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Al-Balooshi & Bahrain 1 dominate the Pro Mod Class at the CTech World Doolslammer Nationals.

By wljphotography | March 22, 2021
Pro Modified has never been an easy class, just looking at the volatile nature of these cars, number of power adders and overall competitiveness. But during the CTech World Doorslammer Nationals Khallid Al-Balooshi and Bahrain one made it just a little bit more difficult for everybody else.
They re-set the Pro Mod ET record not once, but twice, in eliminations.
This demonstration during eliminations did not exactly come out of nowhere. During qualifying Khalid sent a strong message in his Pro Line Powered, Brad Personett tuned Camaro with a 5.659 at 251.25 which when qualifying was over, it had Balooshi sitting in the #1 spot going in to eliminations. Which is something that the Bahrain 1 team is familiar with. If you remember last year, Justing Bond was in the same situation, heading in to eliminations. He had set the record for the category during qualifying.
In normal eliminations Balooshi would have faced Dustin Nesloney in his blown 69 Camaro who qualified 16th with a 5.90, BUT this is the World Doorslammer Nationals. A Chip draw will decide who you go against in eliminations.
Khalid ended up drawing # 6 qualifier Kris Thorne.
Thorne had problems early in the run and clicked it off early, but Balooshi ran it all the way and lit up the boards with a 5.617 @ 253mph becoming the quickest ET for the class. That was followed by a 5.63 & a 5.62 on his way to the finals against Jerico Balduf and JR. Gray respectively.
Finals roll around and Balooshi is met with the defending Pro Mod World Doorslammers champ Alex Laughlin. Laughlin had ran a pair of 5.7’s ( 5.70 & 5.72) on his way to the finals. But before that he won an unusual 1st round match against teammate Lyle Barnett, with his chutes open from about the 330 mark and he ran it like that to the other end.
Luckily for Laughlin, Barnett had problems of his own and had to lift early on.  
 
Laughlin gave a strong effort against Khalid but a Pro Mod world record of 5.613 was going to be hard to beat with a 5.698 which had been a best for Laughlin’s car at the moment.
A brand new car that at that point maybe had 10 runs on it. So definitely  a great showing for the team with their new hot rod.
The Bahrain 1 on the other had has put more runs on their car this last year than probably anybody else.
They finished their NHRA season and put the car on a plane to then run the Bahrain Drag Racing Championship, which they conquered and came back with that Championship. Flew the car back to the US and kept making laps in it.
And that’s the most important thing you can have with these cars, or any race car for that matter. Runs, runs & runs. Getting data on different conditions, trying what works and what doesn’t. We are not in an era where you can just bolt on this part on a Pro Mod and go that much faster than anyone. It’s little things here and there that are found and tried pass after pass. Also have to mention it gave Khalid a chance to get used to manually shifting gears in his Pro Charged Camaro. As you may or may not know, NHRA for 2021 mandated that all Pro Mod cars have to be manually shifted.
Pictured above are 2 examples of what you will see in NHRA pro mod cars. Drivers have to hit the shift points dead on every pass, while maneuvering a 250MPH + Pro Mod car down the track. Putting more driver in the equation and in the end making it more exciting for the fan, which is something drag racing in general desperately need.
After the Qualified Rounds Khalid Al-Balooshi sit #1 Qualifier with 5.65 @ 251 MPH !!! in the Pro Mod Class at the 2nd World Doorslammer Nationals @ Orlando Speed World Dragway
After the Qualified Rounds Jason Scruggs got the #2 Qualifier with 5.70 @ 252 MPH !!! in the Pro Mod Class at the 2nd World Doorslammer Nationals @ Orlando Speed World Dragway
After the Qualified Rounds Justin Bond got the #3 Qualifier with 5.72 @ 250 MPH !!! in the Pro Mod Class at the 2nd World Doorslammer Nationals @ Orlando Speed World Dragway
J.R. Gray went from Grudge to R v/s W & know to the NHRA Pro Mod Gray Qualified #9 with 5.78 @ 248 MPH Driving the Mike Janis Racing Camaro, Much Success this Year in this New Chapter in His Career…
Isaias Rojas in the Mech Tech Corvette got a New Personal Best at the 1/4 Mile with 5.70 @ 253 MPH Congratulations to the Team !!!
Daryl Stewart got the #1 Qualifier in the Outlaw 632 Class with 4.18 @ 170 MPH
Congratulations to Wes Distefano in the Win in the Outlaw 632 Class Ho defeat defending event
Champion Dillon Voss in the Finals !!!
In the Factory Stock Showdown Bill Skillman got the #1 Qualifier with 7.78 @ 178 MPH !!!
Congratulations to John Cerbone Personal Best of 7.72 at 180 MPH give Him the Win over David Janac 8.15 at 142 MPH !!!
In the Stock Eliminator Jeff Taylor got the #1 Qualifier with 9.23 @ 10.90 MPH !!!
Congratulations to Brian Oakes 9.021 on his 8.98 index got the Win over Jay Storey ran 8.887 on his 8.89 index !!!
For the Full Album of Pictures of this Great Event
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Special Thanks to: Willie’s Monster Shirts

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