Photos by Robert Richard
Jason Harris spent two days proving there was no tougher driver in Pro Modified racing, and Saturday night he closed the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals by taking the $50,000 trophy in a final-round run that kept him in line for a potential $1 million bonus. His 3.561-second pass at 211.06 mph in his Harts Charger-boosted “Party Time” ’69 Camaro completed a sweep that began when he qualified No. 1 in the quickest 32-car Pro Mod field ever assembled.
By winning the first event in the three-race Drag Illustrated Winter Series, Harris became the only driver left eligible for the inaugural Elite Motorsports Million bonus awarded to any racer who sweeps all three events. He also stands alone in contention for the Jerry Bickel Race Cars Clean Sweep Challenge, which grants a new rolling chassis to any driver qualifying No. 1 at all three races.
Harris called the win a career high. “This is my pinnacle,” he told FloRacing’s Courtney Enders. “Harold Denton, thank you, Lord. He’s been riding with me all day.”
The path that brought Harris to the winner’s circle stretched back to pre-race testing, where his team worked through early issues before unleashing a qualifying run that secured the $5,000 No. 1 qualifier bonus. His 3.560 at 211.20 on Thursday held through Friday, confirming his status as the competitor to beat entering eliminations.
Yet the Winter Series format offers no comfortable starts. Random chip draws replaced traditional ladders, and Harris drew no favors when the chip paired him with Mark Micke, last winter’s most consistent qualifier. He answered with a 3.579 at 210.64, the second-quickest pass of the round, and advanced as Micke shut off early.
The remainder of the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals crowned winners across a slate of specialty classes that filled Bradenton Motorsports Park throughout the weekend. Pro 10.5 veteran Bill Lutz earned a $10,000 win over NFL champion Fletcher Cox, delivering a 3.886 after predicting early in the weekend that his car “was going to win this damn thing.”
Chassis builder Larry Larson added another high-dollar accolade by winning True 10.5 N/T, continuing a season that already included a $75,000 payday in no-time competition. He defeated Russell Stone in the final after earlier wins over Ryan Martin and Ryan Hendrickson.
The event’s youth-driven Lil Gangstas category closed with Ohio’s Tommy Hoskinson securing the $20,000 purse after pacing the 5.30-index field with what he described as unwavering confidence. “I didn’t lose on the tree a single time this weekend,” he said. “I expected my win light to come on every pass.”
Limited Drag Radial followed with a decisive victory by Brian Weddle, who transitioned into the category after a record-setting PDRA season and delivered consistent 3.90-range performance. Ultra Street concluded with Joel Greathouse outrunning Brian Keep in the final.
