After winning the inaugural Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock world championship last season, there isn’t much that Johnny Pluchino hasn’t accomplished in Mountain Motor Pro Stock. He’s a two-time PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world champion with numerous wins in both PDRA and NHRA competition. He’s won the Summit Racing Equipment PDRA ProStars all-star event. But a win at the Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational (MMPSI) has eluded him, and he’s determined to change that this year.
Pluchino is one of more than 18 drivers expected to compete in the $25,000-to-win MMPSI during the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, Feb. 27-March 1, at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Driving his Kaase-powered Feather-Lite Batteries ’13 Mustang, Pluchino raced to a runner-up finish to Matt Giangrande at the 2024 MMPSI and reached the semifinals the year before that.
“It’s the trophy missing on the mantle right now,” Pluchino said. “It’s the one I want. Not that we’re done by any stretch, but we’ve accomplished everything else there is to accomplish in this class. That’s the one spot that’s kind of empty and we’re gonna fill it. We’ve got two races like this under our belt for the last two years. Went to the semis and the finals, so the next step is to win the damn thing.”
The MMPSI is a unique standalone event for the drivers and teams who compete in the PDRA Extreme Pro Stock and NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock series. Without points implications to consider, racers can focus on chasing the $25,000 prize and the bragging rights that come with a win at Bradenton. The chip draw format, where qualified drivers use random chip draws to determine pairings in eliminations, also appeals to Pluchino.
“The chip draw really stirs things up,” Pluchino said. “You can get somebody who maybe wouldn’t normally make it to the final. Maybe they get some momentum early with some more favorable matchups. It really stirs the pot and it gives you a little bit of a different take on how you race.”
Behind the scenes, Pluchino has been working with event officials to round up racer and sponsor support for the MMPSI. More than 20 drivers have accepted their invitations to partake in the third annual running of the MMPSI.
“I’m proud of the group as a whole,” said Pluchino, who’s been around Mountain Motor Pro Stock racing since his father, John, started competing in the class in 2007. “They’ve really showed the support. From talking to everybody, I’m expecting a really nice turnout for a 16-car field and plan on having a bump spot.
“There’s nothing better than going out and qualifying with a time on the bottom of the scoreboard that you need to run in order to be in the show,” Pluchino continued. “That makes it exciting. It makes racers push, and once you’re in, you’re in. It’s anyone’s race. We plan on having enough racers out there to have a nice bump spot and make you push the envelope a little bit in qualifying to get the job done.”
The World Series of Pro Mod serves as the grand finale for the inaugural three-race Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service. The Pro Mod winner will walk away with $150,000 and the points champion will pocket a $25,000 bonus. The WSOPM lineup also includes the second annual Pro 10.5 Challenge, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Lil’ Gangstas, Super Pro, and a Jr. Dragster Shootout.
MMPSI competitors will get two qualifying sessions on Thursday, Feb. 27 and two on Friday, Feb. 28, before starting eliminations on Saturday, March 1. For more info, visit www.WorldSeriesofProMod.com or www.TheWinterSeries.com.
This story was originally published on February 11, 2025. 
