06/15/2026
The Pro Mod world lost one of its own this weekend. Shane Molinari, a West Coast fixture and one of the most beloved figures in the doorslammer pits, died following a crash at Sonoma Raceway. He was 59. For the better part of two decades, the Battle Ground, Washington, racer was a constant out West, the guy everybody knew and nobody had a bad word for, as quick with a laugh in the pits as he was hard to beat on race day. He broke through on the national stage in 2017, wheeling his turbocharged '68 Firebird to his first NHRA Pro Mod victory at Norwalk with a 5.779 at 257 mph, but the wins were only ever part of the story. Shane did it the hard way, loved every minute of it, and brought people with him along the way. All in, all heart, grateful for the ride. Rest easy, racer.
