Jose Gonzalez Claims Victory in FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series Action in Chicago

JOLIET, IL – May 22, 2023 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – In a final round featuring the last two world champions in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, Jose Gonzalez picked up the win over reigning world champ Kris Thorne on a holeshot as part of this weekend’s Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.

The event, which was powered by PGT Trucking, was the third of 10 races during the 2023 season in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

Gonzalez, who won his first NHRA Pro Mod world title in 2021, picked up his first victory this season and the eighth in his career, going 5.769-seconds at 249.76 mph in his Q80 Racing Chevrolet Camaro. The key was the .024 reaction time Gonzalez posted in the final round, which proved to be enough to hold off Thorne’s 5.767 at 250.46.

Gonzalez knocked off Doug Winters, Billy Banaka and Sidnei Frigo to reach the final round, delivering an impressive performance to pick up his first career win at Route 66 Raceway.

“It does not get better than that,” Gonzalez said of the final-round matchup with Thorne. “I knew I had to do my job on the wheel because he’s always strong. My team gets all the credit for this and I’m just happy to be here. I haven’t been racing as much lately, but I’m glad to be back. It sure feels good.”

Thorne, who won four races in 2022, reached his first final this year, knocking off Kevin Rivenbark, points leader Justin Bond, who had won the first two races of the 2023 campaign, and Manny Buginga.

The FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports returns to action June 2-4 with the 10th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H. It will mark the first appearance at the track for the NHRA Pro Mod category.

***

JOLIET, IL — Final finish order (1-16) at the 23rd annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway. The race is the third of 10 events in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

PRO MODIFIED:

1. Jose Gonzalez; 2. Kris Thorne; 3. Manny Buginga; 4. Sidnei Frigo; 5. Justin Bond; 6. Billy Banaka; 7. Khalid alBalooshi; 8. Jason Lee; 9. Kevin Rivenbark; 10. Mike Thielen; 11. Lyle Barnett; 12. Doug Winters; 13. Stan Shelton; 14. Mike Castellana; 15. Paul Daigrepont; 16. Jerico Balduf.

JOLIET, IL — Sunday’s final results from the 23rd annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway. The race is the third of 10 events in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

Pro Modified — Jose Gonzalez, Chevy Camaro, 5.769, 249.76 def. Kris Thorne, Camaro, 5.767, 250.46.

JOLIET, IL — Final round-by-round results from the 23rd annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway, the third of 10 events in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag

Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE — Sidnei Frigo, Chevy Camaro, 5.760, 247.29 def. Stan Shelton, Ford Mustang, 8.674, 105.71; Kris Thorne, Camaro, 5.728, 250.00 def. Kevin Rivenbark, Camaro, 5.744, 249.35; Jose Gonzalez, Camaro, 5.696, 252.24 def. Doug Winters, Chevy Chevelle, 7.937, 120.34; Manny Buginga, Camaro, 5.736, 242.15 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 9.660, 92.37; Billy Banaka, Camaro, 6.039, 213.77 def. Paul Daigrepont, Camaro, 9.701, 127.99; Khalid alBalooshi, Camaro, 7.832, 96.53 def. Jerico Balduf, Chevelle, Broke; Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.702, 251.72 def. Mike Thielen, Camaro, 5.766, 244.74; Jason Lee, Camaro, 5.703, 252.14 def. Lyle Barnett, Camaro, 5.920, 242.89;

QUARTERFINALS — Buginga, 5.801, 241.80 def. alBalooshi, 6.491, 147.39; Frigo, 5.942, 194.49 def. Lee, Broke; Thorne, 5.737, 250.23 def. Bond, 5.739, 251.77; Gonzalez, 5.736, 251.63 def. Banaka, 5.807, 247.93;

SEMIFINALS — Thorne, 5.769, 249.03 def. Buginga, 5.800, 250.51; Gonzalez, 5.784, 250.51 def. Frigo, 5.884, 244.47;

FINAL — Gonzalez, 5.769, 249.76 def. Thorne, 5.767, 250.46.

JOLIET, IL — Point standings (top 10) following the 23rd annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway, the third of 10 events in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

Pro Modified

1. Justin Bond, 294; 2. Kris Thorne, 224; 3. JR Gray, 206; 4. Jose Gonzalez, 174; 5. Manny Buginga, 137; 6. Jason Lee, 136; 7. Khalid alBalooshi, 122; 8. Jerico Balduf, 120; 9. Billy Banaka, 119; 10. Kevin Rivenbark, 115.

About PGT Trucking, Inc.

PGT Trucking, Inc., founded in 1981, is a multi-service transportation firm offering flatbed, dedicated, international and specialized services. Headquartered in Aliquippa, PA, PGT is the leader in progressive freight transportation and fleet evolution. PGT operates over 1,000 power units and 1,500 trailers, exceeding customer expectations, focused on the Future of Flatbed®. PGT was recognized as a 2023 Best Fleets to Drive For®. At PGT Trucking, “Safety is Everyone’s Job – All the Time.” Visit www.pgttrucking.com.

About NHRA

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown™ and Top Fuel Harley Series. 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 120 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, TikTok and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association

####