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.
This story was originally published on September 8, 2026.
The post Reigning World Champ J.R. Gray Wins in JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Series At ‘The Big Go’ in Indy first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
