Michael Stavrinos seizes the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod points lead, presented by Elite Motorsports, with a holeshot win over Justin Bond at the NHRA Nationals at The Rock event.

He clocks 5.664 seconds at 254.09 mph with a .039 light, beating Bond’s 5.656 at 257.29 as the quicker start proves decisive over outright performance.

The Rockingham stop is the ninth of eleven on the Road to the Championship, sharpening focus on staging precision, lane calls, and repeatable setups.

Stavrinos advances through Kevin Rivenbark, reigning champion J.R. Gray, and veteran Rickie Smith, underscoring a car and crew delivering consistent early increments across varied conditions.

“I was as focused as I could be. What a day at Rockingham,” Stavrinos says, crediting a group that turns the car around cleanly and maintains confidence in pressure moments.

Bond reaches a fourth final this season, beating Mike Castellana, Tony Wilson, and Derek Menholt, and now sits nine points behind, sustaining Camaro-based boosted parity at the sharp end.

Derek Menholt holds third, 43 points back, with Billy Banaka fourth at minus 84, leaving little margin as combinations converge under parity-minded rules.

Stavrinos leads the standings for the first time this season, capitalizing on momentum built across the campaign.

Two events remain before the St. Louis finale, beginning with the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals on October 2–4 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Execution remains critical. With margins in thousandths, reaction-time discipline, lane reads, and swift turnarounds likely decide the title as track temperatures and air quality swing through October.

Visual Summary

Nicholas Rivera

Nicholas Rivera delivers NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car news, including eliminator-round results and reaction-time stats. He brings track-side interviews, contender profiles, and championship-point breakdowns straight from drag-racing’s biggest national events.