Project X Promotions – co-owned by Matt Plotkin and Jason Flores – is celebrating a decade of no prep racing this weekend with the Bounty Hunters 9 No-Prep Nationals. The event returns once again to Penwell Knights Raceway in Odessa, Texas, on March 21-22.
Although this is the ninth Bounty Hunters event, it marks 10 years for Project X Promotions. The event would have reached its tenth edition if not for the 2020 race being canceled due to Covid. Despite that minor setback, the organization has continued to thrive, and their longevity in the sport is something Plotkin is especially proud of.
“We were one of the pioneers of the no-prep movement 10 years ago,” said Plotkin, a 2023 Drag Illustrated 30 Under 30 honoree. “We’ve prided ourselves on consistency and giving the customer the best product and experience possible. Though we’ve moved to different tracks, our racers and fans have followed us wherever we’ve gone. It’s about having fun, and I think the atmosphere that our races provide is more enjoyable than anything else.”
Headlining the event will be the Small Tire class, featuring a $15,000 total purse. Plotkin says drivers from across the country are locked in – including cars from California, South Dakota, Wyoming, Mississippi, and of course, Texas – as well as veterans such as Eric Bain and Chris Varni, who have competed at the event since the very first Bounty Hunters.
New for 2025 is the Lil Gangstas class, which has seen a recent explosion in popularity. Project X Promotions has partnered with class creators Michael Poland and Tom Gunner to bring the class to Odessa, with Nitrous Express coming on board as the class sponsor. The winner’s purse is currently at $6,500, but Plotkin believes that with the car count they’re expecting, that payout will increase by race day.
“It’s going to be fun,” Plotkin said. “We have a lot of new racers signed up for this event that haven’t raced with us in the past, so that’s always exciting. It gives us the opportunity to kind of show them what we’re about, why we’ve been around for so long and why we have been successful. That’s something I always look forward to.”
In addition, Bounty Hunters 9 will also feature Big Tire ($5,000 to win), True Street, Full-Size Truck, 6.0 and 7.0 Index, King of the Tailgate, Daily Driver, Weekend Warrior, and Jr. Dragster.
Both Small Tire and Lil Gangstas will contest a Cash Days event on Friday night as well.
The 10-year celebration of the event is also important to Plotkin on a personal level. He resigned from his position as an NHRA Regional Tech Director last year to focus on his family, as he and his wife, Mady, welcomed the birth of their first child. Continuing with Project X Promotions affords him the perfect balance between family and continuing to have an impact in the drag racing community.
“It’s super important for me, because number one, never forget where you came from,” said Plotkin. “These events are what gave me my personal jumpstart in motorsports to be able to have a voice and an influence on things. And we want to continue to uphold that reputation that we’ve worked for a decade to build.”
Ticket prices for the event are $20 on Friday, $30 on Saturday, or a weekend pass for $40. VIP Pass upgrades are also available for $40, which grants access to special designated starting line and grandstand areas. Children ages 12 and under are free.
“We try to provide value for our customers,” Plotkin said. “It’s been 10 years and our ticket prices haven’t changed. I don’t think there’s anyone else that can say that. Our operating expenses have probably tripled over that time, but we try to keep the ticket prices attainable for families of all income levels, so that you don’t have to spend a hundred dollars to go out with your wife and kids.”
Tickets are available at the gate, as well as online at https://tickets.thefoat.com/projectxpromotions/Bounty+Hunters+9+No-Prep+Nationals/tickets/id-6YKEdwFm3Reo/.
This story was originally published on March 19, 2025. 
