Gaige Herrera continued his perfect run in Pro Stock Motorcycle on Saturday at Bristol Dragway, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge and securing his fourth straight No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) also won the bonus event in Bristol. Leah Pruett (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) all qualified No. 1 at the eighth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
In the final round of the bonus event, Herrera was quicker on the starting line against Hector Arana Jr., posting a 0.009s reaction time and a run of 6.849s at 194.83mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It’s Herrera’s second Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory this season, with his run of 6.808s at 198.61mph earlier on Saturday giving him the No. 1 qualifier. Herrera hasn’t lost a round in 2023 and will aim for his fourth straight win on Sunday as he opens eliminations against Ron Tornow in what also is Herrera’s Thunder Valley debut.
“It makes me feel better that I went out there and did my job,” Herrera said. “I had to fight the bike a little bit from going towards the wall, and I think that’s why we slowed up a little bit. But that was a good run with Hector. I was glad to get the holeshot and come out on top. Just to be a part of the whole Mission Challenge is very cool.
“It’s been a wonderful journey so far. This whole season has been a dream come true, like I’ve been saying, and to do it like we’ve been doing it is just incredible. I’m just glad to be part of it.”
Arana Jr. qualified second with a 6.839s at 199.02mph and Eddie Krawiec’s 6.855s at 198.03mph put him third.
Stanfield claimed the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday in his Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro, going 6.637s at 206.32mph in his Camaro to defeat points leader Dallas Glenn. Stanfield, the defending event winner in Bristol, claimed his first victory in the specialty race on the strength of two outstanding runs, knocking off Deric Kramer in the opening round with a 6.631s at 206.80mph. The young standout will look to defend his Bristol crown on Sunday and make it a double-win weekend in the process.
“This is really cool. Qualifying is normally about just making a nice clean run, so to add a little competition in there and to turn on the win light and get a little redemption is great,” Stanfield said.
“Drag racing has a lot of highs and lows, and we’ve been struggling a little bit the beginning of the season, but they’ve been working very hard. We’ve turned it around, and I’ve just got a really good hot rod. I had a really good race car pretty much all year last year, and I think we’re getting back to that place.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]
Enders officially earned her first No. 1 of the season, as her run of 6.627s at 205.88mph from Friday in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet held up. It also gives the defending and five-time world champ her 30th career No. 1 qualifier and plenty of momentum as she heads into eliminations. She’ll open eliminations against Mason McGaha, searching for her first win of the season.
“I definitely feel a lot more confident than we have heading into the other Sundays so far this season,” Enders said. “We seem to have a race car back underneath us and that’s truly exciting, we just have to go to work tomorrow, execute the best that we can and try to park the JHG/Melling Performance car in the winner’s circle.
“We’ll see what happens tomorrow, but hopefully it’s a long, successful Sunday here in Bristol. I’m just so, so thrilled that we’re back. It’s just really exciting. No matter what happens, we’ve just worked so incredibly hard, these guys haven’t had a day off in months, and you’re seeing it come to fruition.”
Stanfield qualified in the second spot and Cristian Cuadra’s 6.632s at 206.04mph put him third heading into Sunday.
In Top Fuel, Pruett enjoyed her first No. 1 qualifier of the season for Tony Stewart Racing, as her run of 3.745s at 322.42mph in her 11,000-horsepower Rush Truck Centers dragster from Friday easily stood up on Sunday. It’s also the 14th career No. 1 spot for Pruett, who will open eliminations against Spencer Massey. Pruett has been solid for the bulk of the 2023 season, but she will be looking for her first win of the season and first victory at Bristol Dragway on Sunday.
“This No. 1 is just a testament to the consistency that this team has had all season long. It’s the culmination of our performance that has led up to this,” Pruett said. “There is nothing like racing on Sunday and racing in Thunder Valley. We got the highs and the lows and the emotions of racing in qualifying. You get the echo of the cars here, and hopefully, we echo our performance of qualifying No. 1 and bring that into race day all day. I’m eager. It’s going to be an early morning for all, but the fans will have a good long day of watching cars.”
Brittany Force qualified second with a 3.747s at 334.48mph, and Torrence’s 3.753s at 329.10mph gave him the third slot.
Funny Car’s Robert Hight earned his second No. 1 spot this season and 79th in his career on the strength of his 3.938s at 321.35mph from Friday in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. Hight will take on Alex Laughlin to open eliminations aiming for his second career win at Bristol Dragway.
“My team has a pretty good handle on all the conditions – we’ve raced a lot of different conditions, and we have a lot of data to look at,” Hight said. “We do have a new combination, and we’re trying to get through that, but if we get the cylinder dropping fixed, this thing will have three-second runs all day tomorrow. That’s probably what it’s going to take to win, especially first round.
“Tomorrow is a new day, we’re starting from a good spot, we’re back with Cornwell for tomorrow, and we need to get them their first win.”
Capps took the second spot with his 3.962s at 318.92mph from Friday and Chad Green’s 3.969s at 322.50mph gave him third.
Eliminations for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Bristol Dragway.
