Mon, 07 Sep 2026, 12:09 PM Pro Modified Round 1 Eliminations |
By Rick Green |
INDIANAPOLIS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Pro Modified at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 205 Lyle Barnett 212 Stan Shelton E1 0.051 5.768 249.16 ****WINNER**** 0.021 5.748 251.30 Qualified: #8 5.742 250.51 #9 5.749 252.43Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 67 percent, barometer 30.11 inches, adjusted altitude 2,351 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.
Lyle Barnett wins 75% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. Stan Shelton is 8 - 16 in Rd. 1 when starting from the bottom half of the filed.
Shelton is 2 - 0 against Barnett in prior events.
Shelton with the starting
line advantage and never trailed for the win. He makes his quickest pass of the weekend for the
win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 288 Sidnei Frigo 6911 Mike Thielen E1 0.063 10.265 83.58 ****WINNER**** 0.014 5.739 246.35 Qualified: #7 5.741 251.86 #10 5.756 244.29Sidnei Frigo has been in the top half of the field at all 5 of his races this year. Mike Thielen is 10 - 22 in Rd. 1 overall and 3 - 4 this year.
Frigo and Thielen have each won 1 times against the other in prior events.
Thielen with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win.
He makes his quickest pass of the weekend for the win,
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 6280 Justin Bond 9 Chip King E1 ****WINNER**** 0.035 5.669 252.99 0.094 5.696 248.84 Qualified: #1 5.654 255.00 #16 5.815 248.80The #1 Pro Mod qualifier is 11 - 5 in Rd. 1 at this event. The #16 PM qualifier won this race in 2012.
Bond is 2 - 0 against King in prior events.
Bond with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will have lane choice over Shelton in the next round.
King with his
quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
5 Derek Menholt 225 Kevin Rivenbark
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.014 5.739 249.95 0.246 5.772 249.07
Qualified: #5 5.732 251.34 #12 5.769 249.07
Derek Menholt is 11 - 4 in Rd. 1 overall and 6 - 0 this year. Kevin Rivenbark is 20 - 14 in Rd. 1
overall and 2 - 3 this year.Rivenbark is 1 - 0 against Menholt in prior events.
Menholt with a
great light is straight down the groove for the win.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
2 Billy Banaka 43 Rickie Smith
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.006 5.743 253.42 0.059 5.696 251.63
Qualified: #6 5.739 253.28 #11 5.762 250.78
Billy Banaka starts the event in 3rd place. He is 4 - 1 in Rd. 1 this year. Rickie Smith is 14 -
1 in Rd. 1 at this event.Smith is 2 - 0 against Banaka in prior events.
Banaka with a great light and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Billy Banaka's MOV: 0.0066 seconds (approximately 2 feet).
Smith with his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 40 Alex Laughlin 1 JR Gray E1 0.030 6.039 242.89 ****WINNER**** 0.005 5.758 233.56 Qualified: #15 5.811 245.40 #2 5.693 252.76JR. Gray is 31 - 23 in Rd. 1 overall and 3 - 4 this year. Alex Laughlin won this race in PS in 2019.
Gray is 3 - 0 against Laughlin in prior events.
Gray with a great light and never trails
for the win. He will give up lane choice to Thielen in the next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 211 Tony Wilson 311 Peter Norton E1 0.060 6.381 164.97 ****WINNER**** 0.027 5.751 248.29 Qualified: #3 5.710 249.39 #14 5.811 245.63Tony Wilson's average R/T is .037. Peter Norton is making his 1st start.
Norton with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will give up lane choice to Banaka in the next round.
Wilson pulled the front end around half track and clicked it off early.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 729 Nick Januik 3 Mike Stavrinos E1 0.065 5.775 251.63 ****WINNER**** 0.036 5.715 251.95 Qualified: #13 5.780 252.19 #4 5.720 251.95Mike Stavrinos starts the event in 2nd place. His average R/T this year is .045. Nick Januik ran his career best (5.724) at this race in 2025.
Stavrinos is 1 - 0 against Januik in prior events.
Stavrinos with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He makes his quickest
pass of the weekend for the win. He will have lane choice over Menholt in the next round.
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