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Three-Time PDRA Pro Boost Champion Kevin Rivenbark Seeking Second Big-Money Career Win at WSOPM

Tara Bowker photo

In PDRA Pro Boost competition, Kevin Rivenbark is one of the class’s most prolific drivers with three world championships and over a dozen event wins. He’s also won big money and broken barriers on small tires in Radial vs. the World action. The North Carolina native will try to add another title to his list of accomplishments when he competes in the $100,000-to-win Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, March 3-5, at Bradenton Motorsports Park.

This will be Rivenbark’s first time competing in the WSOPM, which will take on an outlaw eighth-mile format at Bradenton for the first time.

“I’ve been wanting to go to the World Series since it was out in Colorado [at Bandimere Speedway],” Rivenbark said. “Unfortunately, things didn’t ever work out to where we could. With it moving down to Florida to race for that kind of money, I don’t know the exact word for it. I’m certainly glad to have the opportunity to be a part of it.”

Rivenbark has ample experience racing for a huge payday. In 2019, he won $101,000-to-win Sweet 16 2.0 in Radial vs. the World driving the ProCharged GALOT Motorsports ’69 Camaro. Earlier in the weekend, he broke the 3.50-second RvW barrier with a 3.587-second blast. While records aren’t necessarily on the table for WSOPM, Rivenbark is eying another big check at the end of the weekend.

“Like the RvW win, it’s unfathomable,” Rivenbark said. “Even after I won the hundred thousand there, I didn’t have words for it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Now, a second chance to do it is unbelievable. I hope I get that close to get a chance to win it. Of course, there’s very tough competition. But at the same time, I feel like I have as good a chance as the next guy.”

Chris Sears photo

Rivenbark will be back in a ProCharged ’69 Camaro for WSOPM, but this time it will be the Q80 Racing entry owned by Scott Tidwell. He debuted the car at the 51st annual Snowbird Outlaw Nationals at Bradenton in December, qualifying No. 3 and losing in the second round due a parts failure. The car is similar to his usual GALOT Motorsports ride, and the crew is familiar too.

“When we started the ProCharger deal with Pro Line, it was me and [Steve] Petty and Brandon Stroud and Chris Foster. Well, Chris is over at Tidwell’s too, so it’s me, Foster, and Petty again,” Rivenbark said. “We already jelled before, so it just makes it easier to get in the seat.

“Pretty much everything I do right now is tied with Pro Line, and I’m still affiliated with GALOT. We just decided to lease those [GALOT] cars out and it got snatched up. But Scott and them are wonderful to race with. They’re very passionate about winning and wanting to do well. It just makes it all work.”

When Rivenbark looks at the list of invited drivers, one of the names that stands out is Todd “King Tut” Tutterow. The reigning PDRA Pro Boost world champion was Rivenbark’s tuner and teammate for the first few seasons of his Pro Boost career.

“The last championship I won in PDRA [in 2021], him and I raced I believe three times. I won twice and him once,” Rivenbark said. “That’s the way it used to be when him and I ran each other when we were teammates – I’d win one, he’d win one. It was back and forth. Even back then it was a rivalry even though we were teammates. Todd always seems to be there at the end of it. You can’t count him out of any race.”

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WSOPM tickets are on sale now at www.WorldSeriesofProMod.com. Fans can also watch the race live on FloRacing. CBS Sports will air primetime coverage of the race in April.

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