By Drag Illustrated
The Professional Racers Owners Organization Inc. (PRO), announces the return of the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout to Bradenton Motorsports Park, February 6-8, 2025. The 2024 inaugural event took the motorsports world by storm with incredible side-by-side racing, a unique chip draw elimination format, record-setting speeds and a fan-friendly atmosphere.
This year’s race will once again feature the full-time professional Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock drag racing teams. Given the success of last year’s event, and the likelihood of a sellout crowd, PRO is offering fans the opportunity to immediately purchase tickets here for an early bird discounted rate of $55/day or $150 for the three-day pass until October 31.
“The inaugural shootout was a huge win for the fans, for PRO, and its members” said Alan Johnson, PRO President. “Our goal with the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout is to give motorsports fans a unique event and to get them excited for the start of the 2025 NHRA season. Last year we put on an amazing show that saw Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) drive to exhilarating victories. This year we will be looking to once again offer fans an unparalleled Drag Racing experience. We know interest in the PRO Superstar Shootout will be very high which is why tickets are going on sale now to ensure fans from around the world can secure their entry.”
“On the heels of winning my first Top Fuel championship, winning the first PRO Superstar Shootout was pretty cool,” Mac Tools Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta said. “We were all happy to win that race, but just making the eight-car field was incredibly tough. The whole deal was just really cool. It was something different for the drivers and teams, and the fans loved it. I am looking forward to getting back to Bradenton next year with our Mac Tools Kalitta Motorsports team.”
The successful format of last year’s event will carry over in 2025. After qualifying on Thursday and Friday, the elimination round matchups of the 8-car field on Saturday will be determined by a chip draw, a feature that is unique to the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout. The higher qualified drivers will draw chips with competitor names to determine first-round match ups. Subsequent rounds will also be decided by random draws, giving fans and teams a thrill of uncertainty and excitement as the race day progresses. Additionally, Top Fuel and Funny Car will face off in a fan-favorite Top Fuel versus Funny Car Chicago Style race.
“We will be doing chip draws every round and we’ll also highlight some strong Top Fuel versus Funny Car racing again in 2025,” said Bob Tasca III, who clocked a blazing, record-setting 341 MPH run at last year’s event. “We want this race to have a different feel and experience than a traditional national event. The drivers and teams like the format because it’s unpredictable and fun and the fans let us know they loved it!”
Additional classes will also be contested including Top Sportsman, Stock and Super Stock. The event will feature autograph sessions, driver Q&A’s and additional fan-friendly entertainment elements. The PRO Superstar Shootout will once again be broadcast on FloRacing all three days.
“Last year was an amazing event that I couldn’t imagine not doing again,” said Victor Alvarez, owner Bradenton Motorsports Park. “Bradenton has a unique vibe. I take a lot of pride in that, and I’m extremely proud of our staff and everything that went into making last year such a success. When I bought that track, a dream of mine was to get the facility to a point where we could host special events like the PRO Superstar Shootout. I can’t wait to work with PRO to make this year’s event even better for the drivers, the sponsors and most importantly the fans.”
Additional announcements including participating drivers, additional sponsors and schedule of events, including open Testing on Thursday, February 6, will be announced shortly at www.prosuperstarshootout.com. Tickets can be purchased here.
Drag Illustrated
