Tommy Barbero 2025 Pro Class Champion

Last Updated on February 27, 2026 by WWTR

By Jeremy Rosenstengel

Photos by Keke Lipford

The Carl’s 4 Wheel Drive and Performance Center Pro Class at World Wide Technology Raceway has long been dominated by some of the biggest names in no-box bracket racing. Legends like Jon Tignor, John & Danny Ratulowski, Clay Tyler, and Dennis Pearson, just to name a few. In the world of big-dollar traveling no-box or bottom-bulb bracket racing (racers who compete in events like The Million, Twin 50s, The Spring Fling, and the Mid-State Raceway Twin 10’s) everyone knows one thing: if you see a Pro Class car coming out of WWTR’s bracket program, you’d better show that car some respect. Because chances are, it’s going to be in the finals.

The Pro Class at WWTR has earned a national reputation for producing winners in the no-box portion of these mega races. So, to be the Pro Class Champion at WWTR is truly a huge honor.

The 2025 season started with Tommy Barbero coming out strong, taking the win in Bracket 1 (Super Pro) and following it up with a runner-up finish in Bracket 2 (Pro). That early momentum set the tone for what would become a remarkable year.

For Tommy, a Missouri racer now in his 33rd year of competitive drag racing, this season was personal. He admitted that in past years, he often started strong, faded during the summer heat, and then either finished strong… or not. But 2025 was going to be different. He was determined to taste that championship beer again.

Tommy’s racing story began when he was just 14, heading out to the old St. Louis International Raceway with his dad. They’d watch neighbors and friends race, and Tommy dreamed of the day he’d get his shot. By 1993, he was making waves in Sportsman with his street-driven Malibu. From there, the racing bug had bitten hard, and there was no turning back.

He jumped up two classes into Super Pro with a Monza, earning a runner-up in points his first year. By 1999, he was piloting a dragster and claimed the Mid-America Raceway Super Pro Track Championship. He backed it up in 2000 and again in 2001 with a new dragster—three championships in just a few years.

Tommy kept building, kept racing, and eventually built the car that would become his championship ride, a 1978 Malibu. He won plenty along the way, but one thing kept eluding him: the World Wide Technology Raceway season championship. He’d been close so many times, only to have bad breaks get in the way.

But 2025 felt different from the start. The car was on point. Reaction times were sharp. Round after round, he stayed in the fight against the usual heavy hitters. Could this finally be the year?

It all came down to the final weekend. Tommy, John Ratulowski, and Danny Ratulowski were all within striking distance. Any one of them could take the title. And then… Mother Nature stepped in. Rain ended the season early, but that didn’t diminish what Tommy had accomplished. He started strong, avoided the mid-season slump, and finished strong. He got the breaks he needed, and earned his elusive third track championship, his first at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Tommy was quick to thank the people who made this possible. His girlfriend, Bridget Zurweller, who’s always at the starting line cheering him on and helping him stay calm and focused. His mother, his biggest fan, who’s always in his corner. His sponsors: Amvet Riders Department of Missouri and his engine builder, Doug Albeits of AMT Racing. And his racing partners Jeremy and Jason McKague, along with Jason Grams, for their support throughout the season.

On behalf of World Wide Technology Raceway, we congratulate our 2025 Pro Class Champion, Tommy Barbero, on an incredible season!