Sixty Pro Mods to Battle for 32 Qualifying Spots, $32,000 at U.S. Street Nationals

BRADENTON, FL – A full list of 60 drivers will fight for the right to race in the 32-car, $32,000-to-win M&M Transmission Pro Mod presented by Carmack Engineering field at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by Diamond Pistons at Bradenton Motorsports Park this weekend. The race serves as the kickoff of the 2022 outlaw drag racing season, with a host of small-tire classes set to join the headlining Pro Mod show.

The U.S. Street Nationals comes less than two months after Bradenton hosted the 50th annual Snowbird Outlaw Nationals, where 50 Pro Mod drivers raced for $50,000.

“It’s a good feeling and it’s cool that the Snowbirds went so well that this sold out even faster,” said Victor Alvarez, owner and promoter, Bradenton Motorsports Park. “Pro Mod is alive and well. Bradenton is getting recognized as a premier track for outlaw Pro Mod racing, which is the goal. We all work really, really hard – my whole staff – to provide a venue and events that the big dogs want to come race at. It’s a very big deal to all of us and we’re all really happy. It’s also a big deal for the sport. It’s going to be a very good year for Pro Mod, and it all starts right here.”

The entry list is stacked with some of the stars in Pro Mod racing, like defending event winner Jim Halsey, Todd Tutterow, Tommy Franklin, Melanie Salemi, Mike Decker Jr., Lyle Barnett, Ken Quartuccio Jr., Kurt Steding, Brandon Snider, Chip King, Johnny Camp, Eric Latino and more.

Another star on the entry list is two-time NHRA Pro Mod world champion and past U.S. Street Nationals winner Stevie “Fast” Jackson, who started testing for the event on Monday.

“I’m super fired up and I love this event,” Jackson said. “I’ve always loved this event. We’ve won it in the past. This race kicks off the outlaw racing season. You get to see all the new stuff that everybody’s come up with over the winter. You get to knock the rust off your people and your components and your driving skills. It really sets the tone for the season, not only the outlaw season, but it really sets the tone for the [NHRA] legal season as well. If you come out and make a statement at the U.S. Street Nationals – especially this year with the field of competitors that we have – it puts everybody on their heels going forward. To win in today’s climate, you have to have everybody on their heels. There’s a lot of folks coming for you.”

Racers who don’t make it into the 32-car Pro Mod field will still have the opportunity to race thanks to the Resolution Racing Services/Gene Pilot/G-Force Race Cars Second-Chance Race.

“Jon Salemi at Resolution Racing Services got together with Gene Pilot and Jim Salemi [of G-Force Race Cars] to put together the money for a second-chance race for all the Pro Mods that don’t qualify,” Alvarez said. “It will be $10,000 to win, so everyone will get a chance to race and for a good purse.”

The U.S. Street Nationals is the official kickoff of the new FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series. Headed up by Donald Long at Duck X Productions, the new series will also head to three other tracks before returning to Bradenton to close out the season at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals. At the U.S. Street Nationals, the series will include $10,000-to-win Proline Racing Pro 275 presented by FuelTech USA and Precision Shaft Technologies X275 presented by Mickey Thompson; $7,500-to-win Rife Sensors Limited Drag Radial presented by Motion Raceworks; and $5,000-to-win TRZ Motorsports Ultra Street presented by Innovative Racecraft.

“I’m really excited about this series,” Alvarez said. “I think radial racing needed it more so than the Pro Mod racing. I think it’s the start of something great. It says a lot. It’s not a secret that me and Donald Long haven’t always seen eye to eye, but for both parties to put those things aside and do what’s best for the sport, that’s really cool. All these companies stepped up. I think it’s going to be really good. I think our best years for the sport are ahead of us. Drag racing goes through its ups and downs and I think we’re at the beginning of going up.”

The U.S. Street Nationals lineup also includes $7,500-to-win Voss Wheelie Bars Pro Outlaw 632 presented by $hameless Racing, a Florida N/T Racing No Time Shootout, 5.50 Index, 6.50 Index, and 7.50 Index classes.