It’s been almost 47 years since large displacement Pro Stock legends Harold Denton and Roy Hill rolled to starting for the first-ever sanctioned Mountain Motor Pro Stock final round during the IHRA Winternationals in Darlington, SC. The two raced for a first-place prize of $5,000.

Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined their unique style of factory hot rod racing would one day compete for a top prize of $25,000. But that’s what will happen March 1-3, 2024, during the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Modified at Bradenton Motorsports Park. 

“Pro Mod and Mountain Motor Pro Stock just go together,” said Wes Buck, Drag Illustrated founder and WSOPM promoter. “It’s hard not to be a fan of this class with its massive, naturally aspirated engines, hood scoops, and clutches. Plus, the people involved with Mountain Motor Pro Stock are truly special, and the class just continues to grow. The second annual Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational will be the perfect complement to the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod.”
 
Mountain Motor Pro Stock and Pro Modified, the showcase category of the $100,000 to win specialty event, were interwoven in the 1980s when many of the Top Sportsman racers who couldn’t race the professional category migrated towards fast-doorslammer racing with nitrous injected into what used to be Pro Stock cars. 

The Mountain Motor Pro Stock division wasn’t initially welcomed into the founding series of IHRA’s professional roster but developed into mutually complimentary divisions over time.

The inaugural $hameless Racing Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational presented by Seminole Paving saw class veterans John Montecalvo and Elijah Morton square off in the $25,000-to-win final round. Montecalvo turned on the win light, adding to his résumé that includes world championships in three different organizations. 

 
Initially, the event’s lineup was only supposed to be Pro Modified and NHRA-legal Pro Stock divisions, but the lobbying efforts of longtime class enthusiast and noted videographer Scott “the Limo Guy” Soucy became the impetus for their inclusion. 
 
“After that inaugural event in March, I was just inspired to do whatever is required to take this thing to the next level,” said Soucy, who covers PDRA Extreme Pro Stock extensively through his Real Pro Stock series. 

Mountain Motor Pro Stock is on the rebound largely in part because of their full-time status with the PDRA and now a part-time schedule with NHRA, sponsored by Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage. It is estimated there as many as 30 active teams in the large displacement alternative of Pro Stock.
 
“Mountain Motor Pro Stock is in such a great place right now, and I’m so proud and happy for them,” Soucy said. “I always want to make sure Tommy and Judy Franklin and the PDRA get the credit they deserve for giving these competitors a place to race and fostering the growth we’ve seen. With everyone working together, this class has a bright future.”
 
The Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational will utilize PDRA Extreme Pro Stock rules, including an eighth-mile format.