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INDIANAPOLIS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run: Right Lane: Jimmy Widener Runs 14.088/58.15, Now #1 Weather conditions: air temperature 94 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 29.89 inches, adjusted altitude 4,201 feet. Jimmy Widener will make his fifth race overall in Pro Mod and his fourth race at this event, where he first competed in 2013. His best starting position at this event and of his career is No. 15, achieved at Indy in 2013. Widener failed to qualify in his other three races at this event and has an overall round-win record of 0-1 here. This will be his first race since this event in 2015. Widener started to get loose early and clicked it off. Left Lane: Peter Norton Runs 7.410/137.54, Now #2 Right Lane: Shane Gray Runs 6.985/148.77, Now #1 Peter Norton will make his first NHRA race in Pro Mod and his first race at this event. He has raced Pro Mod cars for several years and competed at the 2026 World Series of Pro Mod in Florida. Norton won the 2025-2026 Winter Series Pro Mod championship and has also been involved in Tractor Pulling events. Shane Gray has six national event wins in Pro Stock and 16 final-round appearances in the class. He won this race in Pro Stock in 2014, defeating Dave Connolly. This will be his first race in Pro Mod. Gray has competed at this event eight times in Pro Stock, most recently in 2017, and finished his Pro Stock career with a 167-166 round-win record. This will be his first national event since Las Vegas-2 in 2018. Norton started to shake and pedaled it a couple times before he clicked it off. Gray with tire shake early and stayed with it, the car makes a move toward the centerline and he clicks it off. Left Lane: Paul Daigrepont Runs 6.950/149.30, Now #1 Right Lane: Tony Wilson No Time, Now #5 Paul Daigrepont will make his 13th race overall and his first race at this event. His best starting position of his career is No. 13, which he has achieved twice, and his career average starting position is 14.3. Daigrepont enters the event with an overall record of 0-5. This will be his first race since Charlotte-2 in 2024. Tony Wilson has one national event final-round appearance, with his most recent final coming at Epping in 2023, where he finished runner-up. This will be his 12th race overall and his first race at this event. His best starting position of his career is No. 1, achieved at Bristol in 2023, and his career average starting position is 8.2. This will be Wilson's fourth race of the year, and he enters the event with an overall record of 6-6. Daigrepont started to lose traction and clicked it off early. Wilson wasn't able to get the car to fire. Left Lane: Rickie Smith Runs 5.823/249.07, Now #1 Right Lane: Nick Januik Runs 10.278/86.42, Now #5 Rickie Smith is a three-time Pro Mod World Champion, winning the title in 2013, 2014 and 2016, and has 18 national event wins in Pro Mod, the most in class history. He has one win in 2024, coming at Richmond, and his most recent final-round appearance came at Phoenix in 2025. This will be his 135th event overall and his 16th race at this event, where he first competed in 2010. His best starting position here is No. 1, which he has achieved four times, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, earned 14 times. Smith's overall round-win record at this event is 25-14, including records of 14-1 in the first round, 7-7 in the second round, 3-4 in the third round and 1-2 in final rounds. He won this race in 2014, defeating Paul Farber, and was runner-up here in 2013, losing to Mike Janis, and in 2019, losing to Mike Castellana. He was also runner-up here in Pro Stock in 1996, losing to Kurt Johnson. Smith is a member of the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame and enters the event with an overall record of 191-110. Nick Januik will make his 29th race overall and his fourth race at this event, where he first competed in 2023. His best starting position at this event and of his career is No. 9, achieved here in 2025. Januik enters the event with an overall record of 1-10. He failed to qualify here in 2023 and 2024 and has also raced at this event in Top Alcohol Funny Car in 2016, 2021 and 2022. Smith launched hard and the car moved toward the wall, but he stayed with and make a good pass. Januik with a new car here and he has severe tire shake and clicked it off. Left Lane: Alex Laughlin Runs 7.953/139.44, Now #5 Right Lane: Sidnei Frigo Runs 12.339/81.48, Now #7 Alex Laughlin will make his 36th race in Pro Mod and his third race at this event, where he first competed in 2019. His best starting position at this event is No. 8, achieved in 2025, while the best starting position of his career is No. 2, recorded at Charlotte-1 in 2019. Laughlin has four national event wins in Pro Stock. His overall round-win record at this event is 0-1, and he has qualified in the top half of the field in 11 of his 35 previous races. He enters the event with an overall record of 9-29 and a best Pro Mod finish of a final quad at Charlotte-1 in 2025. Laughlin also won this race in Pro Stock in 2019, defeating Erica Enders, and failed to qualify here in Pro Mod in 2019. Sidnei Frigo has three national event wins in Pro Mod, with his most recent victory coming at Richmond in 2019. This will be his 79th race overall and his 11th race at this event, where he first competed in 2015. His best starting position here is No. 2, achieved in 2015, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned three times. His average starting position at this event is 10.0, compared with 8.1 for his career. Frigo's overall round-win record here is 5-8, and he won this race in 2017, defeating Troy Coughlin. He has qualified in the top half of the field in four of his 10 previous races here and failed to qualify in 2016. Frigo enters the event with an overall record of 52-62. He was also runner-up here in Top Alcohol Dragster in 2012, losing to Duane Shields. Laughlin with tire shake and clicked it off. Frigo lost traction right at the hit and clicked it off. Left Lane: Mike Castellana Runs 6.270/183.94, Now #2 Right Lane: Chip King Runs 9.391/117.65, Now #7 Mike Castellana is the 2023 Pro Mod World Champion and has 11 national event wins, with his most recent victory coming at Las Vegas-2 in 2023. This will be his 155th race overall and his 16th race at this event, where he first competed in 2011. His best starting position here is No. 1, achieved in 2017 and 2018, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned 17 times. His average starting position at this event is 6.9, compared with 6.6 for his career. Castellana's overall round-win record here is 15-13. He won this race in 2019, defeating Rickie Smith, and was runner-up here in 2011, losing to Eric Dillard, and in 2012, losing to Brad Brand. Castellana was No. 1 qualifier and set low elapsed time here in both 2017 and 2018. He enters the event with an overall record of 169-121 and has qualified in the top half of the field in 10 of his 15 previous races here. His 11 national event wins are tied for third-most in Pro Mod history. Chip King has one national event final-round appearance, with his most recent final coming at Gainesville in 2013, where he finished runner-up. This will be his 116th race overall and his eighth race at this event, where he first competed in 2011. His best starting position here is No. 13, achieved in 2016 and 2025, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, recorded at St. Louis in 2024. His average starting position at this event is 14.0, compared with 11.4 for his career. King's overall round-win record here is 0-3, and he enters the event with an overall record of 18-50. He has failed to qualify four times at this event. Castellana gets the car to hook up for the first half of the track and then starts to lose traction on the top end and clicked it off. King started to spin the tires early and clicked it off. Left Lane: JR Gray Runs 6.426/142.96, Now #4 Right Lane: Kevin Rivenbark Runs 5.957/218.09, Now #2 JR Gray is the 2025 Pro Mod World Champion and has five national event wins, including four victories in 2025, with his most recent win coming at Las Vegas-2 in 2025. This will be his 59th race overall and his sixth race at this event, where he first competed in 2021. His best starting position here is No. 3, achieved in 2025, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned twice. His average starting position at this event is 8.5, compared with 7.6 for his career. Gray's overall round-win record here is 1-4, with his best finish being a quarterfinal appearance in 2022. He enters the event with an overall record of 61-49 and has qualified in the top half of the field in two of his five previous races here. Gray failed to qualify here in 2023 and starts the event in 10th place. Kevin Rivenbark has two national event wins, including one victory in 2026, with his most recent win coming at Norwalk in 2026. This will be his 52nd race overall and his sixth race at this event, where he first competed in 2013. His best starting position here is No. 10, achieved in 2024, while the best starting position of his career is No. 4, recorded at Epping in 2024. His average starting position at this event is 10.5, compared with 10.4 for his career. Rivenbark's overall round-win record here is 4-2, with his best finish being a semifinal appearance in 2013 and 2024. He enters the event with an overall record of 34-32 and has failed to qualify three times here, including 2025. He starts the event in ninth place. Gray was on good looking pass early until just past half track when it banged it and th chutes were out. Rivenbark starts to lose traction on the top end and clicks it off early. Left Lane: Mike Thielen Runs 17.379/49.77, Now #14 Right Lane: Stan Shelton Runs 9.843/90.74, Now #10 Mike Thielen has one national event final-round appearance, with his most recent final coming at Valdosta in 2026, where he finished runner-up. This will be his 38th race overall and his fourth race at this event, where he first competed in 2022. His best starting position here is No. 13, achieved in 2022, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned twice. His career average starting position is 10.7. Thielen's overall round-win record at this event is 0-1. He enters the event with an overall record of 17-32 and starts in eighth place. He failed to qualify here in 2023 and 2024 and did not compete here in 2025. Stan Shelton has one national event win, with his most recent victory coming at St. Louis in 2024. This will be his 44th race overall and his fifth race at this event, where he first competed in 2022. His best starting position here is No. 11, achieved in 2022, while the best starting position of his career is No. 3, recorded at Chicago in 2025. His average starting position at this event is 12.3, compared with 10.4 for his career. Shelton's overall round-win record here is 2-3, with his best finish being a semifinal appearance in 2023. He enters the event with an overall record of 27-33 and starts in seventh place. Shelton failed to qualify here in 2025. Thielen shook right at the hit and clicked it off. Shelton with tire shake and clicked it off. Left Lane: Lyle Barnett Runs 5.873/246.30, Now #2 Right Lane: Jason Collins Runs 5.893/244.87, Now #3 Lyle Barnett has three national event wins, with his most recent victory coming at Indy in 2023, and his most recent final-round appearance came at Gainesville in 2026. This will be his 39th race overall and his fourth race at this event, where he first competed in 2021. His best starting position here is No. 3, achieved in 2024, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, recorded at Phoenix in 2026. His average starting position at this event is 8.3, compared with 9.1 for his career. Barnett's overall round-win record here is 6-2, and he won this race in 2022, defeating Khalid Thorne. He enters the event with an overall record of 35-33 and has recorded top speed three times this year. Jason Collins has two national event wins, both coming in 2026, with his most recent victory coming at Bristol. This will be his sixth race overall and his first race at this event. His best starting position of his career is No. 2, which he has achieved twice, and his career average starting position is 4.2. Collins has reached the final round at four of his five races and enters the event with an overall record of 13-3. He starts the event in fifth place. Barnett gets it to hook up and is straight down the groove to go to the number two spot. Collins with a clean pass to go to the number three spot. Left Lane: Justin Bond Runs 5.837/247.34, Now #2 Right Lane: Billy Banaka Runs 6.295/177.35, Now #7 Justin Bond has seven national event wins, including one victory in 2026, with his most recent win coming at Phoenix in 2026. This will be his 63rd race overall and his sixth race at this event, where he first competed in 2021. His best starting position here is No. 1, achieved in 2024, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned 10 times. His average starting position at this event is 4.3, compared with 5.0 for his career. Bond’s overall round-win record here is 4-4, and he was runner-up in 2023, losing to Khalid Thorne. He enters the event with an overall record of 75-53 and starts in fourth place. His seven national event wins are tied for sixth-most in Pro Mod history. Bond has qualified in the top half of the field in three of his five previous races here and failed to qualify in 2025.
Billy Banaka has one national event win, coming at Charlotte-2 in 2025, and his most recent final-round appearance came at Norwalk in 2026, where he finished runner-up. This will be his 35th race overall and his fourth race at this event, where he first competed in 2023. His best starting position here is No. 2, achieved in 2025, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, recorded at Las Vegas-2 in 2025. His average starting position at this event is 6.7, compared with 8.1 for his career. Banaka’s overall round-win record here is 4-3, with his best finish being a semifinal appearance in 2024. He enters the event with an overall record of 30-31 and starts the event in third place.
Left Lane: Mike Stavrinos Runs 5.840/239.10, Now #3 Right Lane: Derek Menholt Runs 6.361/232.87, Now #9 Mike Stavrinos has four national event wins, including one victory in 2026, with his most recent win coming at Charlotte in 2026. This will be his 27th race overall and his third race at this event, where he first competed in 2024. His best starting position here is No. 4, achieved in 2025, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned four times. His career average starting position is 5.9. Stavrinos' overall round-win record at this event is 7-1. He won this race in 2025, defeating Derek Menholt, and was runner-up here in 2024, losing to Ken Quartuccio. He enters the event with an overall record of 31-16 and starts in second place. Derek Menholt has three national event wins, including two victories in 2026, with his most recent win coming at Chicago in 2026. This will be his 19th race overall and his second race at this event, where he first competed in 2025. Menholt qualified No. 14 here in 2025. The best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned twice, and his career average starting position is 9.4. His overall round-win record at this event is 3-1, and he was runner-up here in 2025, losing to Mike Stavrinos. Menholt enters the event with an overall record of 24-12 and starts the event in first place. Stavrinos starts drifting out of the groove over by the centerline. He stays with and reels it to go to the number three spot. Menholt started to lose traction on the top end and clicked it off.
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