Jimmy Taylor enters the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals with a level of momentum few Pro Mod competitors can match, arriving at Bradenton Motorsports Park after shattering two doorslammer world records. The Tennessee driver posted a stunning 3.387-second, 240.29-mph eighth-mile run and added a 5.114-second quarter-mile pass, positioning him as one of the most anticipated entries in an 80-plus-car field.
The Snowbirds, set for Dec. 5–7, launch the Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service, a three-race program that has become one of the largest stages for Pro Modified racing. For Taylor, simply earning a spot in the field would reflect the progress he’s made since missing all three Winter Series races last season.
“Last year, I raced three races and didn’t even qualify,” Taylor said. “To qualify is definitely a huge deal. We ran a 3.645 and had to go home. I feel like we’re definitely getting in the show.”
Taylor’s presence in the Snowbirds comes with added intrigue thanks to his eligibility for the new Elite Motorsports Million, a $1,000,000 bonus awarded to any driver who can sweep the three Winter Series events. It is the largest performance incentive in Pro Modified history, signaling the level of competition expected in December.
Taylor knows he carries one of the strongest cars into Bradenton, but he also understands the depth of talent surrounding him. The fields routinely feature champions, record-holders, and veterans with decades of experience, including drivers covered extensively in earlier CompetitionPlus.com features on Taylor’s progression and tuner Carl Stevens Jr.’s influence.
“The competition is definitely what draws me in,” Taylor said. “It’s the baddest group of Pro Mod guys to ever touch a steering wheel. If you’re a Pro Mod racer, you want to be invited to the Winter Series.”
The Snowbirds will open the schedule before the Winter Series shifts to the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission on Jan. 23–25, then concludes with the return of the World Series of Pro Mod on Feb. 26–28. Each race carries major prestige, and winning any one of them places a driver in elite company.
While Taylor is still carving out his identity in the Pro Mod ranks, his tuner is not. Carl Stevens Jr., referenced frequently for his championship-caliber tuning expertise, brings a resume built on both performance and experience. Stevens won the second DI World Series of Pro Mod in 2018 when it was held at Bandimere Speedway, and his technical influence has been pivotal in Taylor’s record-setting fall stretch.
Stevens sees the Winter Series as an opportunity, not a gamble. He points to the team’s strong showing at the Yellowbullet Nationals, where Taylor’s car posted a 3.538 at 224 mph in legal trim — a combination Stevens believes no other legal Pro Mod car has yet surpassed.
“I feel really good going into this three-race series,” Stevens said. “We went and ran the Yellowbullet Nationals in legal trim. We went 3.538 at 224 mph there. To my knowledge, I don’t think anybody’s been quicker or faster in a legal Pro Mod car.”
That assessment fits the tone of Taylor’s recent trendlines, which have shown both straight-line speed and improved consistency — two components rarely achieved simultaneously in this class. For a driver who spent last season watching the Winter Series from outside the qualifying bubble, the turnaround has been substantial and noticeable.
Stevens believes the gains are real, not circumstantial. “We’re going into the Winter Series feeling like we’ve got a little performance edge here,” he said. “We feel like we should be super competitive.”
