Derek Menholt gets NHRA Pro Mod Series Win in Gainesville to Open 2026

GAINESVILLE, FL – March 9, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Derek Menholt knocked off Lyle Barnett in the final round on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway in the opening race of JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

The event was the first of 11 races in the series and was powered by FuelTech as part of this weekend’s Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, kicking off 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.”

To get to the final round, Barnett knocked off Mason Wright, Kevin Rivenbark and former world champion Mike Castellana.

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.

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GAINESVILLE, FL — Final finish order (1-16) at the 57th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. The race is the first of 11 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

PRO MODIFIED:

1. Derek Menholt; 2. Lyle Barnett; 3. JR Gray; 4. Mike Castellana; 5. Sidnei Frigo; 6. Kevin Rivenbark; 7. Chip King; 8. Alex Laughlin; 9. Jason Scruggs; 10. Stan Shelton; 11. Nick Januik; 12. Mason Wright; 13. Mike Thielen; 14. Steve Jackson; 15. Mike Stavrinos; 16. Travis Harvey.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Sunday’s final results from the 57th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. The race is the first of 11 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

Pro Modified — Derek Menholt, Chevy Camaro, 5.690, 251.02 def. Lyle Barnett, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

GAINESVILLE, FL — Final round-by-round results from the 57th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the first of 11 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE — Derek Menholt, Chevy Camaro, 6.665, 145.30 def. Mike Thielen, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Sidnei Frigo, Camaro, 5.716, 250.23 def. Stan Shelton, Ford Mustang, 5.752, 248.48; Lyle Barnett, Camaro, 5.698, 251.06 def. Mason Wright, Camaro, 5.767, 250.32; Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.793, 247.16 def. Travis Harvey, Camaro, Broke; Kevin Rivenbark, Mustang, 5.759, 246.39 def. Steve Jackson, Camaro, 5.814, 249.16; Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 5.701, 249.86 def. Jason Scruggs, Camaro, 5.745, 250.09; JR Gray, Camaro, 5.750, 250.32 def. Nick Januik, Chevy Corvette, 5.761, 246.17; Chip King, Dodge Charger, 5.788, 239.36 def. Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 6.216, 205.26;

QUARTERFINALS — Menholt, 5.718, 250.13 def. King, 5.786, 250.23; Gray, 5.738, 251.11 def. Laughlin, 5.940, 247.75; Barnett, 5.703, 252.24 def. Rivenbark, 5.780, 247.57; Castellana, 5.755, 247.84 def. Frigo, 5.755, 249.53;

SEMIFINALS — Menholt, 5.741, 248.25 def. Gray, 5.737, 251.77; Barnett, 5.709, 251.95 def. Castellana, 5.776, 250.13;

FINAL — Menholt, 5.690, 251.02 def. Barnett, Foul – Red Light.

GAINESVILLE, FL — Point standings (top 10) following the 57th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the first of 11 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

Pro Modified

1. Derek Menholt, 114; 2. Billy Banaka, 95; 3. JR Gray, 74; 4. Mike Castellana, 71; 5. Alex Laughlin, 55; 6. Sidnei Frigo, 53; 7. (tie) Chip King, 51; Kevin Rivenbark, 51; 9. Mike Stavrinos, 38; 10. Steve Jackson, 36.

About FuelTech

Pro Mod showcases the perfect fusion of extreme horsepower and advanced vehicle control technology. At FuelTech, we remain committed to providing racers with the tools

they need to compete at the highest level. The FT700 ECU continues to set the standard in engine and powertrain management, delivering unmatched processing power, data acquisition, safety strategies, and control capabilities tailored to the demands of modern drag racing. Through our partnership with the NHRA Pro Mod Series, we reaffirm our dedication to innovation, peak performance, and the passionate drag racing community. As teams continue to push the limits of speed and engineering, FuelTech stands beside them with complete vehicle management solutions designed to give racers a competitive edge—on every pass. For more information, please go to fueltech.net

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association 

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