There are moments in drag racing that feel bigger than a single race. Bigger than a single class. Bigger than a single driver. Ryan Martin making his Pro Mod debut at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by Red Line Oil is one of those moments.
For more than a decade, Martin has been the tentpole figure of Street Outlaws and No Prep Kings – a central character in one of the most culturally significant movements the sport has seen in modern times. He helped turn outlaw racing into mainstream entertainment. He helped make it cool to be a gearhead again. He helped introduce drag racing to millions who had never stepped foot at a racetrack.
Now he’s stepping into Pro Modified competition at the sport’s biggest stage. And he’s not easing into it quietly.
“Man, grateful is the best way I can explain how I feel,” Martin said on The Wes Buck Show. “When I was a kid watching John Force and NHRA drag racing, I don’t know that I ever thought one day I’d be on a stage like this, much less that street racing would turn into something that would get us here.”
That “here” is the World Series of Pro Mod – the grand finale of the Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service – a 32-car battlefield stacked with the fastest, most talented doorslammer racers on the planet.
For Martin, the move isn’t about chasing relevance. It’s about evolution. With Street Outlaws currently paused and No Prep Kings at a crossroads, Martin has been deliberate about what’s next.
“Where’s the next thing for me in professional drag racing?” he asked openly. “I had my eyes set on the Winter Series, maybe some NHRA stuff, Mid-West Pro Mod. But I wanted to be part of this.”
The path getting here wasn’t simple. Martin’s own Pro Mod build isn’t complete. That could have delayed everything. Instead, a phone call around Thanksgiving changed the trajectory.
Australian engine builder Frank Marchese – a longtime friend – had a state-of-the-art Pro Mod sitting unfinished. The program’s owners were focused on building their new racetrack in Australia. The car wasn’t ready. The infrastructure wasn’t there. Martin offered to help.
“I called Frank just to say Happy Thanksgiving,” Martin explained. “Next thing you know we’re talking about the car not being done. I said, ‘Let me see what I can do.’ At first it was about helping them. Then he said, ‘Do you want to run it?’”
The original twin-turbo Hemi combination proved frustrating in early testing. After 15 passes and limited progress, Martin made a decision.
“If we can’t go a .50-anything, I don’t want to just be a class filler,” he said. “That’s not why we’re here.”
The car was converted to a ProCharged combination with help from ProLine Racing. The rotating assembly changed. Headers were built. The program pivoted fast. And it worked.
“We had it dialed in in about ten passes,” Martin said. “I feel pretty good about the car. The boys gave us a good piece.”
That confidence matters – because the World Series of Pro Mod is no place for hesitation.
This isn’t a “learn as you go” environment. It’s 32 of the quickest Pro Mods in history separated by mere hundredths of a second. At the U.S. Street Nationals, the entire qualified field was spread across just four-hundredths of a second. In this arena, reaction time matters. Composure matters. Execution matters. Fortunately for Martin, high-pressure competition is nothing new.
“Some people that haven’t done it don’t understand how competitive No Prep Kings was,” said Martin. “We were letting go of the button 15 or 16 weekends a year on racetracks. And probably 30 or 40 times a year on the street with a flashlight. It trains you to be ready for almost anything. When we get to something like Pro Mod, there’s almost some normalcy to it.”
Martin understands that Pro Mod has traditionally belonged to names like Stevie Jackson, Lyle Barnett, Spencer Hyde, and the sport’s elite veterans.
“I don’t think of myself when I think of Pro Mod,” Martin admitted. “I think of those guys. So for me, it feels like we’re hopping into a realm of, ‘Hey, these are all the other badasses – now we’ve got to compete with them.’”
That humility is genuine. But so is the competitive fire.
“I’m not scared to lose,” Martin said. “But I have a feeling we’re going to do pretty good.”
His participation represents something bigger than just another car in the field. It’s convergence. For years, traditional Pro Mod racers and the Street Outlaws world lived parallel but separate. Now those worlds are merging – not in theory, but in competition.
When Kye Kelley shocked the establishment by winning the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals, it sent a message. When Kallee Mills, Scott Taylor, Shawn Ellington, Robin Roberts, Jimmy Taylor and others proved they belonged, it shifted perception. Martin’s debut accelerates that shift. He sees it clearly.
“You guys picked up on how Street Outlaws made it popular,” Martin said. “It’s about the people behind it. The hardship. The blown-up motors. Leaving family behind. That’s what people care about.”
That philosophy aligns perfectly with the direction Drag Illustrated has embraced – not promoting races, but promoting racers.
“I don’t feel like I promote drag races,” Wes Buck said during the show. “I promote drag racers.”
“It’s not about what car wins the race,” agreed Martin. “It’s about who wins the race, and the people behind him or her.”
That mindset – combined with a competitive ProCharger-equipped Camaro – makes his debut one of the most compelling storylines heading into the World Series of Pro Mod.
Will he qualify? Will he go rounds? Will he shock the field?No one knows. But one thing is certain: The stage just got bigger.
This story was originally published on February 20, 2026. 
