Jose Gonzalez Claims Pro Mod Victory At Chicago

In a thrilling finale between the most recent world champions in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series by Type A Motorsports, Jose Gonzalez emerged victorious over reigning champion Kris Thorne, thanks to a stunning performance on a holeshot, at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance

This event, fueled by the support of PGT Trucking, marked the third out of ten races in the 2023 season for the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

Gonzalez, who won the NHRA Pro Mod world title in 2021, triumphed for the first time this season, capturing his eighth career series win. Clocking in at an impressive 5.769 seconds and reaching a speed of 249.76 mph in his Q80 Racing Chevrolet Camaro, Gonzalez’s winning advantage was his lightning-fast .024 reaction time in the final round. This proved enough to fend off Thorne’s close effort of 5.767 seconds at 250.46 mph.

Gonzalez’s path to victory included defeating formidable opponents such as Doug Winters, Billy Banaka, and Sidnei Frigo, showcasing an outstanding performance on his way to his first triumph at Route 66 Raceway.

“It does not get better than that,” Gonzalez said of the final-round matchup with Thorne. “I knew I had to do my job on the wheel because he’s always strong. My team gets all the credit for this and I’m just happy to be here. I haven’t been racing as much lately, but I’m glad to be back. It sure feels good.”

Thorne, a four-time event winner in 2022, made his first appearance in a final this year. His journey to the championship round included triumphs over Kevin Rivenbark, points leader Justin Bond, who had claimed victory in the first two races of the 2023 season, and Manny Buginga.

The FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports will resume on June 2-4 at the 10th annual NHRA New England Nationals, set to take place at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H. This event marks the NHRA Pro Mod category’s inaugural appearance at the track.

About the author

Andrew Wolf

Andrew has been involved in motorsports from a very young age. Over the years, he has photographed several major auto racing events, sports, news journalism, portraiture, and everything in between. After working with the Power Automedia staff for some time on a freelance basis, Andrew joined the team in 2010.
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