Reigning World Champ J.R. Gray Wins in JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Series at The Big Go in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – September 8, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – J.R. Gray, the reigning world champion in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports, enjoyed one of the biggest moments in his career on Monday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, knocking off Justin Bond to win the prestigious Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.

This weekend’s event was powered by CFH Superchargers and presented by Shelton Insurance, and marked the eighth of 11 races during the 2026 campaign.

It was also the second of five races in Pro Mod’s Road to the Championship and Gray cashed in on drag racing’s biggest stage, going 5.701-seconds at 252.47 mph in his Al-Anabi Performance Chevrolet Camaro to get past Bond’s 5.759 at 251.72. It is Bond’s sixth NHRA Pro Mod win in his career and his first this season, as he enjoyed a special moment winning Indy for the first time.

“That final round, it was all or nothing,” Gray said. “I want to thank all the guys for their hard work. We had to swap motors after the first round, and we just kept on digging and came out with this Diamond Wally. It’s been hard-fought for us to get to this point and I’m so grateful for my team to get this win and get a little closer to that No. 1 spot (in the standings).”

Gray reached the finals thanks to round wins against Alex Laughlin, Mike Thielen and Billy Banaka.

Bond, who qualified No. 1 at The Big Go, reached the finals for the third time this season thanks to round wins against Chip King, Stan Shelton and Michael Stavrinos.

After two races in the NHRA Pro Mod playoffs, Bond is now the points leader, holding a seven-point advantage over Stavrinos. Banaka is just 10 points out of first, while Bond moved up to fifth, 40 points behind Bond.

The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports returns to action Sept. 25-27 with the NHRA Nationals at the Rock at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, N.C.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Final finish order (1-16) at the 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The race is the eighth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

PRO MODIFIED:

1. JR Gray; 2. Justin Bond; 3. Mike Stavrinos; 4. Billy Banaka; 5. Stan Shelton; 6. Peter Norton; 7. Derek Menholt; 8. Mike Thielen; 9. Chip King; 10. Rickie Smith; 11. Lyle Barnett; 12. Kevin Rivenbark; 13. Nick Januik; 14. Alex Laughlin; 15. Tony Wilson; 16. Sidnei Frigo.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Monday’s final results from the 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The race is the eighth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

Pro Modified — JR Gray, Chevy Chevy Camaro, 5.701, 252.47 def. Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.759, 251.72.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Final round-by-round results from the 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the eighth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE — Stan Shelton, Ford Mustang, 5.748, 251.30 def. Lyle Barnett, Chevy Camaro, 5.768, 249.16; Mike Thielen, Mustang, 5.739, 246.35 def. Sidnei Frigo, Chevy Corvette, 10.265, 83.58; Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.669, 252.99 def. Chip King, Dodge Charger, 5.696, 248.84; Derek Menholt, Corvette, 5.739, 249.95 def. Kevin Rivenbark, Mustang, 5.772, 249.07; Billy Banaka, Camaro, 5.743, 253.42 def. Rickie Smith, Mustang, 5.696, 251.63; JR Gray, Camaro, 5.758, 233.56 def. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.039, 242.89; Peter Norton, Camaro, 5.751, 248.29 def. Tony Wilson, Chevy Willys, 6.381, 164.97; Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.715, 251.95 def. Nick Januik, Camaro, 5.775, 251.63;

QUARTERFINALS — Banaka, 5.732, 252.19 def. Norton, 5.775, 248.43; Stavrinos, 5.719, 250.92 def. Menholt, 6.354, 164.39; Bond, 5.684, 254.47 def. Shelton, 5.745, 253.28; J. Gray, 5.729, 245.00 def. Thielen, 9.391, 94.05;

SEMIFINALS — Bond, 5.688, 254.23 def. Stavrinos, 6.020, 195.96; J. Gray, 5.719, 251.53 def. Banaka, Foul – Red Light;

FINAL — J. Gray, 5.701, 252.47 def. Bond, 5.759, 251.72.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Point standings (top 10) following the 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the eighth of 11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.

Pro Modified

1. Justin Bond, 923; 2. Mike Stavrinos, 916; 3. Billy Banaka, 913; 4. Derek Menholt, 908; 5. JR Gray, 883; 6. Stan Shelton, 834; 7. Mike Thielen, 833; 8. Lyle Barnett, 826; 9. Kevin Rivenbark, 805; 10. Jason Collins, 803.

About CFH Superchargers

CFH Superchargers has been deeply involved in high-performance drag racing for more than two decades, supporting Pro Modified competition through engine development and roots supercharger design. The company also produces superchargers and supercharger components for Funny Car and Top Fuel applications. Dave Richardson and Kevin Lusk, owners of CFH Superchargers, said the U.S. Nationals partnership provides an opportunity to support a category that has been an important part of the company’s history.

Shelton Insurance continues its support of NHRA Pro Mod and will share key event branding with CFH, including windshield branding across the Pro Mod field and trackside exposure.

For CFH, the Indy partnership is also an opportunity to reinforce its position within some of drag racing’s highest-horsepower categories and connect directly with racers and fans at NHRA’s most prestigious event.

For more information about CFH Superchargers, call (256) 728-3169 or email [email protected].

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

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