In its first season of operation, Flying H Dragstrip is set to host the largest payout in Pro Modified history on September 19-21 when the Mid-West Drag Racing Series rolls into Odessa, Missouri for the inaugural Fall Smack Down. By the end of the event, one driver will go down in history with a massive $150,000 payday.
While only one driver will walk away with $150k, there will still be plenty of other opportunities to earn a fair amount of cash. Payouts include $25,000 for the runner-up, $5,000 for semifinalists, and $2,500 for quarterfinalists. The top qualifier will also receive $10,000. For teams that don’t qualify or lose in the first round, there will be a Pro Mod “Undercard” class as well, paying $25k to the winner and $10k to the runner-up.
In total, there will be an estimated $266,000 in prize money awarded – and that’s just for Pro Mod. Many of the biggest names in the class will be in attendance, including Mark Micke, Jason Harris, Jim Halsey, Spencer Hyde, Derek Ward, Melanie Salemi, and a multitude of others. An event of this magnitude is a dream come true for Track Owner Scott Higgs, Track Manager – and Pro Mod driver – Blake Housley, and the entire Flying H team.
“When we first started building the track, Scott always wanted to have a big race,” says Housley. “We’re so far out in the Midwest, it takes something to draw all those people out this way. We’d go to Bradenton in the winter and sit in the stands for an hour and a half watching Pro Mods. He was amazed and said, ‘We gotta find a way to get that here. I’d like to have a race where if you destroy your motor to win it, you’ll at least have enough money to pay for it when you get back home.’”
As the two started thinking about how to put on such a large event, they quickly realized they were out of their element. Enter Keith Haney, founder of the MWDRS, who stepped up to help Higgs and Housley turn their idea into reality.
“Last October, we were kind of throwing it around with Keith at the Throwdown (in T-Town), and he took the ball and ran with it,” Housley says. “We couldn’t have done it without Keith. The amount of hours he’s put in to help us make this happen, he’s just been awesome to deal with.”
While Pro Mod will be headlining the show, the MWDRS Fall Smack Down will feature a wide variety of supporting classes including Alcohol Funny Car, Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro 4.20, Pro Junior Dragster, Sportsman Junior Dragster, 5.80 Index, Super Pro, and even a jet semi truck. No matter what type of cars fans prefer, Housley believes there will be something for everyone.
“It should be a non-stop show from the time we start in the morning,” says Housley. “What we have is stuff everyone wants to see, including our local classes like 5.80 Index and Super Pro. We’ve got over 30 Top Sportsman and Top Dragster cars. I think we’re up to around 55 cars in Pro Mod. That’s something I don’t think anyone has seen in this area. You see it a few times in Bradenton with the World Series of Pro Mod, or even the Snowbirds and U.S. Street Nationals, but those are really the only places you can see that many Pro Mods in one place. It should be pretty epic stuff.”
Testing will begin on Tuesday and run through early Thursday afternoon. Pro Mod qualifying will kick off Thursday evening at 4:00 and 6:30, followed by a Racer Appreciation party presented by Strange Engineering at 7 p.m. Qualifying continues on Friday until 7 p.m., when things kick into high gear with Opening Ceremonies and first round of eliminations. Eliminations will then run all day Saturday until all champions are crowned.
As everyone from both Flying H and MWDRS concentrate on putting forth a once-in-a-lifetime type of event, don’t expect it to actually be a one-time deal. Housley says there are already plans to continue bringing fans an unforgettable experience in the future.
“We want to build on it moving forward,” Housley says. “We want a headlining, destination race – one that everybody wants to come to.”
Spectator tickets can be purchased at the gate, or in advance at https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/3956/tickets/1404246?rKey=45640.
To stream the MWDRS Fall Smack Down on FloRacing, visit https://flosports.link/3QoxtUT.
This story was originally published on September 17, 2024. 
