There’s going to be a shootout in Brainerd, Minn., and it’s not going to be for the weak of horsepower or the thin-skinned.

The D-Wagon NHRA Pro Mod Shootout kicks off today for those 12 drivers competing in the NHRA Pro Modified division, and the winner can walk away with $10,000 in prize money for taking home the title in the race-within-a-race.

This event marks the first time since the NHRA declared the Pro Modifieds an official series on the tour that the sport's quickest and fastest doorslammer division has had a shootout style event on the big stage of drag racing.

First round starts on Friday, with the grand prize settled on Saturday, with the final round following the final Camping World Drag Racing Series final qualifying session. There will be four rounds of competition, with one driver in the semi-finals getting a bye run into the finals.

Right now, the favorite is No. 1 seeded Kris Thorne, who is making his Brainerd debut at the most financially prestigious event for the series.

“We’re excited, and it’s nice to have a little bonus deal added to the weekend,” Thorne said. “We’ve been running well, and this is something a little different, so we’re looking forward to it. Our key to success this year is we’ve been consistent, so we’re just going to keep plugging away, and maybe we can get a couple of wins this weekend.”

The D-Wagon NHRA Pro Mod Shootout, which has a total purse of $25,000, features the following pairings:

No. 1 Kris Thorne vs. No. 12 Mike Castellana

No. 2 Rickie Smith vs. No. 11 Doug Winters

No. 3 Justin Bond vs. No. 10 Sidnei Frigo

No. 4 Stevie Jackson vs. No. 9 Khalid AlBalooshi

No. 5 Jose Gonzalez vs. No. 8 Mike Thielen

No. 6 Lyle Barnett vs. No. 7 J.R. Gray

There has been significant back and forth between the drivers on social media from some of the division’s most seasoned trash-talkers. There have been no-so-flattering memes to an entertaining video from Stevie “Fast” Jackson, [embedded below] where no one is safe from the shade.

“There’s a lot of trash talk going on with this with all the drivers involved,” said Doug Winters, who is also sponsored by D-Wagon. “The trophy looks very cool, so it’s worked out well, and we’re all looking forward to it. There’s some really intriguing first-round matchups and it’s going to be a great spotlight for everyone involved. I know the fans in Brainerd are really excited to see Pro Mod, and to have this shootout along with the race, it’s going to be even better for everyone.”

With only four races remaining in the season following Brainerd, this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals can make or break championship hopes.

“You’ve got to be fast and consistent right away. You can’t have any poor runs because the shootout is a different ballgame,” Thorne said. “We’ll be running our heart out from the time we get on the track, but you’re also going to have to make consistent clean runs. No matter what, we’re trying to make it run as fast as it can go, and we’re going to run it as hard as we can.”