Very recent happenings from within drag racing’s uber popular Pro Mod genre – presented by Nash Competition Engines…
Season Starter — NHRA’s JBS Equipment* Pro Mod Series got off to a rousing start this weekend during the NHRA Amalie Oil Gatornationals at fabled Gainesville Raceway.
And it was Montana’s Derek Menholt knocking off Lyle Barnett in the final round for the opening race of the ’26 season.
The event was the first of 11 races in the series and was powered by FuelTech part of this weekend kick off for NHRA Pro Mod’s 25th season.
Menholt, who qualified ninth, went 5.690-seconds at 251.02 mph in his ’69 Camaro as runner-up Lyle Barnett went red in the championship round. It’s the second career victory for Menholt and his first at Gainesville Raceway, as the Pro Mod veteran opened the season in style.
Menholt, who has now won two of the last three races, beat Mike Thielen, Chip King and reigning world champion J.R. Gray to reach the final round. Barnett left early by .003, handing Menholt the victory and the first NHRA 75th anniversary diamond Wally of 2026 for the class.
“It’s an amazing deal,” Menholt said. “I was worried the whole time about Lyle. He’s a great driver and it’s a good feeling to get this one. This is one we’ve been wanting. It’s a good race car.”
Montana’s Derek Menholt has claimed early glory at NHRA’s season-opening Pro Mod event this weekend!
To get to the final round, Barnett knocked off Mason Wright, Kevin Rivenbark and former world champion Mike Castellana.
16 Pro Mod cars were on the entry list for Gainesville. Mike Stavrino’s was the quickest setting low ET at 5.688 secs while qualifying #1. R/UP Lyle Barnett was the fastest terminal speed car – running 257.24 mph.
Lyle Barnett had a strong first race of the season – placing R/UP and setting top speed of the meet for PM.
*Just prior to the race it was revealed that Canadian-based company JBS Equipment (Mission BC) has been named as the new title sponsor for the 2026 season — joining presenting sponsor Elite Motorsports.
The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports returns to action March 20-22 with the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix.
Winter Series Wind Up — Drag Illustrated’s 3-event Winter Series (presented by Red Line Oil) concluded its circuit races at Bradenton Florida recently.
The dramatic and highly $$ lucrative World Series of Pro Mod finale was won by NHRA Pro Stock star and multi-time Factory Stock Showdown world champion Aaron Stanfield who added another significant accomplishment to his résumé.
Stanfield won the $150,000-to-win final round by just .003 seconds as Stanfield drove around newly crowned 2025/2026 Drag Illustrated Winter Series presented by J&A Service champion Peter Norton in a side-by-side race.
Highly talented and versatile young racer Aaron Stanfield was a marquee winner at Drag Illustrated’s biggest race of the year.
“All these racers are great racers – they are some of the baddest racers our sport has to offer,” said Stanfield, who made his Pro Mod debut in December. “It’s been cool to mix it up with them, and it’s unbelievable we’re gonna park it in the winner’s circle.”
Aaron Stanfield has won in numerous classes on the NHRA’s biggest stages, but prior to the DI Winter Series, he’d never raced a Pro Mod. Stanfield drove like a veteran in the class, though, at the third and final race of the Winter Series, the World Series of Pro Mod. After driving a screw-blown Elite Motorsports Camaro at the first two races, the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals and the U.S. Street Nationals, he came into WSOPM behind the wheel of a Harts Charger-boosted ’69 Camaro out of the Scott Tidwell Racing camp through a collaborative effort including Elite, Tidwell, and Modern Racing.
Stanfield qualified No. 8 for the massive 32-car field and took the measure of Sidnei Frigo, Greg Blevins Jr., and Tommy D’Aprile while advancing.
Stanfield drew 2024 No Prep Kings champion Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington in the semifinal chip draw. Ellington lost oil pressure after the burnout and shut the car off, sending Stanfield down the track on a single. He rolled to a 3.614 at 210.37 to advance to the $150,000 final round against newly crowned DI Winter Series presented by J&A Service champion Peter Norton.
The final round saw Stanfield leave second for the first time all day, though only by six thousandths of a second. He reached the finish line first, though, as his 3.576 at 210.83 put him there ahead of Norton and his 3.585 at 210.57 by just three thousandths of a second.
Norton, Stanfield’s final-round opponent, had secured the 2025/2026 Winter Series points championship the round prior when he defeated Randy Weatherford in a winner-take-all matchup. Piloting his Harts-Charger-equipped, Hurricane Motorsports ’69 Camaro, Norton used a .011 reaction time and 3.608-second pass to outrun Weatherford, who got loose and slowed to a 4.877 secs.
Peter Norton was the overall points champion for the 3-race DI Winter Series for Pro Mod.
Norton is pilot for the Harts-Charger-equipped, Hurricane Motorsports ’69 Camaro. When he clinched the title he was picked up at the top end after the victory and given a police escort back up the track, where he was presented with the crystal trophy awarded to the points champion. Norton also received a $25,000 championship bonus.
A Prominent Plus+ – (While not technically Pro Mod — this news is close enough for us!)
NHRA has revealed details about the thrilling new Right Trailers Outlaw Street Series, featuring some of the major names from the Street Outlaws franchise racing — who will debut on April 24-26 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte NC as part of NHRA’s 4-Wide Nationals.
The exciting new showcase for 2026 will feature 10 drivers, with three rounds of qualifying over the course of Friday and Saturday in Charlotte, followed by semifinals and finals on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.
The loaded field for the debut and the four-race series will include the biggest names and the legendary figures from Street Outlaws, including Shawn Ellington, Ryan Martin, Scott Taylor, Jeff Lutz and more. The full field for the first race in Charlotte will be revealed in the coming weeks, but the excitement level is high for the group set to make their NHRA debut during the 75th anniversary season.
The collaboration marks a major moment in NHRA’s milestone year, with the biggest names from Street Outlaws helping put on a show for fans during the four-race campaign this season.
The debut takes place at the Bellagio of Dragstrips in Charlotte, giving fans a marquee opportunity to watch the new Right Trailers Outlaw Street Series – along with the high-octane, intense action of four-wide racing in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series – at the upcoming one monumental race.
“Outlaw Street is about bringing a new audience to NHRA while giving longtime fans something exciting and different,” said NHRA. These are racers that fans already know and follow. Now, they’ll see them compete on one of the biggest stages in drag racing.”
Posted with files by NHRA Communications – Luke Nieuwhof – Nate Van Wagen – Bruce Biegler
Photos by Luke Nieuwhof & Dave DeAngelis. DragRaceCanada Street Outlaws file photo by Blake Farnan.
