Derek Menholt enjoyed a tremendous regular season in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports, winning twice and taking the points lead into the Road to the Championship playoffs.
But the five-race postseason starts this weekend as part of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park, and Menholt knows he has to prove himself all over again in the loaded class.
This weekend’s event is the seventh of 11 races in the category during the 2026 campaign and this weekend’s race is powered by Polaris and presented by Jan-Cen Motorsports.
Menholt won the opener in Gainesville and added another victory in Chicago, but with the points reset, he’ll have just a 20-point advantage over Mike Stavrinos starting this weekend in Norwalk. But the veteran Pro Mod racer is thrilled to have the lead heading into the playoffs, giving him the most ideal starting position over what will be five grueling races to end the year.
“It’s exciting to head into the Road to the Championship as the points leader. We’ve worked hard all season to put ourselves in this position, but now the real battle begins,” Menholt said. “I’m really looking forward to racing at Norwalk. It’s great to have NHRA Pro Mod back there. Summit Motorsports Park is one of the best facilities we race at and the fans always create an incredible atmosphere. It’s the perfect place to kick off the championship run and hopefully we can keep this momentum going.
“I’d also like to thank Polaris for powering the event and Jan-Cen Motorsports for coming on board as the presenting sponsor. It’s great to see companies continuing to invest in NHRA Pro Mod and help our class continue to grow.”
This weekend marks the first trip for the NHRA Pro Mod category to Norwalk since 2023 and excitement is high, especially with the support from Polaris and Jan-Cen Motorsports as the powered by and presenting partners for the weekend.
“Polaris is proud to sponsor the NHRA Pro Mod class at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals,” Polaris Inc. Retail Marketing Manager Andrew Moore said. “As the leader in off-road vehicles, Polaris is setting the standard and is relentlessly focused on delivering the best performance, capability, and durability to our riders. Partnering with the NHRA Pro Mod class was a natural fit with the passion of powersports enthusiasts across racing.”
Menholt is the points leader, with Stavrinos right behind, but there are 16 total drivers competing for a championship over the next five races. It’s an impressive list of contenders, including reigning world champ J.R. Gray, Justin Bond, Jason Collins, who won the most recent event in Bristol, Stan Shelton, Billy Banaka, Lyle Barnett, Mike Thielen, Sidnei Frigo, Chip King, past champion Mike Castellana, Mason Wright, who will have Pro Stock standout Aaron Stanfield driving for him in Norwalk, Kevin Rivenbark, Alex Laughlin and Nick Januik.
The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports features two qualifying rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, and the final two qualifying rounds at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. The first round of eliminations is slated for 12:40 p.m. ET on Sunday. One qualifying session from both Friday and Saturday, as well as the first round of eliminations on Sunday, will be broadcast for free on NHRA’s YouTube page.
To purchase tickets to the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, fans can visit NHRA.com/tickets. For more information on NHRA, please visit NHRA.com.
