On a recent episode of The Wes Buck Show, a quick aside from host Wes Buck’s standard prodding turned into an impromptu celebration of “The Godfather of Pro Mod,” Charles Carpenter. The moment arrived when NHRA Top Fuel standout Clay Millican recalled a fan in Phoenix sporting a vintage Charles Carpenter Racing T-shirt—a relic that immediately caught his eye.
“I see this girl standing off to the side for a long time,” Millican said. “She never asked me for an autograph or anything, so I waved her over and said, ‘Hey, you want me to sign something or what’s up?’ And she goes, ‘Oh, I’m just hanging out.’ Well, I noticed she was wearing a really old Charles Carpenter T-shirt. I said, ‘I love your T-shirt,’ and she was looking at me like, ‘Why?’ Then I told her, ‘Because that guy on your shirt is one of my heroes.’ It turned out she didn’t even really know about him—most likely it was her mom’s shirt from back in the day. But man, I had to say something. Charles has always been a big deal to me.”
For Mike Carpenter—Drag Illustrated’s COO and co-host of The Wes Buck Show, as well as Charles’ son—Clay’s story underscored exactly what he’s witnessed his entire life: people everywhere, from the West Coast to the Southeast, still recognize the legendary ’55 Chevy Pro Mod and remember its impact, even if they don’t immediately realize its significance.
“It’s cool to hear Clay talk about my dad that way,” Mike said. “I’ve had countless people come up to me saying, ‘Dude, I saw one of those old Carpenter T-shirts at the racetrack last weekend,’ or ‘I found a vintage one at a swap meet.’ My dad was hustling T-shirts all over the country for decades. He’d head out West with the ’55 Chevy for those match races, and next thing you know, everybody in the stands wanted a shirt. He probably sold as many out there as he did in the Carolinas.”
Charles Carpenter’s storied career spans five decades, from pioneering the earliest forms of what eventually became Pro Modified—earning him that “Godfather” moniker—to more recent feats like recording 200 mph in the eighth mile. He was also recently named Grand Marshal of the 2023 World Series of Pro Mod. Host Wes Buck has often praised Charles for “bringing mainstream media attention to the class early on,” pointing out that Carpenter was uncommonly savvy in marketing and licensing during Pro Mod’s infancy.
“My dad understood that putting your name on a T-shirt and actually getting it to fans was huge,” Mike said. “He was mixing old-school racing with the forward-thinking idea of brand building. People wore those shirts to the track, to the grocery store—everywhere. You can still find them floating around on eBay, at rummage sales, or on random fans at NHRA national events. It’s awesome seeing how lasting that legacy is.”
In Millican’s view, stumbling on a Charles Carpenter shirt is akin to spotting a collector’s piece. “It’s kind of like seeing a band T-shirt from back in the ’70s—original merch,” he joked. “But this is drag racing. It’s that ‘World’s Fastest ’55 Chevy’ tie-in. The guy basically helped create the Pro Mod culture. I always tell folks he was out there in full-page magazine ads, then towing halfway across the country, setting new marks. He’s a huge reason Pro Mod evolved into what we love today.”
Wes Buck, guiding the conversation, turned the moment into a broader reflection on bridging drag racing’s past and present. “It’s exactly what we’re trying to do,” Buck said. “Bring the scene together, galvanize the sport by tearing down these cliques and segmentation. Clay spotting that shirt and highlighting Charles Carpenter reminds everyone that Pro Mod didn’t just appear—guys like Charles built it from the ground up.”
For Mike, hearing Clay describe how he “just had to say something” to the puzzled T-shirt wearer was the ultimate proof of his dad’s significance. “My dad put his life into this sport, and moments like that prove it still resonates,” Mike continued. “It’s a testament to all the traveling, all the match races, all the late nights pulling engines—and, of course, all those T-shirt sales out of the back of the trailer. It’s awesome to see that legacy carry on every time someone rocks one of those old tees in the pits or the stands.”
This story was originally published on April 4, 2025.
The post Mike Carpenter, Clay Millican Riff on Vintage Charles Carpenter Racing T-Shirts, West Coast Exploits & More first appeared on Drag Illustrated.