Atco

It didn't even happen at the right racetrack in 1988.

Atco Dragway, the late legendary New Jersey drag plant, was always a great place, but that place stood in the shadows of other massive facilities the baddest door cars in the world had run at that year.

This is a story of near misses, outlaw race cars, and a single run that broke open a controversy that has not settled down for decades since June of 1988 and accelerated the inevitable creation of a category of drag racing that continues to thrive to this very day.

There was no name for it then, but today we call it Pro Mod.

Linwood over three inches.

Atco also over three inches.

Very close to that three inch territory in Woodbine.

Even Hatboro, which is an inland community, is over two inches.