Sat, 05 Sep 2026, 15:53 PM Pro Modified Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

INDIANAPOLIS - Notes from round 3 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Derek Menholt Runs 5.912/245.67, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.361/232.87, Was #17
Right Lane: Paul Daigrepont Runs 5.875/244.47, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.950/149.30, Was #19

Weather conditions: air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 59 percent, barometer 29.86 inches, adjusted altitude 3,928 feet, track temperature 127 degrees.

Menholt is straight down the groove to get in the show.

Daigrepont is drifting out of the groove over by the centerline, but reels it in and gets in the show. He goes to the number 14 spot.

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Left Lane: Tony Wilson Runs 6.560/152.68, Now #20; Best prior run: 11.171/76.94, Was #21
Right Lane: Lyle Barnett Runs 5.861/246.57, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.873/246.30, Was #13

Wilson drives through tire shake, but has the chutes out early.

Barnett is straight down the groove, with his quickest pass of the weekend. He will stay in the number 13 spot.

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Left Lane: Shane Gray Runs 5.993/239.19, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.985/148.77, Was #21
Right Lane: Mike Stavrinos Runs 11.574/73.12, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.840/239.10, Was #12

Gray with his first full pass of his Pro Mod career and he goes to the number 17 spot.

Stavrinos with severe tire shake and makes a move toward the wall before he lifts.

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Left Lane: Billy Banaka Runs 5.876/249.16, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.295/177.35, Was #19
Right Lane: Peter Norton Runs 6.152/232.03, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.918/241.76, Was #16

Banaka is straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to get in the show. He goes to the number 15 spot.

Norton was on a good pass early and then it appeared to go silent on the top end.

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Left Lane: Stan Shelton Runs 9.514/92.66, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.364/217.04, Was #20
Right Lane: Mike Castellana Runs 11.666/74.09, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.829/248.71, Was #11

Shelton with severe tire shake and the car gets sideways, he does a great job driving and shuts it off.

Castellana with tire shake and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Chip King Runs 5.856/246.84, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.815/248.80, Was #10
Right Lane: Alex Laughlin Runs 5.929/216.65, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.811/245.40, Was #7

King is straight down the groove, but will not improve.

Laughlin was on a good pass until it pitched the blower belt on the top end. He will not improve.

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Left Lane: Kevin Rivenbark Runs 5.880/244.60, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.815/248.84, Was #9
Right Lane: Mike Thielen Runs 10.607/80.85, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.799/243.28, Was #4

Rivenbark with a clean pass, but will not improve.

Thielen with tire shake and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Nick Januik Runs 5.958/245.72, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.813/248.52, Was #8
Right Lane: JR Gray Runs 5.824/247.02, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.787/248.66, Was #3

Januik with a clean pass, but will not improve.

Gray is straight down the groove with the quickest pass of the session. JR Gray's incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.578, 660ft-3.834/195.51 mph, 1,000ft-4.913.

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Left Lane: Sidnei Frigo Runs 5.842/247.84, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.809/250.37, Was #6
Right Lane: Rickie Smith Runs 6.271/154.53, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.762/250.78, Was #2

Frigo with another good pass, but will not improve.

Smith was on a good pass until the chutes came out early.

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Left Lane: Jason Collins Runs 5.837/246.03, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.806/248.61, Was #5
Right Lane: Justin Bond Runs 5.857/245.94, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.747/252.95, Was #1

Collins kept it hooked up to make the second quickest pass of the session. He will not improve. Jason Collins' incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.578, 660ft-3.839/193.18 mph, 1,000ft-4.921.

Bond with another good pass, and will hold on to the number one spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink