For its fourth of eight scheduled races this year, the Frankenstein Engine Dynamics Mid-West Pro Mod Series (MWPMS) will be part of the 3rd annual Heads Up Hootenanny May 25-26, at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, IL, straight across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.

"We're excited about going back to St. Louis, where we had a great race last year," MWPMS owner and promoter Keith Haney said. "Chris Blair, the track manager there, he invited us last year--twice--and it's nice to know he wants us back again for both events this year, too. And it's always good to be racing on an NHRA national-event track, where you know conditions are going to be optimal for the 3.7-second, 200-mile-an-hour monsters of the Mid-West Pro Mod Series."

Based in Tulsa, the all-eighth-mile MWPMS features Pro Modified and Radial vs. the World (RvW), as well as the X275 drag radial class.

"The series is super-strong and we continue to see growing car counts--we had 34 Pro Mods last month at Bowling Green, Kentucky--there are new cars being built, the stands are full, and new people and teams are joining us all the time," Haney said. "So our racers are happy, our fans are happy and all of our racing series sponsors and marketing partners are very happy."

Despite not yet winning this year, consistently strong results at the previous three events have Ron Muenks currently leading MWPMS Pro Mod points with a slim six-point advantage over Jonas Aleshire, winner of the Throw Down in T-Town earlier this month at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park. Todd Martin, winner of the MWPMS 2018 season opener at the Texas Motorplex, sits third ahead of Eddie Rogers and Jerry Hunt, who won the Bowling Green event.

Haney, the defending champion for both MWPMS Pro Mod and RvW, dropped out of the Pro Mod top-10 this year after lending "Notorious," his nitrous-fed 2016 Camaro to rival Jim Sackuvich, who crashed his own car in pre-race testing for the Tulsa event. Sackuvich, who currently is sixth overall, just one point back of Hunt, already has a new car secured for the St. Louis event. Haney, however, revealed that he will not be able to compete in the St. Louis event.

"Unfortunately, business demands cropped up that absolutely demand my attention this week," Haney explained. "It's a shame because I'm leading the Radial vs. the World points right now with 'Enigma,' my other Camaro, but I'll just have to make up for it later. Don't worry, though, I'll be back to draggin' their asses when we get to the next Mid-West Pro Mod Series race next month in Topeka."

Poised to capitalize on Haney's absence in RvW will be second-place man and Texas winner Jeff Naiser, followed by Daniel Pharris, who prevailed in Kentucky, DeWayne Mills, winner of the Throw Down event, and Mark Micke, who rounds out the top five.

After visiting victory lane twice already this season at the season opener and again this month in Tulsa, Kenny Hubbard heads up the X275 points list. Shane Heckel, who won the all-radial MWPMS points race early this year at Tulsa, currently holds the number-two position, despite not attending the second Tulsa event, and "Turbo Todd" Moyer is third.

"The points chase in every class is really starting to heat up now and it's getting easier to see who the real contenders are likely going to be, but this race in St. Louis will be pivotal," Haney predicted. "We know who's been good so far and they have a chance to really start taking control, but it's not too late for someone to get on a roll and move up a few positions, maybe someone not even in the top-10 yet; it's not impossible. All I know is that if it's anything like last year we're still in for a few surprises."

In addition to the all-heads-up MWPMS classes, the 3rd annual Heads Up Hootenanny, presented by Mel Roth's Premier Street Car Association, will feature Limited Drag Radial, 235 Drag Radial, 6.0 and 7.0 Index classes, two Jr. Dragster classes, and bracket racing including Top Sportsman, the quickest and fastest doorslammer bracket class in the world.

The Gateway track will be open 2-9 p.m. today (May 24) for pro class testing, with an additional pro test session to run 1-5 p.m. May 25, before spectator gates open. A brief test-and-tune session for non-pro entries will open Friday evening's action, with Jr. Dragster and Index qualifying to follow. The first Pro qualifying round is scheduled for 6:30, with the second set to go three hours later. Saturday May 26, the on-track action begins at 8:30 a.m. with Jr. Dragster, Index and Bracket qualifying. The third and final MWPMS qualifying session is scheduled for noon on Saturday, with MWPMS heads-up elimination rounds set for 6 p.m., 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and finals at 11:30 p.m.