Bond beat Mike Stavrinos in the last round of the season at Las Vegas to claim his first NHRA Pro Mod championship.
Justin Bond took his first NHRA Pro Mod world championship on Sunday in Las Vegas, outrunning Mike Stavrinos in the deciding final of the season. Bond ran 5.660 seconds at 253.47 mph to Stavrinos' 5.791 at 230.69.
Justin Bond is the NHRA Pro Mod world champion for the first time, after beating Mike Stavrinos head to head in the deciding round on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The pair were first and second in the standings coming in, so the final run settled the title outright at the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge.
This was the last of the 11 races on the series calendar, which also closed the Road to the Championship playoffs. Stavrinos left the line first but had trouble with his car, and Bond caught him just beyond half-track before pulling clear with a 5.660-second pass at 253.47 mph. Stavrinos recorded 5.791 at 230.69.
How Bond got to the final
The result gave Bond his second win of the season and his eighth career NHRA Pro Mod victory. On the way to the final he beat Shane Gray, championship contender Derek Menholt and Billy Banaka, running in the 5.60s over the last three rounds. He took the win over Banaka on a holeshot in the semifinals.
Bond finished the year with two victories and four trips to the final round, and he reached the championship round at three of the last four races. He was also the No. 1 qualifier twice in 2026.
Stavrinos reaches a fourth final
Stavrinos reached the final for the fourth time this year. He beat Alex Laughlin, Nick Januik and J.R. Gray on his way there.
"I just want to thank my team. It's been a wild ride," Bond said after the win. "I don't know what else to say. I'm trying to keep my composure."
The 2027 schedule for the series will be announced in the coming weeks.
