CHICAGO, IL – May 18, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Derek Menholt became the first two-time winner of the season in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports, driving past Jason Collins in the final round on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway as part of this weekend’s Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK.
It marked the fifth 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.
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, 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 Justin Bond, who is now second in points. Racing for just the third time in NHRA Pro Mod, Collins, who won the previous race in Valdosta, advanced to his second straight final round with victories against Kevin Rivenbark, Mike Stavrinos and Billy Banaka.
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, Tenn.
JOLIET, IL — Final finish order (1-16) at the 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway. The race is the fifth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
PRO MODIFIED:
1. Derek Menholt; 2. Jason Collins; 3. Justin Bond; 4. Billy Banaka; 5. Lyle Barnett; 6. Mike Thielen; 7. Mike Stavrinos; 8. JR Gray; 9. Stan Shelton; 10. Mike Castellana; 11. Steve Jackson; 12. Chip King; 13. Alex Laughlin; 14. Kevin Rivenbark; 15. Mason Wright; 16. Adriano Kayayan.
JOLIET, IL — Sunday’s final results from the 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway. The race is the fifth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
Pro Modified — Derek Menholt, Chevy Corvette, 5.692, 250.23 def. Jason Collins, Chevy Camaro, 7.417, 121.75.
JOLIET, IL — Final round-by-round results from the 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway, the fifth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
PRO MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE — JR Gray, Chevy Camaro, 5.762, 247.43 def. Stan Shelton, Ford Mustang, Foul – Red Light; Mike Thielen, Mustang, 5.744, 247.11 def. Adriano Kayayan, Chevy Corvette, 6.084, 215.41; Derek Menholt, Corvette, 5.748, 248.07 def. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 5.774, 247.43; Jason Collins, Camaro, 5.742, 249.58 def. Kevin Rivenbark, Mustang, 5.803, 247.70; Billy Banaka, Camaro, 5.715, 253.66 def. Steve Jackson, Camaro, 5.770, 246.53; Lyle Barnett, Camaro, 5.695, 252.33 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.766, 249.39; Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.738, 250.97 def. Chip King, Dodge Charger, 5.772, 249.16; Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.739, 249.07 def. Mason Wright, Camaro, 5.824, 247.93;
QUARTERFINALS — Menholt, 5.708, 250.23 def. Gray, 9.486, 94.57; Collins, 5.772, 248.07 def. Stavrinos, 6.026, 180.55; Bond, 5.730, 251.63 def. Barnett, 5.763, 250.55; Banaka, 5.741, 252.90 def. Thielen, 5.772, 246.17;
SEMIFINALS –– Menholt, 5.730, 249.30 def. Bond, 5.769, 249.30; Collins, 5.748, 248.43 def. Banaka, Foul – Centerline;
FINAL — Menholt, 5.692, 250.23 def. Collins, 7.417, 121.75.
JOLIET, IL — Point standings (top 10) following the 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway, the fifth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
Pro Modified
1. Derek Menholt, 397; 2. Justin Bond, 353; 3. Mike Stavrinos, 317; 4. Billy Banaka, 299; 5. Steve Jackson, 247; 6. Lyle Barnett, 243; 7. Mike Thielen, 242; 8. JR Gray, 228; 9. Stan Shelton, 213; 10. Sidnei Frigo, 211.
About ProFlow
ProFlow Pumping Solutions is your trusted partner for pumps, seals, parts, repair, and after-sales support. Since 1996, we have supported customers with reliable fluid handling solutions and technical expertise. In addition to our pump and seal services, ProFlow also offers advanced CNC machining and manufacturing capabilities. Whether working from a print, reverse engineering an existing component, or producing complex, difficult-to-machine parts, our team has the equipment and experience to deliver precision results. For pumps, seals, replacement parts, repair services, or precision-machined components, reach out to ProFlow Pumping Solutions at www.proflow.co or call 877-434-3700.
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 JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports 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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