The NHRA Pro Mod ranks got a brand-new winner on Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway, as Derek Menholt captured his first career victory during the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals behind the wheel of his ProCharged Camaro. The Montana-based driver cashed in two races after making his first career final in Indy, sealing the deal in St. Louis against a heavyweight in the class, former world champ Mike Castellana.

The win came in the third stop of Pro Mod’s four-race “Road to the Championship,” and while the final wasn’t pretty, Menholt won ugly when it counted. Castellana left first but ran into problems, and though Menholt’s turbocharged machine had its own issues downtrack, he held on for a 6.468-second pass at just 137 mph to hoist his first Wally.

Getting there wasn’t easy. Menholt worked through a tough ladder, knocking out Dmitry Samorukov, Ken Quartuccio, and J.R. Gray before lining up against Castellana. For Menholt, who’s been grinding away in the class, this was the breakthrough moment.

“Winning my first NHRA Pro Mod race is a dream come true,” Menholt said. “I can’t thank my family enough for standing beside me every step of the way, and I’m grateful to Scott Tidwell and our entire team for believing in this program. This win is a huge milestone, and now we’re carrying that momentum into the final (race of the season) in Las Vegas with our sights set on finishing the season strong.”

The points battle tightened up with the victory. Menholt is now tied for second with Mike Stavrinos, just 11 points back of leader Billy Banaka heading into the season finale at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. J.R. Gray lurks in fourth, 24 points out, setting up a high-stakes shootout to close the year.

Castellana’s runner-up effort was his second final-round appearance of 2025, coming after wins over Nick Januik, Kevin Rivenbark, and Stevie “Fast” Jackson. Pro Mod’s season comes to a head October 30–November 2 in Las Vegas, where a razor-thin points chase will decide the 2025 champion.