Kye Kelley Achieves Impressive Victory Against Top Pro Mod Racers in the World

Fans of traditional drag racing have long expressed criticism towards the Street Outlaws reality show, doubting the skills of its cast and questioning the actual performance of their cars. They often refer to them as “TV stars” and dismiss them as “not authentic drag racers.”

Within a three-day period, Kye Kelley successfully silenced all of his opponents.

Street Outlaws’ leading figure, Kelley, has been a prominent member of the show since his impressive victory at Cash Days in 2015. He steered his supercharged Camaro to victory in a highly competitive field of Pro Modified racers, making it one of the most remarkable wins in the history of the sport. This took place at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals event held at Bradenton Motorsports Park on Sunday evening.

There was never any doubt about Kye’s driving skills. As the event approached, he mentioned that although his Camaro may not meet the class’s standards, he was confident in his ability to outpace anyone he raced against.

Prior to securing a victory, Kye had already garnered the admiration of all competitors and the entire drag racing community. On paper, he was at a disadvantage. His third-generation Camaro, which was constructed by Wizard Race Cars, had a wheelbase of only 104 inches, making it 11 inches shorter than the other 63 cars he was competing against. This difference in length has a significant impact on weight distribution, weight transfer, and overall handling of the vehicle.

The social media has been oversimplifying the fact that the car has a steel roof and quarters, which is a requirement for No Prep Kings. However, it should be noted that a car can have steel body panels that are reshaped to any dimensions. Jason Wood, the owner of Wizard, confirmed to DRAGZINE that Kye’s Camaro is of factory dimensions in terms of width and height. As a result, it creates a larger and less aerodynamic hole in the air. The nose of the car maintains its factory appearance, complete with the non-aerodynamic inset Camaro headlights that were even used at night. This information is supported by the fact that Kye’s trap speeds were consistently slower than the next fastest car in the field by over a mile-per-hour.

During the summer, Kelley unveiled his new car which he had secretly built, as seen in this article from Dragzine. The reason behind this new build was to have a lighter overall package that would allow him to easily shift weight in order to achieve the desired balance. Additionally, the reduced weight of the car helped him reach the minimum weight requirement for his screw supercharger combination at the Snowbirds event, including the 35-pound bonus for using steel roof and quarters.

Despite facing numerous mechanical challenges, Kye managed to push his Camaro to a remarkable 3.621 at 207.21 mph, securing the 13th spot in the most fierce and competitive Pro Modified car field ever seen. The entire field of 32 cars ranged from Mark Micke’s top qualifying time of 3.591 to an impressive 3.647, with a difference of only .056 seconds. It would be difficult to find a steel-bodied car competing at a major Pro Modified event with such intensity, a feat that has not been seen in approximately 25 to 30 years. Additionally, it is rare to see a third-generation F-body car, regardless of its material makeup, performing at this level. Despite the odds, Kye triumphed over Mick Decker, Jr. in the first round and Mike Decker III in the second round, in a close race with times of 3.661 and 3.662, respectively. This begs the question, could he continue his success?

Despite the odds stacked against him with only eight cars left in the race, Kye was able to surprise everyone with a remarkable win. He tapped into his low-3.60 magic from qualifying and managed to surpass top contenders Spencer Hyde, Kurt Steding, and Ken Quartuccio in the final round. Winning a Pro Modified race with an unoptimized car may not have been impossible, but winning against such a strong field seemed highly improbable.

Though occasionally lacking in performance, Kye’s car was compensated by his quick reflexes. During the race, Kelley had the fastest reaction time in three out of five rounds and two of the top three reaction times of the day. In the second round, he had a reaction time of .012 and won against Hyde by taking a risk, with a score of 3.626 to 3.624 and an .013 reaction time. In the quarterfinals, he beat Steding with a significant lead, scoring 3.620 against a much quicker 3.592.

In the crucial moment, Jeff Pierce, the tuner, was able to achieve the desired level of performance. During the last round, Kye recorded a personal best of 3.594, making it the second-fastest run in the eliminations, third-fastest of the event, and a time that would have placed him in third position if it had been done a day earlier. It goes without saying that none of this was expected to occur.

Thanks to his remarkable dedication, Kye received a generous payment of $50,000. However, the respect he gained far surpasses the monetary value and he has made a lasting impact that will be remembered for a long time.