Derek Menholt Picks Up First Career Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Win in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, MO – September 29, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Two races after advancing to his first career final round in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, Derek Menholt picked up his first career victory on Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway, defeating former world champion Mike Castellana in the final round of the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.

It marked the third of the category’s four-race “Road to the Championship” playoffs and the event, which is the ninth of 10 in 2025, was powered by Jerry Bickel Race Cars and M&M Transmission.

In the final round, Castellana left first, but his car ran into trouble, opening the door for Menholt, who had engine difficulties late in the run but hung on for the memorable victory with a run of 6.468-seconds at 137.01 mph.

Menholt was the runner-up in Indianapolis at the playoff opener and he made sure to finish the job this weekend in St. Louis, defeating Dmitry Samorukov, Ken Quartuccio and J.R. Gray to reach the final round.

It wasn’t a picture-perfect run by any stretch, but Menholt was thrilled with the end result and his first-ever NHRA Pro Mod victory.

“Winning my first NHRA Pro Mod race is a dream come true,” Menholt said. “I can’t thank my family enough for standing beside me every step of the way and I’m grateful to Scott Tidwell and our entire team for believing in this program. This win is a huge milestone and now we’re carrying that momentum into the final (race of the season) in Las Vegas with our sights set on finishing the season strong.”

The victory also pulled Menholt into a tie for second in points with Mike Stavrinos. They both trail Billy Banaka by 11 points heading into the final race of the year, with Gray 24 points behind in fourth.

Castellana reached the final round for the second time this season after defeating Nick Januik, Kevin Rivenbark and Stevie Jackson.

The Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series finishes its 2025 season on Oct. 30-Nov. 2 as part of the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

MADISON, IL — Final finish order (1-16) at the 14th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. The race is the ninth of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

PRO MODIFIED:

1. Derek Menholt; 2. Mike Castellana; 3. JR Gray; 4. Steve Jackson; 5. Mike Stavrinos; 6. Ken Quartuccio; 7. Kevin Rivenbark; 8. Justin Bond; 9. Mason Wright; 10. Sidnei Frigo; 11. Rashid alBalooshi; 12. Mike Janis; 13. Alex Laughlin; 14. Billy Banaka; 15. Dmitry Samorukov; 16. Nick Januik.

MADISON, IL — Sunday’s final results from the 14th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. The race is the ninth of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

Pro Modified — Derek Menholt, Chevy Camaro, 6.468, 137.01 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 8.650, 103.79.

MADISON, IL — Final round-by-round results from the 14th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway, the ninth of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE — Derek Menholt, Chevy Camaro, 5.751, 249.21 def. Dmitry Samorukov, Camaro, 11.464, 73.18; Steve Jackson, Camaro, 5.721, 250.69 def. Billy Banaka, Camaro, 8.780, 110.96; Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.716, 251.91 def. Nick Januik, Chevy Corvette, 14.305, 68.26; Ken Quartuccio, Camaro, 5.754, 250.09 def. Mason Wright, Camaro, 5.720, 249.39; Kevin Rivenbark, Ford Mustang, 5.722, 248.93 def. Sidnei Frigo, Camaro, 5.733, 250.18; Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.729, 247.25 def. Mike Janis, Mustang,

Foul – Red Light; Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.695, 252.28 def. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 5.851, 246.08; JR Gray, Camaro, 5.708, 252.71 def. Rashid alBalooshi, Camaro, 5.754, 248.39;

QUARTERFINALS — Jackson, 5.715, 250.92 def. Bond, 10.869, 96.92; Castellana, 5.758, 250.37 def. Rivenbark, Foul – Red Light; Gray, 5.721, 251.86 def. Stavrinos, 5.722, 251.49; Menholt, 5.771, 248.07 def. Quartuccio, 5.748, 249.63;

SEMIFINALS — Castellana, 5.763, 249.86 def. Jackson, 5.873, 248.84; Menholt, 6.707, 151.49 def. Gray, Foul – Red Light;

FINAL — Menholt, 6.468, 137.01 def. Castellana, 8.650, 103.79.

MADISON, IL — Point standings (top 10) following the 14th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway, the ninth of 10 events in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

Pro Modified

1. Billy Banaka, 972; 2. (tie) Derek Menholt, 961; Mike Stavrinos, 961; 4. JR Gray, 948; 5. Sidnei Frigo, 921; 6. Mike Castellana, 920; 7. Mason Wright, 908; 8. Ken Quartuccio, 878; 9. Alex Laughlin, 875; 10. Rickie Smith, 860.

About Jerry Bickel Race Cars

Jerry Bickel Race Cars are synonymous with quality built, fast door cars around the world. Established in 1985, Jerry Bickel Race Cars created a new generation of innovative techniques and procedures that would continue WINNING races for over 35 years. In 2000, JBRC built a state-of-the-art building designed to engineer, fabricate, paint, and complete race cars from start to finish. JBRC also carries a full line of racing components to make Jerry Bickel Race Cars a “one stop chassis shop”. For more information visit www.jerrybickel.com

About M&M Transmission

Founded in 1996 by Mark Micke, M&M Transmission specializes in race-winning and record-setting drag racing transmissions, torque converters and shifters with trusted reliability and top technology. Today, M&M Transmission is based out of Jefferson City, Missouri. A comprehensive array of in-house machinery and equipment, such as a SuperFlow transmission and torque converter dyno, state-of-the-art lathes, mills, and more, allows the talented team to manufacture and assemble its performance drag racing transmissions, torque converters, shifters, and more with a commitment to upholding a strong “Made in the USA” standard of quality. Established by a diehard racer and staffed with a group of drag racing enthusiasts, Mark Micke’s M&M Transmission knows what it takes to win. Head over to mandmtransmission.com to join the race-winning team!

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 Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock 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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