Fri, 25 Sep 2026, 16:14 PM Pro Modified Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock 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: Mike Castellana Runs 5.786/253.09, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.786/253.09, Was #17

Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 29.97 inches, adjusted altitude 1,675 feet, track temperature 113 degrees.

Castellana with a good pass.

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Left Lane: Mike Thielen Runs 5.721/249.86, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.721/249.86, Was #11
Right Lane: Chip King Runs 5.662/251.96, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.662/251.96, Was #5

Thielen is straight down the groove with a good pass.

King launched hard and kept it hooked up with his career quickest pass.

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Left Lane: Doug Winters Runs 7.008/142.23, Now #19; Best prior run: 7.437/141.51, Was #19
Right Lane: Alex Laughlin Runs 5.848/237.09, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.917/246.31, Was #18

Winters started to lose traction and clicked it off.

Laughlin with a good pass early, but used up and engine in the lights and is spitting out parts in the shut down area.

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Left Lane: Jason Collins Runs 11.233/85.75, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.749/247.80, Was #13
Right Lane: Shane Gray Runs 5.721/251.96, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.763/247.52, Was #16

Collins with tire shake and clicked it off.

Gray is straight down the groove.

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Left Lane: Billy Banaka Runs 5.676/256.26, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.749/254.24, Was #13
Right Lane: Derek Menholt Runs 5.645/254.81, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.757/252.81, Was #16

Banaka kept it hooked up and was straight down the groove.

Menholt is straight down the groove to get off the bump spot to the number four spot.

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Left Lane: Kevin Rivenbark Runs 5.692/253.95, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.704/253.52, Was #11
Right Lane: Lyle Barnett Runs 12.601/69.01, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.751/250.42, Was #16

Rivenbark is straight down the groove.

Barnett shook and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: JR Gray Runs 5.635/255.68, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.673/254.09, Was #8
Right Lane: Stan Shelton Runs 5.688/255.83, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.715/253.66, Was #12

Gray launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot.

Shelton with an good pass.

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Left Lane: Steve Jackson Runs 5.638/255.97, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.661/255.10, Was #6
Right Lane: Nick Januik Runs 5.655/255.68, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.680/255.54, Was #10

Jackson is straight down the groove to move up the ladder a couple spots.

Januik moves into the top half of the show.

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Left Lane: Justin Bond Runs 5.647/257.00, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.637/257.58, Was #3
Right Lane: Mike Stavrinos Runs 5.642/255.39, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.665/253.95, Was #9

Bond is straight down the groove to go to the number three spot.

Stavrinos with a good clean pass.

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Left Lane: Tony Wilson Runs 10.353/83.64, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.636/253.24, Was #2
Right Lane: Rickie Smith Runs 5.652/255.10, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.640/252.10, Was #5

Wilson shook and clicked it off.

Smith is straight down the groove with another good pass.