An absolutely terrific season just continues to get better for Todd Tutterow.
The Pro Mod veteran had his hand in a little bit of everything over the weekend at Orlando Speed World Dragway, but ultimately it was his driving that took the biggest headlines, as he picked up a thrilling win in Pro Mod on Sunday at the World Street Nationals XXVIII.
It gave “King Tutt” his fourth victory at the storied event, more than any Pro Mod driver in the long history of the World Street Nationals, as he went 3.62-seconds at 213 mph in his screw-blown P2 Contracting ’20 Camaro to slip past Ken Quartuccio’s 3.63 at 208 in the final round. Tutterow was his usual impressive self on the starting line, going .008 when it counted to take home the $25,000 prize.
“I love these types of races,” Tutterow said. “It’s cool to come to these races and we always seem to run well. These bigger money races that are in the off-season, you’re going somewhere different, racing on good tracks in good air, and we’ve always seemed to do well. There were a lot of great cars there, so we were fortunate to have that kind of success.”
Other World Street Nationals winners included Mo Hall in Pro 275, Wes Distefano in Outlaw 632, Mike Bell in Limited Drag Radial, Brian Keep in Ultra Street, Nate Miskulin in Heavy Street, Buddy Perkinson in Top Sportsman A and Harry Martinez in Top Sportsman B.
For Tutterow, the weekend was about more than just driving to the win.
In what’s become a theme for him in recent seasons, Tutterow tuned a handful of cars over the weekend, as three Tutterow-tuned cars in Pro Mod advanced to the semifinals.
That included Mike Decker and Kurt Steding, as well as Tutterow, as each put together a remarkable showing against a field of nearly 40 Pro Mods.
Tutterow went 3.63 at 213 to beat Steding in the semifinals, while Quartuccio’s 3.64 was enough to get past Decker’s 3.65.
“It’s a lot of work and it got pretty hectic for a while, but it was a great weekend,” Tutterow said. “I’m just making sure everything is going well and trying to do the best we can. They’ve each got good programs and their team knows how to run the car. They’re super knowledge and I just help put the puzzle together.”
Tutterow has been the puzzle master through the years, helping take countless drivers to new heights. That was just as apparent in 2021, as Tutterow, who finished third in PDRA Pro Boost this year, had a strong impact with several teams. Steding put together a strong season, while Decker won the championship in the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association. Under Tutterow’s tutelage, Tommy Gray had his best season in years, while Barry Mitchell had a huge year in the Big Dog series.
Having that many standout clients certainly helps Tutterow when it comes to gathering information and he makes the most out of a hectic schedule.
“It’s been an excellent year and we’ve got a great customer base,” Tutterow said. “It spreads me pretty thin, but everyone did well.”
After qualifying fourth in Orlando, Tutterow was consistent and quick through five rounds of eliminations on a long Sunday.
Tutterow went 3.69 at 210 in the second round, going 3.65 at 212 to drive past Marcus Birt in the quarterfinals. That set the stage for a big finish, also giving Tutterow plenty of good vibes heading into another big race, next months’ 50th annual Snowbird Nationals.
There will be $50,000 on the line and a field of 50 Pro Mods, but as Tutterow showed in Orlando at the World Street Nationals, the big-time events simply bring out the best in him.
“We’ve got good momentum right now, so we’ll try to keep it going,” Tutterow said. “The car was flawless and it made excellent runs all weekend.”
This story was originally published on November 15, 2021.