Stevie “Fast” Jackson finally turned persistence into payoff Sunday night, driving his screw-blown “Shadow 3.0” Camaro to a $75,000 Pro Modified victory at the U.S. Street Nationals.
Jackson secured the win when Derek Menholt went red by .006 seconds in the final round, allowing Jackson’s 3.566-second run at 210.80 mph to stand.
“Ever since Wes had a dream of doing the World Series of Pro Mod in Denver in 2017, and we hauled that thing out there, I saw what he was building and I really wanted to win one of these races,” Jackson said. “It’s a surreal feeling to have the team I have around me.”
Jackson credited the victory to the infrastructure behind Killin Time Racing rather than individual execution.
“This doesn’t mean anything about Stevie,” Jackson said. “Stevie can only do what he does because I’ve got people like Jeff Pierce tuning the car, people like Bob Reinhardt building the engines, people like Alicia Davis who runs the company when I’m gone.”
(Other winners included Grantley Schloss in Pro 275, Cole Pesz in True 10.5, Jerry Morgano in Pro 10.5, Joseph Mallais in Lil Gangstas, Tommy Youmans in Limited Drag Radial, Billy Lackey in X275, Joel Greathouse in Ultra Street, Ronald Procopio in 4.60 Bikes, Brian Shook in 6.50 Index, Jason Renninger in 7.50 Index, and Cailyn Fargo in Jr. Dragster.)
Jackson qualified sixth in what was billed as the quickest Pro Modified field in history, with all 32 qualified cars running in the 3.50s.
His 3.564-second pass at 211.53 mph was the quickest screw-blown run of the weekend.
The random chip-draw format eliminated any qualifying advantage, pairing Jackson with 2024 No Prep Kings champion Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington in the opening round.
Ellington encountered tire shake and lifted early, while Jackson advanced with a 3.562 at 211.69 mph.
Jackson defeated Brylon Holder in round two after Holder went quicker but surrendered the race with a -.010 red light.
He survived a quarterfinal pedalfest against 2023 World Series of Pro Mod champion Spencer Hyde, cutting a .009 light and managing a 3.771 as Hyde shook the tires and deployed the chutes early.
In the semifinals, Jackson faced the quickest car of the event, Eric Gustafson’s “Lard Machine” Camaro.
Jackson won on reaction time, using a 3.602 to stay ahead of Gustafson’s quicker 3.591.
Menholt reached the final after qualifying eighth with a 3.568 at 211.66 mph and eliminating several top contenders.
His second-round victory over Jason Harris ended Harris’ bid for a million-dollar bonus after mechanical failure interrupted Harris’ run.
With Pro Modified settled, Pro
Brisbane, Australia’s Grantley Schloss repeated as Pro 275 winner at the U.S. Street Nationals, driving his ProCharged ’67 Nova to a second straight victory at the event.
The reigning Radial Outlaws Pro 275 champion qualified third and defeated Paul Major, Ernie Damper, and Nick Lacerenza before facing Texan Rick Bailey in the final round.
Schloss left first and controlled the race from start to finish, posting a 3.748-second pass at 200.68 mph to Bailey’s 3.780 at 198.64.
“To win one’s always a stretch, but to go back-to-back, it’s crazy. It’s a great, great feeling,” Schloss said. “Qualifying was very tight, and everyone we were up against, we couldn’t take lightly.”
Schloss credited track conditions and close competition for shaping the outcome of eliminations.
“The track was definitely the equalizer out there for us today,” Schloss said. “The radials raced in the heat of the day. Everyone slowed it down and most people got down, and it was all very, very close racing. I’m just glad to be here.”
True 10.5 produced one of the most dramatic stories of the weekend, with Cole Pesz rebounding from a testing crash to claim the $40,000 victory.
Pesz and his team repaired the damaged Corvette in time for eliminations and advanced through a demanding ladder that included a semifinal win over Ryan Martin.
“I have the greatest team in the world behind me and Gobert Racing,” Pesz said. “I knew there was going to be trials and tribulations. I didn’t think this was going to happen, but I’ve been in a lot worse positions in my life than crashing a race car.”
Pesz secured the win when Brandon Sandlian went red in the final round, allowing Pesz’s 3.980-second pass at 204.76 mph to seal the outcome.
“This is how we’re starting off 2026 and I can’t wait for what’s to come for the rest of this year,” Pesz said.
Joseph Mallais added to his Winter Series momentum by winning the $20,000 Lil Gangstas final in his ’88 Mustang over Chris Scarlata’s ’70 Nova.
The matchup capped a long day of racing that featured a deep field including Snowbirds winner Tommy Hoskinson and NHRA sportsman standout Randi Lyn Butner.
“This is crazy to be with the 64 best cars,” Mallais said. “It’s a tough class. You get no time slips. You don’t know what you’re running. You’ve just got to run it to the line and see who comes out on top.”
“I went three rounds at the Snowbirds, so I’m up there in the points,” Mallais added. “It’s going to be a really good chase for the finish.”
Tommy Youmans claimed the Limited Drag Radial victory in his turbocharged, Pontiac-powered ’70 GTO after qualifying eighth and steadily improving throughout eliminations.
Youmans defeated Scott Husted, Brandon Carter, Jamie Stanton, and Brian Weddle before leaving first in the final round and posting a 3.860 at 196.30 mph as Justin Martin slowed following a mechanical issue.
“It’s incredibly special to be here,” Youmans said. “We had such mechanical problems with the other cars, and then ol’ ‘Judy’ over there, she just performed flawless all day long.”
“The LDR class is just so competitive,” Youmans continued. “There’s so many different combos. The field is so level and it’s just a blessing. My guys work hard all the time and it’s just incredible to be able to get this win here.”
Maryland racer Billy Lackey captured the X275 victory after qualifying fourth and setting low elapsed time in all four rounds of eliminations.
Lackey defeated Derek Cooper, Trevor Fuqua, and reigning champion DJ McCain before sealing the win with a 4.125 at 176.93 mph over Ron Rhodes in the final.
“It still hasn’t hit me yet,” Lackey said. “We’ve been here since Monday and the car has just been freaking awesome.”
“James Smith with JSC Race Cars and Dave Hanlon with Deebo Tuning, they’ve got this thing on a rail,” Lackey added. “I pay for it, I let go of the button, but they’re the ones that should be getting interviewed, not me.”
Joel Greathouse continued his successful stint in Davey Hull’s turbocharged Mustang by winning Ultra Street for the second straight Winter Series event.
Greathouse defeated Russell Justus, Dave Fiscus, and Jessie Coulter before using a holeshot and a 4.484 at 154.37 to edge Ronny Rhodes in the final.
“It’s very special because the reason I was here in December was to help out that truly drove the car,” Greathouse said. “I don’t know what to say. I’m just so wound up I can’t even think right now.”
The Drag Illustrated Winter Series will conclude Feb. 26–28 with the World Series of Pro Mod at Bradenton Motorsports Park, where championship outcomes remain unsettled across multiple categories.
