Drag racers-turned promoters Gerrell Applo and Michael Walker are bringing a new look to doorslammer racing in 2026, introducing Extreme Doorslammers – a Pro Mod-style, heads-up class with the clocks turned off.
The first event of the Extreme Doorslammers season will take place April 24-25 at Cecil County Dragway as part of ‘Blood, Sweat, and Tears.’ The race will also feature a host of radial classes including 275 Unleashed, All-Steel, All-Glass, and 275 Lightweight, as well as a 10.5 Slick class.
Extreme Doorslammers will feature nearly $10,000 in payouts, with $6,000 being awarded to the winner, $1,500 to the runner-up, and $1,000 to semifinalists. Teams will receive two shakedown runs prior to eliminations, with pairings being determined by chip draw prior to each round. Boosted combinations will follow PDRA rules, with no weight restrictions placed on nitrous combos.
“We’ve created a place not only for ourselves to compete, but for the average Pro Mod racer that can’t necessarily afford to run with the top-tier teams, but can still have a great atmosphere to compete in,” said Applo. “I honestly had no intentions of being a promoter. I just wanted to solve an issue in our geographical area with the big-tire racing industry. I’m hoping this series opens some eyes from the average fans’ and racers’ perspective that these smaller events can definitely pull great attention.”
Applo and Walker are each Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 alumni – Applo in the 2022 class and Walker in 2024 – and both will be competing in Extreme Doorslammers this year in addition to running the series. Applo will pilot his Bad Dog Racing nitrous-fed ’41 Willys, while Walker will run his screw-blown ’68 Camaro.
A plethora of Pro Mod veterans are already locked-in for the first race, including Chuck Ulsch, Andy Jensen, Frank Falter IV, Chris Russo, and Derrick Ford, just to name a few – and a large list of others will be joining the party throughout the season.
“It’s mind-blowing all the support we’ve received from big-name Pro Mod guys like Todd Tutterow, Jon Salemi, Scotty Cannon, Tommy Mauney, Jim Whiteley, and Tommy Gray,” Applo said. “Whether it’s companies, the racers, team owners, or dedicated fans, it’s kind of overwhelming to see how much support we’ve gotten in such a short amount of time. We are here for a long time, not a short time. We’re just trying to make our staple in this industry known as two of the youngest Pro Modified series owners that also currently race Pro Mods.”
The 2026 Extreme Doorslammers schedule will feature six total events. Following ‘Blood, Sweat, & Tears,’ the series will head to Maryland International Raceway (MIR) May 24; Outer Banks Dragway July 10-11, MIR August 1; MIR September 6; and Cecil County September 18-19.
This story was originally published on April 18, 2026. 
