After a runner-up finish a year ago at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission, veteran driver Lyle Barnett believes his team can have a repeat performance – or better – when the best Pro Mod teams in the country return to Bradenton Motorsports Park January 23-25 for the second race of the Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service.
Last month at the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks, fans saw an incredible 80 Pro Mod teams attempt to qualify. Barnett barely snuck his Harts Charger-powered 2018 Camaro, owned by Tommy Youmans, into the 32-car field as an alternate.
Fighting mechanical gremlins all weekend, Barnett finally ripped off a 3.618-second pass at 209.49 mph early in the final qualifying session to get in, only to drop to No. 36 by the end of the night. However, due to parts breakage by four of the qualified drivers, he made it into the show in the final slot.
“The Snowbird Outlaw Nationals were a wake-up call for everybody,” said Barnett. “That final qualifying session was one of the toughest I’ve ever been a part of. There was zero room for mistakes. That field was unbelievably tight, and to qualify where we did in that group really validated what this team has been building.”
In the month since then, Barnett said the team basically tore the entire car apart and went through everything to find the issues plaguing them – and it appears they have. Testing this week in Bradenton, Barnett posted a timeslip on social media showing a 3.580 e.t. at 211.66 mph, a run that would’ve put him No. 6 in the qualifying order at the Snowbirds.
“We’re coming off a test session where the car is consistently in the 3.50’s,” Barnett said. “The team has worked incredibly hard, and our recent test session proved that we now have a package that’s consistent and repeatable. That kind of repeatability is exactly what you want heading into the U.S. Street Nationals. Right now, confidence is high and the momentum is real.”
Adding to that confidence is the fact that Barnett runnered-up at this same event just one year ago, falling in the final round to eventual Winter Series points champion Ken Quartuccio. Barnett defeated Kenny Lang, former No Prep Kings star Scott Taylor, NHRA Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown, and 2024 Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association champion Mike “Hollywood” Decker III en route to the finals.
“I’m living a dream that most will only dream of, and I’m so grateful for that,” Barnett said after last year’s final. “Tommy Youmans gave me an opportunity, and I’m so thankful he did. I’m trying to do the best I can for him.”
Barnett is still taking full advantage of that opportunity, and will pull double duty in Bradenton, competing not only in Pro Mod, but also Pro275 in the Tommy Youmans Racing “Salvage Title” Mustang. And now, with Barnett’s proven driving skills combined with a car that’s performing like it should, the next logical step is to simply go one round farther than last year.
“When you look at how brutal that Snowbirds field was, just getting qualified was a statement in itself,” said Barnett. “But what really excites me is what we’ve found since then. The car has flat-out responded to the changes we made. We’re not guessing anymore – we’re executing.”
This story was originally published on January 7, 2026. 
