When Travis Harvey rolls through the gates of Bradenton Motorsports Park for the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod (WSOPM) presented by Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage and J&A Service March 1-3, he’ll do so with double driving duties.
Not only will Harvey be competing for the $100,000 prize in Pro Mod, he’ll also be competing in the $50,000-to-win Intercontinental Top Dragster Championship presented by FTI Performance, driving a car owned by Jeff Pittman and Angie Travis.
In Pro Mod, Harvey – the 2023 Big Dog Series champion – will be piloting his new screw-blown 2019 Chevy Camaro tuned by Steve Petty. He is hoping to improve upon his 2023 performance, where he qualified 27th and earned a first-round victory against Robert Abbott before falling to Marcus Birt in round two.
“I’m feeling a lot better and more confident than I was last year,” said Harvey. “We had a new combination last year starting out. It was great. But this deal, we’re a lot more prepared to come and run against the fast guys now. I think we’ll be great coming out of this race.”
Harvey knows there will be no easy draws in eliminations, with over 60 of the top drivers in the country coming to compete. Last year saw the closest 32-car field in Pro Mod history, with No. 1 through No. 32 being separated by just .056 seconds. And Harvey wouldn’t want it any other way.
“That’s the way I like it,” Harvey said. “I like running against the baddest out there. I hope the field is tight like it was last year. Nobody really had an advantage, and I like the pressure. I like racing against the bad boys and it’s gonna be fun.”
Also returning this year to the WSOPM is Rivals Night, and Harvey already has a grudge race locked in against 2023 PDRA Pro Boost world champion Jason Harris. It will be just the latest chapter in a long list of battles between the two North Carolina-based drivers.
“It’s always exciting to run Jason,” said Harvey. “We’ve been racing together for decades now and he’s a well-respected champion and friend. The competition better be glad we’re not teammates.”
With $100,000 on the line – and an extra $50,000 in Harvey’s case – a lot of drivers might feel added pressure. However, Harvey is one of the few drivers who isn’t new to running for huge money, and doesn’t expect nerves to affect him like it might others.
“It’s a lot (of money), but I’ve raced for more than that before in one run,” Harvey said. “You don’t really think about it because it will get in your head. But the money is not for me. I want to win. I wanna beat all of them and win the race.”
Tickets for the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by JHG and J&A Service are on sale now and can be purchased at https://bit.ly/wsopm2024. Fans watching from home can tune in to the official event livestream on FloRacing at https://flosports.link/3uYLot3.
This story was originally published on February 19, 2024. 
