Turbocharged 4,779 WHP: Can Mark Micke make turbos great in Pro Mod, again?

It is no secret that Twin-screw and ProCharger powered Pro Modifieds have been dominating the scene over the past few years. The turbocharged combination, once a formidable force, hasn’t been part of the conversation—until now. Mark Micke of M&M Transmissions is looking to change the boosted community by bringing the exhaust-driven boost makers back to the front of the pack. In fact, just one race into the adventure and they have become the talk of the community.

A recent dyno session at the Georgia-based headquarters of FuelTech USA revealed a staggering 4,779 WHP. It is certainly one of the highest results the dyno recorded, but the key difference is in the details with this package.

Over the last several years there have been perceived challenges with the turbocharged combination for outlaw Pro Mod competition. Micke, however, knew he could solve each one and to do so, he created a think tank with some of the industry’s biggest powerhouses like Pro Line Racing, FuelTech, Turbosmart, and of course his company, M&M Transmissions. The results speak for themselves as early indications point to a game-changing combination.

The on-track success has been nothing short of impressive with just two dozen runs to date. The car’s national event debut yielded a second-place qualifying effort thanks to a best of 3.59 at 218 mph and it was a stern warning that Micke will be a contender. The best sixty-foot clocking is an astounding 0.935-seconds, and they went 13 straight runs without shaking the tires. The worst short-time during that streak was a 0.960—the kind of times and consistency that supercharged applications are known to produce.

One of the hallmarks of the 1969 Camaro’s success is the integration of the FT600 engine management system and its vast capabilities. The FT600, FT550, FT550LITE, and FT450 offer a complete line-up of standard features including sequential injection and ignition, O2 Closed Loop, data acquisition, traction control, delay box, Boost Controller, Nitrous Controller, and so much more. Additionally, the FT600, FT550, and FT450 have a customizable digital display for the driver and the anti-glare TFT touchscreen offers the ability to adjust the tune without hooking up a PC computer. It gives the driver feedback in real-time and puts the data in front of him or her instead of mounting multiple gauges around the cockpit.

A key feature for Micke’s turbo setup is the use of a single Turbosmart electronic wastegate to control boost, which is plumbed on the charge/cold side of the turbo system. Their theory is to have the twin Garrett GT57 98mm turbochargers spool as quickly as possible. In fact, the Camaro doesn’t even have wastegates on the exhaust/hot side. According to Micke, the large displacement Pro Line Racing HEMI makes 48 psi in just a half of second. The aggressive boost curve mimics a centrifugal supercharger and the lack of exhaust pressure bleed-off helps provide downforce to keep the front-end planted. FuelTech PowerFT was one of the first ECUs to offer electronic wastegate control when Turbosmart debuted the product a few years ago.

Noted Pro Line Racing tuner Steve Petty, also a collaborator on this project, shared his thoughts, “it’s been three years since I’ve run a turbo car and, in that time, so much has changed with the converter development, shocks, turbos…we’re going to have some fun.” The NHRA championship winning crew chief even admitted he felt there was 400-500 more horsepower left in the combination.

The Pro Modified division is heating up across several organizations and FuelTech’s leading technology is helping racers like Mark Micke make turbocharged combinations competitive, it is the reason you’re seeing #FuelTechEverywhere