Kevin Rivenbark Opens NHRA Pro Mod Playoffs with Norwalk Victory
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NORWALK, Ohio — June 28, 2026 — Kevin Rivenbark opened the Road to the Championship with a victory in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports at Summit Motorsports Park.
Rivenbark defeated Billy Banaka in a close final round at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, running 5.714 seconds at 251.53 mph to edge Banaka’s 5.716 at 252.33 mph.
The victory was Rivenbark’s first of the 2026 season and the second of his NHRA Pro Mod career. It also moved him to ninth in the championship standings.
After qualifying 13th, Rivenbark defeated former world champion Mike Castellana, championship leader Derek Menholt and Lyle Barnett before advancing to the final. Banaka reached the championship round with wins over Alex Laughlin, Justin Bond and Mike Thielen.
The event was the seventh of 11 races this season and the first of five races in the Road to the Championship. The Norwalk weekend was powered by Polaris and presented by Jan-Cen Motorsports.
Menholt retained the championship lead but holds only a 13-point advantage over Mike Stavrinos. Banaka moved into third and is just 15 points behind the leader.
The series returns to competition September 2–7 at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
