WSOPM relocation!……PDRA circuit updates….
Drag Illustrated is taking the World Series of Pro Mod to Texas!
The World Series of Pro Mod, one of the most prestigious events on the drag racing calendar, will move to the historic Texas Motorplex in 2027. The event is scheduled for March 5-7, 2027, bringing the high-powered Pro Mod spectacle to one of drag racing’s most iconic venues. The announcement was made this weekend Drag Illustrated founder and World Series of Pro Mod creator Wes Buck.
“The World Series of Pro Mod has always been about creating something that feels bigger than just another drag race, and moving it to Texas Motorplex gives us an opportunity to take that vision to another level,” said Buck. “This is one of the most iconic facilities in drag racing, and the people behind Texas Motorplex understand what it takes to build an event that racers want to be part of and fans want to experience. Christie and her team have been incredible to work with, and we’re excited about what we can build together. March 5-7, 2027 are going to be dates Pro Mod racers and fans need to have circled.”
The move marks an exciting new chapter for the World Series of Pro Mod, which has established itself as a marquee event for Pro Mod racers and fans. Texas Motorplex, meanwhile, provides an ideal setting for the event with its rich history, passionate Texas drag racing fan base and reputation for hosting major motorsports events.
“The World Series of Pro Mod belongs in Texas, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome it to the historic Texas Motorplex,” said Christie Meyer Johnson, Co-Owner & General Manager, Texas Motorplex. “It’s an honor that Wes chose to partner with us, and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and help grow this event into something even bigger than anyone imagined. We love building experiences that racers and fans remember, and this is another opportunity to do just that. Adding the World Series of Pro Mod to our already packed spring schedule is a huge win for Texas motorsports, and we can’t wait to show everyone what this partnership can become. We’re not just hosting an event, we’re committed to helping take it to the next level.”
The World Series of Pro Mod has become a must-attend event for the class, bringing together many of the sport’s top Pro Mod competitors for a high-stakes showcase of performance, competition and innovation. The event features a no-holds-barred, chip-draw shootout where only the best survive. There are no qualifying ladders, no easy rounds and every matchup is a main event. Fans can expect a full weekend of elite-level racing, driver introductions, autograph sessions, pyrotechnics, music and food. The Texas Motorplex move is expected to further elevate the event, with Drag Illustrated and the Texas Motorplex working together to create an experience that extends beyond the racing surface. ”The goal is to make the World Series of Pro Mod something that people talk about long after the last car has left the property,” said Buck. “Texas Motorplex has the history, the facility and the team to help us do that. We’re just getting started.”
Defending 2025 WSOPM Champion – Aaron Stanfield.
The World Series of Pro Mod will take place March 5-7, 2027, at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.
The latest circuit results from within the PDRA from Bristol Dragway – the 5th of 7 events scheduled this season.
At that race, it was 2025 Hot Rod Drag Week champion Ned Dunphy coming out of nowhere and capturing his very first PDRA 660 Man. Dunphy defeated Lyle Barnett in the final round for the WS Construction Pro Boost class presented by P2 Contracting and Ty-Drive at the PDRA Thunder Valley Throwdown presented by Larry Jeffers Race Cars.
After a three-and-a-half-hour rain delay pushed eliminations into the evening hours, the Roswell, Georgia native was .013 on the tree in his orange screw-blown ’24 Camaro, allowing his 3.632-second pass at 207.08 mph to hold off Barnett’s slightly quicker 3.627 at 208.42.
For Pro Nitrous racing it was Marcus Butner (Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by Jerry Bickel Race Cars) who prevailed for that category.
Dunphy, best known for piloting his record-setting Drag & Drive Dodge Viper, used an .013 reaction time in his orange screw-blown ’24 Camaro to pull off a holeshot win against former U.S. National champion Lyle Barnett. It was a case of the relative Pro Mod newcomer flipping the script against one of the most feared leavers in the sport, allowing Dunphy to pull off the victory with a slower 3.632-second pass at 207.08 mph. Barnett, driving the Tommy Youmans-owned, Lee White-tuned “Clean Title” ’18 Camaro, put down a slightly quicker 3.627 at 208.42.
PDRA Pro Boost racing at Bristol produced a first time circuit win for — Ned Dunphy
Dunphy qualified sixth with a 3.650, then looked like a bracket car throughout eliminations while defeating Raymond Matos, Paul Gargus and Fletcher Cox to advance to the final round.
“We’re out here having fun. The crew and I, we laugh all the time,” Dunphy said. “We’ve been eating steaks and chicken. We eat better here at the track than we do at home. So just making our way through – we don’t do the trash talk, we don’t do the drama, but now we’ve made some noise, so my guess is, we’re gonna get a little bit more attention and have to be a little more outspoken.”
For reigning PDRA Pro Nitrous world champion Marcus Butner the 2026 season had not been what he’d envisioned, entering the Thunder Valley Throwdown fifth in points. He made a massive push to defend his title in Bristol, however, pacing the field nearly the entire weekend en route to his first event win of the year.
The Pro Boost winner at the Thunder Valley Showdown was defending PDRA class champion Marcus Butler.
Just like Ned Dunphy did before him, Butner used a holeshot in the final round to take the win over points leader and reigning event champion Tommy Franklin. Butner went 3.688 at 204.32 mph in his Pat Musi-powered, Jay Cox-tuned “Heartbreaker” ’69 Camaro, which was just enough to hold off Franklin’s 3.655 at 205.98 in his Musi-powered “Jungle Rat 3.0” ’69 Camaro.
Butner qualified No. 1 with a 3.659 ET and with the victory enters the final two races of the season in prime position to defend his points title.
Posted with files by Nate Van Wagnen & Elon Werner
Photos by Luke Nieuwhof & Tara Bowker
