The dictionary defines “enigma” as being “mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.” When Keith Haney Racing (KHR) arrives in St. Louis Aug. 1-3, for the Summit Racing Equipment Mid-West Pro Mod Series (MWPMS) event at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, the “Enigma” they’ll bring to the track may mystify and puzzle onlookers, as Haney’s nitrous-huffing 2014 Camaro will continue to sport a pair of relatively tiny Mickey Thompson drag radials out back despite racing in the “big tire” Pro Mod class.
Further clouding the case, Haney recently sold the car to a yet-to-be-disclosed buyer, then just last week unexpectedly transferred ownership of “Notorious,” his nearly identical-appearing, dedicated Pro Mod entry to Texas racer Tony Strachan.
“I had actually taken that car off the market, but while I was on vacation in Florida with my girlfriend Misty and her kids and my kids, I got a call from Tony and we ended up working a deal and he wound up buying ‘Notorious,’ turnkey,” Haney explained. “So I sold the car and that was great, but here I was heading into St. Louis, tied for sixth in (Pro Mod) points, and basically I was carless.
“But the new owner for Enigma hadn’t picked it up yet, so I decided to try something a little unique. I called him up and asked, ‘Hey, would you be open to letting me race the car again in St. Louis?’ And right away he said, ‘Absolutely!’ So Enigma is coming back out. I’ll be driving a purpose-built radial car in the Mid-West Pro Mod Series, something that’s never been done before.”
Fresh off winning the unique MWPMS Slammers class for Pro Mod non-qualifiers and first-round runners up with Notorious at the most recent MWPMS event three weeks ago at Ferris, TX, Haney will seek to chase down the top five in points, led by Aaron Wells.
“There’s still three races to go, so we’re not out of it yet,” the Tulsa-based new car dealer insisted. “I’m still looking to reach the top, that’s my goal, and we’re going to do everything we can to make it happen.”
Beyond maintaining the points chase, though, Haney emphasized he owes it to KHR marketing partners Summit Racing Equipment, Lucas Oil, Strange Engineering and RacingJunk.com, among others, to field an entry and represent them in the MWPMS, which he also owns and promotes.
“I’ve gotta’ live up to my end of the bargain,” said Haney, who in 2017 won both the MWPMS Pro Mod championship and the series’ Radials vs. the World season title. “So we’ll be back out there one more time with Enigma, trying to slap around the Pro Mod guys with a set of drag radials. I’m really hoping to send her back to the new owner with one more win to her credit.”
