Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com, through the assistance of a key group of Pro Modified historians and enthusiasts, has compiled a list of the Top 20 all-time drivers based on their contribution to the class, historic achievements, statistics and fan appeal.

Starting on Friday, January 8, 2010, the electronic magazine began revealing those names on the list, and will announce two drivers per week, until the No. 1 driver is unveiled on Saturday, Mar. 20, during the ADRL Dragpalooza in Houston, Texas.

Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com narrowed the list from hundreds of drivers down to 20. Today, we reveal No. 5 on the list.

Charlotte, NC

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
•    Three-time Super Chevy champion, USSC Champion
•    First to put a ’55 Chevy in the 6, 7-second zone and first to 200
•    Two Wins In Five ADRL Pro Nitrous Final Rounds


Charles Carpenter never imagined the day he pushed a nitrous button it would lead to a groundswell in drag racing paralleled only by the birth of the Funny Car. The 1955 Chevrolet aficionado had worked his way through the gateways of drag racing from bracket racer to class racer and with one push of a nitrous button went from fast bracket racer to drag racing doorslammer legend in 8.3-seconds.

Carpenter was proclaimed by drag racing journalist Dave Bishop to have driven the world’s fastest 1955 Chevy.

“I never in a million yours thought it would come to this,” said Carpenter when asked if he would have imagined today’s Pro Modified back then. “And, really … there’s no end in sight. I’ll never forget the first time I pushed that nitrous button … all I could say was, ‘Wow.”

There was no forward thinking on Carpenter’s behalf that his magical moment in Bristol, Tenn., would eventually lead to the first, honest-to-goodness professional category since the Funny Cars were introduced in the late Sixties.

“We were just living for the moment,” said Carpenter. “I never had any intentions of making a mark or doing anything that led to what this class became. In those early days, we weren’t looking at the big picture … we were just working with what we had. If we were starting a movement, or moving towards a new class … we had no clue. We just knew there was a race to run and we didn’t have to worry about breakouts and the grandstands were full of people wanting to see good and fast drag racing.”

Pushing a Nitrous button ensured in the next five seasons to come, Carpenter, along with the likes of Robby Vandergriff and Bill Kuhlmann, would become regular fixtures in the leading drag racing magazines.

It would also ensure the match races once reserved for the leading nitro superstars and Pro Stock runners of the era were replaced by Carpenter’s shoeboxes and other players in the pre-Pro Modified movement.

Those match race dates enabled Carpenter to either race or travel through all 48 contiguous states chasing a dream with his nitrous-injected 1955 Chevy.

The travels kept him from furthering his Pro Modified legend by racing away from the IHRA, a fact Carpenter will readily admit.

“I have no regrets about that,” Carpenter said, when asked how he felt about his time away from the IHRA series. “I race today in the same fashion that we did back in the day. I did what I had to do to be able to race. I could not afford to run the IHRA tour. I never had a big sponsor, so I had to go where the money was. The SUPER CHEVY stuff actually preceded the Pro Modified stuff.”

Carpenter did make a few stops on the IHRA tour and managed one Quick Eight victory in 1988. The rest of the time while his comrades were paving the way on the IHRA tour for Pro Modified, he was only establishing value for what they were doing. Many times he performed before Super Chevy audiences larger than the IHRA and NHRA events drew.

“I really didn’t know at the time what we were doing on the Super Chevy tour was paving the way for the IHRA to bring forth Pro Modified,” Carpenter said. “It might have looked like it was hurting me but in reality it was helping. I gained a lot more recognition racing Super Chevy, then I could have ever gotten in running IHRA. But then again, I didn’t do it for the ink.”

In a career with very few regrets, Carpenter remains disappointed two decades later he wasn’t a part of the first IHRA race in March 1990.

“I really hate that I missed that, but I was on the west coast racing then,” Carpenter said. “It would have been a nice memory to have but I had to do what I had to do to survive. We had something big going on and had to follow the tour I was committed to.”

A myriad of accomplishments etched on his racing resume, Carpenter is quick to point out a true passion led to his involvement in the pioneering stages of Pro Modified and beyond. It’s the fuel which has always propelled his enthusiasm. The enthusiasm has always exceeded his operating capital.

“I love to do this. I love this. Next to my family I have loved running Pro Modified more than anything, and I just can’t get enough. If I could race seven days a week, 12 – 15 hours a day, I would. Outside of my family, there’s nothing in this world that I have more passion for. “

“I don’t particularly like to race in a David versus Goliath manner, but that’s just the cards I have been dealt, and I deal with it. It’s a challenge to race that way, but the people … the people in this class keep me going. I fully believe I’ll never get rich doing this but I have a rich life because of it.”

“I’m a man chasing a dream going on 34 years now. I don’t feel like I am ready to quit any time soon.”

Carpenter has two victories in ADRL Pro Nitrous competition out of five final round appearances. He has 20 consecutive qualifying berths in the eighth-mile series.

For the complete list visit: ATTITUDE'S COMPETITIONPLUS.COM'S ALL-TIME TOP 20 HOMEPAGE