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Ultimate Pro Modifieds
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Roderick Burke takes our wildest dreams and puts them on canvas
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By Bobby Bennett, Jr., Illustrations by Roderick Burke, Burke Designs |
| If Pro Modified had been around for the last three decades and had grown to the level of popularity that the Funny Cars and Pro Stocks, have you ever wondered who might have given this class a try. Nevermind Scotty Cannon or Shannon Jenkins, the two winningest drivers in the class, let's go old school. Go back in time to some of the legends with talented artist and designer Roderick Burke and let your imagination flow. Lee Shepherd/Bruce Allen
What if this duo had the opportunity to field a pair of Chevrolet Monzas in Pro Modified just like their early days in Pro Stock? One car would run an EFI-equipped, mountain motor nitrous combination, while pushing the other Don Ness creation through the paces with a 350-inch, twin-turbo. We'd be willing to bet Shepherd would stick to the EFI, while leaving Allen to put the small-block turbo into the record books. Jack Roush
Ya gotta imagine the Tijuana Taxi with a Roush-built Ford Hemi spraying nitrous-oxide. We're not exactly sure if the rulesmakers would give a break for a four-door Maverick. If memory serves, this year will be the 30 th anniversary of their World Championship battle with Bob Glidden. Remember Roush used to drive until a bad accident sidelined him. Wouldn't this ride be a fine return? Butch Leal
With the nickname “California Flash,” Leal would have been perfect for the class which came along in the last years of his career. But, hey…Ronnie Sox did it and did it very well. How about one of those Jon Kaase Hemis like Rick Jones runs in his Sunoco Pro Stocker mounted in an RJ Race Cars entry and sponsored by Triple AAA?
Warren Johnson
While we tend to think WJ puts up a front that he is against Pro Modified's existence, there's a good chance that he'd jump at the chance of a fully funded, Hurst/Olds from the musclecar days equipped with a modern EFI-system, spraying nitrous, of course. Of course, in a perfect world for Pro Modified fans, GM would be involved in the development of the deal. Okay…we did say it was fantasy land.
Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins
Of course the man famous for racing a Pro Stock Vega would have a state-of-the-art tube chassied Chevrolet Vega. Knowing “Da Grump,” the Vega would have to be equipped with a small-block Chevrolet with turbochargers and nitrous. Hey, we have Leal and Sox has run Pro Modified, why not Jenkins? It wouldn't be Pro Modified without the blower cars….
Shirley Muldowney
I once approached Shirley Muldowney and asked her if she'd consider running a Pro Modified one day to which her response was, “Why would I want to do that.” Just imagine…Shirley in a '71 Mach 1 Mustang, powered by one of those vicious Jack Roush-powered blown Ford Hemis and in a Vanishing Point Race Cars chassis. She would certainly ensure that the class gained a lot of publicity and her extreme driving talent, not to mention her unwavering courage to go head-to-head with the boys.
John Force
In the Seventies, John Force would have been in a Pro Modified. It's no secret that the winningest drag racer in the NHRA loves the class and enjoys watching a session or two of qualifying. Of course, his ride would be a Ford. It wouldn't be a conventional Mustang or Escort. He would have to have a '40 Ford Sedan Delivery with sponsorship coming from Castrol GTX and AMP Energy drink. Yep, we'd need John Force with a little more energy when giving the television interviews.
Larry Morgan…
I have been trying to get Larry Morgan in a Pro Modified for over a decade and I think if the opportunity was there and it was financially feasible, I think he'd do it. Of course, Larry would take hold of the marketing game and bring out a '58 Plymouth Fury complete with a blown Hemi. Of course, for Larry to go this route, I'd have to land him a sponsor. Viagra? I pitched the idea to him and he chuckled, pointing out that it should be Glidden's backer. Glidden smiled. Bob Glidden…
The memories of Bob Glidden were forever etched in my youth with a Ford Fairmont, then Roderick liked the idea of a Pinto, but Bob admitted that Mopar is the reason he's out there now, so he'd better go with the Arrow. Morgan and Glidden pool their resources and create a formidable combination for the class. Bobby Bennett
Hey…a man can dream. After all, I get to live the dream daily. How about that '59 Caddy, complete with a supercharged Hemi. In fact, we'd have two identically prepared versions. One on these rides would come from Vanishing Point Race Cars and another from TM Race Cars. Of course, there would be the horsepower of the Hemi-persuasion and there's no doubt it would be supercharged. However, a twin-turbo Caddy might be neat? So would full sponsorship from Circus, Circus Casinos and CompetitionPlus.com. Well no more time to type, gotta go sell ads to build the Caddy.
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