Organizers Stress Making Big-Money PRO Drag Racing Shootout 'Legit'

• The $250,000 payday would be a huge deal to any NHRA team that comes out on top.

• By comparison, the top single-event prize during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is $80,000 for the Pep Boys All-Star Callout winners in Top Fuel and Funny Car.

• The drag racing event will be held at Bradenton (Fla.) Motorsports Park Feb. 8-10.

Sure, the money is nice, but perception is also important says at least one organizer of the inaugural Scag Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout drag racing event coming to Bradenton (Fla.) Motorsports Park Feb. 8-10.

The event that is not sanctioned by the NHRA will feature a total prize purse of $1.3 million with top-prize payouts of $250,000 to winners in the Top Fuel and Funny Car divisions and $125,000 to the best that weekend in the Pro Stock division.

Organizing the event is PRO—Professional Racer Organization. The association, founded in 1991, represents a union of 33 teams and 47 drivers and serves as their liaison with the National Hot Rod Association, giving teams and drivers a voice in NHRA concerns.