LETTER from the EDITOR
For the first time since D r a g Illustrated started producing a Photo Annual issue 10-plus years ago, the image on the cover of this issue is not one submitted by our dozens of contributing photographers for Photo Annual consideration. Instead, in this rare instance, we chose to put the one and only Jason Harris on the cover in celebration of his victory at the 2025 / 2026 DI Winter Series presented by J & A Service opener, the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks.
This isn’ t Jason’ s first time on the cover, though. His first appearance – seen here in this month’ s column photo – was just over 10 years ago when he dominated Pro Nitrous in the PDRA’ s inaugural season, handily securing the 2014 world championship. He was wellknown in the Carolinas at the time, having grown up racing at tracks like Piedmont Dragway following in the footsteps of his father, racer and promoter Bob Harris. Jason has become a household name in the world of Pro Modified racing since then. He added another Pro Nitrous championship in 2018 before switching to Pro Boost and winning another two PDRA world titles there.
Though winning back-to-back championships in the shark-infested waters of Pro Boost is a statement in itself, Jason and his team led by tuner Brandon Stroud raised the bar with their performance at the Snowbirds. The field set new records as the largest Pro Mod field ever and the quickest eighth-mile, 32-car field ever at the time. It included Jason’ s familiar Pro Boost and Pro Nitrous competitors, but also hitters from NHRA Pro Mod, MWDRS Pro Mod, No Prep Kings, NEOPMA, radial classes, drag-and-drive, and even NHRA Pro Stock.
Against the odds, Jason not only qualified No. 1, but he also mowed through five rounds of eliminations to hoist the famed Snowbirds eagle and the $ 50,000 check. Those achievements locked him in as the only driver eligible for two new, unprecedented bonuses up for grabs in the Winter Series: a brand-new Pro Mod rolling chassis from Jerry Bickel Race Cars for qualifying No. 1 at all three races and $ 1 million from Elite Motorsports for winning all three.
By the time this issue goes online and reaches mailboxes, the second race of the Winter Series, the U. S. Street Nationals presented by M & M Transmission, will have already been completed and we’ ll all know whether or not Jason is one step closer to becoming a millionaire and having a new Jerry Bickel race car to replace the one he drove to victory at the Snowbirds.
Going into the Winter Series, we knew the No. 1 qualifier sweep was possible, as Mark Micke did it last season( unfortunately for Mark, before there was a brand-new car up for grabs). Winning 15 consecutive rounds against the toughest competition Pro Mod has ever seen, however, seemed like as long of a long shot as you could get. But if Jason Harris can stay on the hot streak that he started at the Snowbirds, Pro Mod’ s first million-dollar prize might not be as unattainable as we first thought. DI
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Nate Van Wagnen Editor-in-Chief
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