Danny Rowe (above) and Steve Matusek don’t have the same kind of history at Atlanta Dragway – host of this weekend’s 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals – that they do at many of the other stops on the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series tour.
Venues like those in Houston, St. Louis, Englishtown and others offer both drivers a plethora of good memories and celebrated times that they simply haven’t had as many opportunities to create in Atlanta, which Pro Mods return to for the first time since 2011, but that’s something the Agave Underground Tequila drivers are looking to change.
Danny Rowe
“We’re not completely unfamiliar with Atlanta Dragway, but it’s been a few years since we’ve raced there,” says Rowe. “We’re excited to be in this market, though, and put on a show for these Southeastern race fans that are passionate about Pro Mod drag racing. Not to mention, this is about as close as it gets to a hometown race for Jimmy [Rector, crew chief], and I know he’s excited to be racing less than a couple hours from the shop outside Chattanooga.”
Since posting a pair of semifinal round finishes at the most recent event in Houston, Rowe and Matusek are both looking forward to the opportunity to build upon their collective early season successes.
“We left Houston four-and-five in the points, respectively, but I think I can speak for everyone on the team when I say that we’re ready to put a bow on it – get one of these Agave Underground Tequila hot rods in the winner’s circle,” continues Rowe.
“We came out of the gate with a couple of competitive race cars and we’ve proven race-after-race that we’ve got a championship-contending team, so we’re eager to have another chance to get the job done and start moving toward those top two spots in the points this weekend in Atlanta.”
While Matusek, a veteran of the Pro Modified ranks and top-tier sportsman racer, is still acclimating himself to his new supercharged ’68 Camaro versus the twin-turbocharged Mustang he campaigned over the last several seasons, he, too, is feeling like the time is now for the Agave Underground Tequila Pro Mod team.
Steve Matusek
“We can talk about the feeling out process and getting comfortable all we want, but the fact is that this team has already made runs that can win races,” says Matusek, founder and president of high performance fuel system manufacturer Aeromotive, Inc.
“Looking at the progress we’ve made since those first few passes in Gainesville to where we are now, I think we’re pretty happy, but there’s a competitive spirit in this camp – one that I’ll readily admit to contributing to – that doesn’t want to settle for anything short of putting both these Agave Underground Camaros in the final, and one of them in the winner’s circle.
“It’s been a little while since any of us have raced in Atlanta, so I think we’re looking forward to something a little fresh, and with the weather forecast I believe we’re going to see serious performances on the track,” continues Matusek. “We’ve already experienced the most competitive fields NHRA Pro Mod has ever seen and I don’t believe this weekend’s race in Atlanta will be any different.”
(Photos courtesy Danny Rowe Racing; Click to enlarge)
NHRA Pro Mod Event Schedule:
Friday, May 16th – Two qualifying sessions at 3:45 and 6:00 pm ET
Saturday, May 17th – One qualifying session at 12:00 and first round eliminations at 2:45 pm ET
Sunday, May 18th – Final eliminations start with Top Fuel at 12:45 pm ET
To learn more about Agave Underground Tequila products, sweepstakes and hosted events, visit www.agaveunderground.com, Facebook.com/AgaveUnderground or Follow @AgaveUground on Twitter.
To keep up with the latest news and results from Danny Rowe Racing, log onto www.dannyroweracing.com
This story was originally published on May 16, 2014. 
