Mason Wright and the Modern Racing/Elite Motorsports team left Odessa, Missouri, with a statement-making victory and a $45,000 payday after capturing the inaugural Quarter-Mile Mania at Flying H Drag Strip. Driving his Pro Mod Chevy Camaro tuned by Justin Elkes, Wright worked his way through a loaded field of some of the best cars and drivers in the country before sealing the win over Derek Menholt in the final round.
The road to the big check wasn’t easy. Wright advanced out of the opening rounds with a 5.957 before finding his stride in eliminations. By the semifinals, the pressure reached a peak when Wright drew Justin Bond, who had been making stellar passes throughout the weekend.
“When we drew Justin Bond in the semifinals, that’s when the pressure really hit,” Wright said. “He had been making killer runs and we knew we had to dig deep on the tune-up. Justin Elkes asked me what the car was doing in the center of the track and I told him it felt lazy in the middle. He gives me a look while he’s moving weight around in the car and said, ‘It won’t feel like that anymore, so hang on.’ And he was right. We went out there and threw down a 5.759 and I beat him on the Tree – now we’re headed to the finals.”
In the money round against Menholt and the Tidwell-backed team, Wright was confident the race would be a battle from the hit.
“We knew that car is going to be on a mission and it was,” Wright said. “I knew I had to be on the Tree, and our group delivered.”
He left first and never looked back, running 5.731 at 237.42 mph to claim the $45,000 winner-take-all prize.
For Wright, the weekend carried significance beyond the payout. With the NHRA Pro Mod championship countdown looming, the event served as a critical test session under high-stakes conditions.
“What a weekend,” Wright said. “That was the most intense test session we have been to. This Quarter-Mile Mania event was the perfect event to prep for the Countdown. Being off for a month, gearing up for the championship like this can be good and bad. You want to showcase the perfect combo, but in reality there is not a perfect combo out here right now. They’re all so close.
“But just having the chance to compete against the best cars, teams, and drivers is where you find your motivation to be better. Winning a single round of competition against this group of guys is like winning the event in my eyes. You cannot sleep on anyone. They are all there at the track for one reason – to win – and there’s not a one of them that isn’t capable of doing it.”
The win not only added another accolade to Wright’s growing resume but also reinforced Modern Racing and Elite Motorsports’ position as one of the top teams in the class. With momentum and confidence, the focus now shifts to the Countdown, where Wright and his Camaro will be among the contenders to watch.
This story was originally published on August 18, 2025. 
