The KW Motorsports Pro Mod team of Kirk and Jeff Wilmes has been steadily improving throughout the
2009 racing season. The second year upstart Pro Mod team based out of Altus, OK continued their
streak of qualifying for every race they have attended so far this year. Driver, Kirk Wilmes,
stated, "We knew we were taking a huge leap when we decided to start running legal Pro Mod. All of
these teams on this side of the fence come to race hard. The amount of investment to be a player in
this scene of racing is huge. We are a little team out here playing with the big dogs and holding
our own."
As the team came into the historic U.S. Nationals last week they had been struggling
when testing to try and achieve the next level of performance. "We went to Tulsa Raceway Park for
two separate test sessions. We burned up and broke a lot of parts. I was really looking for a next
level combination with the torque converter set up in this car. We persevered through it all and
ran our personal best of 6.12 @ 232 at Indy. That makes all the struggling worth it in the long
run," stated tuner, Jon Salemi. The 6.12 qualified the team on the bump for the tough Get Screened
America Pro Mod field. Unfortunately that slated them against Danny Rowe in the first round of
eliminations. A timing retard malfunction kept the G-Force Race Cars built 68 Firebird from
improving on the 6.12 as Rowe sped to the win with a 5.94 @ 242 MPH.
Jeff Wilmes confirmed that he was pleased with the progression the team has made
throughout the year, "We have great people on our venture with us. I'm proud of my son Kirk and his
poised driving, our car chiefs Copus Lester and Adam Braddock, Louis Boyd and his staff and Boyd
Machine, Darren Mayer and Jon Salemi from DMPE Inc, and Jim Salemi from G-Force Race Cars for all
the guidance in this journey."
The next outing for the KW Motorsports team will be at Z-Max Dragway for the Carolina
Nationals September 18-20.
