock full of every innovative trick in the book including one of those neat nitrous burst panels, not that he would ever have to use it. McAmis always ran hard and strong back in the day.
KEN REGENTHAL - Ken Regenthal ran a '63 Corvette in the Quick Eight ranks before anyone realized its wedge shaped design would make it one of the best cars the class has ever had. Regenthal lived in the Carolinas, and while he did his best to face the giants in the big show, he held his own with the fuel-injected entry in the local Quick Eights.
CAROLYN MELENDY - Carolyn Melendy is probably one of the least recognized pioneers of the Pro Modified era. Melendy, before any other female dared to try it, drove one of the Lenco-shifted Pro Modifieds, and did it well. We remember her well, and she became a personal favorite because of her personality and talent, and not because her gender made her different than the other drivers.
STUART NORMAN/JOHN HOLT - Yes, we had to include it. A the legendary tales are told, the John Holt-driven Nomad went down in history as the first Pro Modified to complete a 360-degree spin on a burnout during its 1990 IHRA Winternationals debut in Darlington, SC, This was always a neat body style which never really was successful until Joey Martin made it so some two decades later.
