10 Drivers Who Could Win The Elite Motorsports Million At Drag Illistrated’s Winter Series

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.