JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Series Kicks Off Championship in Norwalk

The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod playoffs open at Norwalk’s Summit Motorsports Park during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, launching a five‑race run to decide the 2026 championship.

Derek Menholt leads after regular‑season wins at Gainesville and Chicago, holding a 20‑point edge over Mike Stavrinos as the field compresses for the playoff reset.

Norwalk is the seventh of 11 events and Pro Mod’s first visit since 2023, a Norwalk return that rewards early reads shaping qualifying and race‑day lane choice.

Menholt praises Summit Motorsports Park’s preparation and atmosphere, describing it as a fitting stage to open the decisive phase, while acknowledging support from Polaris and Jan‑Cen Motorsports.

Commercial backing underpins grid health. Polaris serves as power sponsor and Jan‑Cen as presenting partner, strengthening event activation and technical investment around the category.

Polaris retail marketing manager Andrew Moore frames the sponsorship around performance and durability, positioning the brand with a community that values engineering robustness and repeatable track execution.

The reset preserves opportunity. Defending champion J.R. Gray, Justin Bond, and Bristol winner Jason Collins headline threats seeking immediate playoff momentum against Menholt and Stavrinos.

Stan Shelton, Billy Banaka, Lyle Barnett, Mike Thielen, and Sidnei Frigo bolster depth, while former champions Mike Castellana and Mason Wright provide experience that often counts over compressed postseason distances.

Pro Stock standout Aaron Stanfield strengthens Wright’s operation this weekend, adding a proven driver with structured preparation habits that can sharpen turnaround discipline on a busy Norwalk program.

Four qualifying sessions set the tone: Friday 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET, then Saturday 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with evolving conditions; see the Friday qualifying update for context.

Eliminations begin Sunday at 12:40 p.m., with select sessions streaming on NHRA’s YouTube channel, expanding access as competitors chase early playoff seeding advantage.

With five postseason rounds remaining, Norwalk should set strategic baselines for the run to the decider, ahead of the JBS Pro Mod finale that will ultimately crown the champion.

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.