As one of the most consistent competitors in the last two Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitationals, Johnny Pluchino was a favorite to become the next winner of the $25,000 shootout. A semifinalist in 2023 and runner-up in 2024, Pluchino qualified No. 1 and raced to a final-round win at the 2025 edition when he defeated fellow young gun Derrick Reese.
Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #194, the WSOPM Issue, in May/June of 2025.
Pluchino rolled into Bradenton with his familiar orange, Kaase-powered ’13 Mustang, but with the addition of a new primary sponsor on the doors. Ross Environmental Services, a multi-faceted, family-based business located in north central Ohio, stepped up to provide added support after jumping on board with Pluchino as an associate sponsor for Pluchino’s trip out West to the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas. There, Pluchino qualified No. 1, won the event, and secured the first-ever Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock world championship.
“Starting off the season at the World Series, we just gotta go out there and pick up where we left off,” Pluchino said before the race weekend. “We left off extremely strong. We know we’re the ones to beat, whether everyone feels that way or not, but you gotta go out there and you gotta get the job done. We’re motivated. We’ve got two races like this under our belt in the last two years. We went to the semis and the finals, so the next step is to win the thing.”
Pluchino set that plan into motion quickly. He laid down a 4.096-second pass at 177.11 mph in Thursday’s first qualifying session to establish the No. 1 spot, then padded that lead with a 4.061 at 177.60 in Q2 to end the day as the provisional No. 1 qualifier. Though Pluchino didn’t improve in Friday’s final two sessions, he did continue to go down the track with class-leading performances. He locked in the No. 1 spot, earning a $1,500 low qualifier bonus.
“We’ve made four really good runs all weekend, but our No. 1 run was good,” Pluchino said on Friday night. “I’m honestly more impressed with what we did in the heat. Both of our runs during the daytime were low for the session and very impressive runs. As happy as I am to be No. 1, I’m really happy that we have a car that’s capable of going out in the heat and going .09, .10 when the conditions are difficult.”
Due to the random chip drawings that determine pairings in eliminations at WSOPM in Pro Mod, Pro 10.5, and Mountain Motor Pro Stock, Pluchino ended up facing No. 2 qualifier Dennis Firkus in the first round of eliminations. Firkus went red, while Pluchino set low E.T. of the round with his 4.078 at 177.88.
“Look, I will say there was a team that we ran first round,” Pluchino begins with a smirk, “and his crew chief might have said, ‘Go get that orange car,’ before the chip draw and he got me and they were on I-75 early.
“There’s no reason to sulk about it,” Pluchino says of drawing the No. 2 qualifier. “At the end of the day, I turned to my dad [2016 PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world champion John Pluchino] and said, ‘We can beat anybody. Whatever it is, whether it’s No. 2 or 16.’ Mountain Motor is a tough game no matter what the number is or who it is. It’s a tough deal to win. If you want to hold the check and the trophy at the end of the day, you’ve got to get rid of them at some point, so you might as well get rid of ’em first round.”
Following the first-round win over Firkus, Pluchino was set to face Bill Neri, who had to shut off on the starting line. Pluchino ran a 4.066 at 172.91 to earn semifinal lane choice over Dwayne Rice. Pluchino and Rice cut identical reaction times, but Rice slowed to a 4.692 at 160.14, while Pluchino earned lane choice for the final with his 4.09 at 177.53.
In the final round against Reese, with $25,000 on the line, Pluchino left first by .003 seconds and charged to a 4.081 at 177.60 in his Kaase-powered Ross Environmental Services ’13 Mustang to finish ahead of Reese and his 4.125 at 176.03. It was the ultimate validation for Pluchino, who came so close to winning the event two years in a row. He also worked with event organizers as a class liaison, reaching out to racers to drum up participation.
“I’ve only been doing this for 5-6 years now in the Mountain Motor game, but it’s been a hell of a ride and this has been one really fun race,” said Pluchino, a two-time PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world champion, in the winner’s circle. “I want to thank everybody for putting it on and all the Mountain Motor guys for coming out – 21 cars. We’re a really confident group, so going into this deal, we felt good. We felt really good as things were progressing. I love my team and I would ride with them any day. I put me and them against the world.”
Pluchino was motivated by last year’s MMPSI runner-up finish, so much so that he went on to win the NHRA championship while also finishing second in the PDRA Extreme Pro Stock points. With the MMPSI title crossed off his list, he’s eying another title this season.
“My plan is race by race, go out there and win everything that we can win,” says Pluchino, who thanked partners like Ross Environment Services, Kelling Equipment, Ram Clutches, and Jon Kaase Racing Engines. “I want to leave a champion again in 2025. My long-term goal is when you think Mountain Motor Pro Stock, you think Johnny Pluchino. And it’s not that it’s me individually, but it’s me and my team and my guys that put their heart and soul into this deal.”
The post WSOPM Lookback: Johnny Pluchino Conquers Mountain Motor Pro Stock Challenge first appeared on Drag Illustrated.