Dirt
The chance for bragging rights at the unique
event is equally appealing for the ultra-popular
Jackson, who has never been shy about being
vocal to up the ante.
The grudge racer turned Pro Mod standout
isn’t going to back down before this highly-antic-
ipated event, either, in part because he’s looking
for every advantage possible in a weekend where
tensions will be high. He is well aware of what the
winner-takes-all stakes mean and Jackson is quite
certain it will have a noticeable effect on how
each of the standout drivers prepare for the event.
But in a “win or go home” scenario, Jackson
likes his chances.
“I don’t care how big, bad, or tough you are, I
come from grudge racing and I have grudge-raced
for $100,000 on one shot, one
kill, and if you say your brake
leg ain’t shaking going into the
top bulb, you’re a liar,” Jackson
said. “Hell yeah it changes
it. It’s like a final round every
single run.
“Anytime where the stakes
are bigger, I love it. I feed off
it. If you go up there thinking
about the $100,000 it’s over
with. You’ll see some driving
mistakes you wouldn’t normally
see, I assure you.”
Jackson’s approach of run-
ning his car “as hard as it will
go every single time I’m up”
could pay off with the event’s
unique set-up.
For the 16 drivers competing
in Saturday’s main event, there
will be no qualifying runs, only
three shakedown runs with the scoreboards off.
It’s certainly not the norm for a vast majority of
the invited competitors, but it’s a scenario that
brings Jackson back to his roots, something he
hopes is another advantage in his favor.
“That’s what makes grudge racing so exciting
and that’s where I came from,” Jackson said. “It
changes up the whole deal. A lot of these guys
have raced in this formatted series for a long time
and if you’re not versatile as a driver, anytime you
change some fundamentals, the driver is going
to have as hard of a time as the tuner. I like it. If
they’re going to outrun us, they better go up there
with full timing. It’s going to be good.”
The money, of course is a game-changer for
Jackson, one of 14 invited drivers. The 15th driver
will be selected via fan vote while the final entry
will be the winner of Friday’s 16-car, $10,000 to
win shootout, something Jackson went out of his
way to note he is looking forward to watching.
Racing at an altitude of nearly 6,000 feet at
Bandimere Speedway will be a first for Jackson,
but it’s also part of the reason
he quickly accepted the invite.
One final reason is a chance
to start his advance scouting –
and all his pre-race trash talk
– a full month before the event.
First-round matchups will be
announced on Drag Illus-
trated Editor-In-Chief Wes
Buck’s Live! Show on Wednes-
day, July 5, giving the pairings
plenty of time to marinate. With
$100,000 on the line, don’t be
surprised to see Jackson going
out of his way to bring his own
brand of excitement leading up
to the event.
“It will be awesome,” Jackson said.” It will be
like some prize fighters out here. I don’t know a
lot of these guys that run NHRA, but as soon as
I figure out who I’m going to run, I’ll be digging
through the live feed, trying to figure how they
like to stage, how I can mess with them.
“That will be a huge deal and it will be a huge
deal for the fans. It’s going to be like an MMA
fight. We’re going to know who you’re going to see.
I’m excited about the whole deal. I can’t wait and
I’m ready to go. It’s going to be good.”
DI DI DI
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
Phil Shuler's Shadow 2.0 has a Bruno on Board, shouldn't you?!
25+ Years of Champions
LIGHTEN Up!
with the New
Magnesium BRT
7 . 5 lbs lighter
3.71 on Radial Tires!
Order your new unit or convert your existing unit to Mag
Don’t waste your time or money testing other company’s gimmick of the week.
We Invented, Patented & Perfected the Converter Drive. Available in Lockup or
Non Lockup with proven fluid manipulation features that no others can touch.
Built by Championship winning racers for racers.
Trust the first name in Converter Driven Performance, Trust Bruno’s!
FOR MORE INFO CALL 630.458.0043 OR LOG ONTO www.brunosAutomotive.com
24 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Like Us on Facebook
Issue 120
STEVIE JACKSON