{"id":101880,"date":"2025-08-04T23:20:30","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T23:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/crew-chief-mike-janis-jr-recounts-legendary-fathers-epic-win-at-norwalks-night-under-fire\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T23:20:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T23:20:30","slug":"crew-chief-mike-janis-jr-recounts-legendary-fathers-epic-win-at-norwalks-night-under-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/crew-chief-mike-janis-jr-recounts-legendary-fathers-epic-win-at-norwalks-night-under-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"Crew Chief Mike Janis Jr. Recounts Legendary Father\u2019s Epic Win at Norwalk\u2019s Night Under Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cStanding on the starting line with nearly 50,000 fans packed into Summit Motorsports Park, I knew this was bigger than just another Pro Mod win,\u201d said crew chief Mike Janis Jr. \u201cThis was my dad\u2019s first victory since returning to the driver\u2019s seat \u2013 and it happened on one of drag racing\u2019s biggest stages. You can\u2019t script moments like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Janis Jr., the 48th Annual Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire wasn\u2019t just about winning a race \u2013 it was about seeing his legendary father, three-time world champion Mike Janis, climb all the way back to the top after a forced retirement due to health issues.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

\u201cWe rolled into Norwalk with a hot rod we knew could be quick,\u201d Jr. said. \u201cOur Quarter-Max Racing-built \u201967 Mustang has been coming around, and we\u2019ve been working nonstop with the new RDRC\/Mike Janis Superchargers\/Luke 1:37 Racing program. Friday night\u2019s qualifying showed what we had \u2013 5.71 at 248 mph to take the provisional No. 1 spot. Honestly, we had even better runs in it past the eighth-mile if we wanted to push it.\u201d<\/p>\n

From that point on, the goal was simple: stay consistent, execute, and give the massive Norwalk crowd a show. The four-car B\u2019laster Pro Mod field was loaded, but Janis Sr. marched through eliminations and lined up for the final under the lights.<\/p>\n

\u201cRacing in front of that crowd was incredible,\u201d Jr. said. \u201cThe energy, the noise, the fireworks \u2013 it\u2019s something you can feel in your chest. And to win in that atmosphere\u2026it\u2019s just icing on the cake. This is our first win with this car, and for my dad to be the one driving, after everything he\u2019s been through, that makes it even sweeter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

For the Janis family, the win was also validation for a new performance alliance with Dmitry Samorukov and Adam Flamholc, aimed at pushing both Mike Janis Superchargers and Jan-Cen Racing Engines to the next level.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of this would be possible without Dean Harvey and Traci for believing in us and putting us in great equipment,\u201d Jr. said. \u201cI guess the equipment is capable of winning. Those guys are a massive part of our program and \u2018thank you\u2019 isn\u2019t strong enough. We love them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Janis Sr., who has been winning at the highest levels of Pro Mod for decades, was quick to credit the people around him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just an honor to be here, let alone to win,\u201d Sr. said. \u201cThis event is unbelievable \u2013 the fans, the facility, the show the Baders put on. To get back in the winner\u2019s circle with this group behind me means the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

As the $250,000 fireworks display lit up the Norwalk sky, Jr. soaked in the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re focused on bringing home the 2025 NHRA Pro Mod Championship to this organization,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got the team, the car, and the drive to make it happen. Gas pedal stays down. Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story was originally published on August 4, 2025. \"Drag<\/p>\n

The post Crew Chief Mike Janis Jr. Recounts Legendary Father\u2019s Epic Win at Norwalk\u2019s Night Under Fire<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cStanding on the starting line with nearly 50,000 fans packed into Summit Motorsports Park, I knew this was bigger than just another Pro Mod win,\u201d said crew chief Mike Janis Jr. \u201cThis was my dad\u2019s first victory since returning to the driver\u2019s seat \u2013 and it happened on one of drag racing\u2019s biggest stages. You […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101880\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}