Why the Elite Motorsports Million is so important By Wes Buck

The result is the Elite Motorsports Million – a $ 1,000,000 bonus for any Pro Mod driver who can sweep all three races in the 2025-2026 Drag Illustrated Winter Series. Three races. Fifteen rounds. One life-changing opportunity.

This is the largest performance-based payout in drag racing history. It’ s not a season-long championship fund or a points payout. It’ s not loaded with contingencies. It’ s not theoretical. It’ s real. And it’ s right there for the taking.

In the spring of 2024, Jon Asher wrote something in CompetitionPlus. com that’ s stuck with me ever since. He said,“ The cash purse offered by NHRA is not only an insult to the competitors who fill the seats with paying customers, it’ s demeaning to the very organization that stages those events.” He wasn’ t wrong. For too long, we’ ve been afraid to talk about money in drag racing. We’ ve whispered about payouts while other forms of motorsport – and frankly, other sports entirely – have shouted theirs from the rooftops. The purse structure in drag racing has

long been a sore subject, but if we want Fortune 500 companies to take this sport seriously, we have to start talking like we’ re worth it. We have to show that we believe it ourselves.

This isn’ t a new problem. In 1971, drag racing legend Don Garlits was invited on a USO tour with Richard Petty, A. J. Foyt, and Mario Andretti. The racers got to talking about prize money, and when Garlits mentioned that his richest payday was $ 7,400 – including contingencies – they laughed at him. Not out of disrespect, but out of disbelief. That moment embarrassed Garlits so much that he helped form the Professional Racers Association and put on an event at Tulsa International Raceway that offered $ 25,000 to win – a sum that forced NHRA to raise their own purses and re-evaluate their structure. That one moment of laughter became a catalyst for change.

That’ s what the Elite Motorsports Million is for me. It’ s not just about ego or attention – it’ s about turning the tide. Because I believe in something I think too many people have forgotten: a rising tide lifts all boats.

The phrase is most often credited to John F. Kennedy, but the sentiment predates him by generations. In the context of drag racing, I believe it applies now more than ever. I’ ve heard the critiques – that this money could’ ve gone to sportsman racing, or bracket racers, or been spread around more evenly. I get it. I’ ve lived in that world. But I also believe we need to make investments in the parts of our sport that can shine the brightest, the loudest, and the farthest. And in my eyes, that’ s Pro Mod.

Pro Mod has long been the universal language of drag racing. It’ s contested around the world. It’ s accessible. It’ s relatable. It’ s diverse in every way imaginable – in power adder, in chassis, in engine combination, in car body, in competitor. In 2024 alone, more than 150 drivers competed in national and regional Pro Mod series in North America, and nearly 100 different drivers made runs in the Drag Illustrated Winter Series. That’ s not just participation – that’ s movement. That’ s momentum.

Pro Mod is the tip of the spear, and if we can drive attention, energy, and investment into it, the impact ripples across the entire sport. More media. More marketing. More people in the stands. More sponsors entering the ecosystem. More opportunity – not less – for everyone involved. It’ s not about who gets what piece of the pie. It’ s about making a bigger pie.

And speaking of big, let’ s talk money. You want to know why we don’ t have more big brands in drag racing? Why we’ re not seeing Fortune 500 logos on the side of trailers or activation zones filled with tech companies and beverage brands? It’ s because the numbers – in many cases – just don’ t add up.

In 2024, the American Cornhole League handed out nearly $ 8 million in total prize money. World Chase Tag paid out $ 50,000 in a single event. Competitive eating offered $ 100,000 to the winner of a hot dog eating contest on Netflix. There are rock-paper-scissors tournaments paying five figures to winners. It’ s crazy – but it’ s also proof of something: the money follows visibility, and visibility follows bold moves. Someone had to be the first to say,“ Hey, we’ re playing tag for 50 grand.” Or“ We’ re going to crown a world champion in cornhole and pay them six figures.” That’ s what this is. That’ s what we’ re doing.

Will winning the Elite Motorsports Million be easy? Hell no. You’ re talking about 15 straight round wins in one of the most competitive classes in the world. The baddest door cars on earth. The best tuners. The deepest fields. And that’ s what makes it so damn exciting.

If someone can pull it off, they won’ t just win a million dollars – they’ ll become an icon. A legend. Just like when Bill Elliott became“ Million Dollar Bill” after winning three of NASCAR’ s four crown jewel races in 1985. That move – the Winston Million – helped elevate NASCAR into the national conversation. It was one of the sport’ s most ambitious promotional efforts, and it worked. It wasn’ t easy. But it made people care. It got them talking. And that’ s exactly what we’ re doing here.

I know this sport has history. I know there’ s tradition. But I also know that too often, we let tradition become a prison. Too many decisions are made based on what was done before – not what could be done next. We’ ve spent decades chasing the ghosts of drag racing past, but growth doesn’ t happen by looking backward. It happens when we go outward.

The Elite Motorsports Million is a challenge. It’ s a spark. It’ s a rallying cry for what this sport can be if we dare to think bigger. We’ re not asking for permission. We’ re just doing it.

Not everyone will love it. Some will doubt it. That’ s OK.

But someone – maybe even someone reading this right now – is going to win it. And when they do, they won’ t just change their life … They’ ll change the sport. And that, to me, is worth every single dollar. DI

PHOTOGRAPHS BY LUKE NIEUWHOF

30 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated. com Issue 196