Nothing says love like a pair of his/her Mountain Motor Pro Stockers. 

For the first time in a national competition since the Mountain Motor Pro Stock style of drag racing began in 1977 at the IHRA Winter Nationals in Darlington, SC, a husband and wife will attempt to race in the large displacement factory hot rod division. 

Bo Butner, a past world champion in the 500-inch Pro Stock arena, and his wife Randi Lyn [RL] Butner, a Stock Eliminator standout herself, will make history at this weekend's NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Charlotte's zMAX Dragway driving twin JHG Chevrolet Camaros.
 
Butner, who was the No. 1 qualifier in the Mountain Motor category at the World Series of Pro Modified pre-season exhibition event, expects a learning curve and is willing to embrace it as the duo find their way in the 800-plus-cubic-inch series with power supplied by Elite Motorsports and applied by well-regarded tuner Frank Gugliotta.
 
"We had a pretty good start in Mountain Motor Pro Stock, and we're just having fun driving these cars," said Bo, who clocked a best time of 4.060-second at 178.05 mph to the 1/8th mile finish line. Mountain Motor Pro Stock races to the quarter-mile in NHRA competition, but Bo sees no issue with taking it down the full stretch.
 
"There is such a big learning curve in this; it's all new to us, but we're off to a great start," he continued. "We have a monster team between the Elite Motorsports guys and our crew chief, Frank. There isn't much more you could ask for in the Mountain Motor world."
 
While Bo has championship credentials in NHRA Pro Stock, RL already has a round win in the Mountain Motor Pro Stock division. She is the only female with a round win in this configuration. 

 

"She's done awesome," he said. "I was not worried about her at all, and she's doing her job. It's fun for me to stand behind her car and see her do well. She's never let go of a clutch pedal before this, but she's been a very good student. I'm proud of her."
 
RL, the 2021 NHRA Division 3 champion in Stock Eliminator, began the licensing process with Gugliotta, a former Mountain Motor Pro Stock standout, getting to know the car and making runs down the racetrack. She earned her license in mid-April and recorded a 6.323-second pass at 208.04 mph at Virginia Motorsports Park.
 
The road was challenging for RL.
 
"I feel like they broke me in the hard way," she explained. "It was a little shaky, literally, but we have the smartest guys out there, and I knew they would figure it out. I don't know if I would have called it fun in the beginning because it was very nerve-racking, and I was definitely out of my element. But sometimes change is good, and it was empowering to make the good runs and be able to that. I never thought I would have this opportunity – I'd seen Bo do it a million times, but it's so different to be the one inside the car controlling it."
 
The JHG Mountain Motor Pro Stock series is scheduled to start at the spring race in Charlotte, April 26-28, and continue with races in Bristol, Richmond, Brainerd, and Reading, with the season-closer taking place at the fall event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"I've learned a lot already," said RL, who will continue her Stock Eliminator competition, though not in Charlotte. "I have way more confidence in myself now, and I almost feel guilty that the guys go to so much trouble and so much hard work for me to have four seconds of fun.
 
"I'm very excited about the season. A couple months ago, I didn't even know if I could drive a clutch car. But Bo can drive anything – if it had four pedals, he'd probably be amazing it – and I think that him helping me through all the steps has really made a difference. It's always good for a relationship if you're working toward a common goal, and I think our whole team will be better off because of it."