This weekend’s playoff opener is powered by Polaris and presented by Jan-Cen Motorsports
NORWALK, Ohio (June 25, 2026) – 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.
About Polaris Inc.
Always moving, forever searching, never at rest. Our passion for the outdoors unites us, creating a bond that goes beyond the mechanical. Built to be the best off-road vehicles, our recreational and utility machines take our customers where others can’t—from the remote hunting stand covered in snow, to the racetrack in the desert sun, and everywhere in between. Polaris Off-Road vehicles include Sportsman, RANGER, General, Polaris XPEDITION, and RZR. Audience spans a wide range of demographics and use cases, from utility (agriculture, property maintenance, construction, etc.) to recreation (trail riding, camping, hunting, etc.) Polaris was founded in 1954 in Roseau, Minnesota. Today, Polaris is headquartered in Medina, Minnesota, and designs, engineers, and manufactures All-Terrain Vehicles (Sportsman ATVs), Side-by-Sides (RANGER, General, Polaris XPEDITION, and RZR), Snowmobiles, and Slingshot.
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.
