Today , everywhere you look , a points series or big-money event can easily be found . Championship battles are being waged across sanctioning bodies such as NHRA , PDRA , NMCA , Mid-West Drag Racing Series , Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association , and the Big Dog Shootout at Piedmont Dragway .

And for those drivers that may not be able to commit to a full season , there ’ s a plethora of independent events paying $ 50,000 to win or more , like the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals , U . S . Street Nationals , Yellowbullet Nationals , MWDRS Fall Smackdown , Pro Mod Invitational at Cecil County Dragway , World Street Nationals , and of course , the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod .

“ There ’ s so many reasons to be excited about Pro Modified ,” says 2023 WSOPM champion Spencer Hyde . “ There ’ s so many places to go race . I ’ ll be honest , the biggest challenge I have within my program is choosing where to go race . I want to do them all , but obviously that ’ s not feasible .”

Pro Mod isn ’ t just about quantity , however . It ’ s the quality of competition that sets the class apart . Hyde is no stranger to that competition – he won the WSOPM after qualifying in the No . 32 spot – which was only . 056 seconds behind No . 1 qualifier Johnny Camp . He then ripped off an astonishing three holeshot wins in five rounds on his way to a $ 100,000 payday . Yet somehow the class has only gotten tougher since then .

“ Pro Mod is one of the most competitive classes in all of drag racing right now ,” Hyde says . “ The qualifying sheets alone speak volumes . Thirty-two cars within five hundredths of a second , and 55 cars within a tenth . At PDRA Virginia earlier this year , you had to go 3.63 or quicker just to get in the field . That ’ s insane . We just so happened to win that race , and at the next race in Norwalk , we almost didn ’ t qualify . It ’ s cut-throat out there right now , and if you ’ re not paying attention , you ’ re missing out .”

Pro Mod ’ s run at becoming the premier class in all of drag racing reached a fever pitch recently with the announcement of the Drag Illustrated Winter Series . The three-race series will take place at Bradenton Motorsports Park , featuring a trio of iconic events – the $ 50,000-to-win Snowbird Outlaw Nationals on Dec . 5-8 , 2024 ; the $ 75,000-towin U . S . Street Nationals Jan . 23-26 , 2025 ; and will be capped off with the $ 150,000-to-win WSOPM Feb . 27-March 1 , 2025 .

“ To say that I ’ m excited about this is the understatement of the century ,” says Wes Buck , Founder & Editorial Director of Drag Illustrated . “ It ’ s no secret that I believe Pro Mod to be the universal language of drag racing . In my eyes , this is a brand of drag racing that is unrivaled in action , excitement , and competition , but perhaps most importantly in participation . There are hundreds of Pro Mod teams in North America alone , and we ’ re bringing the best drivers , best cars , and best teams in the world to Bradenton Motorsports Park this winter to do battle . That ’ s what the fans deserve , and that ’ s what they ’ re going to get .” – CRAIG COOK DI

From legends like “ Tricky ” Rickie Smith and Todd “ King Tut ” Tutterow to newcomers from other classes , Pro Modified is the place to race for more than 125 racers in North America alone .

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUKE NIEUWHOF

104 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 190