Antron Brown – Syndication Server

Brown, Prock, Glenn, Smith win NHRA Carolina Nationals

Three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown moved into the points lead for the first time since 2017, winning his second straight playoff race on Sunday at zMAX Dragway after defeating Doug Foley in the final round of the 16th annual NHRA …

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 16th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

In the final round, Brown went 3.848s at 319.90mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster to beat Foley’s 3.862s at 316.08mph, powering to his fifth victory this season and 79th in his career. It was also his 63rd Top Fuel win, as Brown passed Larry Dixon for the second-most Top Fuel wins in NHRA history.

After qualifying 10th, Brown put together a workmanlike Sunday, defeating Steve Torrence, Billy Torrence and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta to reach the final round. He then led wire-to-wire against Foley, taking over the points lead for the first time in more than seven years. His points lead stands at 53 and 62 points over Justin Ashley and Shawn Langdon, respectively. Kalitta is 67 points behind.

“When you race somebody like Doug Foley, you don’t falter and say, ‘Well, I can’t mess up.’ That’s when you set yourself up for failure,” Brown said. “We go out there and run what we can run, and give it all we got, and it fell our way. We just keep working hard and digging, no matter what. You’ve got to show up on race day and we have that mindset to stay humble and stay hungry.

“We still have four races left. Drag racing’s math. There’s 16 rounds left on table to win and our goal is go out there wins many of those rounds as possible. We won the first eight, so we’ve got a third of them.”

Foley reached his second career final round after beating Tony Schumacher, Ashley and Clay Millican.

Funny Car’s Austin Prock continued his absolute dominant run in the loaded category, winning his third straight race and seventh overall in an incredible 2024 campaign, racing past defending world champion Matt Hagan in the final round with a run of 3.924s at 326.48mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. There appears to be no stopping Prock, who has opened up a commanding 129-point lead in the Funny Car ranks through the first two playoff races after delivering his 11th career win.

He reached the championship round on Sunday thanks to wins against Alexis DeJoria, Ron Capps and John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman. Hagan and Prock then delivered a thriller in the finals, with Hagan leaving first and going 3.958s at 324.98mph. But Prock was able to track the reigning champ down, adding another monumental performance in a season filled with spectacular runs and victories.

“We left the door open to get beat today a couple times and then my team made wholesale changes going into the semifinals, stuff I would say 95 percent of the crew chiefs wouldn’t change going into a round, and it went up there and flew,” Prock said. “It stuck. It was on a mission, and I did the same thing in the final round.

“I’m just trying to take it one moment at a time, one round at a time. And if you do that, you don’t get caught up in being the leader, being the chaser, just go up there and do the best that you can do, because each person on the team has a specific job to do, and they have to do it perfect to have the success. We’ll celebrate tonight and then get my head back in the game and go and try again, one run at a time.”

Hagan, who qualified No. 1, reached the finals for the ffith time this year and 92nd time in his career with round wins against Dave Richards and Bob Tasca III. Hagan was looking for a sweep of both Charlotte races this year. Tasca is second in points, while Beckman trails his teammate by 136 points.

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Pro Stock’s Dallas Glenn, who was the points leader for most of the regular season, jumped back to the top spot on Sunday, slipping past Aaron Stanfield in the finals after going 6.626s at 207.18mph in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro. It’s the fourth win of the season in eight trips to the finals for Glenn, who now leads Stanfield by just eight points with four races remaining this season.

To reach the finals, Glenn had to get past Mason McGaha, Matt Hartford and reigning world champion Erica Enders. That set up a marquee duel with two of the category’s top young standouts, with Glenn posting a 0.026s reaction time and holding off Stanfield at the finish line.

“Aaron has a fast car and he’s a great driver and doesn’t make mistakes,” Glenn said. “So, it’s a deal where you can’t make a mistake against him. The crew chiefs have to do their job and give me the best car they can. I’m glad that Aaron and I put on a good show for the fans in the final. I hate not having a close race against him.

“In the Countdown, every lap I go up there in eliminations, I’m on kill. I’m trying to do everything I can. I can’t make any mistakes. I’ve got to try to make sure I get every last bit in case it does shake a little bit and I lose whatever performance advantage I have. I’m on kill 100 percent of the time.”

Stanfield, who had won back-to-back races, knocked off Chris McGaha, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Greg Anderson to reach the finals for the eighth time in 2024 and 23rd time overall. Enders is 53 points back in third, while Anderson trails his KB Titan Racing teammate Glenn by 74 points.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith took a big step towards a possible seventh world championship, picking up his second win of the year on his Denso Auto Parts Buell when rookie Richard Gadson went red in the final round. Smith rolled to a run of 6.846s at 199.35mph, scooping up his 40th career win and moving into the points lead for the first time this year in the process.

To get to the final round, Smith defeated his wife, Angie, and Matt Smith Racing teammate Jianna Evaristo, clinching the home track win when Gadson left the starting line a touch too soon. He now leads defending world champion Gaige Herrera by 25 points, finishing off a hugely-rewarding weekend that saw Smith also qualify No. 1. He’s now laser-focused on trying to become the first rider in NHRA history to win seven Pro Stock Motorcycle championships.

“I was just trying to stay good and tough against Richard and when I went through the lights, I didn’t see my win light and I didn’t know if I won or not,” Smith said. “It’s never a good feeling when you can’t see a win light because you thought you had a good deal, but you don’t ever know. But all in all, what a weekend, what a day.

“I like being under pressure. It doesn’t matter what you do in the regular season. You always have to be good the last six races, and I’ve always been pretty good last six races, and that’s how I won my championships, and that’s how we’re going to continue to race.”

Gadson reached his second straight final round after defeating Ron Tornow, Chase Van Sant and Herrera. He remains third in points, 27 back of Smith.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Sept. 27-29 with the 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.

Prock wins NHRA Reading Nationals in all-JFR Funny Car final

In an all-John Force Racing final round in Funny Car, points leader Austin Prock powered past Jack Beckman on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway, picking up his sixth victory of the season at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. Antron Brown (Top …

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 15th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Prock, who also qualified No. 1 for the 11th time in 15 races, went 3.896s at 332.51mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to get past Beckman’s 3.951s at 330.88mph. It extends the points lead for Prock, who won his second straight race and also earned his 10th career victory.

He defeated Mike Smith, Chad Green and Bob Tasca III to reach the finals, and then delivered another consistent run in the final round, becoming one of only a handful of drivers to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car and Maple Grove Raceway. Prock’s lead now stands at 86 points over Tasca heading into the final five races.

“It feels great to rack up some points and get a little bit of a gap over second again. It definitely feels good,” Prock said. “This is the best way you can start out the Countdown – No. 1 qualifier, we got points almost every round and the car was flying today, and we ended up holding another Wally. Kudos to this Cornwell Tools team for allowing me to do this.

“We saw the ladder last night and said we have two cars capable of meeting in the final round and that was the goal today and we executed perfectly. Jack drove his tail off today, and I’m really proud of him. He’s getting comfortable and becoming lethal in that car. He was mowing the tree down and that thing runs as good as any of these cars out here. It’s great to see him and the team having success right off the bat like they are.”

Beckman, who is driving for John Force, reached his first final since returning in Brainerd after defeating Joe Morrison, J.R. Todd and then Alexis DeJoria on a wild and memorable pedalfest.

The Top Fuel final round was a thriller, too, as Antron Brown picked up his fourth win of 2024 and the 78th in his career in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster thanks to a run of 3.798s at 327.27mph in the championship round against Shawn Langdon. It made a tight field in the loaded category even tighter, as Brown pulled to within one point of leader Justin Ashley. With his final-round appearance, Langdon is just six points behind Ashley as well.

But Sunday ultimately belonged to Brown, who again came to life during eliminations. He went a Sunday-best 3.723s in the opening round to defeat Jasmine Salinas and then knocked off Tony Schumacher and Dan Mercier to reach the final round. Facing off with Langdon, Brown delivered a stellar 0.043s reaction time and then held off Langdon in a terrific side-by-side race to win for the third time at Maple Grove Raceway as he aims to try and win his fourth world championship.

“Going into race day, we knew we were going to have something, but the track got a little bit trickier than we thought it was. It was medieval out there. A lot of people were spinning the tires, but we made it far enough down the track,” Brown said. “Brian Corradi, Mark (Oswald), all of our Matco boys gave me a car that went the distance. We were just better than everybody that we raced at that time. When we got to the final, we knew it was going to be a monster matchup.

“I knew Shawn was going to run about the same E.T. and it was going to be who can leave the starting line. Lo and behold, I was able to keep my head down and we got a little bit of an advantage right there and the car outran him. It was one of those deals, we got the win and the car was smooth down the racetrack. It felt really good when that win light came on, we needed a start like that if we wanted to be in this race to win this championship.”

Langdon advanced to the final round for the seventh time this season and the 45th time in his career after defeating Ida Zetterstrom, Tony Stewart and Ashley. Doug Kalitta, who was the points leader entering the Countdown, dropped to fourth after a first-round loss.

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In Pro Stock, there seems to be no stopping red-hot Aaron Stanfield, as he won for the fifth time this season, going 6.569s at 209.26mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Janac Brothers car to defeat Elite Motorsports teammate and defending world champion Erica Enders on a holeshot in the final round. It’s also Stanfield’s second straight win and he moves into the points lead for the first time this season after picking up his 13th career win.

To reach the final round, Stanfield defeated Troy Coughlin Jr., Chris McGaha and Dallas Glenn to reach the final round and set up the teammate versus teammate matchup. Stanfield went an impressive 0.017s on the starting line – on a day where he was also 0.012s and 0.014s in eliminations – and held off Enders at the finish to continue his recent roll. Stanfield has now won five of the last seven races.

“It feels great. Momentum is real,” Stanfield said. “Things have been rolling our way and we’ve been getting those round wins when we need them to go our way. We did our job today, Erica and I and all our guys. We put both of our JHG/Melling cars in the final round there, and that was the goal.

“When you start out No. 2, you know you’ve got a shot. I know the equipment I’m in, and I know how hungry my guys are to win. We definitely have a shot here, we just need to keep this momentum that we’ve got rolling.”

Enders went to the final round for the fourth time in 2024 and the 82nd time overall after defeating Mason McGaha, Matt Hartford and longtime rival Greg Anderson. Stanfield’s lead now stands at nine points over Dallas Glenn, with Enders 35 points back.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Hector Arana Jr. enjoyed a spectacular Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway, finishing it off with a 6.839s at 198.38mph on his GETTRX Buell to defeat Richard Gadson in the final round. It is Arana’s first victory of the season and 19th in his career, and he had to go through some standouts to get it.

Arana knocked off Jianna Evaristo and Angie Smith to reach the semifinals, and then got past points leader and defending world champion Gaige Herrera when Herrera went red. That set up a final-round duel with Gadson and Arana quickly tracked him down, winning at his home track for the third time in his career. The victory also pushed Arana into fourth in points, setting up the potential for a memorable late-season run for the veteran.

“We have a great team and we have a great motorcycle that everybody works hard,” Arana Jr. “We tried a bunch of things this year leading up to the Countdown and now it’s time to turn it on. We collected everything, got it together, and here we are in the winner’s circle holding up a Wally. I couldn’t imagine a better day.

“Fortunately for us, we were able to stay green and here we are in the winner’s circle. But we have some more power to make to fight with them. I came in here with confidence. We had a great bike and I said it all weekend, you have to have a good consistent bike in order to win the race, and that’s what we did.”

Gadson advanced to the final round for the second time in his rookie season, defeating Geno Scali, Chase Van Sant and defending event winner Matt Smith. Herrera remains in the points lead, holding an 17-point advantage over M. Smith. Gadson is 19 points behind in third.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Sept. 20-22 with the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

Prock sweeps Saturday at NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd

On the final Funny Car pass of the day at Brainerd International Raceway, points leader Austin Prock powered to the No. 1 spot and claimed his sixth straight victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday at the 42nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA …

Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Jerry Tucker (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 at the 13th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Prock went a stellar 3.860s at 334.07mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to close out qualifying and win the specialty race against Ron Capps in the process. It gives Prock an incredible seven victories in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, which is the most in the history of the program that started a year ago.

He’s earned 23 bonus championship points as well, while the run hands the points leader and first-year Funny Car driver an equally incredible nine No. 1 qualifiers in the first 13 races of the season. Like he’s done several times in 2024, Prock will look for a clean sweep of the weekend on Sunday, opening eliminations against Jim Campbell.

“It was impressive, but the conditions were coming to everybody,” Prock said. “Safety Safari did an outstanding job of getting the race track back into tip-top shape. I’m really proud of the team, we had a great day and were low of both sessions.

“I was nervous but a little excited to get another shot at a late run here because last night we threw up. We were kind of scratching our heads on why. It was really close to making it and it just didn’t go. [Today], it went right down there and made a really nice pass. We ended up with three more points, a Mission win, and another yellow hat – pretty proud of that.”

Bob Tasca III jumped to second after going 3.868s at 334.98mph in the final session, while Blake Alexander took third thank to Friday’s run of 3.874s at 331.61mph.

In Top Fuel, Antron Brown stayed red-hot in Brainerd, as the defending event winner and victor in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge repeated the first part of that on Saturday, defeating Steve Torrence in the final of the bonus race with a run of 3.842s at 314.17mph in his Matco Tools Toyota dragster.

It is Brown’s second victory in the Challenge this season, giving him 10 bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship. Brainerd continues to be a great place for the three-time world champion who looking to be peaking at the perfect time. He’s the back-to-back Indy winner and Brown, who is currently fifth in points, also won the most recent race in Sonoma, giving him plenty of momentum at an ideal time.

“It’s always been a plan in motion to try to peak at the right time. Our car has been running exceptionally well and that’s just a tribute to our team,” Brown said. “They’ve been working really hard at this and they got a good combination. We’ve been running strong enough, even with the Mission #2Fast2Tasty to pull off the runs. We make it down track every run, and when you do that, it gives you a chance to win.

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“This is one of those great tracks. This is a special track for us, this is where we ran our first 0.60s, a 3.68s against J.R. Todd. This track always has some great memories for us, and we always kick into gear – this is where we get into our groove. We race enough races in a row to know where we’re at and where we need to be at. Tomorrow, hopefully we can continue that trend and carry it on to the U.S. Nationals.”

Torrence kept the No. 1 position on the strength of Friday’s 3.688s at 335.32mph in his Capco Contractors Toyota dragster. It gives the four-time world champ his third top spot this season and the 40th in his career. He’ll open eliminations against Ida Zetterstrom, who is making her Top Fuel debut this weekend in Brainerd.

“This is time where you really get up on your A-game and start working on trying to go win a championship,” Torrence said. “We have here and Indy left, and then it’s ‘katy bar the door.’ Everybody is going to be swinging as hard as they can and trying to go out and win a championship. We’re right in the thick of things, and we need to capitalize on every opportunity we have to stay a top three car and start the Countdown strong.”

Tony Stewart stayed in the second spot thanks to Friday’s 3.688s at 332.18mph and Brittany Force jumped to third in the final qualifying session thanks to a run of 3.698s at 335.48mph.

Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson capped off the night with his third win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, taking down KB Titan Racing teammate Cory Reed in the final of the bonus race with a run of 6.618s at 204.79mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It was an ideal finish for the evening for Anderson, who will look to sweep his hometown race and win for the first time in Brainerd since 2011.

“It was definitely a great day,” Anderson said. “You have to stick it out. Nobody cares how it happened, they just know who won, period, so you have to find a way to win. We did. It was a great race in the final with my new teammate, Cory Reed. He’s obviously going to be a special racer. I’m very proud of the boy, and I dodged a bullet. We’ll see what the Good Lord brings tomorrow.

“Today was a great day. I love racing on Saturday, and as I’ve said many times before, after a great win on Sunday I sure wish we could race tomorrow, and man we get to race tomorrow. I’m very happy about that, and I can’t wait to get to it. I think tomorrow is going to be smooth, it should be a great day, and hopefully we can find a way to show off in front of the hometown fans.”

Jerry Tucker earned his second career No. 1 qualifier of the year in his Outlaw Mile Hi Beer/Scag Power Equipment Car after a strong pass of 6.612s at 207.78mph. It adds to Tucker’s current momentum after running well in Sonoma and advancing to the semifinals. He’ll face off with Mason McGaha, hoping to pick up his first career win in Pro Stock and give Elite Motorsports its seventh straight victory of the year as well.

“We knew we had it in us. We went to Sonoma, and we were probably the fastest car. I let the team down,” Tucker said. “We went over to Rock Falls and did some testing and we were faster than Jeg and TJ and Erica. Really, in testing, if you’re that fast, you’ve got a good racecar. When the car is that fast, it’s a lot of pressure on a guy not to mess up a good deal. Erica drove that car for five years, and there are no issues with that car. It’s the fastest car.

“The Elite team is something, it’s hard to put your finger on. Everyone is pulling in the same direction. Erica Enders has been great to me, Jeg has been right beside me. Anytime you have that many championships trying to keep you in line, it’s kind of hard to mess up. My team is good that works on my car, so it’s really just up to the driver.”

Enders is second with a 6.612s at 207.27mph and Anderson qualified third.

Eliminations for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway.

Brown, Tasca, Stanfield, M. Smith go the rounds at NHRA’s Western Swing visit to Sonoma

Top Fuel’s Antron Brown defeated first-time finalist Tony Stewart in the final round of the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals, picking up his third win of the 2024 season on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield …

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 12th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Stewart left first with a slight advantage on the starting line, but Brown quickly tracked him down, going 3.746s at 329.67mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster to earn his 77th career victory. Brown defeated Shawn Reed, Steve Torrence and Brittany Force to reach the final round, leaning on consistency time after time this weekend in Sonoma.

It paid off in a major way, as Brown, who qualified seventh, powered to his fifth Top Fuel victory at Sonoma, which ties him with Doug Kalitta for the most in class history at the facility.

“Sonoma has a special meaning to me. It’s like a piece of heaven out here and just being here puts me in the zone,” Brown said. “Me and Tony know each other well. When I started as a team owner he was putting together TSR, we talked a lot about budgets and spread sheets and all that.

“He was also a hero of mine when he ran NASCAR and IndyCar. I know how good of a driver he is. He understands the science so as soon as he showed up I knew what he could do. I did tell him to come on over but there are a lot of sharks in the water here. His time is coming and it won’t be one win. It will be a lot of them, but this is a good win for us. My team stays poised and they were incredible all weekend. I’m super-pumped for all of them. We went down the track every single lap and that was an awesome, awesome job to get a win like this.”

Stewart’s first final in Top Fuel came after defeating Shawn Langdon, Justin Ashley and Ron August Jr., who upset points leader, No. 1 qualifier and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta in the first round.

In Funny Car, nobody could track down Bob Tasca III all weekend and that continued in the final round, racing to his second Sonoma win in three years by taking down Ron Capps in the final round with a 4.088s at 277.15mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. It’s also the third win of the year for Tasca, who remained second points, and he did it in incredible fashion.

Tasca qualified No. 1 with a 338mph run, added a weekend-best run of 338.77mph in the opening round against Buddy Hull and then drove past Paul Lee and points leader Austin Prock to reach the final round. The semifinals against Prock was a thriller, as Tasca won on a holeshot with an 0.022s reaction time, sending him to the final round where he held on to the win against Capps. It was another rewarding moment for Tasca, who now has 18 career wins as he gets into championship form.

“It’s so hard to win these things and that’s a testament to my crew, to Todd Okuhara and Aaron Brooks,” Tasca said. “They pulled it back and still ran 337mph. I was a bit surprised in the final. It was pulling great and then it knocked the tires off. You have no idea how that feels. I looked out the side window because I expected him to come by me. Fortunately, I got it to recover.

“I thought if we could get the car to run like it ran in Q4 we could beat him and I said that to Todd. I said, ‘Let’s run as quick as we can and if he beats us, I’ll be the first to congratulate him.’”

Capps advanced to the finals for the second time in three races and the 149th time in his career by getting round wins against Cruz Pedregon, defending event winner J.R. Todd and reigning world champion Matt Hagan.

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Aaron Stanfield stayed red-hot in the Pro Stock ranks, which meant Elite Motorsports did as well, as Stanfield won for the third time in four races while taking down first-time Pro Stock finalist Cory Reed in the championship round with an impressive run of 6.540s at 209.98mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Janac Brothers car. It’s also the 11th career win for Stanfield, whose efforts over the past two months have helped propel Elite Motorsports to six straight victories.

Stanfield has three of them in that span, grabbing his second career win at Sonoma Raceway after defeating Mason McGaha, defending world champion Erica Enders and No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson. He delivered another strong reaction time in the final round against Reed, rolling to the victory as Stanfield continues to make big strides this season.

“This is a great win, but I want to shout out to Cory Reed for going to the final in his second race,” Stanfield said. “This week we lost a good friend, Tim “the Iceman” Kelly, to cancer and I wanted to get it done for him. I know Cory is fresh to the class so I would have been surprised if he played any games, so I just did my normal routine. I think I’m driving better this year and I’d love to continue that.

“We didn’t have a great ladder since all the hitters seemed to be on one side. I had to race Erica and we’re teammates, but we still want to beat each other. Then there was Greg and you’ve got to be on your game anytime you race him.”

In just his second career Pro Stock start, Reed, who previously raced in Pro Stock Motorcycle, advanced to the final round by taking down Deric Kramer, Eric Latino and Jerry Tucker. Dallas Glenn remains the points leader in the class.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith, a six-time world champion, finished off one of the best weekends in his career on Sunday, getting his first win of the season by taking down teammate John Hall in the final round with a run of 6.700s at 203.77mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. It was a picture-perfect three days for Smith, who qualified No. 1, set the track record with a stellar 6.655s, won the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout on Saturday and then snapped a winless streak that stretched back to the Countdown to the Championship opener last September in Reading, Pa.

That drought is over in emphatic fashion, as Smith, now a two-time Sonoma winner, took down Eiji Kawakami and Seattle winner Chase Van Sant to reach the final round against Hall. His teammate left the starting line first, but Smith, who also picked up his 39th career win, quickly chased him down, picking up a meaningful win and putting him right back on track when it comes to racing for what would be a class-record seventh world championship.

“This is very big,” Smith said. “This is a Denso event which is our sponsor, and we won everything there is to win. We put a lot into getting our bikes ready for this weekend. We’re gaining ground on the rest of the field and that takes a team effort.

“It’s all in the 60-foot area. Our class is so dependent on that. The Suzuki’s stepped up their game and we need to follow them. I learned to leave low and take power out to get the bike to leave the starting line. I’m 51 and I’m getting older but I can still do this. To me, the magic number is seven. If I get that seventh title this year I promise I’ll get off the bike and put some young kid on it who can do the job.”

Hall reached his second final round this year and the fourth in his career by defeating Angie Smith, defending world champion and points leader Gaige Herrera and Hector Arana Jr.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Aug. 15-18 with the 42nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minn.

Brown, Tasca, Stanfield, Herrera grab NHRA Summit Nationals wins

Three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown slipped past points leader Doug Kalitta in the final round of the 18th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, racing to his 76th career win on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park. Bob Tasca III …

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 10th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Brown denied Kalitta, the reigning world champ, his second straight win, going 3.736s at 330.55mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster to get past Kalitta’s 3.747s at 334.65mph in a fantastic side-by-side duel. It is Brown’s second win this season – and the 60th Top Fuel win in his spectacular career – and he reached the final round after defeating Dan Mercier, Clay Millican and Justin Ashley. Brown then led wire-to-wire against the No. 1 qualifier, moving to fourth in points with the thrilling victory.

“This is the best one right now, but your best one is always your next one,” Brown said. “We’re going to celebrate like rock stars tonight because this class is unbelievably tough. You can be on the outside looking in really quick. Coming here, we really felt we had a package that compete and run with anybody.

“The fans here live, eat and breath drag racing and you could tell the way the fans showed out. To be part of that and go rounds, come out the victor – my hat is off to my team. I’m in awe of how we got this done. It’s truly a blessing to be part of this team and get this win and John Force, this win is for you.”

Kalitta reached his fourth straight final of the year and the 117th in his career with round wins against Kyle Wurtzel, Billy Torrence and Steve Torrence. His points lead now stands at 134 over Justin Ashley.

In Funny Car, Bob Tasca III made the most of his second straight trip to the final round in his Ford Performance Dark Horse Mustang, taking down Ron Capps with a standout run of 3.908s at 330.47mph. It gives Tasca his second win this season and the 17th in his career and the veteran also obliterated the track speed record, going 336.82mph.

That came in the first round of eliminations against Dave Richards and Tasca then proceeded to knock off Paul Lee and No. 1 qualifier and points leader Austin Prock. That semifinal must-see matchup didn’t disappoint, as Tasca won on a holeshot, going 3.929s at 334.73mph to hold off Prock’s 3.927s thanks to a 0.046s reaction time. Tasca then cruised to the victory in the final round, winning for the second time in Norwalk and also moving to second in points.

“Hats off to Todd Okuhara and Aaron Brooks. Leaving Bristol, we were pretty disappointed,” Tasca said. “They’re about as aggressive of guys as I’ve ever seen, and I’m an aggressive guy. But we have to go down the racetrack. I think we’re like 14 out of 15 runs since Bristol going down the racetrack, and that’s what it takes to win. They just did an incredible job this weekend. Friday, Saturday were some of the most challenging conditions that we’ve ever seen and the car runs .88, .89, like a bracket car. This is a really special group.

“This morning when I woke up and I heard the positive news about John Force, it was like a weight was lifted off our shoulders. This place is special to John and I dedicate this win to John Force. He will be back and he’s the toughest guy I know.”

Capps broke a season-long slump, advancing to his first final of the year and the 148th in his career after taking down Daniel Wilkerson, J.R. Todd and reigning world champion Matt Hagan. Prock’s points lead is now 178 points over Tasca.

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Pro Stock’s Aaron Stanfield stayed red-hot, winning his second straight race by taking down points leader Dallas Glenn in the final round with a run of 6.539s at 208.91mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports car. It was the quickest run of the weekend in the category and also marks the 10th career victory for the young standout, who also won last weekend in Richmond.

Stanfield advanced to the championship round by defeating Chris McGaha, Deric Kramer and Cristian Cuadra. Glenn ran into tire shake almost immediately, and Stanfield cruised to the victory, moving up to fourth in points in the process.

“This place is awesome and it’s been on my bucket list to get it done,” Stanfield said. “My hot rod was flying this weekend and I’m glad I’m the one that’s behind the wheel. It feels great to get back-to-back wins and get this ice cream scoop here.

“Racing Dallas, we both come from the same background. He’s a tough competitor and it feels good to turn the win light on. We’re both hardworking people, and we’ve really grinded to get in the position we are. It’s cool to get to race against him and he’s bad to the bone, so I know I’ve got to be on my best to beat him. It’s just a cool moment.”

Glenn reached the finals for the fifth time this season and the 22nd time in his career, picking up round wins against Jeg Coughlin Jr., Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Mason McGaha. He also extended his points lead to 89 over Greg Anderson, who fell in the first round. Reigning world champ Erica Enders also lost in the opening round.

Gaige Herrera again raised his performance on Sunday in Pro Stock Motorcycle, extending his NHRA record with an 11th straight win, defeating Matt Smith in the final round on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki with an impressive run of 6.704s at 200.77mph. The dominant points leader and defending world champion remained undefeated since last September and for all of 2024, winning his sixth straight race this year and first at Summit Motorsports Park.

Herrera qualified third heading into eliminations, but was incredible on Sunday, going a track-record 6.698s at 200.95mph to open the day. He added round wins against Chase Van Sant and John Hall to reach the final round before the marquee matchup with Smith. But Herrera left the starting line first and rolled to the victory.

“I have an awesome team behind me, and they deserve more of the credit than I do. I get the spotlight but all in all, it’s them. It shows their hard work. It’s just been a lot accomplished in a short time and it’s really hard to take it all in, but I’m enjoying it. It’s unbelievable but it makes me feel like all my hard work is paying off. I’ve always wanted to be here since I was a little kid.

“I actually grew up one city over from John Force. You grow up watching John, hearing about him, to have my name in that same area – it’s still John Force, you can never compare yourself to anyone like that, but to have my name mentioned in the history books like that, it’s incredible. I never would have dreamed anything of it as a kid and I still don’t believe it.”

Smith earned his second trip to the finals this year and the 77th in his career thanks to round wins against Wesley Wells and Richard Gadson.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action July 19-21 with the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle.

Brown powers back to victory at NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown picked up his 75th career win on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway, powering past Shawn Langdon in the final round of the 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK …

Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the sixth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Brown went 3.838s at 324.75mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster in the championship round, winning for the first time in 2024 and the 75th time overall. Brown picked up wins against Jasmine Salinas, points leader Justin Ashley and Steve Torrence to reach the finals, leading wire-to-wire against Langdon, who went 3.869s at 322.04mph in the finals, to claim his sixth overall Chicago victory and fourth in Top Fuel.

“This weekend, this track was medieval,” Brown said. “It was tricky. We didn’t get down in Q1 so we had to be safe in Q2 because that was Friday night where all the good numbers came up. We ran quick enough to get in the show. Now today was hot, and a lot of cars weren’t making it down. We just had to focus on what we were doing.

“In the final, we had to step it up. We figured we needed to go 3.82-83s because that’s how [Landgon] ran in the semifinals. We got down from start to finish and that was the key. I just try to stay humble and stay hungry. That’s my game. The race here has a lot of special meaning and it was a total team effort to get the job done. I always love racing here in Chicago.”

Langdon advanced to the final round for the third time this year and 41st time in his Top Fuel career, picking up wins against Cody Krohn, Shawn Reed and Dan Mercier. Ashley remained in the points lead.

In Funny Car, defending world champion Matt Hagan became the first two-time winner in the category, taking down John Force in a thriller of a final round with a run of 3.998s at 323.31mph in his Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat for Tony Stewart Racing. It’s also the second straight victory for Hagan, who won in Charlotte, and now appears to have found his groove, moving into the points lead in the process. The Charlotte victory was the 50th in his career and he added to that on Sunday, getting to the final round with wins against Ron Capps, Paul Lee and Blake Alexander.

Remarkably enough, the pass in the finals was the first 3s run of the weekend for Hagan, but it came at the perfect time, as the four-time world champion held off Force’s 4.096s at 311.05mph to win in Chicago for the fourth time, taking plenty of momentum into the summer.

“This was a tricky track but I think the thing I’m most proud of is how we got down it every time today,” Hagan said. “We qualified 11th which meant we got stuck in the left lane. Usually one lane is just a bit better than the other and today it was the right lane, but my guys did a great job. They killed it today. At the end of the day, we had a good car and I felt like I was seeing the light great today.

“I’m honored to race John Force. He’s the GOAT. He’s the best there’s ever been. We’ve had our moments but I have nothing but respect for him. Overall, this is the toughest the class has been since I remember.”

John Force made his second final-round appearance of 2024 and the 268th in his legendary career, taking down Buddy Hull, Alexis DeJoria and Daniel Wilkerson.

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Dallas Glenn remained perfect in his Pro Stock career at Route 66 Raceway, claiming his second straight victory at the facility with a run of 6.567s at 208.20mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Aaron Stanfield in the championship round. Glenn also moved into the points lead after his impressive day, driving away with his second win this season and the 10th in his Pro Stock career. He made his first Pro Stock appearance in Chicago last year and made strong improvements on Sunday after qualifying in the seventh spot.

He beat Eric Latino, Troy Coughlin Jr. and KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson to reach the final round, making his quickest run of the weekend against Anderson (6.565s) before leading wire-to-wire against Stanfield in the finals.

“I felt good today. I was nice and relaxed, and I hit the tree when I needed to,” Glenn said. “We had a good car and in Q4 when I scored a bonus point that was good for my confidence. Being the No. 7 qualifier was not representative of how good our car was. Racing Greg, you never know what you’re going to get. He might be low for the weekend and lately he’s been driving extra good.

“As for the rivalry with Elite (Motorsports), it’s good for Pro Stock and I love it. I’m not the guy leading the charge. I prefer to let my car do the talking.”

Stanfield advanced to the finals for the second time this season and 17th time overall, taking down Fernando Cuadra Jr., Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Jerry Tucker.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera found another level on Sunday in Chicago, winning his eighth straight race to tie Dave Schultz for the most consecutive wins in class history. In the final round at Route 66 Raceway, Herrera went 6.713s at 200.68mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, holding off Chase Vant Sant to stay perfect in 2024. It’s his third victory this season and eighth straight dating back to the second race in the Countdown to the Championship a year ago, also giving the defending world champion his 14th career victory in just his 24th career start.

Herrera saw his streak of 11 straight No. 1 qualifiers snapped on Saturday to Matt Smith, but he was dominant on Sunday, going 6.694s at 200.47mph in the opening round. He added victories against John Hall and LE Tonglet to reach the championship round, leaving first on Van Sant and cruising to another memorable victory.

“First, congrats to Chase Van Sant. He did a great job today and he’s on his way,” Herrera said. “As far as tying Dave Schultz, I’m honored. I wish I’d had a chance to meet him, but I’ve heard a lot of great stories and I know what he did for this Pro Stock Motorcycle class. It’s still hard to believe I’m mentioned in the same sentence as him.

“We qualified No. 2 behind Matt, but today was a different day. The weather was consistent and that let us really work on our tune-up. I honestly thought I would be me and Matt in the final round. I was consistent and my bike was on rails. We had a very consistent motorcycle this weekend.”

Van Sant, the reigning NHRA Rookie of the Year winner, advanced to his first career final round thanks to victories against Steve Johnson, M. Smith and Angie Smith.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action May 31-June 2 with the 14th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.

Brown aiming to use NHRA’s next 4-Wide event to his advantage

Antron Brown wants to be the cat sitting in the tree this weekend at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway for the 4-Wide Nationals. “You want to be poised,” Brown told RACER. “You might have four mice running at you, but you want to focus on one that you want …

Antron Brown wants to be the cat sitting in the tree this weekend at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway for the 4-Wide Nationals.

“You want to be poised,” Brown told RACER. “You might have four mice running at you, but you want to focus on one that you want to jump at because you’re not going to catch all four of them. You have to focus on the one that you need.”

zMAX Dragway is the site of the second four-wide event of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Brown, a three-time Top Fuel champion, knows success at the facility when it’s four lanes with two event wins (2014 and ’15) and a runner-up finish (2016). He’s won a total of six times in his career at zMAX Dragway.

Brown has been in the elimination quad in four of the last seven four-wide events between Las Vegas and Charlotte, including two weeks ago in Las Vegas.

“I think the biggest trap in four-wide racing is when you race somebody else, you can kind of go into machine mode without thinking,” Brown said. “But when you add two additional competitors, you don’t want to be the first one to stage, but you don’t want to be the last one.”

In four-wide racing, it’s not only two additional lanes and competitors but an additional Christmas tree, which means there are additional chances of being led into a mistake. Some happen during staging (like timing out), or red lighting because a driver believes they hear someone else on the throttle, or even looking at the wrong Christmas tree.

“Everyone has motions in their mind, and I think that’s what makes it difficult,” Brown said. “Because you’re not thinking about the one person you’re racing where you go, ‘Hey, this person isn’t that good on the tree. All I’ve got to do is get off the starting line, and if we go A to B, we’ll be good to go.’ Now you have to think about, ‘Well, hold up. I’m not just racing Steve Torrence. Now I’ve got Justin Ashley in the other lane. Gosh, dog, he’s quick on the tree. Steve’s decent on the tree, but his car runs really, really well, so I’ve got to be quick on the tree. Thank God my car is running well because Justin’s car runs well, and he’s quick on the tree.’

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“Then you go, ‘[Man], Doug Kalitta is the last one. …We’ve got Doug Kalitta, too.’ It’s one of those deals where the hardest part is you’ve got to try to tone down your senses because they are heightened because you’ve got so much happening around you. Before, the narrative was so easy because it was one [competitor].

“When you add [more] in, it’s kind of like a battle royal where you have to throw your best blow. You literally go in there and it’s so easy to get off the tangent because you’ll see this light blink on, then this light blinks on, then the third light, and the fourth.”

The addition of a Christmas tree changes a driver’s procedure and sight-lines. It’s where a mistake is most likely to occur.

“If you’re on the two inner lanes, your light bulbs are on the opposite side of the tree,” Brown said. “So, if you’re in lane two, your bulks are over on the left side of the tree. It’s not on the side of the track that you’re on. The people who can’t think are at a [big] disadvantage.

“Some people will drive these cars and the cars are so fast that they can’t keep up, and then you throw [all] that in the cogs and they don’t know how to function. For somebody who can keep it steady, it makes it a little bit easier, but it’s hard. It’s hard.”

Brown has always been someone who felt he could slow everything down. Outside of his dragster, Brown is full of life and has a contagious personality, but when it comes to racing, he doesn’t get too up or down.

And that’s what he can use to his advantage when he’s looking at the mice he wants to catch.

“I think that’s why I’ve been so successful at four-wide; it’s kind of played into my favor,” Brown said. “It fell into my wheelhouse because there is more going on, and it’s showing my mindset capabilities where some people don’t have that mindset.”

Brown wins TF All-Star Callout as Langdon goes No. 1 at NHRA Gatornationals

Antron Brown picked up the victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday at Gainesville Raceway in front of a capacity crowd, knocking off Brittany Force in the final round of the specialty race as part of this weekend’s 55th …

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the first of 21 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Brown went 3.709s at 332.43mph in his Matco Tools Toyota dragster, taking down Force’s 3.730s at 328.70mph. It gave Brown, who defeated Langdon and Steve Torrence earlier in the day, his first Pep Boys All-Star Callout victory, a big payday in the specialty event and a stellar way to start his 2024 NHRA season.

“Our guys had a chance to keep picking at it, and keep picking at it, and we knew it was going to be a tough round against Brittany, another world champion,” Brown said. “Everyone we raced today was a world champion. We knew we had to step it up against her, but we had the added pressure of qualifying. So to go out there and do what we did and run that 3.709s and move up to fourth on the ladder and get this Pep Boys All-Star Callout win is pretty special.

“It’s going to be tough competition tomorrow on race day. The field is tight, but hopefully we can parlay that and get better tomorrow. We’ve been getting better and better with each lap, and that’s when you get dangerous. I’m focused, and my boys are giving me a hot rod that can do the job, and that’s what it takes. We have an incredible team and we’re looking forward to this 2024 season.”

Langdon earned his first No. 1 spot since 2020, closing out qualifying with a 3.682s at 334.15mph under the lights in his Kalitta Air Careers Toyota dragster. After naming Brian Husen crew chief heading into the season, Langdon is already off to a great start, making a pair of runs in the 3.60s this weekend. He’ll now look to pick up his first win since the 2020 NHRA U.S. Nationals as well.

“That just shows the changes we’ve made, with Brian coming in, the changes have shown great rewards so far,” Langdon said. “Brian has a really good control of the car right now. It’s really cool to see and I’m really proud of him. I’m excited that he has this opportunity and I’m really lucky to be his driver. We know what this team is capable, so we’re looking forward to a great year.”

Torrance took the second spot with a 3.690s at 333.08mph and defending event winner Mike Salinas qualified third after going 3.705s. Tony Stewart qualified ninth in his Top Fuel debut with a 3.725s at 310.34mph.

In Funny Car, Prock maintained the No. 1 spot on the strength of Friday’s track-record run of 3.820s at 334.65mph in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. It was a sterling qualifying performance in his first NHRA Funny Car race, as Prock made three strong passes heading into eliminations, where he’ll face off with John Smith in the opening round.

“I’m very excited for tomorrow. We really couldn’t have done much better,” Prock said. “I’m happy with this No. 1 qualifier and we’re really going to have to see what it looks like in the morning. If the track is like what it was today or Friday, you’re going to be throwing Hail Marys. I’m really looking forward to getting out there in my first NHRA Funny Car start and get this car in the winner’s circle.

Bob Tasca III stayed second with his 3.829s at 337.75mph, also setting a new track speed record on Saturday after going 338.09mph. Ron Capps took the third position with a 3.871s at 333.00mph.

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Erica Enders stayed No. 1 in Pro Stock, picking up her 35th career top qualifier, after going 6.549s at 208.10mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/SCAG Power Equipment car. She’ll open up eliminations against Kelley Murphy and has a great opportunity to win the Gatornationals for the first time.

“We’ve got a really great race car this weekend, so it seems to be translating very well,” Enders said. “But there’s a lot of really great cars out there and great drivers, so we just have to put our heads down and go to work, and hope for no parts failures or weird things happening. But I feel good and I feel confident in the cockpit.”

Enders’ Elite Motorsports teammate Cristian Cuadra stayed second after a run of 6.552s at 209.10mph on Friday and Dallas Glenn’s 6.556s at 208.59mph gave him the third slot.

Gaige Herrera improved on Friday’s two runs, taking his 10th straight No. 1 qualifier on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki with a run of 6.746s at 200.50mph. It continues a remarkable run for the defending event winner, who won his first race in the class a year ago in Gainesville. He’ll look to repeat that on Sunday, opening eliminations against Joey Gladstone.

“I’m very pleased and we were happy to improve a little bit,” Herrera said. “I’m feeling comfortable and confident going into tomorrow. It’s very cool to come back here and start off where we left off to end last year. I’ve got to give all the credit to my team. They haven’t missed a beat, so it feels good to come back here and basically start like we did last year.”

Matt Smith improved to a 6.768s at 202.45mph to stay second, while LE Tonglet qualified third with a 6.771s at 197.88mph.

Eliminations for the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals begin at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway.

MAVTV launching documentary on NHRA ace Antron Brown

MAVTV premieres the new episode of the original docuseries “THE LIFE,” on Thursday, Feb. 1, that shines the spotlight on Antron Brown, a three-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion. “It’s an incredible experience to share my story with the MAVTV …

MAVTV premieres the new episode of the original docuseries “THE LIFE,” on Thursday, Feb. 1, that shines the spotlight on Antron Brown, a three-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion.

“It’s an incredible experience to share my story with the MAVTV audience. From my early days in racing, through the blood, sweat and tears that went into building AB Motorsports, and touching those milestone moments — it’s been a real journey. I hope I can light a fire in everyone watching to show them that no dream is too far and no challenge too big, as long as you’ve got the drive to chase it down,” Brown said.

In “THE LIFE: Antron Brown,” fans will follow Brown through several weeks in his life, exploring both the personal journey and his professional experiences as a premier driver.

“‘THE LIFE’ immerses viewers into what it’s like to be an elite motorsports athlete, from glimpses into their daily routines and personal moments to the thrill behind the wheel,” said MAVTV President CJ Olivares. “We are proud to feature Antron, a fierce competitor and dynamically optimistic force in motorsports. His incredible journey and achievements in racing have provide him with a unique opportunity to mentor and inspire both fans and aspiring athletes alike. This series is our way of connecting our audience with the contemporary icons of the sport and bringing their compelling stories directly to our viewers.”

Brown has had a remarkable motorsports career with 74 career event titles (58 in Top Fuel, 16 in Pro Stock Motorcycle), a record of 26 consecutive top 10 finishes and three world championships. He formed his own team, AB Motorsports, which made an impressive NHRA debut in 2022, finishing ranked No. 2 in the standings during its rookie season. He has made history multiple times, including becoming the first African American to win a major U.S. auto racing championship.

“THE LIFE: Antron Brown” premieres only on MAVTV on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 8pm ET/PT.

Capps creeps into Funny Car points lead with NHRA Brainerd win

Defending Funny Car world champion Ron Capps moved into the points lead and picked up his 75th career win on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, powering past Robert Hight in the final round of the 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Antron …

Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the 14th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Capps delivered a run of 3.887s at 332.75 mph in his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra, holding off Hight’s 3.900s at 324.90mph, getting his second win of the 2023 season. The back-to-back world champion also got his seventh career win at Brainerd International Raceway, which is the second-most in NHRA history at the facility to John Force’s 11 victories.

To reach the final round for the sixth time this year, Capps, the No. 1 qualifier, knocked off Jim Campbell, Tim Wilkerson and Bob Tasca III. In a matchup that featured a pair of three-time world champions, Capps led wire-to-wire against Hight to pick up a special milestone victory. His points lead stands at 21 points heading to Indy.

“I’ve won with different crew chiefs here, there’s just something about this place,” Capps said. “We make a point of going out and celebrating with everybody in the Zoo, and we did that again last night. We’re taking the Wally out to the Zoo tonight. Everybody there helped us win, and they should get a picture.

“We have all kinds of Funny Cars that have won multiple races this year and here we are with the points lead. We had one win coming in here. That tells you the consistency. It grows my confidence, we grow each other’s confidence, and it’s just fun right now. We had a goal to get to Indy and win the regular season points. To have the points lead going into Indy, it’s just so cool.”

Hight reached his 99th career final round on Sunday by defeating Bobby Bode, Dave Richards and teammate John Force.

In Top Fuel, Antron Brown capped off a dominant weekend at Brainerd International Raceway, following up his Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory on Saturday with a Sunday triumph, going 3.715s at 326.08mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster against Leah Pruett. It gives Brown an impressive double-up weekend at a key point in the season as the three-time world champion also moved to third in points.

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He knocked off Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence and Mike Salinas to reach the finals, posting another strong run in the championship round against Pruett. It’s also Brown’s 73rd career victory and his sixth at Brainerd (two in Top Fuel and four in Pro Stock Motorcycle). Brown was stellar on the starting line all weekend as he prepares for a run at a fourth world title.

“Every lap we made, we were very competitive. We got in eliminations and knew it was going to be a very different day,” Brown said. “The conditions were going to be better, but that’s where Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald [co-crew chiefs] shine. The conditions change, they make an adjustment, and they know right where to put it. We started with a good lap, we were the quickest and fastest of the first session, and that set the tone for the day.

“Then you go in race mode where, you have to race smart. They stayed in that zone, and the consistency paid off. That’s what it takes to wins races and championships. I’ve always loved racing at this track. This race is the turning point that can really get you ready for the championship.”

Pruett reached the finals for the third time in 2023 and 22nd time overall by defeating Tony Schumacher, defending world champ Brittany Force and points leader Justin Ashley. In the points standings, Ashley’s lead now stands at 101 points over Torrence.

A dominant season continued for Dallas Glenn in Pro Stock, as the points leader won for the fourth time in 2023 with a run of 6.566s at 207.56mph in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro to defeat KB Titan Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky in the final round. Glenn drove to his eighth career win in the process, building a points lead that now stands at an impressive 284 points over Matt Hartford.

On Sunday, Glenn made a series of standout runs, knocking off Jerry Tucker, defending world champ Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield to reach the final round for the seventh time this year. In a matchup that featured two drivers making their first-ever Pro Stock appearance at Brainerd, Glenn got the job done, winning in Pro Stock’s first race at the fan-favorite facility since 2019.

“I feel like the car did most of the work today. It’s running so well,” Glenn said. “I was a little worried, it seems to be that the car works really good when it’s hot and humid out. It showed on Saturday when I picked up four bonus points in qualifying. But we went out there with the first run today, and I didn’t think it was that great of a run, but we were second of the session. We just went out there and made four really solid laps. It shook a little bit in the final. I think the track was just a little too good and we needed to get after it a little more, but it made it through it.

“I know Kyle really, really wanted to win that one especially here for Lucas Oil but that’s one thing I love about KB Titan Racing, there are never any team orders. We put the absolute best tune-up in the car and we let the drivers figure it out. When I won the semis and it was an all-KBT final, that’s when the real emotion of winning comes out because no matter what, the trophy is coming home with us.”

Koretsky reached the finals for first time in 2023 and seventh time in his career, getting past Camrie Caruso, No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson and Deric Kramer.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action Aug. 30-Sept. 3 with the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.