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NHRA’s Walliser Discusses Addition Of 959, ProCharger In Pro Mod

By Pete Epple February 04, 2020The NHRA made waves in the offseason in confirming sweeping additions to its quickest and fastest doorslammer class. Since Pro Modified was taken over by the NHRA last autumn, we have seen sweeping changes, including a host of new safety regulations, added stops to the schedule, and now, new combinations for the 2020 season.

In a recent technical bulletin, the NHRA stated:

The NHRA Technical Department has announced the addition of two new combinations to the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service for the 2020 season. The two new additions will include a 526 cubic-inch centrifugal supercharged and a 960 cubic-inch nitrous injected combination.

The centrifugal supercharger combination will be limited to the ProCharger F3R/X-140 head unit (part number PC314A-140/PC316A-140), choice of three different ProCharger Crankdrive gear drive units (4CD-BAE-3-1.40, 4CD-TFX-3-1.40, 4CD-NON-3-1.40,4CD-BBC-3-1.40) and an inlet bell mouth (part number AF006A-027). All centrifugal superchargers must remain unmodified and factory sealed. Intercoolers will be prohibited.



While the possibility of even more options in the already tightly-contested Pro Mod class is extremely exciting for the fans, we wanted to get an inside perspective to see how these changes will impact the racing program. We sat down with Ned Walliser, Vice President of Competition for the NHRA, to get the sanctioning body’s reasons and expectations for the additions to the class.

“I would say, first off, nitrous is a key combination to Pro Mod,” Walliser says. “Of course, it always has been, and we’d like to maintain that as much as possible. But the number of cars running nitrous in the 910 [format] just didn’t have significant numbers. There are quite a few 959s out there [in other sanctioning bodies], which kind of opened the door to a few new entries. If they want to come over and play, that is yet to be answered. But we wanted to open up the door for them.”
I certainly hope [the addition of the 959] shows that we recognize the importance of nitrous. We understand the importance of nitrous, and we understand the importance of fan-appeal with the multiple combinations within the category. – New Walliser, NHRA
As previously noted, racers can also now run an approved 140mm ProCharger centrifugal supercharger, feeding a 526-inch HEMI. This combination is truly uncharted territory for the NHRA, as the new nitrous combination is simply a displacement increase. But the addition of the ProCharger combination has some far-reaching benefits to attracting new entries.
“The ProCharger is a little bit different,” Walliser tells us. “We obviously have a supercharger and turbocharger combination, and it’s opened up kind of a new classification within the category. It’s very relatable to the fans. Obviously, it’s a pretty hot item in Top Sportsman and Top Dragster and some of our other categories. This gave it a natural progression if you wanted to elevate yourself from Top Sportsman into Pro Mod. So again, participation, car count, future of the category, and just adding another classification. It will make it a little more difficult for us for parity purposes, but we’re certainly going to give it our best shot.”
NHRA’s Ned Walliser. Photo courtesy NHRA/National Dragster

Does the addition of a new nitrous combination show the NHRA’s commitment to what the class was founded on? It certainly seems that way. As the boost combinations have become more dominant over the years, the nitrous contingent needed something to remain competitive. The addition of the 960-inch nitrous engine is certainly a step in the right direction.

“I certainly hope [the addition of the 959] shows that we recognize the importance of nitrous,” Walliser tells us. “We understand the importance of nitrous, we understand the importance of fan-appeal with the multiple combinations within the category. So, it is very important to us and we’re hoping it is perceived that way. We’re hoping that by having the combination of the 910 and the 959 that it brings a few more nitrous cars our way on a consistent basis. It’s our goal to keep them very competitive, and we’ll do our best to maintain parity with now five different combinations instead of three. It’s going to be really difficult on us.”