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“You think you're a racer — then you see these boys wheeling 3,000 HP with no prep. It gives you perspective,” said Keith

Keith Haney and Shawn Ellington visit Wes Buck Show EP 381

The Wes Buck Show | Ep. 381 Recap — April 16, 2025
From the octagon to the eighth-mile, drag racing just got its most unexpected recruit — UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. And that was just the beginning. Episode 381 of The Wes Buck Show delivered two full hours of unfiltered excitement, debuting the first-ever Drag Illustrated Pound-for-Pound Rankings, and diving into a weekend of historic runs, raw street racing, and grassroots chaos.
Let’s unpack the chaos, controversy, and championship energy — with timestamps and quotes that hit as hard as the 3,000HP machines themselves.

?? (00:00–01:32) Opening:
The day’s lineup promised fireworks: Randy Couture, Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington, and Keith Haney — all fresh off major moments, with a game-changing announcement that would ripple across the sport.

?? (01:33–11:23) Introducing the Pound-for-Pound ProMod Rankings
Wes drops the bombshell: Drag Illustrated has launched its first Pound-for-Pound ProMod Rankings, a revolutionary, AI-assisted system that blends performance metrics, reaction times, win streaks, and social data.
“We needed something to spark debate, drive storylines, and give fans a way to rank the baddest in the game,” said Wes.
“This isn’t a lifetime achievement award — it’s about who’s hot RIGHT NOW.”
Key details:
AI-driven rankings trained with nuanced race logic (e.g., comp singles not penalized for slow RTs)

Factored in: reaction time, round wins, qualifying, event prestige, hot streak bonuses, and even opponent strength

Sample size drawn from 6 races: Snowbirds, US Streets, Gators, Arizona Nationals, PDRA East Coast Nationals, Midwest Drag Racing Series opener

?? Top 5 Pound-for-Pound (11:23–12:33)
#1. Ken Cartuccio – .037 RT average, wins at US Street Nationals, Snowbird runner-up
#2. Mike Strinos – 8 round wins in 2 events
#3. Melanie Salemi – blistering .033 RT average
#4. Steve King
#5. Kye Kelley

Shock inclusion: Shawn Ellington (Murder Nova) at #7, ahead of legends like Stevie Jackson and Ricky Smith — setting social media on fire.
“We weighed performance, not popularity. Sorry, that’s the math,” Wes said bluntly.

?? (12:34–22:33) AI, Rankings & Recordkeeping Real Talk
Wes outlines the brutal reality of drag racing’s data gap:
“Nobody keeps records. It's still manila folders and Facebook posts.”
Key takeaways:
Rankings are 60% performance data / 40% subjective AI modeling

Groq by XAI was used to pull social traction — likes, shares, replies — as part of impact scoring

Reactions to the list already include racers demanding more accurate stat keeping

Call to action for promoters: “Drag Race Central isn’t optional anymore. Data is king.”

?? (22:34–29:50) Midwest Opener Recap – Matching 3.61s
Wes welcomes Shawn Ellington and Keith Haney, both fresh off the Midwest Drag Racing Series Season Opener at Extreme Raceway Park.
Highlights:
Murder Nova: 10 clean passes in a turbo car — unprecedented

“That’s what I’m most proud of. Turbo cars always had a consistency issue. We proved they can be consistent race-day killers,” said Shawn.

Keith Haney: 3.61 @ 208.53 in his nitrous ProMod
“Don’t forget it — 3.61, 208.53. The air was trash, 1048 DA, and we still got it done.”

The stunner? All four major power combos ran 3.61s in eliminations — turbo, nitrous, screw, and roots.
“Nobody can [__] about parity now,” Haney declared.

?? (29:51–36:33) Yello Belly Dragstrip: Controlled Chaos
Haney recaps his wild visit to Yello Belly Dragstrip, Dallas’ infamous outlaw venue, for Jimmy Dale’s Small Tire Gangsta’s.
“You think you're a racer — then you see these boys wheeling 3,000 HP with no prep. It gives you perspective,” said Keith.
Key points:
3-day event: Thursday–Saturday small tire shootouts

Packed crowd, raw surface, grassroots vibe
Keith and Wes were literally helping clean the track to keep racing going
Crowd diversity and youth attendance were eye-opening

“This crowd doesn’t know what a 60-foot time is. They’re just having a blast — and that’s what we need more of,” Wes noted.

?? (36:34–43:20) Murder Nova’s Rise & Turbo Car Redemption
Ellington recaps his success at XRP:
10 straight passes

Fastest: 3.73 @ 180 MPH
No aborted runs, even on hot tracks

“The biggest question with turbos was consistency — we shut that conversation down.”
Haney adds:
“If we can all go 3.61s, it’s not the combo, it’s the tuner.”
Wes underscores the importance of parity:
“This is what John Sears worked toward — letting all combos play.”

?? (43:21–50:00) The Rankings' Impact & Industry Direction
Wes reflects on the power of the new rankings:
Rankings = conversation starter = fan engagement

Will match races might return: #3 vs #4, Melanie Salemi vs Steve King

Rankings may help drive future fantasy leagues and betting markets

“Modern fans are trained to follow rankings — NCAA, NFL, MMA. It’s time drag racing caught up.”
Sean Ellington on being ranked #7:
“One great weekend and I’m above Ricky Smith? That’s going to piss a lot of people off.”

?? (50:01–1:25:00) Randy Couture Joins the Fight — in Promod
The main event: Randy Couture, UFC icon, joins the show to announce he’s officially becoming a ProMod driver with support from Skagg Racing.
“I may not know [__] from Shinola about race cars, but I’m ready to learn. The adrenaline’s the same — just a different arena.”
Backstory:
First hooked 10 years ago after watching Ron Capps launch a Nitro Funny Car

Warmed up a car at Pomona recently — “When that engine cracked open, it hit me in the soul.”

Originally considered Street Outlaws circuit but pivoted to ProMod
Has already sat in Al Capone, prepped by Scag team

Upcoming:
Plans to run 5 races in 2025, working around PFL (Professional Fighters League) commentary schedule
Gunning for NHRA certification, licensing, and full safety gear

Wes:
“This is the crossover we’ve needed. We’ve talked about tipping points in the sport — this is it.”

?? (1:25:01–1:38:00) Growing the Sport Through Story
Wes and Randy hit a deeper chord — the future of drag racing lies in storytelling.
“You can’t build a lifelong fan with a burnout. But you can with a backstory,” said Wes.
Couture: “MMA grew by creating stars. If I can bring eyeballs, help birth new stars in this sport — I’m all in.”
Randy draws parallels between ProMod and MMA:
Different combos = different disciplines (like jiu-jitsu vs wrestling)

Stats, hype, rivalries = engagement fuel
Aging out of combat doesn’t mean aging out of competition
“You can’t throw punches forever. But I can still drop the hammer.”

Mike Carpenter:
“ProMod’s not just hot. It’s global. It’s our best foot forward — and now we’ve got real stars.”
Wes Buck signs off:
“This episode wasn’t just a show. It was a statement. This sport is evolving — and we’re leading the charge.”

?? Watch the Replay
This episode had everything: controversy, community, legacy, and the kind of raw energy that’s pushing drag racing into the future.
Watch The Wes Buck Show Ep. 381 – Full Livestream

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