If the pre-race testing is an indication of what is to come for the weekend’s 52nd annual Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks, then race fans had better flock to Bradenton Motorsports Park. On Tuesday, Jose Gonzalez drove Mark Micke's Outlaw Pro Modified entry to a 5.359 elapsed time at 272.94 miles per hour, the quickest-ever run by a doorslammer in the quarter-mile.

The race is contested on the eighth-mile but that won't stop the score of racers competing in $52,000-to-win M&M Transmission Outlaw Pro Mod presented by FuelTech and PJS Racing, from letting it all hang out. The event will also include small tire racing, index competiton, jet trucks, jet dragsters, and Nitro Harleys during Saturday’s Night of Fire.

“There’s nothing like the Snowbirds,” said Victor Alvarez, track owner and event promoter. “I’ve always felt that Bradenton has a unique vibe. That’s on another level at the Snowbirds. Our local fans have supported this race for many years. They’ve come to expect an amazing show, and with the lineup we have on tap, the fans are going to get exactly that.”

The all-star Outlaw Pro Mod entry list includes defending event winner Jim Halsey, who took his nitrous-fed “Daddy Shark” ’68 Camaro to the $51,000 win in 2022 after defeating numerous boosted competitors. Ken Quartuccio, who earned a milestone first Pro Mod win at the U.S. Street Nationals at Bradenton in late January, is also on the entry list. Spencer Hyde, the winner of the $100,000-to-win Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, is yet another big-money Bradenton race winner hoping to cash in again.

“Before I owned the track, this is the race where I first got to see Pro Mods racing up close and personal,” Alvarez said. “I fell in love with the class, and we’ve worked over the last several years to make Bradenton a Pro Mod hotspot. We sold out all 52 Pro Mod spots in a matter of minutes. We’ve seen records fall at the Snowbirds, and I’m sure we’ll see more of that this year.”

The Snowbird Outlaw Nationals will also include $15,000-to-win Precision Shaft Technologies Pro 275 presented by Pro Line Racing and $10,000-to-win Mickey Thompson Tires X275 presented by Precision Turbo & Engine, as well as Energy Manufacturing Limited Drag Radial presented by Callies, TBM Brakes Outlaw 632 presented by Rife Sensors, and TRZ Motorsports Ultra Street presented by Summit Racing, which all pay $7,500 to win. The Florida N/T Racing No-Time Shootout presented by TurboSmart will pay $10,000 to the winner. The Fleece Performance No-Time Truck Shootout presented by NBS Racing and Suncoast Performance has a $7,500 minimum winner’s purse with a 100% payback.

“We’re always trying to raise the bar and offer big payouts for all of our classes,” Alvarez said. “We couldn’t do that without the support of all of our event and class sponsors. These companies recognize that it’s important to give back to the racers – their customers – and the sport in general. It’s all about working together to make the sport bigger and better every year.”

The lineup is rounded out by index racing in the 5.50, 6.50, and 7.50 index classes, Jr. Dragsters in the 7.90, 8.90, and 11.90 index classes, and the 4.60 bike class.

Pre-race testing will take place on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday qualifying sessions are set for 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday’s on-track action featuring the Night of Fire kicks off with round 3 of qualifying at 9 a.m. and a fourth session at 1 p.m., with Jet Jam and final qualifying starting at 4 p.m. The Night of Fire Finale is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Sunday eliminations will begin at 9 a.m.