It all comes down to Las Vegas for the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports, as the series closes out a thrilling 2026 campaign and crowns a world championship as part of this weekend’s MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
It is the final event of the 11-race season and the Road to the Championship playoffs, and this weekend’s race is powered by Penske Racing Shocks and presented by Precision Racing Suspension.
Last year came down to a winner-take-all scenario, with J.R. Gray winning the race in Las Vegas and his first world championship.
Gray is again one of the marquee contenders, but he’ll have some work to do in a loaded field. With a points-and-a-half scenario in Las Vegas, things could get wild and it will undoubtedly be memorable.
“NHRA Pro Mod represents exactly the type of racing Penske Racing Shocks wants to be involved with — incredibly competitive teams pushing their equipment to the absolute limit. We’re proud to support the Pro Mod community and to put our technology alongside some of the quickest and most innovative race cars in the world,” Penske Racing Shocks Owner Aaron Lambert said.
Leading the way heading to Vegas is Justin Bond, who leads Mike Stavrinos by just 17 points. Derek Menholt is 54 points behind in third, as the top three in the points standings are all after their first world championship in NHRA Pro Mod.
Gray is fourth at 67 points behind Bond, while Billy Banaka, who fell to Gray in the final round in Las Vegas last year, is fifth. With another loaded field in Las Vegas to close out an epic 2026 season, there’s no lack of drama as the championship hunt goes down to the wire.
The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports features two qualifying rounds at 12 and 5:55 p.m. PT on Friday and the final two rounds of qualifying at 11:15 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Saturday. The first round of eliminations is slated for 9:10 a.m. PT on Sunday.
A qualifying session on both Friday and Saturday, and a round of eliminations will be broadcast for free on NHRA’s YouTube page. Fans can subscribe to the channel to be notified when the class goes live on NHRA’s YouTube page.
To purchase tickets to the MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, call 800-644-4444 or visit LVMS.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admission areas with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit NHRA.com.
This story was originally published on October 29, 2026.
The post With High Stakes, JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Series Set to Close Out Season in Las Vegas first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
