A trio of events have caught the attention of two-time NHRA world champion Bo Butner, and it appears as though the diverse driver is headed south for the winter. Butner will be driving champion crew chief Brian Corradi’s “Gotham City” Pro Mod in the Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service. The three-race series will be run over three consecutive months at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Fla., and if a Pro Mod driver should sweep the series, they will earn the Elite Motorsports Million, a $1,000,000 bonus.
“That’s a heckuva bonus,” said Butner. “You see that, and instantly, you think, ‘Okay, that’s cool.’ There are over 80 cars entered, and anyone can win — it won’t be easy, but it’s possible, and that’s all the encouragement I need.”
The Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceways will take place Dec. 5-7, 2025; the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission are scheduled for Jan. 23-25, 2026; and the series will conclude with the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod, Feb. 26-28, 2026.
He may not be the most experienced Pro Mod driver on the property, but Butner’s experience in drag racing stretches deep. In addition to world championships claimed in Comp Eliminator (2006) and Pro Stock (2017), Butner — a 34-time NHRA winner in 66 final rounds on the national stage — is one of just two drivers to have claimed victory in seven different NHRA categories, including Mountain Motor Pro Stock, Pro Stock, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Gas, and Super Street. He also won the inaugural Factory Stock Showdown exhibition at the 2012 U.S. Nationals, and he’s scored a variety of divisional wins in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
Butner’s lengthy resumé even includes a hard-fought and prestigious 2021 win in the acclaimed Spring Fling Million in Las Vegas. One thing he has yet to knock off the bucket list, though, is a win in Pro Mod. He came close in 2020, reaching the final round at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park driving a nitrous-equipped Camaro owned by Rickie Smith. It was his first official Pro Mod race, and that translates to high expectations for himself heading into the DI Winter Series.
He’ll be well-armed in Corradi’s ProCharger-boosted 2017 Camaro most recently wielded by talented racer Zach Sackman in IHRA competition, and he’ll be backed by the support of Summit Racing Equipment, Hoosier Tires, and Jim Butner Auto Group.
“I haven’t touched this car yet, but I can’t wait,” said Butner, who got his first taste of Pro Mod in early 2018, when he licensed in Harry Hruska’s turbocharged entry. “In the next couple of weeks, we’re going to get a couple days of testing in. It means I have to skip going bracket racing next week like I’d planned, but this is going to be fun.
“Of course, Randi Lyn is planning to have the car wrapped, and that will be kind of a throwback for us to how we used to do Halloween at the racetrack in Pro Stock. It’s just a neat deal. Everybody in the world is going to be there driving, and I’m looking forward to racing with Brian Corradi; he’s such a cool, nice guy, and he’s very intelligent. I can’t thank Antron Brown enough for putting us together. This is a whole different ballgame for us, and we’re really looking forward to it.”
The post Bo Butner Set For Return to Pro Mod, Will Race For A Cool Mil’ in Drag Illustrated Winter Series first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
