The first round of Pro Mod eliminations at the U.S. Street Nationals delivered on the promise set during historic qualifying, producing multiple side-by-side runs in the 3.50-second zone and eliminating championship-caliber contenders before Sunday. The race marked the second stop of the Drag Illustrated Winter Series, with a $75,000 Pro Mod winner to be crowned in Bradenton.
After becoming the first event to field an all–3.50-second, 32-car Pro Mod qualifying field, eliminations opened with matchups that reflected the depth and volatility of the category. Several of the quickest cars from qualifying were forced to defend their positions immediately against proven winners and former champions.
Spencer Hyde opened eliminations with a measured win over reigning World Series of Pro Mod champion Steve King in a pairing that matched two screw-blown heavyweights. Hyde drove his Tidwell Nesloney Racing ’69 Camaro to a 3.575-second pass at 210.14 mph to defeat King’s 3.599 at 208.55.
“When the car shifted into second gear, we poked the nose out in front of him, and I said, ‘As long as the blower don’t fall off, we got this in the bag,’” Hyde said. “So thanks, Steve Petty, for that one. The first round’s always tough – the toughest round of any race. Unfortunately, tomorrow morning, in second round, it’s going to feel like first round all over again. But everybody’s gonna feel the same pressure, so we just gotta go keep turning on win lights.”
The volatility of the opening round continued when No. 1 qualifier Jimmy Taylor squared off with No. 4 qualifier Eric Gustafson in a matchup that ended Taylor’s bid early. Gustafson recorded the low elapsed time of eliminations, a 3.543 at 211.30, while Taylor slowed to a 3.611 at 218.16.
“The other cherry on top of the ice cream sundae is my family’s here,” Gustafson said. “They don’t usually get to come watch me race. In fact, they haven’t seen me race since 2021 with their activities and all that stuff. Usually they’re in school, but thanks to God and the snow in Dallas, my wife said, ‘Let’s go to Florida and watch Dad race.’ It was super special to be able to do it in front of my family. I just feel so blessed to be able to do this. Jimmy Taylor, his family, and the whole crew over there, they’re wonderful people – incredible team, great car, tough competitor, can’t say enough about them. A lot of respect to them.”
Jason Harris advanced with authority as he continued his pursuit of the Elite Motorsports Million, defeating former PDRA Pro Nitrous rival Jim Halsey in the opening round. Harris used a starting-line advantage and a 3.547 at 211.89 to move on while Halsey lifted to a 5.443.
“I tried not to think about the pressure, but I knew it was there,” Harris said. “I’ve been in a lot of pressure situations before, but after losing the No. 1 qualifier by one thousandth, I just put it behind me and said, ‘You gotta win rounds.’ Nobody out here is a duck. Everybody’s great at what they do – you’ve just gotta be a little bit better than they are. I was a little nervous, but I finally just put it behind me. Whatever it is is gonna happen.”
Another marquee matchup featured two-time NHRA Pro Mod world champion Stevie “Fast” Jackson against No Prep Kings champion Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington. Jackson pulled ahead early and recorded a 3.562 at 211.69, while Ellington encountered problems and slowed to a 4.553.
“I knew [Ellington] was capable of outrunning me if they made a run,” Jackson said. “I ran it to about 800 ft. because at 500 ft. I still didn’t see him, but that doesn’t mean he’s not coming. We were .011 and .012 on the light – that showcases how good of a driver Shawn is, and it’s a good deal to get the win. That was one of them deals where if you win, it’s good; if you lose, it’s worse. So, we wanted to get that one. We’ve got four more, and they don’t get easier as you go, they get harder.”
The first round also saw victories by Victor Alvarez, Sidnei Frigo, Brylon Holder, Kallee Mills, Mike Decker III, John Doc, Tommy D’Aprile, Randy Weatherford, Derek Menholt, and Kye Kelley. Several races were decided by hundredths of a second or less, underscoring the narrow margin for error.
Eliminations were also underway across the remaining professional and radial categories on Saturday, with Pro 10.5 producing early separation among contenders. Fletcher Cox led the opening round with a 3.875 at 184.60 to defeat John Carinci, while Jerry Morgano advanced on a holeshot over top qualifier Carson Baker.
In True 10.5, Snowbirds winner Larry Larson pedaled to a win, while Bill Lutz delivered the quickest pass of the round with a 3.934. Cole Pesz rebounded from a testing crash earlier in the week to earn a holeshot victory after overnight repairs.
Additional True 10.5 winners included Greg Chandler, Brandon Sandlian, Kye Kelley, Matt Jones, Zach Jones, Ryan Martin, Joe Rabiola, Kyle Canion, and Ryan Hendrickson. The class continued to reflect its reputation for unpredictability and driver-managed passes.
The Lil Gangstas category completed two rounds of eliminations, narrowing the field to 16 drivers moving into Sunday. Radial Outlaws competition saw one round completed in Pro 275, X275, and Ultra Street, with Limited Drag Radial running two rounds.
Sunday’s on-track action begins with Pro Mod second round at 9 a.m., followed by index-class eliminations. Pro 10.5, True 10.5, and Lil Gangstas resume at 10:30 a.m., with final rounds scheduled to determine winners across all categories.
