# Pro Mod Camaro (Pro Modified, 1990s to today)

- Source: https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/pro-mod-camaro/
- Publisher: Racing Car Network (racingcarnetwork.com), the race car marketplace
- Type: car · Brand: Chevrolet
- Discipline: drift-drag
- Series: drag
- Era: 2010s
- Last updated: 2026-11-06

A Pro Mod Camaro is a tube-chassis doorslammer with a carbon Camaro shell and 2,500 to 4,000 hp from a blown, turbocharged or nitrous V8. It runs the quarter mile in the 5.6s at over 250 mph. Buyers are professional or outlaw eighth-mile teams; the chassis builder and the power-adder rules decide where it can race.

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Engine | 526 cu in (8.6 L) Hemi or big-block Chevrolet with screw, roots or centrifugal supercharger or twin turbos; up to 959-960 cu in on nitrous [1][4] |
| Power | 2,500 to 4,000+ hp depending on combination [4] |
| Weight | NHRA minimum with driver: 2,500-2,550 lb nitrous, 2,640 lb roots, 2,700 lb screw, 2,720 lb centrifugal (2021-2025 amendments) [1][2][3] |
| Gearbox | Lenco or Liberty planetary/clutchless 3- to 5-speed, or M&M / Rossler Turbo 400-based automatic with converter [8][9][14][22] |
| Chassis | 4130 chrome-moly tube frame, double-framerail on recent builds; SFI 25.1 full-body chassis spec, 3-year recertification [8][20] |
| Brakes | Carbon or steel disc, drag-only; twin parachutes for braking [4][8] |
| Body | Carbon-fibre Camaro shell (1967-69, 2010-2015 gen 5, 2016+ gen 6); Five Star carbon body under 70 lb [13] |
| Wheelbase | Camaro Pro Mod body packages fit 106 to 115 in chassis [13] |
| Performance | 5.656 s at 255.73 mph (NHRA, Charlotte 2025); 3.50s in the eighth mile [6][10] |
| Years | 1990 (IHRA class) to present; NHRA since 2001 [4] |

## History

Pro Modified grew out of 1980s outlaw doorslammer racing in the Carolinas. Charles Carpenter's nitrous 1955 Chevy ran 8.30s in 1983 and Bill Kuhlmann hit 202 mph at the 1987 IHRA Winternationals. IHRA made Pro Modified a professional class on 10 March 1990 at Darlington. NHRA added the class in 2001 as a limited-schedule experiment [4]. Early cars were steel-roofed 1955 Chevys, Willys and Corvettes. The first-generation Camaro shell soon became the default choice, because the body is short, narrow and easy to build in composite.

The chassis is a 4130 chrome-moly tube frame built to the SFI 25.1 full-body spec. Jerry Bickel Race Cars (Moscow Mills, Missouri), RJ Race Cars/Quarter-Max, Jerry Haas and Larry Jeffers supply most Camaro-bodied cars. Recent RJ builds use a double-framerail design, four-link rear, carbon interior panels and a Racepak data system [8][25]. The shell is carbon fibre from Five Star or Cynergy. A Five Star carbon Camaro body weighs under 70 lb and the ultralight version under 60 lb [13].

Three power choices coexist under a weight-break system. Nitrous cars run up to 959-960 cu in on wedge or Hemi heads. Supercharged and turbocharged cars are capped at 526 cu in [1][4]. NHRA trims the weights every season: screw blowers went from 2,740 to 2,700 lb in May 2023 and centrifugal cars from 2,740 to 2,720 lb in June 2025 [2][3]. A nitrous Camaro from Jerry Bickel set the first 5.7-second nitrous pass in 2011 [12]. Twin-turbo 2014 Camaros later ran 5.14 s at 273 mph in testing, far beyond sanctioned limits [7].

By the 2020s the sixth-generation Camaro shell joined the 1969 body. Rob Cox debuted a Bickel 2018 Camaro with a 529 cu in Elite big-block and twin 94 mm turbos in 2018 [9]. Kye Kelley's 2025 Larry Jeffers gen-6 Camaro uses a screw-blown Hemi and ran into the 3.50s in the eighth mile [10]. J.R. Gray won the 2025 NHRA title in an Al-Anabi Camaro, and the class ran 11 NHRA events in 2026 as the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series [4][5][24].

## Palmarès

A Jerry Bickel nitrous Camaro driven by Mike Castellana ran 5.781 s at Englishtown, the first 5.7-second nitrous Pro Mod pass, and won the 2011 ADRL Pro Nitrous championship [12]. Justin Bond's ProCharged 1969 Camaro reset the NHRA Pro Mod ET record at 5.623 s and 253.14 mph in 2020 [23]. J.R. Gray's Camaro won the 2025 Charlotte Four-Wide with a 5.656 at 255.73 mph and the 2025 NHRA championship with a 5.749 at 250.04 mph in Las Vegas [5][6]. The 2025 Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod at Bradenton paid $150,000 to the winner from a 32-car field cut from 80 entries [18].

## What to check before you buy

Read the chassis tag and SFI 25.1 certification date: The full-body chassis spec needs recertification every 3 years under the FIA SFI list; an expired car cannot race until re-inspected. Confirm which builder made the chassis and ask for the build sheet: Bickel, RJ Race Cars, Haas and Jeffers cars hold value; the RJ double-framerail design and Quarter-Max four-link parts are documented per car. Ask for pass count since the last rod change and valve-spring service: Pro Line changes rods at 25 passes in NHRA trim and 50 in outlaw trim; a car near that limit needs an engine refresh soon. Weigh the car with driver and compare against the target series: NHRA minimums are 2,500-2,550 lb nitrous, 2,640 lb roots, 2,700 lb screw, 2,720 lb centrifugal; PDRA Pro Boost launched at 2,550 lb. Measure turbo inducer or supercharger inlet size and overdrive: Outlaw rules cap turbos at 88, 94 or 98 mm and screw overdrive at 92 or 110 percent, with weight tied to each. Check transmission type and converter lock-up: NHRA permits lock-up only on nitrous cars; five-speed Liberty and Lenco setups attract weight penalties in some eighth-mile series. Check parachute, harness and suit dates: Twin parachutes are required; harnesses expire after 2 years and suits after 5. Compare asking price with recent Pro Mod sales: A record-holding Bickel Camaro asked $85,000 in 2012; a 1968 Camaro with a 511 cu in Brad Anderson Hemi asked NZ$130,000 in 2026; a 520 cu in Hemi Corvette asked $195,000 in 2016.

## Did you know

- IHRA ran the first professional Pro Modified race on 10 March 1990 at Darlington, South Carolina [4].
- Todd Moyer's twin-turbo 2014 Camaro ran 5.144 s at 273.44 mph in a January 2024 test at Bradenton, quicker than any sanctioned Pro Mod pass [7].
- A Five Star ultralight carbon Camaro body weighs under 60 lb, a tenth of the car's driver-included minimum weight [13].

## Frequently asked questions

**Which power adder should I choose for a Pro Mod Camaro?** It depends on the series. NHRA sets different minimum weights for nitrous, roots, screw and centrifugal cars and bans lock-up on boosted cars. Eighth-mile outlaw series tie weight to turbo size and overdrive. Pick the series first, then the engine combination the rules favour that season.

**How often does a Pro Mod engine need a refresh?** Pro Line Racing reported pulling rods at 25 passes in NHRA trim and planning 50 passes on an outlaw ProCharger Hemi at 9,100 rpm. Valve springs and lash were untouched after 23 runs. Ask the seller for the pass count since the last teardown and the builder's service notes.

**Is the chassis certification still valid?** Pro Mod chassis are built to SFI 25.1 for full-bodied cars running 7.49 s and quicker. The FIA SFI list gives that spec a 3-year recertification period. Look for the sticker and logbook date, and budget for a re-inspection if it has lapsed.

**Can a 1969 Camaro body race against a 2019 Camaro body?** Yes. Both shells fit the same 106 to 115 in chassis range. Some eighth-mile series give 1970-and-older bodies a 25 lb deduction, and NHRA has used a 50 lb nostalgia break. The newer shells are chosen for aero; the 1969 shell for weight breaks and looks.

**What does a used Pro Mod Camaro cost?** Older nitrous cars from top builders have asked around $85,000; a blown 1968 Camaro asked NZ$130,000 in 2026; late-model twin-turbo Pro Line cars have asked close to $200,000. A fresh engine alone can be a large share of the price, so check pass count and spares.

## Sources

- File:NHRA Pro-Mod - Driver Stevie Fast - Bahrain 1 Racing.jpg — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NHRA_Pro-Mod_-_Driver_Stevie_Fast_-_Bahrain_1_Racing.jpg
- NHRA Releases Rule Amendment Updates to the E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod Drag Racing Series — https://www.nhraracer.com/post/nhra-releases-rule-amendment-updates-to-the-e3-spark-plugs-pro-mod-drag-racing-series-presented-by-j
- NHRA Technical Department Announces Screw Supercharger Weight Break, New Rules for Pro Mod — https://dragillustrated.com/nhra-technical-department-announces-screw-supercharger-weight-break-new-rules-for-pro-mod/
- NHRA Releases 2025 Rulebook Amendment Updates — https://www.nhraracer.com/post/nhra-releases-2025-rulebook-amendment-updates-3
- Pro Mod Drag Racing: The Complete Guide to NHRA's Doorslammer Class — https://competitionplus.com/pro-mod-drag-racing-the-complete-guide-to-nhras-doorslammer-class/
- J.R. Gray Clinches Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Series Title in Winner-Take-All Final at Las Vegas — https://speedwaymedia.com/2025/11/03/j-r-gray-clinches-congruity-nhra-pro-mod-series-title-in-winner-take-all-final-at-las-vegas/
- Dominant Weekend: J.R. Gray Wins Pro Mod at zMAX — https://www.dragzine.com/news/dominant-weekend-j-r-gray-wins-pro-mod-at-zmax
- Todd Moyer Shatters Full-Bodied World Records With Stunning 5.14 — https://www.dragzine.com/news/todd-moyer-shatters-full-bodied-world-records-with-stunning-5-14/
- First Look: John Mitchell's New RJ-Built Pro Mod '22 Camaro — https://www.dragzine.com/news/first-look-john-mitchells-new-rj-built-pro-mod-22-camaro/
- Rob Cox's New Jerry Bickel-Built Pro Mod Camaro — https://www.dragzine.com/news/rob-cox-new-pro-modified/
- Kye Kelley Adds New Larry Jeffers-Built Pro Modified Camaro to Stable — https://www.dragzine.com/news/kye-kelley-adds-new-larry-jeffers-built-pro-modified-camaro-to-stable/
- Dillard Impresses With 3.6-Second Runs in ProCharger Pro Mod Debut — https://www.dragzine.com/news/dillard-impresses-with-3-6-second-runs-in-procharger-pro-mod-debut/
- YB Find of the Day: Mike Castellana's Record-Setting '68 Camaro — https://www.dragzine.com/news/yb-find-of-the-day-mike-castellanas-record-setting-68-camaro/
- Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock/Pro Mod Body Packages — https://www.fivestarbodies.com/ConfigurableProduct/VDRAGCAM.htm
- 1968 Chev Camaro Pro Mod (listing 5870205277) — https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/specialist-cars/competition-cars/listing/5870205277
- 1963 pro mod or Top Sportsman — https://racingcarnetwork.com/race-car/1963-pro-mod-or-top-sportsman/
- PDRA Announces Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous and Pro Boost Minimum Weights — https://dragillustrated.com/pdra-announces-pro-extreme-pro-nitrous-and-pro-boost-minimum-weights/
- PDRA Introduces Rule Changes for Pro Boost and Pro Extreme Motorcycle — https://dragillustrated.com/pdra-introduces-rule-changes-for-pro-boost-and-pro-extreme-motorcycle/
- 2025 World Series of Pro Mod Eliminations Results — https://dragillustrated.com/2025-world-series-of-pro-mod-eliminations-results/
- 2026 Pro Mod Rules (Doorwarz XIV) — https://missionraceway.com/events/doorwarz-xiv-june-25-28/2026-pro-mod-rules-1/
- 2023 FIA Drag Racing - SFI Specification List — https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2023_fia_drag_racing_-_sfi_specification_list.pdf
- Ask the Experts: Driver Safety Equipment Recertification — https://www.performanceracing.com/magazine/columns/08-05-2024/ask-experts-driver-safety-equipment-recertification
- Turn-Key Terror: JEGS C5 Corvette Pro Mod For Sale — https://www.lsxmag.com/news/turn-key-terror-jegs-c5-corvette-pro-mod-sale
- Pro Modified — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Modified
- NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series — https://nhra.com/promod?page=1
- Jerry Bickel Race Cars — https://www.jerrybickel.com/

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