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. 11 on the list.

Columbus, NC

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
•    14 consecutive IHRA PM Top 10 Finishes
•    2006 IHRA Pro Modified World Champion
•    13-time national event winner

Quain Stott snickers whenever an unsuspecting fan asks how he got started racing in Pro Modified.

They look at his large scale race hauler and motor coach, then focus on his blown Corvette and nary a one will ever believe he was once a laughing stock in drag racing.

Stott smiles as he signs autographs, secure in his belief they'll have no idea he once barely made it to the races with a seemingly 100-year old motorhome and an equally stressed and small enclosed trailer barely large enough for his race car.

Nevermind there wasn’t enough room for a spare engine, and that was fine, because he didn’t have one.

Stott’s finest moment was when a well-known national event announcer proclaimed his team as the Beverly Hillbillies of Pro Modified and offered a $20 sponsorship.

Make no mistake, that $20 came in handy.

His “tired” Chevrolet Beretta was appropriately named “Grand Illusion”.

Who would have ever believed this rags-to-better-quality-rags story would yield a world championship, 13 national event wins [IHRA/ADRL/NHRA], 14 consecutive time finisher in the IHRA Pro Modified top ten and two-time sportsmanship of the year award winner? Not to be lost is an appointment to the Car Craft All-Star Drag Racing Team.

“We figured if we at least qualified, that would get us enough money to at least get home,” Stott recalled of that first season in 1995.

The one time he didn’t make the cut, at the 1995 IHRA Summer Nationals in Morocco, Ind., Stott admits his Pro Modified career was almost over.

“I ended up having to borrow money from Gene Fulton,” he admitted. “That was about the point I had decided I’d had enough, and it was stupid going completely broke trying to race.”

Not only that, Stott, before he left for the race, had been given notice that if he didn’t pay a $3,000 property tax bill, he would lose his home and property. Just as he was about to throw in the towel, his longtime companion Cynthia offered to loan him the money to pay the bill.

As it turned out, she loved the racing as much if not more than he did.

“I loved it so much and the more I looked at the situation, the more I felt I had a point to prove,” he added.

Stott proved his point when he ended up finishing ninth that season in the IHRA Pro Modified point standings. He followed up that finish with a streak of top ten finishes that ran up to 2008. Stott has started a new streak in the ADRL.

“There were those who told me I was crazy for trying,” Stott said. “It was tough to get started back then.”

Stott learned Pro Modified racing the hard way, he was self-taught and gleaned every ounce of information he could from those higher up the ladder of technology. He learned the ins and outs of nitrous technology through trial and error and when it became evident that only a supercharged combination would afford a chance to win, he made the switch over. As was the case with nitrous tuning, Stott took the path of trial and error with the blown combination.

“I had no other choice, I couldn’t afford a tuner,” Stott said, brandishing his trademark smile. “Never hiring a tuner is the one thing I am proud of, because I eventually ended up getting a job tuning.”

As a tuner, Stott has two victories to his credit, courtesy of Tim Tindle.

As a driver, Stott now runs exclusively in the ADRL’s Pro Extreme division. He looks back to those Grand Illusion days and counts his blessings that he got in when he did.

“I knew if I didn’t get in on it when I did that it was going to get tougher,” Stott said. “It was a dream I had. Really, my dream was Pro Stock but when Pro Modified came along, I thought that was even cooler.”

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