WSOPM
Reigning WSOPM Champion Steve King Fired Up For Snowbird Outlaw Nationals
BRADENTON, FL – After a career-best season that saw Steve King race to victory at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod and the 
Yellowbullet Nationals, the Virginia native is hoping for a victorious 2025 season finale at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks, Dec. 5-7, at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Serving as the kickoff to the three-race Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service, the Snowbirds will feature more than 80 Pro Mod drivers attempting to qualify for the $50,000-to-win, 32-car field.
Earlier this year, King defeated two-time NHRA Pro Mod world champion Stevie “Fast” Jackson in the $150,000 final round at the World Series of Pro Mod, the Winter Series finale. That performance put King and the Gene Pilot-owned “Savage” Corvette in the headlines and earned him a spot in the 2025/2026 Winter Series. King will go head-to-head with other major race winners, world champions, record holders, and fan favorites from drag racing’s numerous niches.
“We all want to be the best in the world, and if you’re going to be the best in the world, you have got to race against the best guys and girls, and that’s what’s at the Winter Series,” King said. “We’re talking about 80-plus cars from across the world. We’re not just talking about the East Coast and West Coast. We’re talking across the world. If you want to be the best in the world, you’ve got to beat every single one of those guys because they’re coming to chop everybody’s head off.” Continue reading
Mark Micke Extends No. 1 Qualifying Streak to Lead Record Field at World Series of Pro Mod
BRADENTON, FL – After five thrilling Pro Modified qualifying sessions, Mark Micke claimed the $10,000 low qualifier bonus Friday night 
at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, the final race of the DI Winter Series presented by J&A Service, at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Micke’s 3.575-second pass from Friday’s fourth qualifying session was enough to keep him and his twin-turbocharged M&M Transmission ’69 Camaro at the top of the quickest 32-car Pro Mod field in drag racing history. Three-time PDRA Pro Nitrous champion Tommy Franklin is the No. 32 qualifier with a 3.637-second effort.
2024 NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock world champion and two-time PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world champion Johnny Pluchino maintained his No. 1 position in the third annual Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational in his Ross Environmental Services ’13 Mustang. John Carinci claimed his No. 1 spot Friday night under the lights in the second annual Pro 10.5 Challenge in his turbocharged 2004 Corvette.
Friday also saw the final qualifying session for the sportsman classes, the second annual Intercontinental Top Sportsman and Intercontinental Top Dragster Championships. Friday’s provisional No. 1 qualifiers, Glenn Butcher in Top Sportsman and Russ Whitlock in Top Dragster, held on to their top spots. Continue reading
Ken Quartuccio Continues Reign With Provisional No. 1 Spot Thursday at World Series of Pro Mod
BRADENTON, FL – U.S. Street Nationals winner and current Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service points leader Ken 
Quartuccio continued his torrid streak on Thursday night at Bradenton Motorsports Park, earning the World Series of Pro Mod provisional No. 1 qualifying spot in Pro Modified with a 3.596 elapsed time at 207.69 mph. Quartuccio leads a group of 80 drivers attempting to qualify for the $150,000-to-win, 32-car field.
The WSOPM weekend also includes the third annual Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational and the second annual Pro 10.5 Challenge. 2024 NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock world champion and two-time PDRA Extreme Pro Stock world champion Johnny Pluchino is the provisional No. 1 qualifier in Mountain Motor Pro Stock, while Joel Wensley Jr. is on top in the Pro 10.5 Challenge.
Sportsman racing is also represented with the second annual Intercontinental Top Sportsman Championship and the second annual Intercontinental Top Dragster Championship. Reigning PDRA Top Sportsman world champion Glenn Butcher (Top Sportsman) and Russ Whitlock (Top Dragster) are the provisional low qualifiers after their first qualifying session. Continue reading
Monterey Watch Co. Returns as Official Timepiece of WSOPM
BRADENTON, FL – Drag Illustrated is proud to announce that Monterey Watch Co., a USA-based timepiece and optics company, is returning 
as the Official Timepiece of the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, Feb 27-March 1, at Bradenton Motorsports Park, Bradenton, FL. Monterey is the fastest-growing independent online timepiece retailer in the world.
Seven of Monterey’s Slipstream chronographs, along with a pair of high-performance Castaways polarized sunglasses, will be awarded to the winners of the seven elite classes at this event.
The 2025 race marks the sixth version of the World Series of Pro Mod, and Monterey’s President, Tim Hermes, said, “What goes better with racing than the art of timing? We are excited to be a part of this signature event and wish all racers the best of luck and three days of fast, and safe, racing.” Continue reading
Hoosier Racing Tire Named Official Racing Tire of DI Winter Series, World Series of Pro Mod
BRADENTON, FL – Hoosier Racing Tire will serve as the Official Racing Tire at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, the $150,000-
to-win finale of the inaugural Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service, series officials announced today. Through the partnership, Hoosier Racing Tire will provide tire service to the more than 75 Pro Modified teams competing February 27-March 1 at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
“This is a milestone for us to have an iconic brand like Hoosier Racing Tire involved with the DI Winter Series and the World Series of Pro Mod,” said Wes Buck, Founder and Editorial Director of Drag Illustrated. “To perform at their best, our drivers and teams need the absolute best products and services available to them. Tires and mounting services from Hoosier are a big part of that. The teams participating in the final race of the Winter Series – the $150,000-to-win World Series of Pro Mod – can roll into Bradenton knowing they’ll have access to the world-class tires they need.” Continue reading
Jr. Dragster Shootout Added to World Series of Pro Mod as Part of Thursday Night Welcome Party
BRADENTON, FL – The Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod (WSOPM) will once again break new ground by adding a thrilling 16-car 
Jr. Dragster Shootout to its high-octane festivities. Taking place under the lights on Thursday night during the traditional WSOPM Racer & Crew Welcome Party presented by Strange Engineering, the shootout will feature many of the top young competitors from a variety of drag racing sanctions and series.
Organizers have scheduled the Jr. Dragster Shootout within a tight window on Thursday evening to ensure the young racers take center stage. With Pro Mod qualifying wrapped up for the day, the pro teams and crews will have the chance to turn their attention to these emerging talents, cheering them on from the sidelines. Elimination round pairings will be determined by random chip draw, adding an extra dash of excitement all the way until two drivers remain.
“We need to promote our young drivers,” said Darin Beaner, team owner of Victoria Beaner Racing. “NASCAR does a great job through their feeder programs, and the professional side of drag racing needs to embrace these young stars of tomorrow. What better way to showcase their talent than at WSOPM? The Pro Jr. class in PDRA and MWDRS is incredibly competitive – often separated by just two-hundredths of a second – so simply qualifying is a big win. Being the last one standing at the end of the night is an even bigger accomplishment for the driver and crew chief. We’re excited to bring these young stars into the fold at the hottest drag race in the world today.” Continue reading
Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer Named Official Beer of the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod
BRADENTON, FL – Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer (RAB), one of the fastest-growing American-made light lagers in the U.S., has been 
announced as the Official Beer of the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod (WSOPM). As part of this new alliance, Real American Beer will be sold at Bradenton Motorsports Park – home to the fastest-growing independent drag racing event on the planet – and will also be served at the WSOPM Racer & Crew Welcome Party presented by Strange Engineering.
Bringing people together is at the heart of Real American Beer’s mission. “America’s at its best when united,” reads the brand’s statement. “And if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s the simple pleasure of sharing a beer. That’s why we started Real American Beer—to bring people together, one beer at a time.”
“Real American Beer and Drag Illustrated are built on pride, passion and sharing an unforgettable experience,” says James Case, Head of Growth at Real American Beer. “We’re fired up to be part of the action at Bradenton Motorsports Park—this is America at full throttle. Cheers to a legendary partnership and a partner who shares our uncompromising American values.” Continue reading
Reigning World Series of Pro Mod Champion Derek Ward Accepts DI Winter Series Invitation
BRADENTON, FL – Derek Ward, who solidified his name in the Pro Modified history book when he won the 2024 Drag Illustrated World 
Series of Pro Mod in March, will be one of the dozens of Pro Mod drivers competing in the inaugural Drag Illustrated Winter Series, race officials announced today. Ward and his screw-blown ’68 Firebird will attempt to defend his World Series of Pro Mod victory in March 2025 after competing in the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals in December and the U.S. Street Nationals in January 2025, all at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
Ward, the 2023 Northeast Outlaw Pro Modified Association (NEOPMA) season champion, raced through four rounds of eliminations at the World Series of Pro Mod in early March to meet four-time PDRA Pro Nitrous world champion Jim Halsey in the $100,000-to-win final round. Ward pulled off the win in the blower versus nitrous oxide match, earning the cash, the bragging rights, and a spot on the cover of Drag Illustrated’s WSOPM Issue.
As the reigning WSOPM champion, Ward was one of the first drivers invited to compete in the DI Winter Series, which includes the historic Snowbird Outlaw Nationals on Dec. 6-8, 2024; the U.S. Street Nationals on Jan. 24-26, 2025; and the World Series of Pro Mod Feb. 27 to March 1, 2025. Continue reading
Dates Announced For 2025 World Series of Pro Mod
BRADENTON, FL – Just days after the fifth running of the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by Johnson’s Horsepowered 
Garage and J&A Service, race officials announced today a new Thursday-Saturday format for the 2025 edition. The 2025 World Series of Pro Mod will take place Feb. 27-March 1 at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
“As successful as this past weekend’s race was, we’re constantly looking for ways to improve the experience for our fans and racers,” said Wes Buck, Drag Illustrated founder and editorial director and WSOPM promoter. “After extensive discussions among the WSOPM and Bradenton Motorsports Park teams, we believe it’s time to change up our format a bit and go to a Thursday-Saturday schedule. Thursday and Friday will offer five of the most exciting rounds of qualifying in drag racing, then we’ll go racing on Saturday. We’ll decide a winner under the lights – in front of packed grandstands – on Saturday night.”
The 2024 World Series of Pro Mod saw Derek Ward in his screw-blown ’68 Firebird defeat Jim Halsey in his nitrous-fed ’68 Camaro in a $100,000 winner-take-all Pro Mod final round. This year marked the fifth running of the event, with $500,000 paid out to Pro Mod racers since the first running in 2017.
Derek Ward Wins $100,000 World Series of Pro Mod Title
BRADENTON, FL – In a final round Pro Mod fans will be talking about for years, Derek Ward outran Jim Halsey to take home the $100,000 
winner-take-all payday at the fifth Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage and J&A Service Sunday night at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Ward’s 3.625 seconds at 208.17 MPH run defeated Halsey’s 4.304-second pass at 126.09 MPH in front of an overflow crowd on the starting line.
“It’s incredible,” said Ward, the 2023 NEOPMA champion. “The field of drivers they have here is the best in the world. And we won it today. It’s quite an exciting day. This is the biggest win of my career.”
The World Series of Pro Mod also included the second annual Mountain Motor Pro Stock Invitational and the inaugural Pro 10.5 Challenge, which both paid $25,000 to win. Matt Giangrande earned the Mountain Motor Pro Stock win, while “Quick Nick” Schroeder was victorious in Pro 10.5. Jeff Rudolf won the Chicago-Style Pro Mod Second-Chance race, which paid $10,000 to win.
