Winning one million dollars in most forms of racing can take an entire season, and even then, luck has to be on your side. Eldora Speedway has held three different one-million-to-win dirt-track races, each an epic event. Several big-money bracket races have come close to a million-dollar payout, but now participants in the Drag Illustrated Winter Series will have a legitimate chance to win that mythical one-million-dollar payday.
The Elite Motorsports Million was announced as a bonus program for the 2025–2026 Drag Illustrated Winter Series at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Richard Freeman is putting up the money for any Pro Mod racer who can win all three marquee events: the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals, the U.S. Street Nationals, and the World Series of Pro Mod.
Winning just one of these races is a serious challenge. Sweeping the entire series is a monumental task even for the best Pro Mod racers in the world. With that said, we thought it would be fun to put together a list of the top 10 drivers we believe could pull off the sweep and take home the Elite Motorsports Million.
Ken Quartuccio
Last year, Ken Quartuccio captured the overall Winter Series title thanks to consistent performances across all three events. The combination of Quartuccio, team owner Scott Tidwell, and tuner Steve Petty has proven to be a threat at every race they attend. Based on his championship run last year, you’d have to consider Quartuccio one of the favorites to win the Elite Motorsports Million.
Kye Kelley
One year ago, nobody would have picked Kye Kelley as a favorite to win any big-money Pro Mod race—my, how things have changed. Kelley rolled into Bradenton Motorsports Park last year with a steel-roof-and-quarters third-gen Camaro and proceeded to wreck shop during the Winter Series. Now, he enters the new season with a purpose-built Pro Mod and that same “me against the world” mentality. Don’t sleep on Kye for that million-dollar prize.
Randy Weatherford
Randy Weatherford isn’t a flashy guy, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a major threat to win the Elite Motorsports Million. Earlier this year, Weatherford ripped through a tough field of competitors to win the IHRA Outlaw Pro Mod Nationals and its $125,000 purse. Combine that high-pressure experience with Weatherford’s on-track performance, and you’ve got the recipe for a million-dollar payday.
Mark Micke
It doesn’t matter if a car is on small tires or big tires—Mark Micke knows how to go fast, period. Micke and his twin-turbo Camaro lit up the scoreboards during last year’s Winter Series with blazing-fast speeds and ultra-quick elapsed times. If Micke can string together consistent runs this season, he could be a major problem for the rest of the field and earn that huge payday.
Ty Tutterow
If you were building a fantasy Pro Mod team, Ty Tutterow would be a top pick. Not only is he an exceptional driver with both a PDRA and NMCA Pro Mod title, but he’s also a highly accomplished tuner. When you put that entire package together, you get a team that will be extremely hard to beat—and one that absolutely could sweep the Winter Series.
Stevie Jackson
If you were building a monument to great doorslammer racers, Stevie Jackson’s face would be on it. Jackson has multiple NHRA Pro Mod championships and countless big-money grudge-race wins, so high-pressure moments don’t faze him. If Jackson wants that million-dollar check, he’ll need to pull every trick he has out of the trailer.
Jason Harris
Jason Harris is another decorated Pro Mod veteran who can win any race he enters. One of the biggest reasons Harris has multiple world championships is his unwavering consistency. He’ll need three nearly perfect races as a driver if he wants to contend for the Elite Motorsports Million.
Lyle Barnett
Few racers in the Winter Series field have as much seat time as Lyle Barnett. His biggest weapon is his ability to chop the Christmas Tree down like an angry lumberjack. Combine Barnett’s starting-line talent with his natural Pro Mod driving instincts, and you get someone absolutely capable of scoring a million-dollar windfall.
Travis Harvey
Speaking of great leavers, you can’t overlook Travis Harvey as a legitimate contender. Harvey is cut from tough grudge-racer cloth, which has helped him earn several major wins already this year. When Harvey and his team are hitting on all cylinders, they’re a force to be reckoned with.
Kurt Steding
Look back through the ladders of the biggest Pro Mod events from the last few years and you’ll see Kurt Steding’s name all over them. Steding consistently finds a way to win—either through overwhelming performance or killer reaction times. Of all the racers on this list, Steding might be considered the dark horse to win the Elite Motorsports Million, but it’s not by much.
After years of racing out of residential garages, take a look inside Ricky Thornton Jr’s new race shop
Ricky Thornton Jr won 31 races in the 2025 season. He went on to finish 2nd in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series standings.
He’s has been racing since 2005. And until now, he has only used residential garages outside of other teams he’s raced for.
400+ wins and 30+ championships later, he has opened a new shop in Iowa. Koehler Motorsports will continue to use their shop in Mount Airy, NC. But, the Iowa shop will also be used when the team is in the area.
Take a look at the photos of the Ricky Thornton Jr Racing shop below.
Ricky Thornton Jr Racing comments
The team shared the following update:
“After a career of racing out of residential garages, (and some beautiful shops of others) Ricky finally has his very own personal race shop. A true dream come true,” the team opened via social media.
“Graystone Companies- thank you Troy for the time you put into this project. Deadlines & expectations were heavily exceeded! If you’re looking to build anything in the Des Moines metro, Graystone Companies is what you’re looking for! Thank you to Ganoe Excavating, Inc. for the dirt work, D and E Outside Services for the tree removal, and Matt Allen for the floor finish!”
“Our Koehler Motorsports team will continue to race out of their Mount Airy, NC shop, but our Iowa shop will be a frequent stopping point throughout the summer!”
The 2026 season is set to begin. Thornton Jr is heading to Central Arizona Raceway for the Wild West Shootout beginning on January 10th.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series removes playoff format for 2026
Ricky Thornton Jr Race Shop (Photos)
Ricky Thornton Jr Race ShopBathroom – Ricky Thornton Jr Race Shop – IowaRicky Thornton Jr Race Shop – IowaFormer Shop – Ricky Thornton Jr Race Shop – Iowa
The 2026 season will be a special one for Team Penske, which made its first foray into the racing scene in 1966. Whether it’s NASCAR, IndyCar or IMSA, Team Penske has enjoyed plenty of success and plans to savor many more victories in the future.
Team Penske cars in all three major series will sport special retro livery at select races, while the team will also introduce an anniversary identity that will appear across its race cars, uniforms, digital platforms and merchandise, with the first items available online and in the team store beginning in January.
“Our 60th anniversary is a tremendous milestone for our organization,” Roger Penske said in a team release. “The 2026 season will give us the opportunity to celebrate the people, partners and fans who have helped shape Team Penske since 1966, while also looking ahead to the future. This year ahead is a meaningful one with many terrific moments for our team and story still to come.”
Few teams can match the Penske programs when it comes to success on the track. The team has 20 Indianapolis 500 victories, three Daytona 500 wins and has won at least one major championship for the past 14 years, including last season’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sweep of the team, drivers and manufacturers titles. It was the second straight season Porsche Penske swept the awards and last season saw the team become the first since 2017 to win Daytona and Sebring in the same season.
With the team not competing in the World Endurance Championship in 2026, Team Penske will focus all of its sportscar racing attention on IMSA. Despite winning the GTP title the past two seasons, there will be some new faces on the team in 2026.
The team will see Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor move from the WEC to drive the No. 6 Porsche 963, while the No. 7 will be in the hands of Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer. Matt Campbell, one of the championship drivers this season, will serve as the endurance driver for the No. 6 car at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta, while Laurin Heinrich will serve in the same role for the No. 7 Porsche. All six are Porsche factory drivers.
Porsche Penske will begin its 2026 season in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway Jan. 16-18. The Rolex 24 At Daytona begins Saturday, Jan. 24.
MANAMA: The director of the Kuwaiti Motor Sports Club, Sheikh Sabah Dawood Al-Sabah, praised the outstanding results achieved by the club’s racers in the second round of the Bahrain Drag Racing Championship on Saturday, emphasizing that they reflect the advanced level reached by Kuwaiti champions in this sport. The team director stated that the racers delivered a remarkable performance in the competitions held at the Bahrain International Circuit’s drag strip.
Abdullah Ali Al-Aqab secured first place in the Pro 29.5 category, while Ahmed Zaman took second place in the 8.5 Index category, and Fawaz Al-Awadhi finished third in the same category. The remaining members of the participating delegation also achieved high rankings in the eight rounds.
Al-Sabah affirmed that these achievements are the fruit of the continuous efforts exerted by the racers and the technical and administrative staff.
He noted the club’s commitment to providing all means of support and care to raise Kuwait’s flag high in regional and international events, wishing them continued success in future competitions.
The second round of the Bahrain National Drag Racing Championship, the most popular drag racing championship in the region, kicked off over the past two days at the Bahrain International Circuit’s drag strip. The new season of the Bahrain Drag Racing Championship is scheduled to run until March, with the third and fourth rounds taking place in January and the championship concluding in March. — KUNA
It’s the biggest motorcycle drag racing grudge race of the year, Kings of Grudge Grinchmas from Orlando Speedworld Dragway and we cover this shocker as a fast mini bike calls out a stretched Suzuki Hayabusa grudge bike on the opening day of this event. We also see some motorcycle drag racing gone wrong as a fast Suzuki Hayabusa and GSXR 1000 suffer engine damage. Enjoy some thrilling motorcycle drag racing from Kings of Grudge
There are more videos on the Cycledrag Youtube channel (please subscribe here) and like the Cycledrag Facebook page (Please like here) and more will be coming soon. Also subscribe to our NEW Youtube channel “Racing Jack” and Check back daily.
It’s episode No. 3 of the Racing Jack Show and we sit down with media mogul “Bubba The Love Sponge” to Talk about what’s really hurting the racing business and what the sport must do to bring fans back to NHRA, NASCAR, Dirt Races and a whole lot more. After an in-depth discussion on the state of motorsports and racing the leader of the Bubba Army shocks us when he calls his good buddy and motorsports legend Tony Stewart.
We ask Bubba how the next generation of race fan has changed, how difficult it is to run a track and an organization and how racing organizations can follow the successful formula of WWE and UFC. We also discuss the controversial decision by the NHRA to cancel its final race of the season and discuss some of the interworking of NHRA drag racing and how it functions as a not for profit organization. Bubba also talks about what it’s like to climb the ladder in NASCAR in today’s climate compared to how it once was in the days of greats like Dale Earnhardt Sr. Finally we discuss Bubba’s reporting on the untimely death of Hulk Hogan and how the wrestling legend’s passing changes the way Cycledrag operates.
There are more videos on the Cycledrag Youtube channel (please subscribe here) and like the Cycledrag Facebook page (Please like here) and more will be coming soon. Also subscribe to our NEW Youtube channel “Racing Jack” and Check back daily.
We head to the biggest motorcycle drag racing grudge race of the year where we unfortunately see one fast racer on a Suzuki GSXR blow an en engine and suffer a big top end crash at Orlando Speedworld Dragway. It’s motorcycle drag racing gone wrong as this veteran driver suffers an incident but the good news is he was alert and awake and the Orlando safety team was right on top of it. We also see some unbelievable motorcycle drag racing as nitrous and turbo Suzuki Hayabusa and GSXR 1000 and Kawasaki ZX-14 stretched bikes go for big money win at the biggest Grudge race of the year, Kings of Grudge Grinchmas from Orlando, FL
There are more videos on the Cycledrag Youtube channel (please subscribe here) and like the Cycledrag Facebook page (Please like here) and more will be coming soon. Also subscribe to our NEW Youtube channel “Racing Jack” and Check back daily.
