After a career-best season that saw Steve King race to victory at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod and the Yellowbullet Nationals, the Virginia native is hoping for a victorious 2025 season finale at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks, Dec. 5-7, at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Serving as the kickoff to the three-race Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service, the Snowbirds will feature more than 80 Pro Mod drivers attempting to qualify for the $50,000-to-win, 32-car field.
Earlier this year, King defeated two-time NHRA Pro Mod world champion Stevie “Fast” Jackson in the $150,000 final round at the World Series of Pro Mod, the Winter Series finale. That performance put King and the Gene Pilot-owned “Savage” Corvette in the headlines and earned him a spot in the 2025/2026 Winter Series. King will go head-to-head with other major race winners, world champions, record holders, and fan favorites from drag racing’s numerous niches.
“We all want to be the best in the world, and if you’re going to be the best in the world, you have got to race against the best guys and girls, and that’s what’s at the Winter Series,” King said. “We’re talking about 80-plus cars from across the world. We’re not just talking about the East Coast and West Coast. We’re talking across the world. If you want to be the best in the world, you’ve got to beat every single one of those guys because they’re coming to chop everybody’s head off.”
This year’s invitation list is loaded with drivers from NHRA Pro Mod, PDRA Pro Nitrous and Pro Boost, MWDRS Pro Mod, and other Pro Modified series, but it’s not limited to Pro Mod. Six-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders is returning for her second Winter Series, while teammate Aaron Stanfield – a multi-time NHRA Factory Stock Showdown world champion – is set to make his Pro Mod debut. That diversity makes for some unique matchups.
“The Winter Series has attracted people from other countries and other classes, like Pro Stock’s Erica Enders,” King said. “You’re seeing the interest in Pro Modified grow just from this Winter Series. It just makes it so interesting. I’ve been in Pro Mod for a long time – I’m one of the older guys – but to run that caliber of people is really different and exciting.”
The Snowbird Outlaw Nationals is just the start, as the Winter Series also includes the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission, Jan. 23–25, 2026; and the World Series of Pro Mod, Feb. 26–28, 2026. The 2025/2026 Winter Series also includes the new Elite Motorsports Million, which offers up a $1,000,000 bonus to any Pro Mod driver who can win all three Winter Series events. Winning just one Winter Series race is challenging enough, but King, Pilot, and the Pilot Racing team led by crew chief Jeff Miller and tuner Jon Salemi have proven they have what it takes.
“Every round is just excitement-packed,” King said. “Even as a driver, every time I roll up to the starting line, the hair stands up on the back of my neck. It’s crazy down there in Bradenton. You can’t leave anything on the table.”
For more info on the Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service, visit www.TheWinterSeries.com. To purchase tickets for the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks at Bradenton Motorsports Park, click here: https://bit.ly/3LvZ4DR.
This story was originally published on November 21, 2025. 
The post Reigning WSOPM Champion Steve King Fired Up For Snowbird Outlaw Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
