Pro Mod Portal – A Mid May Update

by editor on May.17, 2026, under Pro Mod Portal

More significant Pro Mod configuration racing from within two major sanctioning bodies….

Montana’s Derek Menholt became has become the first 2X winner of the season in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

Driving his unreal new Corvette, Menholt raced past Jason Collins in the final round at Chicagoland’s Route 66 Raceway as part of the weekend’s Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK.

It marked the 5th of 11 races during the 2026 season and this weekend’s event was powered by ProFlow Pumping Solutions.

Menholt was one of four drivers who had won already this season, but he is now the first to win twice, thanks to a run of 5.692-seconds at 250.23 mph in the championship round. Collins left first with an incredible .004 reaction time, but ran into trouble and Menholt, who posted a strong .012 time on the starting line, drove right past with his best run of eliminations.

Montana’s Derek Menholt was convincing while winning the NHRA’s JBS Equipment Pro Mod Series race at Chicago last weekend.

It was a marquee matchup between the top two qualifiers in the category this weekend, with Menholt, who qualified No. 1 with a 5.667 at 250.92 (low ET) going back into the points lead. He won the opener in Gainesville and is now back on top, though he knows it’s going to be a tight championship clash the rest of the season.

“It’s going to be a battle all the way to the end,” said Menholt, who now has three career NHRA Pro Mod wins. “Jason has made a big run in the past three races and there’s going to be a lot of guys coming for us, but this one feels good.”

To reach the final round, Menholt, got past Alex Laughlin, reigning world champion J.R. Gray and Canadian star Justin Bond, who is now second in points.

Racing for just the third time in NHRA Pro Mod, Collins, who won the previous Southern Nationals race in Georgia, advanced to his second straight final round with victories against Kevin Rivenbark, Mike Stavrinos and Billy Banaka.

Pro Mod class racing attracted 17 entries for the Route 66 Nationals event with the bump spot being set at a swift 5.782 secs pace.

While not technically Pro Mod – the NHRA weekend race at Chicago did also include some “very Pro Mod like” competition from within the annual Peak Street Car Shootout (presented by Sick Magazine) which posted an 8-car field.

That win went to the #4 qualified car raced by Nick Taylor who defeated Bryant Goldstone in the final round when Goldstone left before the tree was activated.

The race performance star was however arguably Canada’s David Schroeder who entered his Mississauga-based C7 and was the quickest car present. Schroeder qualified #1 6.535 secs and then set low ET of the race while winning his round #1 at 6.505 secs — but his car was shut off on the starting line in the semi final round versus winner Taylor.

The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports closes out its regular season on June 12-14 as part of the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway in Bristol, TN.

The highly revitalised IHRA completed their 4th Outlaw Nitro Series event of the season at Darana Raceway (Hebron OH) on May 8-9, with that 1/8th mile Springnationals-titled event including two classes for Pro Mod configuration cars.

Pro Mod class racing saw Jason Harris score a win driving the Harold Denton-tribute Camaro when his final round 3.686 secs at 200.27 mph took the measure of opponent Jason Lee to slowed to a 3.970 secs.

IHRA’s Pro Mod class winner at their Darana Ohio race was Jason Harris

Harris, who qualified #1 with a 3.601 secs (low ET of the meet) had defeated Peter Norton and Greg Belvins to advance to the final round.

Outlaw Pro Mod class drew in 11 cars with Bubba Stanton emerging victorious. Stanton clocked a 3.522 secs at 216.03 mph to edge out Randy Weatherford’s 3.530 secs 216.35 mph for the title.

For Stanton, who also won at the IHRA race hosted recently at formerly Virginia Motorsports Park, his second win of the season came from the pole position (3.558 secs) and included round wins over Cam Hensley and Robert Davis.