JASON COLLINS PRO MOD WINNER AT THE SOUTHERN NATIONALS IN VALDOSTA, GEORGIA – NHRA PHOTO
JASON COLLINS GETS JBS EQUIPMENT NHRA PRO MOD WIN AT RACE POWERED BY DIXIE TRUCKING
ADEL, Ga. (May 3, 2026) – Making just his second career start in the
JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, Jason Collins drove to
the victory, defeating Mike Thielen in the final round on Sunday at
South Georgia Motorsports Park as part of this weekend’s NHRA Southern
Nationals.
It marked the fourth of 11 races during the 2026 season and this
weekend’s event was powered by Dixie Trucking.
After qualifying second, Collins enjoyed a banner Sunday in NHRA Pro
Mod’s official debut at SGMP, going 5.731-seconds at 252.99 mph to
roll past Thielen in an impressive wire-to-wire victory. Collins was a
stout .009 on the starting line and left no doubt as he picked up his
first career NHRA Pro Mod victory.
Collins ran well last weekend in Charlotte in his debut and took it a
step further on Sunday, winning in front of a sellout crowd.
“It’s hard to believe,” Collins said. “I mean, I have to thank the
Lord. I have to thank my dad and my mom. They spent a lot of money
helping me learn how to drive a race car. I know it’s my second NHRA
race, but I’ve done a lot of racing in my life.
“I want to thank Scott Tidwell for putting me in this ride. I want to
thank my crew and the guys who do the tuning. This is a bad racecar. It
is very good. It has aborted one run in about 27 runs and that was the
pedal fest that I won. So even though it didn’t make it down, it still
won the race. I guess it’s something about Blue Camaras and Jason
Collins. They win a lot of rounds.”
Collins reached the final round with victories over Mason Wright, Sidnei
Frigo and Lyle Barnett, going as quick as 5.685 on Sunday.
Thielen reached the championship round after taking down J.R. Gray,
Charlotte winner Mike Stavrinos and Derek Menholt, who now trails points
leader Justin Bond by two points.
The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite
Motorsports returns to action May 14-17 with the Gerber Collision &
Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK at Route 66 Raceway in
Chicago.
***
ADEL, Ga. — Final finish order (1-16) at the 41st annual NHRA Southern
Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park. The race is the fourth of
11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented
by Elite Motorsports.
PRO MODIFIED:
1. Jason Collins; 2. Mike Thielen; 3. Derek Menholt; 4. Lyle Barnett; 5.
Sidnei Frigo; 6. Steve Jackson; 7. Rashid alBalooshi; 8. Mike Stavrinos;
9. Nick Januik; 10. Mason Wright; 11. JR Gray; 12. Spencer Hyde; 13.
Justin Bond; 14. Chip King; 15. Mike Castellana; 16. Billy Banaka.
ADEL, Ga. — Sunday’s final results from the 41st annual NHRA Southern
Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park. The race is the fourth of
11 events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented
by Elite Motorsports.
Pro Modified — Jason Collins, Chevy Camaro, 5.731, 252.99 def. Mike
Thielen, Ford Mustang, 9.682, 93.34.
ADEL, Ga. — Final round-by-round results from the 41st annual NHRA
Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park, the fourth of 11
events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by
Elite Motorsports.
PRO MODIFIED:
ROUND ONE — Steve Jackson, Chevy Camaro, 6.013, 248.43 def. Billy
Banaka, Camaro, 14.490, 69.67; Rashid alBalooshi, Camaro, 5.937, 248.89
def. Chip King, Dodge Charger, 8.520, 108.34; Jason Collins, Camaro,
5.701, 231.36 def. Mason Wright, Camaro, 5.856, 440.67; Lyle Barnett,
Camaro, 5.991, 234.94 def. Spencer Hyde, Ford Mustang, 6.089, 249.39;
Derek Menholt, Camaro, 5.769, 243.63 def. Nick Januik, Chevy Corvette,
5.834, 248.16; Sidnei Frigo, Corvette, 6.622, 198.55 def. Justin Bond,
Camaro, 7.884, 155.76; Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.726, 254.28 def. Mike
Castellana, Camaro, 8.541, 108.26; Mike Thielen, Mustang, 5.744, 250.55
def. JR Gray, Camaro, 5.936, 249.12;
QUARTERFINALS — Barnett, 6.179, 244.21 def. alBalooshi, 6.361, 202.58;
Jason. Collins, 5.685, 253.52 def. Frigo, Foul – Red Light; Menholt,
5.729, 251.58 def. Jackson, 5.952, 247.07; Thielen, 5.748, 250.46 def.
Stavrinos, 9.467, 68.01;
SEMIFINALS — Thielen, 5.759, 250.00 def. Menholt, 5.768, 249.90; Jason.
Collins, 6.399, 242.76 def. Barnett, 7.200, 167.32;
FINAL — Jason. Collins, 5.731, 252.99 def. Thielen, 9.682, 93.34.
ADEL, Ga. — Point standings (top 10) following the 41st annual NHRA
Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park, the fourth of 11
events in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by
Elite Motorsports.
Pro Modified
1. Justin Bond, 278; 2. Derek Menholt, 276; 3. Mike Stavrinos, 264; 4.
Billy Banaka, 233; 5. Steve Jackson, 216; 6. Ken Quartuccio, 194; 7.
Mike Thielen, 190; 8. Lyle Barnett, 188; 9. Stan Shelton, 181; 10. Chip
King, 177.
-NHRA-