COSTA EAGER TO PROVE NITROUS NAYSAYERS WRONG AT WSOPMA
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World Series of Pro Mod officials announced today a $5,000-to-win burnout contest to take place during the Friday shakedown sessions at the DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of Pro Mod, Aug 10-11, at Bandimere Speedway near Denver. Drag 965 and Nitrous Outlet have signed on as the presenting sponsors of the burnout contest.
Drawing on the success of last year’s impromptu burnout contest, Drag Illustrated Founder and Editor Director Wes Buck wanted to create an official competition with serious prize money for the winner.
“A handful of drivers got together and challenged each other to a burnout contest last year, much to the approval of the fans,” Buck said. “It really added to the show and injected some excitement into Friday’s program, so we knew we had to do it again this year. Sheikh Mohammad al Sabah (head of Drag 965) and David Vasser (owner of Nitrous Outlet) were both eager to jump on board and show their support for the drivers who participate in this contest.”
The burnout contest, open to all of the WSOPM Pro Mod drivers, will take place during the second Summit Racing Shakedown Runs session at 7:15 p.m. Friday. The winner will be decided by a panel of judges, who will rank the burnouts based on length, style, smoke and crowd reaction. Drivers must start their burnouts behind the starting line, but there are no other rules or limitations.
“Drivers like Clint Satterfield and Stevie ‘Fast’ Jackson have already confirmed their participation – they even have burnout contest-specific engines set aside,” Buck revealed. “These guys are serious about putting on a show and we appreciate them willing to go to such lengths to help us make the World Series of Pro Mod a truly one-of-a-kind drag racing entertainment property.”
The word is that nitrous Pro Mods will struggle mightily in the high-altitude conditions at Bandimere Speedway. Robert Costa is determined to change that way of thinking and he is ready to do it on the biggest stage.
Costa, the owner of Albuquerque Dragway, will campaign his nitrous-powered ’70 Duster at the DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of Pro Mod, which takes place Aug. 10-11 just outside of Denver.
The thin air on Thunder Mountain may put a nitrous car at a disadvantage, but with 15 years’ experience racing at Bandimere, Costa is confident he can prove the naysayers wrong at the biggest and richest Pro Mod race in the history of the known universe.
“I think people are going to be surprised that a couple of nitrous cars can run with them,” Costa said. “It’s going to be cool to have all three combinations there. Being somewhat of a no-name racer, maybe they will take us for granted and think we may be the easy prey. But we will be competitive.”
Costa, who has run well in a handful of appearances in the Mid-West Pro Mod Series in 2018, could provide the Cinderella story of the $100,000 winner-take-all WSOPM. Without question, though, Costa is all-in on the race.
Along with Costa’s participation as a racer, his brother’s company, Yearwood Performance, is an event sponsor, adding another level of excitement for the family heading into the race. The Albuquerque-based Yearwood Performance supplies parts to Robert’s car and several other Pro Mod cars in the region, with the sponsorship allowing the company to be seen on a bigger level at the marquee event.
Throw in Costa’s high regard for Bandimere Speedway and it results in a can’t-miss event.
“We love racing in Denver. It’s kind of our second home and it’s the same elevation as what we run in Albuquerque,” Costa said. “It’s a great venue and there is no other track like Bandimere. I don’t think there’s an equal to Bandimere. You can throw everything at the track because you know the track can take it.”
Costa plans on doing just that, having spent plenty of time and energy preparing to run well during the WSOPM. That ample work has proven successful, and Costa believes his team has developed a game plan to make continuous improvements throughout the course of the weekend on Thunder Mountain with his nitrous combination.
“I think we can have a good combination right off the bat,” Costa said. “We’ve ran some pretty good numbers up there and we’ve learned a lot. We’re not new to running at elevation, and I think we can take our numbers and improve. We’ve learned how to bring in the power much sooner and how to manage the power.”
Costa and his team have also adjusted gear ratios along with other changes to help the nitrous car perform better at an altitude approaching 6,000 feet on Thunder Mountain.
But the way Costa views things, he’s in a no-lose situation. He know he’s an underdog, but Costa remains confident he can surprise some people during the weekend.
With the matchups not being decided until after the shakedown runs are completed on Friday, the possibility of playing the spoiler becomes even more prominent in Costa’s eyes. He watched Mike Bowman get hot during the weekend and claim the six-figure payday a year ago, making Costa believe that anything is possible during the WSOPM.
“To be a part of this race, it’s kind of a no-brainer for us,” Costa said. “Not knowing who you’re going to run, I think that adds a level to it as well because anybody can win. If you happen to have the right five rounds, anybody can win.”
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