There was a time when very few race teams ran an electronic fuel injection with nitrous combination. Pro Modified racer Harold Martin remembers those days very well because he was one of those select few.

Now, EFI coupled with nitrous oxide is as common as slicks on a race car in the unblown or non-turbo competitors.

"It's a great feeling to know we were one of those pioneers," said former Martin, a former engineer for General Motors. "You know, you want to be a part of change, and part of new direction. I felt that way back when I, many years ago, worked for General Motors, we were part of new innovations and able to see that on vehicles worldwide.

"It’s a great feeling to see, you know, something that you kind of had an inkling that would be the right direction for the future, to see it to be a trend that’s well received."

Martin hasn't been as active in NHRA Pro Modified as he used to be largely in part because of the success of his Martin Technologies, an engineering firm specializing in engineering services for the majority of the major automobile manufacturers as well as processing recalls.

Martin believed as early as 2000, the EFI combination provided the nitrous-injected cars the best opportunity to compete on a higher level in the future.

"I felt that it was the way to advance engines and the control systems offer you way more flexibility than mechanical systems do," Martin explained. "Whether it was nitrous, whether it was blown, whether it was normally aspirated, there was a fit for EFI. It was just a matter of time to get naysayers to cross over and to get folks to come into what’s an everyday thing."

Martin doesn't mind that he's fallen off the front-running path because in the end, the reinvestment of his time into a worldwide corporation pays better dividends.

"My innovations have now led itself into a global company for Martin, and we’re now supporting automotive companies and tier 1 suppliers globally," Martin said. "I’ve got 800 employees today. When I first started it, we had eight people. I’m tickled that those innovations have spun itself into a whole new life for me.

"I wish that I could concentrate more on racing. But, you know, I just spend so much time traveling and managing the monster I’ve created beyond this, that it’s difficult to focus on racing. Racing is still a passion of mine, a love of mine. It’s just not the highest priority."