Tractor puller turned Pro Mod contender Peter Norton secured the 2025/2026 Winter Series Pro Mod points championship Saturday night at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod presented by Red Line Oil when he defeated Randy Weatherford in a winner-take-all semifinal matchup at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Piloting his Harts-Charger-equipped, Hurricane Motorsports ’69 Camaro, Norton used a .011 reaction time and 3.608-second pass to outrun Weatherford, who got loose and slowed to a 4.877.
Norton was picked up at the top end after the victory and given a police escort back up the track, where he was presented with the crystal trophy awarded to the points champion. Norton also received a $25,000 championship bonus.
“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.”
The moment came as a surprise to many. Facing off against the best drivers in the world, Norton was arguably the most inexperienced Pro Mod driver on the property, having just bought his car from Jeff Rudolf last November. He quickly showed promise throughout the Winter Series, however, earning the DIWS Rookie of the Year award during Friday night’s first-round chip draw.
“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.”
Still, Norton needed a lot of breaks to fall his way en route to a championship. He entered the World Series tenth in points, but when three of the top six drivers in points – including leader Jason Harris – lost in the first round, it opened the door. When “Stevie Fast” Jackson and Eric Gustafson, who each took possession of the points lead during eliminations, lost over the next two rounds, Norton knew he truly had a shot, leading to the final obstacle in Weatherford.
“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 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.”
After clinching the championship, Norton went on to the WSOPM final round to face NHRA Pro Stock star and three-time NHRA Factory Stock Showdown world champion Aaron Stanfield for the $150,000 event title. Norton moved first, but his 3.585 at 210.57 came up short to Stanfield’s 3.576 at 210.83 by just three thousandths of a second.
This story was originally published on March 2, 2026. 
