Tag: Charlotte

Virginia Tech coach Megan Duffy talks Notre Dame at ACC Tipoff

We wish her reasonably well in her first ACC season.

[autotag]Megan Duffy[/autotag] knows all about Notre Dame. She played there for four years during its Big East days, making the all-conference first team twice and being named the conference’s most improved player once. She led the conference in free-throw percentage twice and steals and minutes once apiece.

After playing professionally for a few years, she turned to coaching. For the past five years, she coached Marquette and made three NCAA Tournament appearances, including last year when the Eagles got to play their lone tournament game at Purcell Pavilion.

Duffy now is beginning her first year at Virginia Tech. So when it was her turn to field questions at the annual ACC Tipoff in Charlotte, North Carolina, it was inevitable that she would be asked about the Irish. She was, and here was her answer to that question:

“This has been a dream to play and coach at the best and with the best every single day. My Notre Dame background back in the old Big East it was the depth of the conference, how competitive it was, and this is the same in the ACC.

We obviously understand this is the best conference in the country for all different reasons: the talent of the league, guard play, post play, and then some of the best coaches. I’ve always wanted that challenge.

Just to have it unfold as player and then you obviously build your resume as a coach. It’s special to be here at Virginia Tech and to hopefully be just a small piece of a bigger picture of women’s college basketball and continue to put a great product out there.”

Duffy won’t get to return to South Bend this season as the Hokies will be hosting the Irish on Jan. 30 in Blacksburg. Hopefully, when the time does come for her to come back to her roots, she’ll get a nice ovation from the Irish faithful. She’s earned it.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

2024-25 Charlotte Hornets: A quick preview

Last season, the Charlotte Hornets struggled without their offensive leader, LaMelo Ball, leading to a disappointing campaign. However, the team enters this year with a projected win total of 30.5, a significant improvement from their previous two …

Last season, the Charlotte Hornets struggled without their offensive leader, LaMelo Ball, leading to a disappointing campaign. However, the team enters this year with a projected win total of 30.5, a significant improvement from their previous two seasons (21 wins in 2023-24 and 27 wins in 2022-23). This summer, they hired Charles Lee, who many considered to be one of the top upcoming head coaches. Then, the Hornets focused on upgrading their roster and acquiring valuable draft assets. They re-signed Miles Bridges to a three-year, $75 million deal, traded for Josh Green, and selected Tidjane Saluan and KJ Simpson in the draft.

While the Bridges signing was notable, the key moves came from a series of trades that provided Charlotte with much-needed flexibility. Despite being over the salary cap, the Hornets managed to acquire Green, all while adding seven second-round picks in the process. The Hornets acquired three of those second-round picks along with DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown, and Duane Washington Jr. to help facilitate the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves’ trade of Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

The team’s improvement largely hinges on the health of Ball, who played only 21 games last season but was the team’s leading scorer with 23.9 points and 8 assists per game. His return is the primary source of optimism, as the offense will once again revolve around his playmaking. Brandon Miller, named to the All-Rookie 1st Team after averaging 17.3 points per game, adds another key element to their offensive firepower. On the defensive end, Bridges and Mark Williams form a solid defensive presence, although Williams is currently sidelined with a strained tendon.

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 …

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 Carolina Nationals.

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.

NHRA domination wasn’t Prock’s plan for 2024…until it was

There is only one acceptable ending to the NHRA Funny Car season for Austin Prock – hoisting the championship trophy. “If they hadn’t reset the points, we’d pretty much have it locked up by now,” Prock told RACER ahead of the NHRA Carolina Nationals …

There is only one acceptable ending to the NHRA Funny Car season for Austin Prock — hoisting the championship trophy.

“If they hadn’t reset the points, we’d pretty much have it locked up by now,” Prock told RACER ahead of the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. “I think we needed to do well, maybe one more weekend and it’d be locked up. We had a 348-point lead that got put down to 39 points; 348 points equates to 18 rounds of competition, so yeah, we want to win the championship.”

Prock tore through the Funny Car class in his John Force Racing Chevrolet Camaro. The 29-year-old quickly took to the machine Robert Hight had been driving when Hight was sidelined this year to address his health. In his debut at Gainesville, Prock went to the final round and lost to J.R. Todd.

It took three races before Prock had his first Wally. Since then, he’s racked up five more wins, 11 No. 1 qualifiers and a win-loss record of 38-9 through 15 races.

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“My dad said at the beginning of the year when they asked him what the expectations were and he said, ‘I want to win the championship,’” Prock said. “I’ve never heard my dad talk like that before. He’s quiet and humble and when he said that, I was like, ‘Whoa, he means business.’ It’s definitely shown this year.”

The younger Prock is the driver, with his father, Jimmy Prock, the crew chief. Also working on the team is Thomas Prock, Austin’s brother — the assistant crew chief. The family affair has not only been one of the most talked about highlights of the drag racing season but one that means just as much to the Prock family. Being able to race together was a dream for Austin.

John Force Racing has always been a family operation, but the Procks have taken it to a whole new level. NHRA photo

Domination, however, is something that’s taken everyone by surprise. Prock had never competed in a Funny Car before this season. A victory in the opener of the Countdown at Maple Grove Raceway (Sept. 15) pushed his advantage back to 86 points ahead of the competition.

“I’ve always said my whole drag racing career, ‘It’s the same for everyone,’” Prock said of the points reset. “That’s always how I’ve looked at the Countdown. I was always on the outside looking in, and now, when [it’s you], it’s not the same for everyone. Plain and simple, it’s just not. You [go] from an 18-round lead to less than two rounds.

“We knew that coming in it all gets reset. You just have to have the same goal and the same mindset of taking it one round at a time and see how the cards fall.”

A championship would be Prock’s first in NHRA competition. Top Fuel had been his focus the last few years, but his career, although filled with promise, has been anything but steady.

He won a race in 2019, his first season, and then only ran three races between 2020 and 2021. He returned in 2022 to a two-win season and a career-best third place in the championship. Last year, Prock won his fourth career race in the Top Fuel class.

John Force Racing announced Prock would drive the Funny Car in mid-January.

“It’s been an outstanding year,” Prock said. “I said last week, I’ve had more success in this one single season than I have in my whole career. This sport can be tough when you’re not doing well. I like to say that drag racing is either a lot of fun or no fun at all because there is one winner and the rest are losers.

“You’ve just got to enjoy the moments when you’re running well because it can all change just like that. [The team has] done a great job all season keeping it up, and it’s been a blast working with my family and everyone on this team.”

Through struggles, Force never loses focus on NHRA title chase

Brittany Force, two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, is facing another potential winless season. It’s a harsh situation for a driver and team accustomed to success and a win column that doesn’t consist of goose eggs. After she won five races in 2022 en …

Brittany Force, two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, is facing another potential winless season. It’s a harsh situation for a driver and team accustomed to success and a win column that doesn’t consist of goose eggs. After she won five races in 2022 en route to winning the title, she and her John Force Racing team have been at battle ever since to regain the same form.

“It definitely gets tougher and tougher,” Force told RACER. “Last weekend, we got beat first round (at Maple Grove). I was so upset. We came out of a strong weekend in Indy where we qualified well, went to the semifinals, and I felt like we finally had this momentum moving forward into right when it matters.

“We go into the Countdown, into the first race, and then went out first round. It’s really defeating.”

The team to rallied around each other. Force revealed they gathered at the end of the weekend at Maple Grove to spread motivation and reminders about staying focused and pumped up for the next race.

NHRA’s Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway is the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, coming just a week after the first, and it’s a welcome sight for Force.

“I love the back-to-back races, especially in this crunch for the Countdown,” Force said. “I wish we would do three, have a weekend off and do the last three. That would be how I like to do it because I don’t like going home and sitting and thinking about whether you had a great weekend and [are] moving forward or having a bad weekend that you want to come back from. I like back-to-back races because you get right back into it, and your mindset is still right in that same zone.”

Force hasn’t made a final-round appearance this season, her win/loss record sitting at 11-13, but she’s made four semifinal appearances with three No. 1 qualifying awards. It’s been a season of good and then bad. She failed to qualify for the event in Chicago and then sat out the event in Norwalk following the season-ending crash in Virginia that hospitalized her father, John Force.

It may be an up-and-down season, but Force went on a roll over the first two days in Charlotte, going No. 1 Friday and holding it through Saturday for her third top qualifier of the year. NHRA photo

When asked what she’s learned about herself — how much this season has tested her — Force talked of the struggles in 2023 that have carried into ’24. She described ’23 as “one of my toughest seasons,” and now it’s going on two years without a victory.

“It really taught me a lot about this team that I’m with and how we’ve all been very patient,” she said. “We still push forward and stay motivated when it almost feels impossible to stay motivated. Somehow, we find a way. We come out every weekend and we believe that we will win the event, qualify top five, and go rounds. We’ve never lost that faith or lost confidence that we aren’t going to do well.”

A back-against-the-wall type season resulted in Force not clinching her Countdown spot until the second round of eliminations at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, the final race of the regular season. She had a strong race day, as needed, and was helped by Josh Hart’s early exit. In previous years, Force attended every race and didn’t have to worry about the requirement of being inside the top 10 in points to be championship-eligible.

Indianapolis was the “most stressful weekend ever,” having to earn her spot the hard way. The silver lining, she admitted, is that even though the team didn’t want to have to do it that way, it might have been a valuable experience.

“I think it was good for our team,” she said. “It was a pressure situation, and we came out on top.”

Now that she’s in the Countdown, Force and her JFR team aren’t losing the mindset of being capable of winning the championship, even though she’s sitting in ninth position, 133 points behind, going into Sunday.

“100 percent,” she said of always having that championship thought process.

Hagan picks up No. 1 qualifier at NHRA Carolina Nationals

Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan picked up his first No. 1 qualifier since March for Tony Stewart Racing, clinching the top position on Saturday at zMAX Dragway to close out qualifying at the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals. Brittany …

Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan picked up his first No. 1 qualifier since March for Tony Stewart Racing, clinching the top position on Saturday at zMAX Dragway to close out qualifying at the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at 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.

Hagan’s Friday run of 3.832s at 333.25mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat stood up through Saturday’s two sessions, as the four-time world champ raced to his second No. 1 position of the year and the 52nd in his career. Hagan, who opened the weekend 137 points out of first, also has a chance to sweep both Charlotte races this season and a win on Sunday would certainly be ideal for his title chances.

“We feel like we found some stuff, working hard behind the scenes,” Hagan said. “My guys have obviously been scratching their head a little bit all year and have just not had the performance that we really wanted or hoped to, but knowing that we can run with these guys, and I think that we showed that Friday, that’s real. We can do this still, so that was a great shot in the arm for us.

“Tomorrow’s going to be 90 degrees, so it’s back to probably pedaling the car some and figuring out how to get down the racetrack. But the lanes are really nice, both equal, so at the end of the day, I feel confident that we got a car that could go down the racetrack.”

Points leader Austin Prock finished second in qualifying with Friday’s 3.833s at 332.84mph, while John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman is right behind in third after a 3.850s at 327.27mph.

Top Fuel’s Brittany Force easily held on to the No. 1 spot thanks to Friday’s stellar run of 3.690s at 334.24mph in her HendrickCars.com Chevrolet dragster, but the two-time Top Fuel world champion added some more momentum with a strong run in the warmer temperatures to close out qualifying on Saturday. It’s Force’s third No. 1 this season – and second in the last three races – and the 49th in her standout career.

She opened the weekend ninth in points but is determined to make a run and Force will need a big race day to do it. Force opens eliminations against rookie Ida Zetterstrom and will attempt to pick up her first event win since her 2022 championship campaign.

“We missed it on the first run today and that was a really crucial run, but on our last run, we ran a [3.77s], which was second in the field, so that was a killer run for us,” Force said. “We needed that. We just needed our car to go down the racetrack. We had a window we were trying to aim for, and we made it right in that window and picked up some points and had a good run in the heat.

“It’s going to be even hotter tomorrow, so that was actually more important of a run than our 3.69s Friday night. I wish we would have gotten down there both runs today, but we pushed a little too hard, and hopefully we can find that balance for tomorrow.”

Shawn Reed qualified second thanks to his 3.700s at 324.12mph and defending world champion Doug Kalitta took third with Friday’s 3.710s at 332.59mmph.

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Erica Enders made the absolute most of qualifying in Charlotte as she seeks her first win since the season-opener in Gainesville, turning in the quickest run in all four qualifying sessions, including Friday’s 6.557s at 208.20mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car that clinched her 40th career No. 1 qualifier. Enders, who entered the weekend third in points, made two more strong runs on Saturday, setting up the potential for her 50th career national event win.

Enders, who has now qualified first or second at 13 of the 16 races this year, will open race day against Derrick Reese, looking to build on two strong days of qualifying and last weekend’s runner-up at the playoff opener in Reading.

“Obviously, that [50th win] is being held over our heads pretty significantly, but I have a great race car this weekend. My car is flying,” Enders said. “We were low for every session, which was worth 12 bonus points, so that’s more than half a round, so now I have to go to work.

“Hearing the excitement in my guys’ voices, that part’s really exciting, but on the other side of things, it weighs on you because now it’s in my hands. I have a really fast race car and I promise you, as a driver, there’s nothing worse than posting a really fast time, and the guy next to you posting a slower one, and still turning the win light on, which happened to me last week. I’ve got my work cut out for me, but the confidence is very strong in my equipment and my team.”

Greg Anderson moved into the No. 2 position on speed, going 6.580s at 208.49mph on Saturday, pushing points leader and Reading winner Aaron Stanfield to third with his Friday pass of 6.580s at 207.85mph.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, six-time world champion Matt Smith enjoyed another strong day at zMAX Dragway, lowering his No. 1 qualifying time to a 6.799s at 199.67mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. It was quicker than Friday’s run and Smith, who claimed his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the 2024 campaign, was the only rider to dip into the 6.70s through the first days of the event. He gained points on leader and defending world champion Gaige Herrera and Smith feels good about his chances heading into race day as he seeks his second win of the year.

“We knew the weather was a little bit better, but the track was a little bit worse, so we took a tooth off [the rear sprocket] this morning to see if we control the tire. It stuck and we went 6.79s so we thought we were on the right path but got back in that right lane that has thrown us for a loop,” Smith said. “Lane choice is going to be big for me tomorrow and I will stay in the left lane as long as I can or have to figure out how to go down that right lane if I lose [lane] choice tomorrow.

“Having a bye [in round one] is always good because we can go up and try stuff and it’s good that [Gaige Herrera and Richard Gadson] have each other on the other side of the ladder.”

Herrera stayed close behind, qualifying second with a 6.812s at 198.47mph and his teammate, Richard Gadson, qualified third after a run of 6.830s at 199.26mph.

Eliminations for the NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

Force fastest on Friday at NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte

Two-time Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force made the quickest runs in both qualifying sessions on Friday at zMAX Dragway, powering to the provisional No. 1 position at the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals. Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders …

Two-time Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force made the quickest runs in both qualifying sessions on Friday at zMAX Dragway, powering to the provisional No. 1 position at the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Force went 3.690s at 334.24mph in her HendrickCars.com Chevrolet dragster to close out the night session, putting Force on track for her third No. 1 qualifier of the year and the 49th in her career. Currently ninth in points after the opening race in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs – and 133 points out of first entering the weekend – Force is after a big weekend as she seeks her first victory since her record-breaking 2022 championship season.

“To end qualifying with two solid runs, we picked up points, and we’re leaving currently No. 1, our Monster Energy/HendrickCars.com team are all very excited and very proud of that,” Force said.

“Our mindset for tomorrow is what it was coming into today. We want to do exactly what we accomplished today. We want to pick up points where we can tomorrow in the conditions we’re running in where the track temp is going to be quite a bit different, and we’ve got to figure that track out for Sunday. That’s where it really matters.”

Shawn Reed impressed and is currently second with a 3.700s at 324.12mph, and defending world champion Doug Kalitta sits third after going 3.710s at 332.59mph.

Needing his own big weekend to get back in championship hunt, defending Funny Car world champ Matt Hagan enjoyed an ideal Friday, making the quickest pass of both sessions as well, including a blistering 3.832s at 333.25mph under the lights in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat. Two runs after points leader Austin Prock went 3.833s, Hagan eclipsed him by 0.001s in a stellar Friday-night pass.

If it holds, it would be Hagan’s first No. 1 qualifier since the second race of the season as the Tony Stewart Racing team, which won the 4-Wide race this spring, looks to get rolling in the Countdown to the Championship.

“That’s definitely a good shot in the arm. Our qualifying positions all year long have been a struggle and we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to figure it out,” Hagan said. “It’s always tough when you see a guy like [crew chief] Dickie Venables scratch his head. That’s when you’re going, ‘This must be pretty bad if the guy’s not got it figured out,’ but those guys never give up.

“It’s just good to come back and see our guys smiling in the pit and everybody high-fiving and to be on top. There’s a lot of times that these race cars will kick you, and it’s just an awful feeling because it’s just so humbling because you work so hard at it, and then you every now and then you get a little shot in arm.”

Points leader Prock made a big move in the second session, with his 3.833s at 332.84mph good enough for second, and John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman is third thanks to his 3.850s at 327.27mph.

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In Pro Stock, Erica Enders, who was the runner-up at last week’s playoff opener, went to No. 1 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car after going 6.557s at 208.20mph. It would be her sixth top qualifier of the season and things appear to be heading in the right direction for the defending and six-time world champion. She advanced to the final round in Reading against her teammate, Aaron Stanfield, and was just 35 points out first heading into the weekend at zMAX Dragway.

“Those [qualifying bonus points] can be huge and make or break a championship run,” Enders said. “I think in 2015 when we won the championship, we accumulated the most ‘baby’ points in the Countdown, and it was definitely helpful for us to lock it up. We got six today and if we do the same tomorrow, that will be 12, and that’s more than a half a round of racing, so it’s a pretty significant chunk.

“I’m sure it’ll be sunny and hot and sticky tomorrow, so I just want to go out there and make good runs. I want to make two really clean cracks at the Christmas Tree, trying to redeem myself on last week’s holeshot loss in the finals. I’ve got a little bit of work to do in the cockpit.”

Points leader and Reading winner Stanfield took the second spot after going 6.580s at 207.85mph and Dallas Glenn, who is currently second in points, went 6.590s at 208.20mph to sit third.

Racing close to home, Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith enjoyed a strong Friday on his Denso Auto Parts Buell, grabbing the No. 1 spot on Friday thanks to a run of 6.803s at 198.47mph. The six-time world champion is after his fifth top spot of 2024 and is right in the thick of the points chase, sitting less than 20 points out of first. Smith ran into bike troubles in the semifinals at the playoff opener but returned in impressive fashion on Friday in Charlotte.

“We’ve just got to do our job and collect points,” Smith said. “We gained some points on Gaige (Herrera) today and those bonus points are huge and we’re gaining ground, but we’re in a dogfight. They’ve had the dominant bike all year long, and I still think they have the better bike than what we have right now, so we have to turn on win lights. That’s our goal right now.

“If we win this race. we’ll probably leave here as the point leaders. We’ve just got to keep going, keep digging and turn on some win lights on Sunday.”

Defending world champion and points leader Herrera is right behind after going 6.812s at 198.47mph and his teammate, Richard Gadson, is third after a 6.836s at 197.80mph.

Qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Panthers owner David Tepper issues statement on approval of stadium renovation

We know of one guy who was probably happy on Monday night . . .

David Tepper may have been the butt of a joke or two on Monday night, but it was he who had the last laugh.

This evening, the Charlotte City Council—by a vote of seven to three—approved plans for the massive renovation of Bank of America Stadium. The Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC owner issued the following statement shortly after the passing of the proposal:

“Today’s vote by the Charlotte City Council is the culmination of many thoughtful discussions with city officials, local leaders, and our fans to create a shared vision for Bank of America Stadium. Nicole and I are grateful for the collaboration and support of the project, as well as our ongoing partnership between Tepper Sports & Entertainment and the city.”

“For nearly 30 years, Charlotte has been the home of the Carolina Panthers and, more recently, Charlotte FC. We are proud to be in the Carolinas and look forward to delivering a venue that meets the needs of our community, players, and fans for years to come.”

The city is now set to invest $650 million into the project, which is expected to begin work in 2026.

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WATCH: Charlotte council member takes swipe at Panthers owner David Tepper at stadium renovation discussion

Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown on David Tepper: “The behavior of someone that’s asking us for $650 million is ridiculous.”

At least a few members of the Charlotte City Council aren’t fully in on the expensive facelift for Bank of America Stadium.

On Monday night, the council convened to openly discuss the proposed renovation plans for the home of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. Council member Tiawana Brown—who not only represents, but has lived in District 3 for her entire life—had some strong words of skepticism about handing over $650 million to Panthers owner David Tepper.

“It sounds good, don’t it?” Brown said of the projected economic growth of the project. “It sounds real good until we get Mr. Tepper angry again at [Tepper Sports & Entertainment]. And then he might throw something at city council. I’m being very, very honest. The behavior of someone that’s asking us for $650 million is ridiculous.”

Brown, of course, is referencing the incident involving Tepper in Week 17 of this past season—when he appeared to toss the contents of a cup towards fans inside EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Tepper was fined $300,000 by the NFL for those actions.

She continued, stating that the plan’s lack of transparency has given her pause.

“When you send me an email, as your servant in this seat—’cause it’s not mine. I’m sitting in this seat that’s elected for the people, by the people. If I lose this seat, it’s because the people don’t want me here anymore,” Brown added. “But I’m going to do the best that I can do, standing in my truth, trying to figure out what we can share on this deal. I don’t have enough information, I don’t feel comfortable moving forward with it at this level.”

By the completion of her piece, Brown was the third council member to oppose the project.

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Panthers, Charlotte could have discussions about new stadium by 2037

The city of Charlotte may be eyeing a new stadium for the Carolina Panthers in 2046.

The proposed renovations for Bank of America Stadium may only be a temporary fix for the Carolina Panthers.

As reported by WSOC-TV’s Joe Bruno earlier this afternoon, the city of Charlotte could be eyeing a brand-new home for the Panthers and soccer club Charlotte FC. A provision in the Charlotte City Council meeting’s agenda on Monday, when the group is expected to vote on the Bank of America Stadium renovation project, proposes that the city could start talks towards a new stadium with Tepper Sports & Entertainment by April 1, 2037.

But hold those horses. This facility is not set in stone.

Here, per Joe Person of The Athletic, is a comment on the provision from a city spokesman:

This language does not establish that there will be a new stadium in 2046 but an acknowledgement that Bank of America stadium will be 50 years old at the end of the current proposed agreement and that the two parties will need to address that. It is also a protective measure for the city that establishes the soonest the two parties would begin those discussions and creates a forecast and timeline for future city staff and ownership. A similar provision has been included in agreements with the Hornets related to the Spectrum Center renovations and is a common stipulation in stadium/arena agreements.

In short—if the city okays the fixed $650 million investment proposed by the Panthers on Monday, then a discussion about a new stadium will happen.

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