The Drag Illustrated WSOPM (World Series of Pro Mod) is a proving ground for the best in the business. Steve King got a front-row seat to the intensity of competition at this year’s event, which was the final installment of the DI Winter Series presented by J&A Service.
From battling legends like two-time NHRA Pro Mod world champion Stevie “Fast” Jackson to barely making it into the show from the 30th spot, King’s experience was a rollercoaster of nerves, horsepower and pure joy.
A Final Round Showdown with a Titan
Going up against Stevie Jackson in the final round was no small feat for King, who admitted to feeling a mix of nerves and adrenaline as he strapped into his car.
“In the staging lanes, I was fairly calm, but once we buckled up and pulled up against Stevie—who’s obviously one of the pillars of the whole racing community—it hit me,” King said. “We’ve been racing a while, but when you race someone of that stature, it’s different.”
With the crowd buzzing, phone flashlights illuminating the night sky and the music blaring, the energy was electric. But once the lights on the Christmas tree came down, all of that faded away.
“When that big monster’s sitting out in front of you, and you do the burnout, back up, and pull up to the beam—it’s just you and the race,” King said. “Me and Stevie both took our time staging, inching in as tight as I could, and when I came off the button, he had a bumper on me at 60 feet. I had a few choice words in my helmet at that point, but I knew from 330 feet down, it was going to be close.”
The margin of victory was razor-thin—just .012 seconds. The moment King got the call on the radio, everything became a blur in the Gene Pilot-owned screw-blown “Savage” ’18 Corvette, as he claimed the $150,000 payday.
Surviving and Thriving in Brutal Competition
With 80 cars fighting for a spot in the field, just making it into eliminations was a challenge. King reflected on how the sport has evolved, crediting the rising level of competition and the way racers are constantly being pushed to innovate.
“The technology just keeps going, and the competition has risen so much in the last few years,” he explained. “Years ago, you had your top ten guys, and everyone else was just there. Now, you come to the Winter Series, and you don’t even know if you’re going to qualify. You bring good stuff, make a solid run and still be on the outside looking in.”
At the second race of the series, the U.S. Street Nationals, King had a strong car but ran into a buzzsaw in Mark Micke, who laid down a record-setting 3.56-second pass to King’s 3.60.
“What else can you expect?” King said. “Mark’s a badass, and he gave me a good ass-kicking. But we came back, went to work, and when we hit the WSOPM, the chips fell our way.”
From 30th to the Top
Despite qualifying at No. 30, King felt like he had a shot if he could just survive the first round.
“Saturday morning, I told the guys, ‘If we can get by this first round, I feel like we have a chance to win this thing,’” he recalled. “We went 3.632 and weren’t even sure we’d get into the show on Friday night. But once we did, we knew we had a good car in the sunlight. With the sun out, I knew I could run with anyone there.”
With every round, the confidence in the car and team grew. But getting there wasn’t easy—the crew was thrashing between rounds, tearing the car apart and making crucial adjustments. The intensity was so high that King nearly missed a chip draw.
“I grabbed one of the chips with a handful of oil because I had the valve covers off and rocker arms off the car, and I forgot to wash my hands,” King laughed. “I mean, you got to hurry up, but I almost did not make the chip draw, which just builds so much excitement for everyone.”
At the WSOPM, there are no easy rounds. King likened every match-up to a final, racing multi-time champions from start to finish.
“It’s the Mount Rushmore of all races,” he said. “Every round, you’re racing the best of the best. And that’s what makes it great—if you’re not running against the best, you don’t really want to win, do you?”
This story was originally published on March 14, 2025. 
