For Jacob McNeal, drag racing has never been just a hobby or a weekend thrill — it’s been a mission. One that started in the junior dragster ranks and evolved into NHRA Top Fuel showdowns, and now, in 2025, a bold new chapter: Pro Modified racing.
But don’t mistake this for a lane change. McNeal isn’t leaving Top Fuel — far from it. He’ll still be behind the wheel of the Poseidon Oilfield Services Top Fuel dragster, with Scott Palmer on the tune-up as they tackle another NHRA campaign. Between national events, though, Jacob will be strapping into something a little different — something with doors, a shorter wheelbase, and a whole lot of attitude.
This year, McNeal will make his Pro Mod debut in Jon Stouffer’s 1971 Cuda, a machine built by Larry Jeffers and tuned by the same man who’s helped shape his Top Fuel career: Scott Palmer. The team’s first race? The Throw Down at T-Town, May 7–10.
From Juniors to 300+ MPH
Jacob’s story doesn’t begin in a 10,000-horsepower nitro car. Like many of today’s stars, it started with the familiar buzz of a junior dragster. He cut his teeth racing up and down local tracks in East Texas, learning the basics from staging to reaction times.
From there, he graduated to bracket cars — a world where every thousandth of a second counts and mental toughness often matters more than raw power. It’s where Jacob truly learned what it meant to race.
“Bracket racing taught me how to win,” Jacob says. “You’ve got to be perfect. It sharpened everything, especially reaction time and focus.”
The hard work paid off in 2012 when he won the Race of Champions at the Division 4 E.T. Finals, his first big victory in a “big car.” That win didn’t just validate his skill — it hooked him for life.
Climbing the Ladder
While working in the oilfields to fund his dream, McNeal kept grinding. He moved into A/Fuel dragsters, racing under Randy Meyer, then earned his Top Fuel license in 2022 with none other than Del Worsham. In 2023, he made waves with Scott Palmer in a limited Top Fuel schedule, including a quarterfinal finish in Chicago.
Why Pro Mod, and Why Now?
So why jump into the fire of Pro Mod racing? For McNeal, the answer was simple.
“It’s the fastest thing with doors on it,” he says. “It’s actually a car. And nothing sounds more fun than a short-wheelbase Pro Mod.”
It’s not a whim — it’s the next logical step in a carefully built career. His time in bracket racing gave him razor-sharp reflexes and a deep understanding of the importance of reaction times in racing. His experience in Top Fuel taught him how to handle absurd speeds and violent acceleration. And now, as he faces the unpredictable nature of doorslammers with atransbrake button and sheer speed, McNeal is betting that everything he’s learned will make him one of the most well-rounded Pro Mod drivers on the scene.
When speaking with McNeal this morning, he was extremely grateful for the opportunity that Jon Stouffer has given him. McNeal said, “It shows that Jon has a lot of trust in me to allow me to drive the most beautiful promod in the country.” Like all of us, McNeal enjoys racing, but what he loves most of all are the friendships that have been built along the way.
The Double Life of a Racer
In 2025, Jacob McNeal will do something few drivers can manage — compete at the highest level in both Top Fuel and Pro Mod.
When the NHRA schedule allows, he’ll shift focus from 1,000-foot blasts in his nitro dragster to showdowns in the Pro Mod Cuda. Whether it’s Midwest Drag Racing Series stops or outlaw races scattered across the country, McNeal will be there — racing smart, racing hard, and racing like he belongs.
Through it all, Scott Palmer remains a key part of the story, tuning both cars and helping guide Jacob’s dual-class campaign with the same belief he’s held since the beginning: this kid’s the real deal. Now Jon Stouffer is keeping the team together while putting a top tier driver behind the wheel of professionally tuned promod.
Catch the Debut: Throw Down at T-Town, May 7–10
It all kicks off at Tulsa Raceway Park, where the Pro Mod Cuda will make its highly anticipated debut under the lights and thunder of the Throw Down at T-Town. It’s a chance to see something new from a name you’ll be hearing a lot more of in the years to come.
Because no matter what class he’s in — from juniors, to Top Fuel, to Pro Mod — Jacob McNeal doesn’t just race. He builds. He learns. He evolves. And he shows up ready to win.
While Jacob would like to thank Jon Stouffer for this amazing opportunity, he would also like to thank: 3b Striping, Night Owl Services, Poseidon Oilfield Services, Poseidon trucking, Crestant Site Services, Empact Vision Services, Blue Chip Specialty Services, Environmental Oil Recovery, Nutrition Station, Kekius Maximus.
