Montecalvo Has Good Vibes Before Darlington

DARLINGTON, SC-- John Montecalvo knows that preseason stuff is only a form of practice, but reaching the finals of the Majesty Homes Groundhog Warm-Up made him the frontrunner to being the top Chevrolet team in IHRA Pro Stock. The Center Moriches, N.Y., based driver not only reached the finished runner-up, but also posted the quickest run of his category with a 6.640/207.46.

"We have worked hard in the offseason to refine our product," explained Montecalvo. "My crew and myself are serious about making a reputation of being the most-feared team in competition. Actually, I don't want to invoke fear. I want respect and we will do what we have to do to get it. Even if it means running the first 6.5 second run."

Montecalvo admits that he might have won the event, had his reaction times been up to par on his race against Chris Holbrook. But, he feels that goes along with the "thawing out" for what is going to be a hot season. The former Sunoco Pro Stock Showdown finalist feels strongly that a 6.5 second lap will emerge from the class. He hopes to be the first to achieve such a feat.

"I can't really say when it will happen," says Montecalvo. "The track at Darlington is certainly capable of producing it. But, March might not produce the right conditions. I guess I could go out on a limb and say that it will happen in Shreveport. Looking at the 6.62 last year, that's not a far-fetched assessment."

Montecalvo plans to begin his Pro Stock challenge at the IHRA Prolong Winter Nationals in Darlington, S.C., March 12-14. Montecalvo, along with each Pro Stock contestant, will be afforded four qualifying runs during the course of the event and the quickest sixteen entries will compete in final eliminations on Sunday. This event will be televised on ESPN2 with the dates TBA in an upcoming issue of the IHRA's Drag Review magazine