LAS VEGAS, NV – November 2, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Justin Bond clinched his first-ever championship in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports, beating Mike Stavrinos in a winner-take-all final round on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as part of this weekend’s MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge.
It marked the final event of the 11-race season and the Road to the Championship playoffs, and the finale was powered by Penske Racing Shocks and presented by Precision Racing Suspension.
Bond and Stavrinos entered the weekend as the top two in points and they delivered throughout eliminations, setting up a thrilling winner-take-all final round in Vegas. Stavrinos left first, but ran into trouble with his car as Bond chased him down just past half-track, pulling away with a standout run of 5.660-seconds at 253.47 mph to Stavrinos’ 5.791 at 230.69.
It netted Bond his second win of the season, but more importantly, his first world championship in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
“I just want to thank my team. It’s been a wild ride,” Bond said following the victory and championship. “I don’t know what else to say. I’m trying to keep my composure.”
To get his eighth career NHRA Pro Mod victory, Bond took down Shane Gray, championship contender Derek Menholt and Billy Banaka to reach the final round, running in the 5.60s over the final three rounds. Bond also beat Banaka on a holeshot in the semifinals, setting up the winner-take-all matchup with Stavrinos.
Bond finished the season with two victories and four trips to the final round, advancing to the championship round at three of the final four races. He also finished as the No. 1 qualifier twice in 2026.
Stavrinos reached the finals for the fourth time this year, defeating Alex Laughlin, Nick Januik and J.R. Gray.
The 2027 schedule for the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Series presented by Elite Motorsports will be announced in the coming weeks.
LAS VEGAS, NV — Final finish order (1-16) at the 26th annual MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is the final of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
PRO MODIFIED:
1. Justin Bond; 2. Mike Stavrinos; 3. Billy Banaka; 4. JR Gray; 5. Nick Januik; 6. Derek Menholt; 7. Mike Thielen; 8. Stan Shelton; 9. Chip King; 10. Jason Collins; 11. Kevin Rivenbark; 12. Mike Castellana; 13. Alex Laughlin; 14. Shane Gray.
LAS VEGAS, NV — Sunday’s final results from the 26th annual MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is the final of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
Pro Modified — Justin Bond, Chevy Camaro, 5.660, 253.47 def. Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.791, 230.69.
LAS VEGAS, NV — Final round-by-round results from the 26th annual MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the final of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
PRO MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE — Nick Januik, Chevy Camaro, 7.725, 124.34 def. Kevin Rivenbark, Ford Mustang, Foul – Red Light; Mike Thielen, Mustang, 7.062, 139.20 def. Stan Shelton, Mustang, Foul – Red Light; Derek Menholt, Chevy Corvette, 5.694, 247.38 def. Chip King, Dodge Charger, Foul – Red Light; Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.684, 250.92 def. Shane Gray, Camaro, 8.336, 110.75; Billy Banaka, Camaro, 5.694, 252.28 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.809, 245.90; JR Gray, Camaro, 5.695, 251.02 def. Jason Collins, Camaro, 5.748, 248.48; Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.693, 250.64 def. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 5.947, 244.29;
QUARTERFINALS — Bond, 5.678, 251.44 def. Menholt, 6.011, 243.50; J. Gray, 7.594, 126.40 def. Thielen, Broke; Banaka, 5.702, 251.34 was unopposed; Stavrinos, 5.695, 250.64 def. Januik, 5.728, 249.76;
SEMIFINALS — Bond, 5.678, 251.49 def. Banaka, 5.667, 252.95; Stavrinos, 9.847, 66.17 def. J. Gray, Foul – Red Light;
FINAL — Bond, 5.660, 253.47 def. Stavrinos, 5.791, 230.69.
LAS VEGAS — Point standings (top 10) following the 26th annual MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the final of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
Pro Modified
1. Justin Bond, 1,250; 2. Mike Stavrinos, 1,217; 3. JR Gray, 1,129; 4. Derek Menholt, 1,108; 5. Billy Banaka, 1,098; 6. Stan Shelton, 1,007; 7. Mike Thielen, 996; 8. Kevin Rivenbark, 917; 9. Chip King, 896; 10. Lyle Barnett, 890.
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.
Source: National Hot Rod Association
####
Discover more from Motor Sports NewsWire
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Be the first to comment