Jose Gonzalez Resets 1/4-Mile Pro Mod World Record

Former outright full-bodied world record holder Jose Gonzalez reclaimed his crown this afternoon in Bradenton, Florida, as he piloted Mark Micke’s twin turbocharged 1969 Camaro to the quickest 1/4-mile doorslammer run in drag racing history at 5.359 seconds and a booming 272.94 mph at the Bradenton Motorsports Park ahead of this weekend’s Snowbird Outlaw Nationals.

Gonzalez set the mark in March of 2017 driving his El General/Q80 Racing Corvette, as he clocked a then unheard-of 5.403 at 259.71 mph at the South Georgia Motorsports Park. It held for just under a year, when Bahrain’s EKanoo Racing, driver Khalid Mohamed, and tuner Shane Tecklenburg pushed the team’s Lexus RCF to a stunning 5.379 at 278.79 mph at the Bahrain International Circuit in February 2018.

Behind the wheel of Micke’s Camaro, Gonzalez netted earlier runs of 5.824 at just 177.21 mph, and a subsequent early-shutoff 5.396 at 260.56 mph, setting the stage for the all-out run into the record books.

Video by Kyle Christ/StraightLine Media

Micke’s impeccably-engineered Camaro, inarguably the most advanced and capable turbo car in Pro Modified today, is powered by an MH6 Pro Line Racing Hemi and twin 88mm Garrett turbos. The car is controlled with a FuelTech FT600, with FuelTech’s 720 lb-hr injectors, FTSpark, CDI racing coils, and EGT sensors, and is all backed up with an M&M Turbo 400 transmission and torque converter combination.

The record was one that many had long wondered if it would ever be surpassed. Tecklenburg, at the time of Mohamed’s record attempt, shard with DRAGZINE the team’s concerns for the safety of its driver and car at speeds over 270 mph — a sentiment others in the sport share, as doorslammer racing has largely transitioned to 1/8-mile with the ever-increasing horsepower and performance capabilities. Gonzalez’s elapsed time is just .007 seconds slower than the quickest Top…