The 2023 Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod and Strange Engineering have partnered to bring a Racer Welcome Party to the elite roster of racers set to compete at the Bradenton Motorsports Park event on March 3-5. The WSOPM Racer Welcome Party presented by Strange Engineering will kick off the festivities Thursday night, March 2.
“We’re going back to our youth and throwing a pizza party. There’s a lot of pressure at WSOPM, but on Thursday night, before qualifying begins, we want to give our racers and sponsors an opportunity to take the edge off with a cold beverage and a hot slice,” said Drag Illustrated Founder and WSOPM Promoter Wes Buck. “We’ve partnered with a couple local Italian eateries to make it a special experience and provide us with great food. Of course, we’ll have DJ Jason Logan in the house, setting the mood and ensuring we have a good time.”
For Jeff Stange, second-generation owner of Strange Engineering, it’s a way for him to give back to a sport that has provided him and his family so much.
“I grew up in this sport – it is my life,” Stange said. “It’s not only work for me, but it’s also my playtime. I always take a lot of pride in being able to give back to the racers to help because they’ve helped Strange Engineering grow and develop products and be successful in our industry.”
Thursday night will be followed by intense qualifying rounds on Friday, featuring the headlining event that night: WSOPM Friday Night Rivals. The best Pro Mod drivers on the premise at Bradenton Motorsports Park have called out who they want to grudge race. Then, Saturday will be action-packed full of qualifying from all classes at the WSOPM, followed by race day on Sunday.
When it came to partnerships for the biggest Pro Mod race of the year, Buck immediately thought of Strange Engineering.
“First off, Jeff Stange is simply my kind of guy,” explained Buck. “We’ve known each other a long time, but only in the last few years have we really started spending time together on a regular basis, and it’s been awesome to develop a meaningful relationship with someone who loves this industry and drag racing the way that I do.
“He came to me and wanted to be involved with WSOPM, which, of course, we were very excited about, but he wanted to do it in a way that was true to his values and the mission of Strange Engineering,” continued Buck. “That means a heavy focus on giving back to the racers – the men and women that are the lifeblood of our sport – so signing on as the presenting sponsor of our Racer Welcome Party was a perfect fit.”
Stange believes that supporting drag racing will help the long game of the sport, especially the WSOPM.
“I like that it’s a single event, and the best of the best will be there to compete. It’s winner-take-all, and I love that type of racing,” said Stange. “The WSOPM is at the top of the mountain when it comes to events. It highlights not only the fun of our sport but really emphasizes how competitive our sport is and its top-tier talent at this event.”
For more information and to purchase tickets to the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, visit www.WorldSeriesofProMod.com. Fans can livestream the event on FloRacing.com and will be able to rewatch all of the action on CBS Sports in April.
This story was originally published on February 3, 2023. 
