Pro Mod Portal – International Intrigue!

by editor on Jun.11, 2026, under Pro Mod Portal

More cool stuff from more cool door cars – a world wide edition!

Wowzer Willowbank — Drag racing fans attending Australia’s biggest annual event (NDRC Gulf Western Oil Winternationals @ Willowbank Raceway) most certainly did get a full compliment of fast Pro door slammer cars as that event race included three different categories for competition.

Australia’s home-grown and uber popular signature class attraction (Top Doorslammer) featured intense competition again as all the marquee players within that category were in attendance.

The final round was a doozy as despite a record-breaking final round ET, the defending and 2X Australia TD points champion – did not earn entry to victory lane.

Russell Taylor, who had first smashed the World’s all time Top Doorslammer ET record on Saturday (5.579 secs) ran an even more ridiculously quick 5.551 secs in the final — but a tardy RT (.175) placed that new world record ET second best to Emilio Spinozzi, late Sunday afternoon. Emilio used a vast superior .024 RT with a stout 5.639 secs 421.86 kph (262.13 mph) to claim the prestigious Winternationals Gold Christmas Tree & event win.

But let there be no misunderstanding, for Spinozzi, who races his family owned and operated Terra Civil-presented supercharged ’69 Chevelle with his brother Adamo, the victory was more than deserved and earned.

He too had a performance-laden weekend featured “PBs” which included the all-time ever fast TD run at 429.53 kph (266.78 mph).

Spinozzi (from NSW) had defeated defending 2025 event champion Rob Harrington and 2nd generation driver Brodie Zappia (son to legend John Zappia) to advance to the championship round.

“This is unbelievable – nuts! I am pretty stoked,” Spinozzi grinned. “Obviously, to win the Winternationals is crazy in itself – let alone doing it on a ‘holeshot! I have my team to thank – Michael and the boys, they have been working hard all weekend, and I have just done my job as a driver. “They are the ones who have given me the car, this is a big credit to them.”

Emilio Spinozzi scored his biggest victory ever within Australia’s notoriously fast Top Doorslammer class.

“To also have reset the top speed record for Top Doorslammer earlier in the day is pretty intense — we weren’t expecting that!” he added. “I am just so happy for everyone – thank you to Darren Maher from the USA who gave us this engine.”

For R/UP Taylor, who had topped Brody Davis in round one and then singled when John Zappia couldn’t run due to a major mechanical failure for the semis, the defending champ was gracious in defeat.

“Yeah, it does seem strange – I am the quickest loser in history you could say,” he commented. “To set the record again feels unreal and we are so stoked with that — but at the same time, I am gutted that I let them all down on the tree and we missed out on the win. But all in all, we have had an unbelievable weekend, and that is a credit to the whole team.”

Russell Taylor ran the quickest ET for Australia Top Doorslammer class history at Willowbank last weekend!

TD class racing did include for sure the most alarming incident of the event which occurred during the first session on Friday evening. Fast and aspiring class racer Jeremy Callaghan (from ACT) made an excellent run with his supercharged ’70 Camaro (5.602 secs!) only to have both parachutes immediately fail (rip off) which sent him into the top end catch netting system at a very high rate of speed. Callaghan’s car received extensive damage but thankfully after some very tense moments of waiting news did come that had emerged from the crash shaken but uninjured. He was taken for medical observation but did return to the Willowbank facility the next morning.

TD class fast riser Jeremy Callaghan suffered a major setback during the Winternationals.

Pro Modified class car racing also featured within two other eliminators presented over the weekend — NDRC’s 1/4 mile (5.85 index) race as well as IHRA’s newest 660 Pro Mod category.

The 1/4 mile event title bout was a David V Goliath battle with reigning champ and previous Winters winner Zoran Gajic lining up against Lorenzo Gullotto in a battle of Turbocharged Ford Mustangs. Gullotto (from far Western Australia) would go on to take his first Winternationals win after producing a 5.946/392.08kph while Gajic was off the throttle early.

Gullotto had opened his Sunday with a round one win (6.208/282.03kph) over a red-lighting Stew Walsh, before then lining up against top qualifier Adam Tassone (5.862 secs) in the semi-final. While Gullotto raced through for the victory at (5.908/396.60kph), Tassone would unfortunately suffer a large crash heavily damaging he ’68 Firebird which would end up on its roof — but Tassone was thankfully unhurt.

Lorenzo Gullotto prevailed for the IHRA (5.85 index) Pro Mod class title.

Friday’s event schedule did include the 8-car 660 Pro Mod Shootout event with that title for all Outlaw cars of pretty much any door slammer configuration, going to Victoria’s John Ricca and his Australian 1/8th mile record holding supercharged Camaro.

Ricca who had also won during the class’s debut event held at Willowbank’s Pro Alcohol Nationals (last January), was dominate again. After qualifying #1 he then set both low ET and top MPH in the final round at 3.642 secs 210.67 mph to outrun New Zealand’s Barry Plumpton (3.796 secs). Ricca had topped Matt Abel and Rod Harvey in the previous two rounds.

John Ricca won in the IHRA’s 660 Outlaw Pro Mod class feature at the Winternationals.

Santos Still Sizzling — Eastern Canada’s all new IHRP Pro Mod Series did have its first race last weekend at Toronto Motorsports Park, a separate feature within the first CHU event of the year.

Eight cars were entered for the inaugural group attempt, which ultimately did see Jay Santos (from Halton Hills ON) continue his Pro Mod class event domination at Cayuga Dragway which includes being undefeated there both through 2024 and 2025. Santos is the Canadian Pro Mod class ET record holder — after running 3.588 secs there over last Labour Day weekend.

Santos qualified #1 for the event (3.69 secs) before delivering three more consecutive 3.6 secs punches on Sunday to grab his latest win as well as the inaugural IHRP title prestige.

After a first round bye, Santos defeated Sienna Wildgust in round two and then Quebec’s Claude St. Maurice in the final when Claude was force to shut off on the starting line due to an oil leak. Santos left zero doubt however — running 3.672 secs (low ET) and 204.49 mph.

Jay Santos continued his winning ways at this home track – winning the first ever IHRP Pro Mod event.

“We put our drivetrain back into our ’69 Camaro for this race — but struggled a bit testing early,” Santos said. “But by the time Saturday came around we got the car coming back around and by the end of race day it got us back on the winner’s circle like it has before — and now for the sixth time in a row here in Canada.”

“I think Ian put on a great event for his first time,” Jay added. “Everything ran smooth just an all around great event for his first time. We absolutely love to support our local tracks and love running here because my family and friends come out to see me — and even my grand children love it as well!.

Attending race fans at Cayuga did see the debut of Sienna Wildgust who had a solid and safe start — driving a Pro Mod car for the first time!

Quebec’s Claude St. Maurice ran well at Cayuga – earning a R/UP.

When .000 = 125,000! — One of the most gifted but still emerging driver talents within the whole Pro Mod racer genre showed his stuff again last weekend.

North Carolina’s Travis Harvey put another notch to his belt by winning large at the IHRA’s Outlaw Pro Mod Mania event presented at Darana Raceway in Milan MI.

Driving the Martin Tech-presented Supercharged Camaro, Harvey (aka: The Carolina Kid) took down that 25-car field and after doing so pocketed an extremely healthy $125,000 first prize for his efforts.

Travis Harvey picked the pocket of the IHRA “big time” during their Pro Mod Mania event in Michigan.

Harvey who qualified #9/25 used a phenomenal perfect light (.000 RT) in the championship final and that was the difference for just barely edging out Canadian Melanie Salemi (originally from Orillia ON) who was R/UP. Harvey’s winning time was 3.605 secs compared to Mel’s quicker 3.602 secs (.024 RT) run in her Western NY based “Purple Reign” Firebird.