There are parallels between the two, but only to a point. After competing in other classes, both racers began their Pro Mod careers in 2008. Ellis had been UK champion in Super Modified in 2005 and 2006 while Moore had become a crowd favourite driving a wild-handling Triumph Herald in Super Pro ET. Both chose cars built by Andy Robinson for their Pro Mod rides, but that is where the similarity ends.

Graham Ellis, a businessman and restaurant entrepreneur from Westcliff-on-Sea, debuted a ground-hugging, 1970 Plymouth Superbird powered by a supercharged methanol motor, in which guise he set a career-best ET of 6.074sec in 2010. In 2011, Ellis elected to follow the turbo route and handed the car to Nick Davies and Rob Loaring of engineering company ICE Automotive to install and develop the new system. At the same time, he imported a blown Plymouth Barracuda which promptly carried him to the MSA Championship.

Returning to the driving seat of the now turbocharged Superbird in 2012, Ellis dodged the summer’s rainstorms long enough to set a new British speed best of 242.78mph/390.72km/h before deciding to switch from a manual to an auto transmission later in the year.

Chelmsford’s Roger Moore is an engineering supervisor with a company that serves the Formula One market. His racecar of choice could not be more different from his work-related machinery. Moore’s 2000 Dodge Viper uses unblown, nitrous-aided petrol power from a 740 cubic-inch/12.1 litre Chevrolet V8. Since appearing destined to emulate his Triumph’s unruly handling manners on his debut burnout in the Viper, Moore has turned into a paragon of racetrack consistency. His 6.665sec, 211.07mph/339.68km/h personal bests may fall short of the kind of performance figures Ellis has produced, but Moore manages to deliver maximum performance on practically every trip down the track. On his way to the 2012 MSA Championship, the Viper inched to fresh personal-best figures in either speed or ET – and sometimes in both – at four of the five races he contested.

Moore v Ellis..

Moore is keen to credit Shakespeare Engineering, Challenger Solutions and Generator Power Systems for the support which enabled him to secure the 2012 MSA crown.

The Essex domination of Britain’s Pro Mod scene may come to an end in 2013, at any rate temporarily. Graham Ellis now has the task of working up the Superbird’s auto transmission and a host of other changes which could detract from a serious MSA Championship chase, at least in the early events. Once on song, the ‘Bird looks set to fly. Ellis takes inspiration from the 250mph/400km/h performances Martin Lundkvist has coaxed from his turbocharged Camaro in Sweden. Ellis is considering a return to the FIA tour. If his plans materialise, the two turbo powerhouses could come face to face on a European track.

As if that’s not enough, Ellis will also help his son, Gareth, learn the Top Methanol Funny Car ropes in a car lately purchased from Denmark’s 2010 FIA European champion, Dan Larsen.

Roger Moore has a different European adventure in mind. Moore and his crewchief brother, Dave, are keen cyclists and have their eyes on a pedal-powered ascent in May of l’Alpe d’Huez, one of the most famous mountain climbs on the Tour de France. In pursuit of greater speed on the dragstrip, they are venturing into the world of EFI – electronic fuel injection – with a fresh motor recently bought from retired Dutch star Henri Joosten. They expect the title-winning consistency to desert them while they get to grips with the new system but feel the chance to step up in performance is too good to miss.

In the meantime, there is fresh British machinery coming into view. Andy Robinson, three times the MSA champion, will debut his long-awaited ’69 Camaro, and Steve Hall has a ’55 Chevy on the stocks at Robinson’s racecar manufactory. Mick Payne returns after a year out and Steve Rawlings (even longer-awaited!), Chris Isaacs & Spencer Tramm, John Bradshaw and Andy Chilton all aim to join the Pro Mod show during the season. If every existing and promised entry manages to be up and running at the same time, Britain could be fielding a dozen Pro Mod teams, and maybe more, in 2013.

As for Ellis Plymouth Barracuda it was sold to Sweden and is now in the hands of ex Pro Street driver Anders Nilsson who took his Pro Mod license in it and plan to  to run part of the FIA championship in 2013.