2026’s Pro Mod racing spectrum heats up with major races from two fronts…….
Bond Dividend Payment – Despite still nursing recovery from a recent broken foot which prevented him from driving at the NHRA season opener — British Columbia’s Justin Bond outlasted an impressive field to win the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series event held during NHRA’s FMP Arizona Nationals.
That race presented by Elite Motorsports, was the second of 11 races in the ’26 series, saw Bond defeating Stevie “Fast” Jackson in the final round.
In that apex dash, Bond won when Jackson went red, but he also put together a standout run in the championship round, going 5.736-seconds at 251.81 mph, which was his best performance on raceday. To reach the final round, Bond defeated Nick Januik, Stan Shelton and Gainesville winner Derek Menholt.
Canada’s Justin Bond had a very rewarding and winning weekend – taking NHRA’s JBS Pro Mod Drag Racing Series event in Arizona.
It gives Bond his first victory of the year and seventh in his career, finishing off a strong weekend that started with the veteran qualifying second (5.723 secs).
“It’s just been a major marathon to be here,” Bond said. “I don’t deserve it, but I’m sure happy we did it. This one is for my guys. I’ve got so many people to thank and this is a big one for us. I just had a really awesome car, and it’s the guys. We weren’t always the low of the round this particular event, but we were just racing smart and racing our opponent, racing the racetrack.
“In the final, we tuned it up pretty good, and didn’t actually need it. My staging plan worked. I never go in first, and this time I went in first, tried to rush him and he was rushed.”
Jackson, a two-time NHRA world champion, reached the final round for the 23rd time in his career after round wins against reigning world champ J.R. Gray, defending event winner Mike Stavrinos and No. 1 qualifier Lyle Barnett.
Menholt remains in the points lead after two races.
Pro Mod class racing at Firebird Raceway saw 17 machines entered and the field was paced by Lyle Barnett, who finished 2nd in the world standings last season, who ran both low ET and top speed of the meet at 5.702 secs 252.76 mph.
Lyle Barnett – qualified #1 and set both low ET and top speed within the JBS Pro Mod class division.
Racing at NHRA Phoenix did include our first look at this unreal 2026 Corvette being campaigned from Brazil – driven by Adriano Kayayan! The wicked machine qualified #3 – 5.760 secs.
The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports returns to action April 24-26 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte as part of the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.
IHRA Kick Off – IHRA’s nouveau generation Pro Mod class scene leaped into action at newly rebranded Darana Motorsports Park in Benson North Carolina last weekend.
This very well attended race did featured two classes of competition — Pro Mod and Outlaw Pro Mod — part of race #1 for the IHRA sanctioning’s twelve “national” level calibre races for this season. All IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series events will be exclusively 1/8th mile format affairs.
Peter Norton was impressively focused while winning the Pro Mod class at IHRA’s season opener.
A very formidable 26-machines battled for the lucrative Pro Modified event crown which saw Indiana’s Peter Norton ultimately prevail in.
Norton racked up five straight win lights on race day, and defeated low qualifier Jason Harris in a doozy final round confrontation. That clash was decided off the starting line when Norton’s .026 RT made his run of 3.567 secs 210.31 mph the winner over Harris’ quicker and faster 3.545 secs 211.86 mph.
Jason Harris was the quickest PM class car setting low ET at 3.543 secs.
Norton had taken the measure of opponents Kevin McCurdy, Craig Sullivan, Randy Weatherford and John Doc in previous round of competition.
For the Outlaw Pro Mod class racing affair — 13 cars entered for that eliminator – and it was an invading California racer, Cam Hensley who emerged with the title in his supercharged ’19 Camaro. Hensley, defeated Randy Weatherford (who was also entered for PM) for the OPM title also on a hole shot by a 3.600 to 3.569 secs margin.
Outlaw Pro Mod class racing saw invading Californian Cam Hensley win the title in his supercharged ’19 Camaro.
Hensley, qualified 4th (3.611 secs) before topped some very big regional OMP Eastern talent names to win. That included Brandon Pesz, Frankie Taylor and Jason Scruggs to make it into the final round. Scruggs, was credited with setting both low ET and top speed for the event (3.518 secs at 222.66 mph).
The Outlaw Pro Mod entry list did include a cool / unexpected appearance by Alberta’s Chevy Reeves – who qualified “The Yeti” Chevelle and advanced to the 3rd round in eliminations.
Posted with files by NHRA Communications & Bruce Biegler
Photos by David Ostaszewski & Dave DeAngelis
