Drag Illustrated
Sidnei Frigo’s Mindset for WSOPM: Win the Race, Get $100,000, Buy a New Peterbilt
MORRISON, CO – Car chief Chris Johnson has been asking Sidnei Frigo about a new Peterbilt truck for Frigo’s 
standout Pro Mod operation.
With the DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of Pro Mod looming next month at Bandimere Speedway, Frigo and his team now have their incentive. A victory at the biggest and richest Pro Mod race in the history of the known universe nets the winner $100,000.
Simply put, win the race, get a Peterbilt.
“He wants a Peterbilt. I tell him, ‘If we win the race, I buy the Peterbilt for you,’” Frigo said. “So we’re going there to win.”
Frigo will be a first-time attendee at the World Series of Pro Mod presented by J&A Service, Elite Motorsports, Big O Tires and benefitting One Cure, which takes place Aug. 9-10 on Thunder Mountain in Denver, but his track record makes him an immediate contender at the marquee race.
Top Dragster, Top Sportsman Drivers to Race for $10,000 at World Series of Pro Mod
MORRISON, CO – Racers in the increasingly popular Top Dragster and Top Sportsman classes will have an added 
incentive to race on “Thunder Mountain” at the World Series of Pro Mod this year. Race officials announced today an increased $10,000 prize for the winners of the MagnaFuel ProStar 16 and QuickStar 16 Shootouts presented by Menholt Auto Group.
The 16-car shootouts are part of the third annual DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of Pro Mod presented by J&A Service, Elite Motorsports, Big O Tires and benefitting One Cure, Aug. 9-10 at Bandimere Speedway near Denver.
“The MagnaFuel ProStar and QuickStar Shootouts have become a huge part of the World Series of Pro Mod,” said Wes Buck, founder and editorial director, Drag Illustrated. “MagnaFuel has continually stepped up their involvement with this event, and now with the added support from Menholt Auto Group, these fast bracket racers will have the opportunity to race for a huge chunk of change.”
Clint Satterfield on World Series of Pro Mod: ‘It’s the Highlight of Our Year’
MORRISON, CO – Three years into things and Clint Satterfield’s feelings on the DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series 
of Pro Mod haven’t changed. If anything, he’s only enjoyed it more each year – if that’s possible.
“We can’t wait for this race,” Satterfield said. “That race makes our year.”
Those are Satterfield’s sentiments heading into the third annual World Series of Pro Mod presented by J&A Service, Elite Motorsports, Big O Tires and benefitting One Cure, which takes place Aug. 9-10 at Bandimere Speedway in Denver.
Going into the race last year, Satterfield said he had been anxiously awaiting the $100,000 winner-take-all extravaganza all year, calling it the highlight of his racing season.
A year later, not much has changed. He’s still counting down the days to race on Thunder Mountain and it’s still a date he’s had circled on the calendar since the 2019 race announcement was made.
Rain Shortens Friday Qualifying at PDRA Summer Nationals Ignited by Lithium Pros
ADEL, GA – Frequent pop-up rain showers prevented Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) officials from 
completing Friday qualifying at the PDRA Summer Nationals Ignited by Lithium Pros Batteries at South Georgia Motorsports Park. The all-eighth-mile series finished one of three scheduled qualifying sessions in all professional and sportsman classes, as well as two sessions in the Jr. Dragster classes.
“We’ve been battling weather issues all season, and this weekend isn’t any different,” said Tyler Crossnoe, race director, PDRA. “We were about to go into two pretty awesome night sessions before the rain started popping up. We have another chance of this (rain showers) tomorrow afternoon and we’re doing everything we can to get ahead of it so we can crown champions here at the Summer Nationals.”
After the lone qualifying session, the provisional low qualifiers in the professional classes are Daniel Pharris in Moroso Pro Boost, Jim Halsey in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous, John Montecalvo in Liberty’s Gears Extreme Pro Stock, Walter Lanningan Jr. in Schwing America Pro Outlaw 632 presented by East Side Auto Transport and Eric McKinney in Drag 965 Pro Nitrous Motorcycle.
Pro Mod Veteran Steve Matusek Set to Make NHRA Pro Stock Debut, Will Race Full Western Swing
LENEXA, KS – A longtime standout in Pro Mod, Steve Matusek’s next three races will come in a brand-new class for 
the veteran.
Matusek will make his NHRA Pro Stock debut next month in Denver at the Mile-High NHRA Nationals, driving the Richard Freeman-owned Elite Motorsports ’19 Ford Mustang that made its first appearance a month ago in Chicago.
Matusek will race all three events on the NHRA’s famed Western Swing in Pro Stock, campaigning a RJ Race Cars Mustang that showed promise right out of the gates with Freeman behind the wheel. It’s a big move for the Aeromotive president, but one he is eagerly anticipating.
“Getting back to Liberty-type transmission with a clutch, the five-speed, I’m really excited to see how I do,” said Matusek, who has previously campaigned a five-speed Mustang. “Seeing the car do as well as it did in Chicago, and knowing Richard built it to attract customers, all the stars just aligned. We’re racing the Western Swing, it’s our 25th anniversary at Aeromotive and it’s another challenge, and I love challenges. I love doing things I’ve never done before and it’s going to be a really interesting opportunity.”
Jose Gonzalez Confirms Upcoming World Series of Pro Mod Debut
MORRISON, CO – A planned vacation kept Jose Gonzalez from attending the DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of 
Pro Mod a year ago.
Thanks to some careful planning in 2019, Gonzalez will get both a vacation and a chance to win $100,000 in his turbocharged Q80 Racing Camaro.
The Pro Mod standout has locked in his spot for the first time at the World Series of Pro Mod presented by J&A Service, Elite Motorsports, Big O Tire and benefiting One Cure, which takes place Aug. 9-10 at Bandimere Speedway, and Gonzalez is eager to compete against the best of the best in Pro Mod – so much so that his vacation got a new date this year.
“We’re very much looking forward to this,” Gonzalez said. “(Drag Illustrated Founder and Editorial Director) Wes (Buck) called me last year and I already had vacation time with the family, so I couldn’t change it. This year, he told me well beforehand so we were able to change everything so I could make it.”
Alex Laughlin Locked in to Chase $100,000 Prize at Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod
MORRISON, CO – Alex Laughlin already has a $50,000 event win to his credit this year. Now, he will try to add a 
$100,000 victory to his resume in August.
The talented Laughlin officially accepted his invitation to the 2019 DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of Pro Mod presented by J&A Service, Elite Motorsports, Big O Tire and benefitting One Cure, which takes place Aug. 9-10 at Bandimere Speedway in Denver.
Laughlin is well aware of the six-figure payday at the winner-take-all event that makes it the richest single event in Pro Mod, but it’s also not going to change the way he drives his turbocharged Camaro.
“Honestly, it doesn’t change your approach,” Laughlin said. “Whether you’re racing for a trophy or a check for $100,000, when you show up to a race, you want to win. So, for the most part I try to block all of that out. Once the car starts up, I don’t think about the prize money or anything like that. It’s just one step of a time, going through the motions and getting down the racetrack.”
It’s an approach that led to Laughlin’s win at Lights Out 10, but to double that payday, he’ll have to win in his Pro Mod Camaro on Thunder Mountain.
Third Annual Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod Returns to Bandimere Speedway with $100,000 Prize, New 16-Car Qualifying Field
MORRISON, CO – Heading into its third year, the DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of Pro Mod will have a 
different feel on a number of exciting levels in 2019. But what won’t change is the biggest and richest Pro Mod race in the history of the known universe handing $100,000 to the winner.
The third annual DRAG ILLUSTRATED World Series of Pro Mod takes place Aug. 9-10 at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, again awarding a six-figure, winner-take-all payout to the baddest Pro Mod driver on the planet.
The invitation-only race will also feature 24 of the top Pro Mod drivers in the world. But for the first time in WSOPM history, the race will now include a 16-car qualified field.
That means the scoreboards will be turned on for qualifying – another change from the first two years – letting the Pro Mod standouts duke it out on Thunder Mountain to qualify for the $100,000 payday.
Drag Illustrated Reveals Fourth Annual 30 Under 30 List at PRI Show
INDIANAPOLIS – The highly anticipated 2018 Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 list was unveiled Friday afternoon 
during a press conference at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show in Indianapolis. The 2018 DI 30 Under 30 list and its members are the subject of Drag Illustrated’s December Issue, which features NHRA Top Fuel driver Blake Alexander on the cover.
Made up of 30 young drivers, crew members, tuners, fabricators, media members and other drag racing insiders, the Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 list seeks to shine a light on the rising stars of the straight-line sport. The list, which features personalities from numerous classes, series and countries, was picked by a panel of Drag Illustrated staffers after reviewing thousands of nominations from the drag racing community submitted through the ZP Performance Steering Nomination Process.
“I’m so proud of our fourth annual 30 Under 30 list and what it represents,” said Wes Buck, Founder and Editorial Director, Drag Illustrated. “As a sport, we need to be looking forward and identifying the next superstars and heroes who will carry drag racing into the future. This is our way of recognizing the accomplishments of a group of young people we believe have done big things and encouraging them as they continue to make moves in the sport.”
Drag Illustrated to Release Fourth Annual ’30 Under 30’ List at Performance Racing Industry Show
KIRKSVILLE, MO – Drag Illustrated’s annual 30 Under 30 list will be revealed during its official press conference and magazine cover reveal at 1:30 p.m. on Friday at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.
The fourth annual list will be announced in the PRI Media Center, Rooms 116 & 117, and one-on-one interviews will be available with Drag Illustrated Founder and Editorial Director Wes Buck, as well as the 30 Under 30 honorees in attendance following the press conference. The cover of Drag Illustrated #139 will also be officially released at that time.
Annually one of the most popular annual issues for Drag Illustrated, the 30 Under 30 list spotlights 30 top drag racing drivers, crew members, fabricators and industry insiders who are all less than 30 years old. The distinguished and highly anticipated list has become a coveted honor within the sport, highlighting the upcoming stars in all areas of drag racing.
