This is what happens when you put a Pro Stock racer in a Pro Mod and turn him loose: Aaron Stanfield wins $150,000 in one of the closest finals in World Series of Pro Mod history.
Stanfield edged Peter Norton by .003 seconds Saturday night at Bradenton Motorsports Park, adding a doorslammer crown to an already decorated NHRA résumé.
The winning pass — 3.576 seconds at 210.83 mph — was enough to hold off Norton’s 3.585 at 210.57 in a side-by-side sprint decided by inches. It capped the third and final race of the 2025-2026 Drag Illustrated Winter Series.
“All these racers are great racers – they are some of the baddest racers our sport has to offer,” Stanfield said. “It’s been cool to mix it up with them, and it’s unbelievable we’re gonna park it in the winner’s circle.”
Stanfield entered the weekend having never before qualified for a Winter Series event. He left with the richest victory of his career and a defining moment in Pro Mod competition.
The win adds to a résumé that already includes NHRA national event victories in five different professional and sportsman categories and three Factory Stock Showdown world championships. It also reinforces the growing crossover between NHRA Pro Stock talent and the Winter Series’ high-stakes Pro Mod stage.
Stanfield qualified No. 8 in the 32-car field, marking his first successful entry into a Winter Series race. From there, his Pro Stock-honed starting-line discipline became the constant.
He opened eliminations against Snowbird Outlaw Nationals runner-up Sidnei Frigo and left first, posting a 3.879 at 200.98 to defeat Frigo’s 4.044. It was a clean, controlled start to what would become a methodical march.
In the second round, Stanfield again cut the better light and improved to a 3.651 at 209.43 to stop Greg Blevins Jr., who slowed to a 4.405. The incremental gains reflected growing comfort in a car he had only recently begun racing.
The quarterfinals presented past PDRA Pro Boost world champion Tommy D’Aprile. Stanfield pedaled to a 4.033 at 193.65 and held off D’Aprile’s 4.335 to advance.
“It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions,” Stanfield said. “I feel like I did a decent enough job to win. It was pretty wild. Today was literally the first day I’ve ever pedaled a Pro Mod car. We were able to do it good enough to turn on two win lights doing it. Hats off to the whole Scott Tidwell camp and all these guys working on this car – Spencer, Travis, and a big shout out to Chris Terry. He did a heck of a job this weekend.”
The semifinal round effectively became a solo run when 2024 No Prep Kings champion Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington lost oil pressure after the burnout and shut off. Stanfield rolled to a 3.614 at 210.37 to secure lane choice for the final.
The championship round was decided at the stripe. Stanfield left second for the first time all day by six thousandths, yet drove through Norton before the finish line and caught the win light.
“In heads-up racing, I don’t look over, but I could see him in my peripheral vision,” Stanfield said. “I could tell it was extremely close, but my eyes went straight for the win light and it came on. I don’t get excited in the car too much, but I was pretty pumped up that time.”
Stanfield credited team owner Richard Freeman and a collaborative effort between Elite Motorsports, Scott Tidwell Racing, and Modern Racing for the opportunity. He drove a Harts Charger-boosted ’69 Camaro after campaigning a screw-blown Elite Camaro in the first two Winter Series events.
“It absolutely goes up towards the top of the list,” Stanfield said. “I’ve never raced Pro Mod. This is the first event I’ve ever qualified for, and it’s incredible. Number one, it’s incredible that Richard Freeman let me drive a Pro Mod knowing that I’ve never raced one before. But Drag Illustrated and Wes Buck have done such a great job of making this ‘the’ event. I remember watching Erica [Enders] at this race last year, and I was like, ‘Man, I would really like to do that.’ It’s cool to have the opportunity and people to be able to do it. I’m just very blessed.”
While Stanfield claimed the event title, Norton secured the 2025-2026 Winter Series points championship one round earlier. His winner-take-all victory over Randy Weatherford clinched the title and a $25,000 bonus.
Norton used a .011 reaction time and a 3.608-second pass to outrun Weatherford, who got loose and slowed to a 4.877. The performance vaulted Norton from 10th in points entering the weekend to series champion.
“It’s surreal,” Norton said of the experience. “You look down here, you look at all these fans. I mean, you come through here burning the tires off and people standing around you. It’s the stuff you watch on TV. It’s the stuff you dream about as any motorsport you want to do.”
A veteran tractor-pull competitor who purchased his Pro Mod from Jeff Rudolf last November, Norton was considered among the least experienced Pro Mod drivers in the field. He steadily improved through the Winter Series and earned Rookie of the Year honors during the weekend.
“I just wanted to come in and race, have a good time, and get some experience in the car,” said Norton. “I knew all these people that I’ve seen all over the internet, YouTube, watching drag racing. Some of these people have become my friends. It’s just a family environment. I really enjoy it. I didn’t know what to expect and it’s obviously exceeded any expectation I could have.”
Norton acknowledged that attrition among top contenders opened the door. Several points leaders fell early in eliminations, shifting the championship landscape round by round.
“There was excitement and nervousness both,” Norton admitted. “As we were going rounds, I just needed to do my job. I knew the team was going to do their job. I knew (tuner) Rickie [Jones] was going to give me a good tune to get the car down the track. I knew the car was good. I needed to make sure Peter Norton did his job and crushed the tree.”
In the Outlaw Light Beer Wild Card Shootout, reigning WSOPM champion Steve King rebounded after failing to qualify for the 32-car field. He advanced through the five-round second-chance race and claimed the $15,000 prize.
King defeated Bo Butner, Frank Falter IV, and Robert Costa before a semifinal red light was negated when opponent Luis de Leon bypassed the scales. He then left first in the final against Melanie Salemi and ran a 3.611 at 207.27 while Salemi slowed to a 4.336.
“We’re happy with the win,” said King. “Jon [Salemi] gave us a great car all weekend. Came up a little short on the A-feature to get into the main race, and those guys are lucky we didn’t get in there because we made some good runs today in the heat. During the night time sessions we’re not picking up like we need to, but during the day this car can run with any car here. A little semifinal round action there – I kind of feel a little bit down on that episode – I did red light but he bypassed the scales. I mean, how often do you get a buy-back round in Pro Mod racing?
“We had to run our teammate in the finals, and those guys were over here in the semis thrashing – all their guys, all my guys, we had the motor tore apart in a million pieces. We want both team cars in the final, which we ended up with.”
Fletcher Cox captured both the Pro 10.5 Winter Series championship and the $25,000 WSOPM event win, running 3.928 at 190.78 to defeat Joel Wensley Jr.’s 3.973 at 192.85. Russell Stone earned the $40,000 True 10.5 victory when opponent Bill Lutz was shut off on the starting line due to a fluid leak.
“I went up to stage and they were pointing at me,” Stone said. “I didn’t know if they were telling me I was broke or he was broke. I didn’t know what was going on. I killed the car and I told them I would wait on him, but apparently he had oil everywhere and got out of the car, so that was the end of it. But I was going to do the right thing and give him time if he needed time. I don’t like winning like that.”
Additional winners included Chris Scarlata in Lil Gangstas, Mitch Kalitta in Super Pro, Mark Horton in 6.50 Index, Dean Thompson in 7.50 Index, Rashad Jones in 4.60 Bikes, and Cameron Rich in Jr. Dragster, completing a week that once again placed the Winter Series at the center of high-stakes Pro Mod competition.
