Speed Promotions has announced that the wildly popular “Lil’ Gangstas” class will join four select shows on its 2025 calendar, bringing a fresh blend of grassroots racers and small-tire hot rods into the spotlight. The fan-favorite class—co-created by Tom “Jimmy Dale” Gunner and Michael Poland—features a 5.30 index, 28-inch (or 275) tire requirement, and an easy-to-follow set of rules designed to keep the racing close, exciting, and accessible for everyday gearheads.
“Lil’ Gangstas is all about blending real street-style cars with small-tire monsters,” explains Tom Gunner, who is better known around the pits as Jimmy Dale. “We found that a 5.30 cap levels the playing field, whether someone’s pushing a legit street build or a rowdy, lightweight small-tire setup. It’s a simple formula—no wheelie bars, no throttle stops, no delay boxes, and you run on a .400 Pro Tree. If you can break into those low five-second passes, you can bring your car out here and be a part of the action.”
An increasingly popular brand of drag racing across the country, Lil’ Gangstas regularly draws fields so large that Gunner and Poland have to limit registration. At the recently completed Lil’ Gangstas Shootout during the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod in Bradenton, the initial 50-driver limit was met within days of registration being launched, forcing event officials to increase availability to meet demand. Poland and Gunner credit the class’s overwhelming popularity to its ability to welcome a wide range of racers who ordinarily wouldn’t share the same starting line.
“We see it bring out 60, 70, even 80 cars sometimes,” says co-founder Michael Poland. “It’s just a blast for the fans and the racers alike. You don’t have to spend six figures to compete—if you can piece together a solid setup at home, there’s a good chance you’ll be competitive. The fans love seeing their buddies’ true street cars mixing it up with some serious small-tire hitters.”
Under the Speed Promotions banner, Lil’ Gangstas will be featured at four select 2025 events, with Friday-night shootouts and Saturday main events offering unique payouts, massive car counts, and plenty of trackside trash talk. Poland says each Lil’ Gangstas weekend will kick off with a $200 buy-in and 100% payback Friday race, followed by a free-entry, $10,000-to-win main event Saturday.
“The Friday night program is the party,” Poland adds. “Come hang out, throw down a couple of rounds if you’re feeling lucky, and soak up the atmosphere. Saturday, it’s all business—$10,000 on the line, and everybody’s gunning for it. We want everyday racers and local heroes to roll in, sign up, and have a chance at a big payday.”
Speed Promotions has officially revealed its 2025 schedule, and Lil’ Gangstas will be featured at four select events: May 9–10 at Famoso Drag Strip in Bakersfield, California; June 13–14 at National Trail Raceway in Hebron, Ohio; June 20–21 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky; and October 31–November 1 at GALOT Motorsports Park in Benson, North Carolina. Organizers expect the addition of Gunner and Poland’s program to attract both new faces and longtime fans, showcasing the signature Lil’ Gangstas brand of down-to-earth, rowdy competition at each stop.
“We built Lil’ Gangstas for the regular folks,” Gunner says. “It’s the ideal class for anyone who loves door-car mayhem, side-by-side racing, and doesn’t want to overcomplicate things with too many rules. We’re beyond excited to team up with Speed Promotions and bring that energy to more tracks in 2025.”
Stay tuned to Speed Promotions’ official channels for the complete schedule, detailed class rules, and registration information. In the meantime, expect the Lil’ Gangstas crew to continue popping up at high-profile events around the country, carrying their signature brand of rowdy, blue-collar competition wherever they go.
This story was originally published on March 13, 2025. 
