One year ago, Kallee Mills was preparing for her very first season competing in Pro Modified. Now, two races into her first Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service in the class, she’s embracing every moment that comes with competing against the best drivers the class has to offer at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
“Overall, it’s been a great experience,” said Mills. “My initial thought coming in was, ‘Wow, we’re here. We’ve made it to the Winter Series.’ This is something I’ve looked forward to for a really long time, getting to run the Pro Mod class and competing against 80-some other drivers and fight for these 32 spots. And then when we finally get in, we’re racing round-by-round, trying to fight our way through.”
Mills is doing far more than just competing, however. The former X275, Pro 10.5, and No Prep Kings standout – and 2023 Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 honoree – is currently sitting No. 9 in the Winter Series points standings heading into the series finale, the World Series of Pro Mod presented by Red Line Oil. Mills has qualified at both of the first two events, the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks in December and the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission in January, and won three rounds of competition thus far.
Not only has the car performed well, dipping consistently into the 3.50’s, but Mills has been at the top of her game as well. According to “Stat Guy” Chris LeCloux, Mills currently has the third-best average reaction time of any Pro Mod driver in the Winter Series. Her .019 average trails only “Stevie Fast” Jackson (.016) and Jason Harris (.017), winners of the first two events.
“I would say I’m one of the most consistent drivers out there on the tree,” Mills said. “Sitting third behind Jason Harris and Stevie Fast, when you think about names like that, those are legends. It’s awesome being up there with them and proving that I’m supposed to be up there going rounds at the Winter Series. We’re all there to win, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
A large part of her ability to stay focused inside the car are the people outside of it. “Scarlett,” her ’68 Camaro owned by Paul and Jeanne Hayden, is tuned by Lee White, and serviced and maintained by her father DeWayne Mills, her fiancé Jordan Tally, and Taylor Strange. Having that strong family bond is important when it comes to feeling safe at over 200 mph.
“In all reality, if I wasn’t comfortable in the car behind the wheel, and had people behind me that I knew were doing a great job working on and servicing the car, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing,” admitted Mills. “That’s how I can have good reaction times – I’m not worrying about other things that aren’t up to me. Having people behind you that support you and care about you – they have a little more skin in the game than just going racing on the weekend and having a good time.
“These are people that I look at as family,” Mills continued. “My dad, my fiancé…and Taylor’s like a brother. When they’re working on the car, they want to make sure everything is taken care of for me. And of course, Lee does a wonderful job tuning. If we didn’t have everybody doing their job at the right time and the right amount, things wouldn’t go as smoothly.”
With $150,000 on the line, the World Series of Pro Mod has created a tension and atmosphere that is seldom seen elsewhere. Drivers have folded under that pressure, turning on the red light when they normally wouldn’t, or being uncharacteristically late on the tree. But Mills is no stranger to pressure. In her 2025 Pro Mod rookie season, she faced off against veteran Randy Weatherford at the IHRA Outlaw Pro Mod Nationals with $125,000 on the line. While Weatherford narrowly took the win, Mills proved the weight of the moment doesn’t affect her.
“I look at every race the same,” said Mills. “When I go up there, I want to have the best light I can and be the best driver for my team. I just keep my head down and focus on me; don’t worry about who’s in the other lane. Don’t worry about the money. Just go and do what you know to do and win rounds and do your best. Some people might take that pressure and crumble, but I would say I tend to like being the underdog. I think part of what makes me pretty good is I don’t let pressure bother me as much as some other drivers. I mean, that’s what we live for. That’s what we do this for, is for those rounds, honestly. You want to be up there and you want to be the best.”
Now, with two Winter Series races under her belt, Mills is ready to return to Bradenton for the grand finale. With a huge payday and a potential points championship on the line, her team is ready to come out with guns blazing.
“It’s gonna be a good time – a ‘Barn Burner’ as Wes Buck likes to say,” Mills said. “I’m looking forward to getting down there and doing the same thing we’ve done at the last two races. We’re just looking to continue that momentum and hopefully move up in points and continue to have one of the most consistent cars on the property.”
This story was originally published on February 23, 2026. 
The post Kallee Mills Relishing First Winter Series Experience in Pro Mod first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
