The inaugural Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service at Bradenton Motorsports Park has added a thrilling championship element to a stretch of the year previously known as “the offseason.” Though the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals and U.S. Street Nationals have taken place in early December and late January, respectively, for decades, the addition of a championship structure has changed the dynamic. They’re truly can’t-miss events now, especially for the drivers who are in contention for the $25,000 championship bonus going into the series finale, the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, Feb. 27-March 1.
Winter Series Race Director Gavin Carter crunched the numbers after the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission to see who’s still in the running for the inaugural title. It’s worth noting that WSOPM elimination rounds will be worth points-and-a-half, making a WSOPM win worth 900 rather than 600. For a full points breakdown, click here. To see the current Winter Series points standings, click here.
Ken Quartuccio, a Connecticut native who likes to think of Bradenton as his home track due in part to the incredible success he’s had there over the years, is the points leader. Known for driving his bright red ProCharged ’69 Camaro in Outlaw Pro Mod and Radial vs. the World competition for the past several seasons, Quartuccio went into the Snowbirds driving a new screw-blown ’69 Camaro in a collaboration with Dustin Nesloney, Scott Tidwell Racing, and Pro Line Racing. He qualified No. 4 in the record-setting field before advancing to the final round, where he fell to No Prep Kings star Kye Kelley. Quartuccio then qualified No. 2 at the U.S. Street Nationals and charged to another final round, where he met good friend Lyle Barnett. Barnett, the 2023 Snowbirds winner, threw down a .022 reaction and a 3.608 E.T. package, but he was behind from the get-go thanks to Quartuccio’s .001 light and 3.586-second pass.
Easily the most consistent driver of the Winter Series, Quartuccio leads Kelley by just over two rounds, or 314 points. He can secure the championship as soon as the quarterfinals, assuming he qualifies within 17 spots of Kelley.
By qualifying, Quartuccio would eliminate everyone below newcomer Rian Hayward, who jumped to No. 14 with his semifinal finish in his Winter Series debut at the U.S. Street Nationals.
A round one victory would eliminate everyone below seventh-placed Travis “The Carolina Kid” Harvey, who would need to outqualify Quartuccio by five positions and go on to win the race in order to have a shot at the title. Not an impossible task for Harvey, who won in almost everything he drove last season.
Quartuccio moving on past the second round would knock everyone out of contention minus Kelley.
For Kelley to have a shot at the championship, Quartuccio can go no further than the semifinals, plus Kelley needs to win and outqualify him by 18 spots. That’s a big ask considering Quartuccio has qualified fourth and second. There are five qualifying sessions, but Quartuccio and team have shown they don’t need nearly that many shots at the track to throw down a top five qualifying effort.
Beyond Kelley, the drivers most poised to take advantage of an unlikely early exit by Quartuccio are Mark Micke, Kurt Steding, Melanie Salemi, and Mike Decker.
Micke, who qualified No. 1 at both prior Winter Series races and the 2024 WSOPM, reached the semifinals at the Snowbirds and went out in the second round at the U.S. Street Nationals. The reigning MWDRS Pro Mod champion in his twin-turbocharged M&M Transmission ’69 Camaro is 496 points behind Quartuccio.
Steding, the 2023 WSOPM runner-up, is just seven points behind Micke thanks to No. 5 and No. 4 qualifying efforts at the last two races. Like Micke, he reached the semis at Snowbirds and second round at U.S. Street Nationals in his screw-blown P2 Contracting ’69 Camaro.
Salemi and Decker are in joint fifth with 700 points. Salemi in her screw-blown Al-Lee Installations “Purple Reign” ’68 Firebird went to the quarterfinals at both of the past two races, qualifying third in the record-setting Snowbirds field. Decker in his screw-blown Decker’s Salvage Camaro went to the second round at the Snowbirds and the semifinals at the U.S. Street Nationals. Interestingly, neither driver qualified at the 2024 WSOPM. However, Decker was runner-up in the Chicago-Style Second Chance Race, while Salemi won the 2023 WSOPM Chicago-Style Second Chance Race.
Qualifying at the World Series of Pro Mod will kick off Thursday, Feb. 27 with two sessions. An action-packed Friday will bring three additional qualifying sessions, as well as the first-round chip draw, which could set up some championship-deciding matchups for Saturday eliminations.
Championship Scenarios
– If Ken does not Qualify, Cam Hensley and Up have a theoretical chance to win
– If Ken Qualifies, everyone below Rian is eliminated
– If Ken wins round 1, everyone below Travis Harvey is eliminated. For Travis to win, he’d have to win the race, and out qualify Ken by 5 spots
– If Ken wins round 2, everyone but Kye is eliminated.
– If Ken loses in the Semis, Kye can win the championship if he wins the race and out qualifies Ken by 18 spots.
– If Ken Qualifies within 17 spots of Kye, he would have to win in the Quarterfinals to secure the championship.
This story was originally published on February 21, 2025. 
The post DI Winter Series: Previewing the Championship Scenarios Ahead of WSOPM first appeared on Drag Illustrated.