Two Pro Mod racers have had Cecil County Dragway locked down when it comes to big-money wins in recent years, and one of those drivers is Andy Jensen. The engine builder from Pennsylvania raced to victory Sunday afternoon at the track’s second annual Pro Mod Invitational, defeating Ed “The Iron Man” Burnley in the final round. Jensen, who won the 2024 Yellowbullet Nationals at Cecil County, collected the $50,000 prize and a special NHRA Wally.
Jensen went into the weekend just hoping to continue dialing in his small-block, single-turbo ’68 Camaro, which stands out in fields primarily composed of big-block combos utilizing screw blowers, ProChargers, or nitrous oxide. Jensen ended up qualifying No. 5 in the eight-car field with his 3.658-second pass at 207.30 mph.
“We are still about .05 from where we need to be in the 330′ and the power is there, but we can’t figure out how to make it stick early in the run,” Jensen said.
Jensen caught a break in the opening round when he got past track owner and four-time PDRA Pro Nitrous world champion Jim Halsey, who was behind the wheel of his new “Blacklist” ’68 Camaro. Halsey debuted the machine at the Yellowbullet Nationals and quickly found the 3.50-second range with it, but he suffered an early exit. Surprisingly, he was out in round one this weekend as well. Though he left on Jensen, he had to lift and coasted to a 4.619 at 112.59, while Jensen moved on with a 3.858 at 201.88.
“Running Jimmy is always fun,” Jensen said. “It reminded me of the days when there was a monthly series for Pro Mods at Cecil, which was probably the most fun there was to be had in Pro Mod racing for me. Before the run, I shook Jimmy’s hand and said, ‘One of us is going to do better than we did at Yellowbullet,’ because we both lost in round one at that race. I didn’t know how it was going to go when we rolled into the beams, but when I saw him lift and I was already back in the throttle, I knew I’d run him down. When the win light came on, I was glad for my team but bittersweet as my win light meant my friend’s did not come on.”
Jensen dipped back into the 3.60s in the semifinals, where his 3.661 at 204.76 defeated Steve Gorman and his 3.729 at 216.65. In the previous round, Gorman upset No. 1 qualifier Steve King with a 3.788 at 193.13, winning on a holeshot over King’s quicker 3.765 at 198.99 in a pedalfest. Jensen went on to meet Ed Burnley in the final round.
“The 3.66 E.T. in the semis was good, but a couple numbers short of what we were shooting for and also .04 short of what Ed ran, so I knew we had a tough run coming up as Ed had been fast and consistent all weekend,” Jensen said. “I have been racing with Ed for over 20 years now and he has been one of my heroes since I saw him race a Pro Mod against a sprint car at Beaver Springs long before I ever dreamed of racing a Pro Mod car. Always a top-shelf competitor for sure, so to win against him is no small feat.”
In the final round, Jensen left first and led the whole race, winning with a 3.715 at 205.29 to Burnley’s 3.760 at 201.85. The victory was validation for Jensen and his team as they continue to compete against the juggernauts of Pro Modified.
“The win credit has to go to my team. They are awesome,” Jensen said. “I refuse to know the meaning of the word quit and they follow my lead. Mark Mont is the main man turning the car around between rounds and is always perfect. Uncle John Burris, Rob Burris, and Kevin McCurdy help me with race day tuning calls and I feel these guys are the best in the business. And, of course, my lovely wife, Tiffany, who is the best race wife a goof like me could ask for. Thank you all!”
Jensen also praised the Cecil County Dragway team for their work throughout the weekend, which also included an NHRA Lucas Oil Series Division 1 event.
“I’d like the Cecil County crew and owners to know my team and I appreciate all their efforts to make any race day run like a clock,” Jensen said.
This story was originally published on October 20, 2025. 
The post Andy Jensen Takes Home $50K, Wally at Cecil County’s Pro Mod Invitational first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
