Dallas Glenn – Syndication Server

Stewart rockets to first ever NHRA Top Fuel win in Las Vegas

Racing legend Tony Stewart picked up his first career NHRA Top Fuel win on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, defeating a quad that included reigning world champion Antron Brown, Jasmine Salinas and Justin Ashley at the 25th annual …

Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the fourth of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Stewart went 3.870s at 317.42mph in his Rayce Rudeen Foundation Dodge//SRT dragster to hold off Brown at the finish line, claiming his first career victory in the Top Fuel ranks and adding to the Hall of Famer’s long list of accolades. The former world champion in the NASCAR and IndyCar ranks won NHRA Rookie of the Year honors a year ago, and then went to the final round two weeks ago in Pomona before racing to the victory on Sunday in Las Vegas.

The team had performed well early in the season and then added to it in Las Vegas, qualifying fifth and then winning both of the first two quads on holeshots. He quickly tracked down Ashley and then Salinas, getting by Brown just before the finish line to claim a memorable win. He’s now won at every track on the property at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Stewart was certainly thrilled with Sunday’s result.

“It’s unreal. I haven’t been around the NHRA that long and I realize it takes a long time to win a race in this series, but everything in my career, I never had to wait over a year to win a race. I always figured it out in the first year, and multiple ones normally, so I’m just very appreciative of this win,” Stewart said.

“Last year was so stressful after Leah (Pruett, wife) almost won a world championship, and I get in the car last year, and the people in the stands think I’m the reason the car sucks. It wasn’t that we had bad people tuning on it, it was just it was a different combination. There were different variables that change my body weight is different, tubing changes from rules changes but it was still really frustrating we could not get on a path to where we could make gains last year.

“I think probably the one thing that may not sink in as much right now, but when Leah brought [son] Dom up on the stage there, that’s an emotion that you can’t even think about or dream of. When I saw her coming up those steps with him, my heart stopped. That was a feeling I’ve never had in my life before, and I have a feeling when we lay down and put my head on a pillow tonight, that’s going to be the one thing that I want to reflect on the most tonight.”

Brown finished as the runner-up, going 3.912s at 302.35mph in the final round. Stewart moved up to second points with the historic victory, while Shawn Langdon stayed as the leader in the category.

Defending Funny Car world champ Austin Prock returned to championship form on Sunday in Las Vegas, picking up his first win of the season with a run of 4.009s at 316.01mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS to hold off a quad that featured runner-up Paul Lee, Matt Hagan and Dave Richards.

Prock dominated at Las Vegas in the fall to all but clinch his first world championship, but the team made major changes on the car in the off-season. It was a struggle to open the year, falling in the opening round in Gainesville, but the team has slowly gained momentum and it was capped off by a sterling performance in Vegas. He made the quickest run in eliminations, going 3.964s at 322.88mph in an impressive semifinal victory and then finished it off with another terrific run in the championship round.

“We haven’t had the success that we had last year, but we’re still the same team,” Prock said. “We always expect to show up and win. We want to go set low E.T. every round, and we want to win every race, so when we’re not doing that, it’s hard to keep your head up when things aren’t going right, especially when your expectations are so high. So, for all of us to come together is great.

“It feels really good, man. Opening up in Gainesville, it just wasn’t a great weekend and we just struggled in Pomona after a good weekend in Phoenix, but just couldn’t put it all together. You just want to hold one of these Wally [trophies] again because you don’t know how long it’s going to take before you win another one.”

Lee finished as the runner-up thanks to his run of 4.042s at 311.77mph. It his second final round of the year, as he jumped into the points lead as well. Prock moved to third in points after winning for the second time in Las Vegas.

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In Pro Stock, Las Vegas continues to be very good to standout Dallas Glenn, as he won against a final quad that featured points leader Greg Anderson, Matt Hartford and Matt Latino on a holeshot, going 6.649s at 206.83mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to win for the second time this season. It’s also his third victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as Glenn used a strong .030 reaction time to hold off Hartford, who finished second with a 6.638s at 205.85mph.

It’s the 15th career victory for Glenn and his third four-wide win as well, as Glenn finished second in the opening-round quad before winning the second-round quad with a run of 6.636s at 206.32mph. He’s been in every final round this season and continued his hot start to the 2025 campaign, one that is shaping up very well for Glenn, a former NHRA Rookie of the Year who finished second a year ago to Anderson.

“I’m really thrilled. Today was a very interesting day, I almost completely blew it in the first round. I was staging, and when I fired the car up my nose started to bleed, so I was dealing with that inside the car,” Glenn said. “That was an issue.

“I don’t know what I was looking at, but I didn’t see lane two stage, and just didn’t go on to the two-step until right before the tree came down. I was way late, just dead late, and got lucky enough with the horsepower to get the win. I still made a decent run going into second round and then the clutch pedal felt weird on my foot when I went on to the two-step and kind of overcompensated there.

“Then I go into the final and made sure that I held it down, and probably held it down a little too hard. Greg was on his way to earning his next one until the luck streak ended for him. But, you know, it’s a good day. The car is working great. I didn’t do too bad, but, you know, at the end, and you’ve only got to do good enough.”

Hartford recorded his first runner-up of the season, winning his quad during the second round as well. Anderson will remain in the points lead after four races, with Glenn right behind in second.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action April 25-27 with the 15th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

Kalitta, Lee, Anderson go No. 1 at NHRA Vegas 4-Wide Nationals

The final pass of Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway proved to be a great one for Doug Kalitta, as the former Top Fuel world champion picked up the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and rolled to the No. 1 position in one …

Spencer Hyde (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus race on Saturday, while Paul Lee (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) qualified No. 1 at the fourth of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Kalitta went 3.730s at 331.04mph in his Mac Tools dragster in a standout quad that featured No. 2 qualifier Brittany Force, Tony Stewart and Clay Millican, handing the former world champion his second No. 1 qualifier of the year and 60th in his remarkable career. Kalitta Motorsports teammate Shawn Langdon won the first two Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenges this year, as Kalitta kept the Top Fuel team perfect this season in the bonus race.

Kalitta will take on Justin Ashley and Clay Millican in the opening round on Sunday, looking to repeat last year’s four-wide win in Las Vegas and sweep the weekend. He was also the No. 1 qualifier last April before rolling to the victory.

“Yeah, I really like the format, being able to race on Saturdays. It’s brought a lot more to the fans,” Kalitta said. “I think they’re all engaged a little more on Saturdays. We ended up winning this race last year. So, for me, coming to these races that you won the previous year, you really want to get it done again.

“Besides Pomona, I think this is the closest track to where Alan [Johnson, crew chief] lives, so he typically has a lot of people that come out. So, I’m going to have to give the love to Alan on this one, because this is like his home track and maybe has something to do with it.” Force’s 3.754s at 333.16mph in that same quad on Saturday put her second, while Antron Brown jumped to third after going 3.787s at 326.08mph.

In Funny Car, Spencer Hyde’s rookie season continues to progress at a rapid rate, as the newcomer picked up the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a run of 3.968s at 318.54mph in his Head Contractors & Engineers Ford Mustang. After not qualifying at the first two races, Hyde has made rapid improvements, advancing to the semifinals at the most recent race in Pomona.

That put him in the bonus race in Las Vegas and Hyde took advantage on Saturday in a major way, winning a quad that featured Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan and Chad Green. The car has performed at a consistent clip the past two races and Hyde been on his game. He thrilled with Saturday’s outcome, marking his first major accomplishment in the NHRA ranks.

“It’s pretty cool. Obviously, we had a little rough start to the season — didn’t qualify in Gainesville, didn’t qualify in Phoenix — but we’re putting that behind us,” Hyde said. “We had a great outing in Pomona, going to the semifinals and obviously here with this win. I’m getting more comfortable in the car, getting some good, clean runs in.

“That’s the first time it’s blown up on me at the finish line, so that was exciting. I’ve been waiting for the last couple runs. I knew it dropped a hole [cylinder] in the last run, and it’s not if, it’s when in these things, so I just been kind of waiting for it. It wasn’t too bad it — just popped blower off – but there was no big fireball or anything, so all good.”

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Paul Lee was challenged by Austin Prock on Saturday, but he maintained the No. 1 qualifying spot for the first time this season on the strength of Friday’s 3.940s at 326.08mph in his McLeod/FTI Performance Dodge Charger SRT.

It’s his second career top spot and he finished Saturday with a strong 3.981s, giving him confidence for Sunday. His opening quad includes Daniel Wilkerson, Bob Tasca III and Gainesville winner Chad Green as Lee aims for his second win in three races.

“We feel good about tomorrow. That [3.981 in Q4], was going to be a low 3.90s, but it dropped a hole about half track and slowed up,” Lee said. “This has been our goal, to be a top-five car. We want to be able to roll in the gate and be able to win a race, and we’re getting there.”

Prock is currently second with a 3.948s at 322.58mph and Hyde’s 3.965s at 320.20mph has him third.

Dallas Glenn won a thrilling Pro Stock final in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, winning over KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson on a holeshot with a run of 6.637s at 206.13mph. Anderson was quicker with a 6.614s, but Glenn’s strong 0.022s reaction time handed the young standout his first victory of the season in the specialty race in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro.

“I’m really thrilled, because three of us basically staged at the same time, and then I didn’t feel like I hit the tree,” Glenn said. “I was happy to see I was 0.022s, and then the car made a right turn. I was out in the weeds and it was spinning and bouncing. It was a little more shocking to see the win light come on.

“It was definitely a big confidence boost. You know, I feel like we’re still working on the car. We’re still getting a little bit better, and I feel like I can miss it and still be 0.022s, so I’m definitely feeling more comfortable in the car, too. We have a lot of momentum going into Sunday.”

That run from Anderson gave him the quickest pass in both sessions on Saturday, as he qualified in the No. 1 spot in his HendrickCars.com Camaro for the third time this season and the 135th time in his career. He’ll look for his third straight win on Sunday, starting with an opening-round quad that also features Cristian Cuadra, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Eric Latino.

“I feel fantastic about the car, the loose nut behind the wheel, maybe not so much,” Anderson said. “Just the four-wide is a tricky deal. We both hit the light at the exact same time and every time that seems to happen, it seems like it’s an extra-long light. That’s my kryptonite against me every time and it got me.

“Bottom line is, I’m proud of the guys. I’m proud of the product we’ve got out here. I’m proud of the race cars everybody under this KB Titan banner right now. It’s a hell of a feeling, like I said, a proud papa. We’ll come back tomorrow with a little bit more fire in the belly and hopefully close the deal, because I don’t like to lose.”

Cody Coughlin qualified second with a 6.636s at 205.60mph and Glenn took third. Remarkably, six-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders, whose 10 wins in Las Vegas are the most in NHRA history at the track, did not qualify. It’s the first time the 49-time event winner hasn’t qualified since the Charlotte fall race in 2016, a span of nearly nine years.

Eliminations for the 25th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Brown kicks off 2025 with a No. 1 and an NHRA Gatornationals win

Defending Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown kicked off the 2025 NHRA season with a victory on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway, defeating defending event winner Shawn Langdon in the final round of the 56th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Chad …

Chad Green (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the first of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Brown went 3.673s at 333.99mph in his Matco Tools dragster to slip past Langdon’s 3.684s at 332.67mph, as the four-time world champion won for the 81st time in his career. Brown, who qualified No. 1, defeated Krista Baldwin, Clay Millican and Steve Torrence to reach the final round before picking up his second career win at Gainesville Raceway.

That gives Brown, who posted reaction times of 0.032s and 0.036s in the semifinals and finals, respectively, eight straight round wins dating back to last season as the year started in perfect fashion for the longtime star.

“It’s tough to go against Shawn Langdon and [crew chief] Brian Husen,” Brown said. “They always have the performance. Actually, there are a lot of cars out here that did their homework, put the work in, and can run mid-to-low 3.6s. Brian [Corradi, crew chief] and my guys were just adamant that we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot.

“We dug deep to make a run like that and set low E.T. says a lot about our team. We just stayed cool until the track came around. You’ve got to put it up there when you’re racing these guys. These drivers in Top Fuel are just incredible this year. We kept on digging deep after winning a championship and that’s a tribute to these guys.”

Landgon, who won in Gainesville a year ago, drove past Justin Ashley, Tony Stewart and Jasmine Salinas to reach the final round for the 46th time in his career.

Chad Green opened his 2025 Funny Car season in standout fashion, going 3.921s at 329.18mph in his Bond-Coat Ford Mustang to roll past Ron Capps and earn his first career Gatornationals win. This will be one Green surely remembers, as Green went 3.922s and 3.921mph in back-to-back rounds to claim his second career victory.

He defeated Paul Lee, Buddy Hull and Matt Hagan to reach the final round, posting a series of consistent runs to get past a loaded Funny Car class. Green will now leave Gainesville Raceway with the points lead for the first time in his career and also plenty of momentum after a magical performance on Sunday.

“This race is so special, I mean it’s the Gators,” Green said. “There are so many historical things that have happened at this race for so many years and I was saying in my [top end] interview that my very first race down the racetrack in an official race car was here at this track, so yeah, it means a lot to me.

“I’ve always said it’s so important to start off the year off and do well at the first race or else you’re behind the eight ball. This just takes the cake right here. To start off No. 1 in points, that really awesome. I’m just so excited.”

Capps, who is seeking his first win since the 2023 season, advanced to his 148th career final round with victories against John Smith, Bobby Bode and Alexis DeJoria.

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In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn extracted some bit of revenge on his KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson, defeating the reigning world champion to open the 2025 season with a run of 6.549s at 211.13mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. It is Glenn’s 14th career win and second at Gainesville (2022) and helped make up for Anderson picking up the win at a winner-take-all final round with the championship on the line last November at the NHRA Finals in Pomona.

Glenn defeated Brandon Miller, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Cory Reed to advance to the finals and rolled to the win against Anderson, who ran into trouble right off the starting line. It was Glenn’s first win in five final-round matchups with Anderson, a strong sign the young phenom could be in for a big season.

“I’m thankful because there were a few rounds where I felt like I didn’t have the best car but we picked away at it,” Glenn said. “In the final I was looking to throw one down but it shook a little in low gear. I think we had more in it. It’s nice to get one back from Greg but I’m more impressed by our KB Titan team. We had the top four spots in qualifying and almost put four cars in the semis. Cory Reed was a handful today and he’s going to be tough all year. It won’t be long before he’s sitting up here doing a winner’s interview.

“I’ve now made a lot of runs in the car and I know I can beat Greg, but you have to do your job to perfection. It’s hard to do, but I know I can beat him. When we race, I just try to be me, and stick with my normal routine.”

Anderson, who qualified No. 1 with a world-record run of 6.443s, picked up his 183rd final-round appearance with victories against Chris McGaha, Derrick Reese and Jeg Coughlin Jr.

There appears to be no stopping Gaige Herrera at Gainesville Raceway, as the back-to-back defending world champion remained unbeaten at the historic facility, picking up his third straight Gatornationals victory with a run of 6.722s at 200.23mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki to defeat rival Matt Smith.

It’s Herrera’s 22nd win since the start of the 2023 campaign, an incredible run that started with his first career win in Gainesville. He knocked off Geno Scali, Kelly Clontz and Chase Van Sant to reach the final round, leaving first against Smith and picking up the victory. He also matches Eddie Krawiec as the only riders to win three straight Pro Stock Motorcycle races at Gainesville Raceway.

“This was a good day for me and a great day for Vance & Hines,” Herrera said. “We got here early this morning and had to sit through hours and I was like, ‘Let’s get on with it.’ Otherwise, my bike was deadly consistent. We made three straight runs that were 6.76s and I’m amazed that Andrew [Hines] can do that. In the final, we knew we needed more so we threw everything at it. I thought we’d run better but I didn’t expect a 6.72s. I’m a neutral person and Matt [Smith] and I are cordial, but he does have a bit rivalry with Vance & Hines and I think it’s good for the class.”

Smith went 6.723s at 203.19mph in the final round, advancing to the championship round for the 82nd time in his career. Earlier in the day, the six-time world champion knocked off Lance Bonham, John Hall and his wife, Angie.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action March 21-23 with the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix.

Pro Stock’s Glenn distanced himself from racing before NHRA Finals in Pomona

Dallas Glenn competes for his first NHRA Pro Stock championship Sunday in Pomona, but he hasn’t spent time thinking about it. Glenn, in fact, has tried to do anything but think about racing. “I’ve been more on [the] not trying to overthink anything …

Dallas Glenn competes for his first NHRA Pro Stock championship Sunday in Pomona, but he hasn’t spent time thinking about it.

Glenn, in fact, has tried to do anything but think about racing.

“I’ve been more on [the] not trying to overthink anything [agenda],” Glenn said this week. “I know what I need to do when we get there, and all I can hope for is the car makes eight solid good runs or at least as many as we can. I think I’ve gone golfing three times this week and tried to relax and hang out in Las Vegas with my parents. I’m just trying not to overthink anything.”

The previous NHRA event took place in Las Vegas two weeks ago. Glenn and his KB Titan Racing team experienced a first-round loss that allowed Aaron Stanfield to take the points lead, as he won the event for Elite Motorsports. Stanfield leads Glenn by 32 points entering the finale at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Pomona is a points-and-a-half race. There will be 30 points awarded for each round instead of the traditional 20.

“I think in my mind it’s pretty simple: if I just go out there and try to make eight good quality runs and try to win the race, wherever it falls, it’ll fall, and I can’t be mad at what kind of season I’ve had,” Glenn said. “No matter what happens in Pomona, I’ve got to leave there with my head high, and I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job all season long. If it comes to Aaron or Greg [Anderson] just did a little better job than me in the last six races, then so be it.

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“But if I go there and give it everything I got, then I can’t complain about anything.”

Anderson is third in the championship hunt, sitting 56 points behind. Glenn and Anderson, the latter of whom is going for his sixth championship, are teammates at KB Titan.

Glenn has already put together a career year. He has five victories through 19 races with a win/loss record of 46-14 and twice was the No. 1 qualifier.

A four-win season in 2023 had been his previous single-season high. Glenn went from long-time crew member to driver in 2021, quickly winning three races and finishing third in points. He’s won 13 races since his debut.

It might need to be more of the same Sunday for the championship.

“In all honesty, I’m just going to roll in there and just try to be as aggressive as I can,” Glenn said. “I feel like I’m in a good place in the race car; I can hit the tree decently and hit shift points. As long as I do my job, hopefully, all the dominoes fall, and the planets are aligned correctly. Anyone who says they can win one of these without luck, I think, is lying to themselves. Hopefully the luck is on our side.

“I know Aaron is going to be very tough. This absolutely could come down to the very last round, so I’m just going to go up there and try to do what I’ve done all season and just be aggressive.”

Beckman wins NHRA Midwest Nationals in famed Force machine

Funny Car’s Jack Beckman picked up his first victory since taking over for legendary driver John Force, defeating Ron Capps in the final round of the 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, also winning his first race in nearly four years on Sunday at …

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 17th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Beckman went 3.856s at 315.86mph in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS, holding off Capps’ 3.882s at 329.42mph to record his 34th career win and first since 2020. Beckman was named the substitute driver for Force following Force’s crash in June, collecting points for the 16-time champ as Beckman attempts to win another title for the iconic Force.

To reach the final round, Beckman defeated J.R. Todd, Daniel Wilkerson, and points leader and teammate Austin Prock, snapping Prock’s streak of 14 straight round wins. Beckman moved into second in points and heads into the final three races trailing Prock by 105 points.

“[Our] guys just kept making the right call,” Beckman said. “You have all the confidence in your crew that whatever they have to do, we can go drag that thing back up there and it’s going to go down the racetrack. We made a monster lap in the final round. That was fantastic to see our guys turn the screws up and get more aggressive with it because that comes from confidence.

“There is potential pressure but it’s a complete honor to drive this car. John Force has done everything and we may not have seen the last of him yet. He is by all metrics the greatest of all time and he’s also a friend of mine. He’s also John Force. He’s his own personality. I am absolutely fine with having an asterisk next to John Force’s 17th title out there, but we have Mount Austin and Jimmy (Prock) to continue to try to close that gap on.”

Capps, now fourth in points, reached the final round for the fourth time this season and the 151st time in his career after defeating Buddy Hull, Bobby Bode and Blake Alexander.

In Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher and his team appear to be hitting their stride at an ideal time, as Schumacher won for the second time this season with a run of 3.718s at 329.42mph in his Leatherwood Distillery/Waltrip Brewing Co. dragster to defeat Steve Torrence in the championship round. Remarkably, it is Schumacher’s first victory in the Countdown to the Championship since 2014 (Reading), which was also the year of the most recent of the standout’s eight world championships.

To repeat that, Schumacher, who now has 88 career wins, will have to stay red-hot to track down Antron Brown, but he is 103 points behind in sixth with three races remaining. On Sunday, Schumacher got by Julie Nataas, who was making her Top Fuel debut, and then recorded a massive second-round win against Brown. He defeated Shawn Reed to reach the final round, quickly chasing down Torrence to pick up the memorable victory in St. Louis.

“It was a great day,” Schumacher said. “Running Antron Brown second round, we had to go after it. You look back on moments like that and we made the choice to go after this stuff and run well. I’m proud of the guys.

“I haven’t looked at the points, I don’t know how far back we are. We hurt ourselves early on, but at the end of the day, that’s racing. We won the race, we did a great job, we get points, we’re closer than we were the moment we started this morning. Whether we win a championship or not, we did a heck of a job going out there. Is there time to win a championship? I don’t know. Is there time to win a few more races and be great and do what we’re expected to do by our sponsors? Definitely.”

Torrence reached the final round for the third time in 2024 and 90th time in his career after defeating Ida Zetterstrom, No. 1 qualifier T.J. Zizzo and Justin Ashley, who remained second in points. Ashley is 34 points behind Brown, while Shawn Langdon is 60 points back in third.

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The Pro Stock final featured another thrilling duel between Dallas Glenn and Aaron Stanfield, and Glenn got the better of Stanfield for the second straight race, going 6.577s at 207.82mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to get past Stanfield’s 6.586s at 206.01mph. It strengthens Glenn’s points lead over Stanfield, as he now leads by 31 points as both young standouts attempt to win their first Pro Stock world championships, and also handed the 2021 NHRA Rookie of the Year his fifth victory.

It’s his second straight playoff victory as well, as Glenn got the better of Camrie Caruso, Mason McGaha and KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson to reach the championship round. Glenn followed with a sterling 0.010s reaction time and rolled to the wire-to-wire victory against Stanfield, picking up his 13th career victory in the process.

“Wins in the Countdown are harder than wins during the regular season,” Glenn said. “Everybody steps up their game, the points matter more, everybody brings their best stuff. Everything just gets tighter and more difficult. Looking at it, I have two wins and a semi in the Countdown and I barely have a round and a half lead. It’s definitely a lot tighter than I would like right now, but Aaron does a fantastic job. He’s a great driver, and I’m sure he’s going to be real tough for the remainder of the Countdown.

“Coming into this weekend I was thinking, St. Louis is usually where stuff starts happening. The first two races, the who’s who of the Countdown starts to be established. Then the big moves really start being made, kind of like the deciding race as to who is really going to be in the Countdown chase and who’s not really starts in St. Louis. There are only three races left, and there just isn’t a lot of time to gain points, especially when you have the same four drivers in the semis the first three races in a row. It’s really hard to gain points on somebody when they’re right with you the whole way.”

To reach the final round for the ninth time this season and 24th time in his career, Stanfield got past David Cuadra, Matt Hartford and Erica Enders. Enders remained third in points and now trails Glenn by 90 points.

After failing to win in the first two Pro Stock Motorcycle playoff races, defending world champ Gaige Herrera got back on track on Sunday, moving back into the points lead and taking his eighth victory of the season after a run of 6.805s at 198.12mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki to defeat Chase Van Sant’s 6.868s. It was an impressive bounce back weekend for Herrera, who qualified No. 1 and ran between 6.797s and 6.813s during all four elimination rounds to win for the 19th time in his career and the second straight season in St. Louis.

To get there, Herrera cruised past John Hall and Reading winner Hector Arana Jr., setting up a rematch of the Seattle final round. Van Sant won that, snapping Herrera’s streak of 11 straight victories, but Herrera rode past Van Sant on Sunday. Back in the points lead, Herrera leads Matt Smith, who lost in the second round, by 34 points.

“This means a lot. St. Louis is the halfway point in the Countdown, and to leave here with the points lead and get the win just gives me and the whole team a big boost going into Dallas and the rest of the races,” Herrera said. “If you don’t do well here, it sets you back and puts you in a different mindset.

“We’re leaving with a lot of confidence. I’m glad to say my bike’s back, especially after the last couple of races. I had a red light and in Charlotte had a malfunction and lost a decent amount of points to Matt and he got the points lead. I’m glad to get that back. It brings me a lot of confidence and I’m looking forward to going to Dallas. It’s always a fun race. I’m glad I get to win in St. Louis, I’m not far from here and it’s a beautiful facility. I’m glad the rain was only Friday. It was a good day of racing.”

Van Sant knocked off Chris Bostick, Richard Gadson and Geno Scali to advance to the finals for the third time in 2024. Gadson is third in points, 65 behind his teammate.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 9-13 with the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex in Dallas.

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.

Ashley, Prock, Glenn, Herrera go No. 1 at NHRA Nationals in Reading

Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley clinched his first No. 1 qualifier of the season on Saturday at Maple Grove Raceway, taking the top spot in front of a sellout crowd at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro …

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at 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.

Ashley’s run of 3.713s at 333.49mph from Friday in his Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster stayed atop the field, giving the former NHRA Rookie of the Year his sixth career No. 1 qualifier and second straight at Maple Grove Raceway. Currently second in points, Ashley also made the quickest run to close out qualifying on Saturday and will open eliminations against Smax Smith, looking for his first career win at his home track.

“For the most part, today’s focus was going to be on getting ready for race day and collecting those bonus points. What we saw today was probably similar conditions to what we’ll see tomorrow,” Ashley said. “I think the team learned a lot, they did a great job to be able to collect a total of five bonus points today was critical for us. Tomorrow is a brand new day. It’s really important to qualify No. 1, but at the same time the competition is just so good right now, anything can happen.

“Those bonus points are very important. It’s not everything, but it does add up. You collect a point here and there and together, they could mean a lot.”

Tony Schumacher qualified second with a 3.733s at 328.70mph and points leader Doug Kalitta finished in the third spot after going 3.733s at 328.70mph.

In Funny Car, points leader Austin Prock continued his incredible qualifying run, securing his 11th No. 1 qualifier in 15 races thanks to Friday’s spectacular pass of 3.849s at 338.43mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. He’s now only two No. 1 qualifiers away from tying John Force and Tony Schumacher for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season in the nitro categories in NHRA history. He also added a strong run in front of the capacity crowd to close out qualifying and Prock, who won at Maple Grove Raceway in 2022 in Top Fuel, opens eliminations against Mike Smith, looking for his sixth victory of the season.

“These guys are giving me an outstanding car,” Prock said. “All I can do is screw up qualifying and I’ve been doing an okay job of not doing that. My dad, Thomas, Nate, this whole Cornwell Tools team are pretty incredible this season.

“We just have to do what we’ve been doing all year long. We have to execute exactly how we did all season long, change nothing and see how the cards fall. We’re racing lights out right now and I feel like we’re making the best runs we’re capable of making consistently. If we all do our best, that should be good enough to win.”

Alexis DeJoria qualified second with a 3.867s at 336.40mph, while Prock’s JFR teammate, Jack Beckman, took third after his pass of 3.869s at 330.80mph.

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Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn impressed the sellout crowd on Saturday in Reading, making a huge run of 6.530s at 209.43mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro, picking up the No. 1 spot for the second time this season and the sixth time in his career. Glenn made the biggest jump of the day, giving him plenty of momentum heading into eliminations, where he’ll open race day against Kenny Delco. After struggling in the Countdown to the Championship last year, Glenn is eager to try and have some early playoff success.

“Yesterday, I didn’t feel like we made that great of runs even though we were near the top and got bonus points. They were decent runs, the engine was running good and everything, but we were struggling in 60-feet. I knew if we figured out that out, we would be good,” Glenn said. “Today, when the track is a little worse and the air is just a touch worse, you go up there and as long as it 60-foots, we should be able to be really close to it. We went up there and made a really nice run.

“I feel like everybody counts all the little points, especially when you reset them with six races to go and you have this mad rush to try to go rounds and get wins. It really matters when you’re in the playoffs. It’s really important here at the end of the season that we do well, so I’m going to try to stay extra focused, try to just kick it up and grab that little bit of extra gear that I feel like we have, focus a little bit harder, and see if we can squeeze a couple wins here in the last six races.”

Defending world champion Erica Enders finished in the second spot with a run of 6.535s at 210.34mph and Greg Anderson took third with a pass of 6.537s at 209.23mph.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gaige Herrera put on an impressive show to open qualifying on Saturday, delivering a stellar run of 6.743s at 200.20mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, racing his way to the No. 1 position. It’s the sixth top qualifier of the season for the defending world champ and points leader and the 20th in his career, and Herrera was thrilled with adjustments his team made heading into Saturday. It paid off in a big way as only one of two riders to dip into the 6.70s, positioning Herrera well for eliminations. He’ll start race day against Kelly Clontz, looking to win at Maple Grove Raceway for the first time. It’s also the only track on the PSM circuit where Herrera hasn’t won.

“We were very pleased with that. We’re happy with that going into tomorrow,” Herrera said. “Conditions will be pretty much the same, maybe a little cooler. I’m glad to get No. 1 qualifying spot. We’re trying to get as many points as we can because now it’s going to be a lot tighter.

“Last night we stayed and looked at data for a good bit and came up with a game plan for today and it paid off. We kind of threw the kitchen sink at it, and it worked. That doesn’t always work, so that gave me confidence in the machine. It’s going to be good for racing tomorrow, and hopefully I have a very fast and consistent motorcycle all day.”

Defending event winner Matt Smith finished second, going 6.795s at 200.50mph to close out qualifying, while Richard Gadson’s 6.806s at 198.35mph puts him third.

Eliminations for the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway.

Ashley, Todd, Glenn, Hall win US Nationals Mission Challenge

Justin Ashley picked up his fourth victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, defeating Ida Zetterstrom in the Top Fuel final of the bonus race as part of this weekend’s 70th annual Toyota …

J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round against Zetterstrom, Ashley went 4.085s at 260.01mph in his Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster, also clinching the overall season title in the bonus race for a second straight year. Ashley has enjoyed a stellar 10 wins in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge over the past two seasons, earning 13 bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs this year.

“We feel good. We take the Mission Foods Challenge very seriously,” Ashley said. “It’s important for a number of reasons. Obviously, we want to run well because it’s a part of qualifying and help position ourselves well for raceday, but it’s also points that are going to be added on before the Countdown starts, which is super important to us.

“Anything that we could win, we want to see win lights whether it’s the Mission Challenge or even in qualifying then of course on raceday. I’m super happy for the team, happy for the guys and everybody at Scag Power Equipment. We’ll enjoy it, but then we have to shift our focus to tomorrow.”

Funny Car’s J.R. Todd made the first step in what he hopes is a huge weekend, getting his third Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the year after defeating Chad Green in the final round with a run of 3.953s at 325.22mph in his DHL Toyota GR Supra. Todd is also in the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday, giving the former world champion a rare opportunity to win three times in one weekend.

“We have to thank Mission Foods for allowing us to have the opportunity to race for those bonus points – they’ll come in handy when the Countdown comes around,” Todd said. “We’re already spotting [Austin] Prock over a full round with all the points that he’s racked up, so it’s nice to add to our reset, whatever that may be after Monday. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a good position to maybe finish second in the regular season going into the Countdown and see where we stack up.”

Prock was the dominant overall champion of the bonus race thanks to an incredible seven victories this year. In the two-year existence of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, it’s the most wins anyone has picked up in a single season, giving Prock a whopping 23 bonus points for the playoffs.

In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn claimed his second Mission #2Fast2Tasty victory of the year, going 6.621s at 206.83mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro, defeating a red-lighting Mason McGaha in the final round of the bonus race. Glenn has enjoyed a strong season in the bonus race and the points leader in the category will also take 12 bonus points into the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

“This feels good. I don’t have the greatest track record in these bonus races, so it was good to seal another #2Fast2Tasty win,” Glenn said. “I think we have good momentum going into raceday even though we have another day of qualifying ahead of us. It’s going to be pretty interesting.

“We’re figuring stuff out, we’re getting better, I’m getting the car figured out better and trying to cut better lights. I had a great light against Aaron first round, and If I was 0.017s on the tree I would have lost. We’re coming into a stride right at the right time.”

Erica Enders won the overall Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge championship in the category on the strength of three wins and two runner-up finishes in the bonus race. She’ll take 13 bonus points into the Countdown to the Championship.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s John Hall earned his first-ever win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, getting the victory when teammate Matt Smith went red in the final round of the bonus race. Hall, a former U.S. Nationals winner, has come on strong at the right time on his Denso Auto Parts Buell, making a pair of impressive runs on Saturday.

“Today was a great day. I honestly didn’t know what to expect because we didn’t get to make a run on Friday night,” Hall said. “Normally, missing the first run wouldn’t be a big deal but when you have to go right into the Mission Challenge, you don’t know what the bike will run or what kind of a light you’ll have. I did just fine in the first run with a 0.011s light and I’m not sure what happened in the second, but I have to thank Matt for going red because I was way off.”

Gaige Herrera claimed the overall title in the category, slipping past Matt Smith on a tiebreaker. Both standouts finished with 12 bonus points for the playoffs, but Herrera won the tiebreaker by virtue of his three overall Challenge wins to Smith’s two.

Final qualifying begins at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Ashley, Alexander, Glenn return to NHRA winners’ circle at Brainerd

Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley picked up his third win of the season on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, defeating Shawn Langdon in the final round of the 42nd Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Blake Alexander (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) …

Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley picked up his third win of the season on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, defeating Shawn Langdon in the final round of the 42nd Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

Blake Alexander (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the 13th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Ashley led wire-to-wire against Langdon, going 3.745s at 329.34mph in his Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster to roll to his 14th career victory. Ashley defeated Billy Torrence, Tony Stewart and Josh Hart to reach the final round, earning his first career Top Fuel win at Brainerd and also getting his first victory since April.

He moved to third in points and showcased impressive consistency during eliminations, with all four runs between 3.74s and 3.76s. That bodes well for a strong performance in Indy and the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

“Everything that we’ve done throughout the entire regular season so far has been done with intent and purpose,” Ashley said. “We want to win each and every race that we go to, but ultimately, it’s about positioning ourselves well for Indy and beyond. We broke out a new car this weekend and kudos to Mike (Green) and Tommy (DeLago), they did an amazing job. The car went up and down the track every time today. There’s just something about a new chassis that feels great. There’s going to be ups and downs, it’s about staying level-headed.

“This class is so difficult, it’s so tough. The margin of error is so small, so when you’re able to be consistent like that, it just increases your chances of winning. It’s one of those sports that any given Sunday, anything can happen. It’s so hard to run in such a tight window like that, but this team came through and got it done.”

Langdon went to the finals for the sixth time in 2024 and the 44th time in his career, getting past Shawn Reed, Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta and Ida Zetterstrom, who made her NHRA Top Fuel debut this weekend. Kalitta now holds an 84-point lead over Langdon.

In Funny Car, Blake Alexander enjoyed a terrific redemption weekend in Brainerd after the team battled back following an explosion in Sonoma. The turnaround was impressive and Alexander ended his weekend in the winner’s circle for the first time this season, picking up the win in his Head Racing Ford Mustang when defending world champion Matt Hagan went red in the final round. Alexander would have been tough to beat, posting a 3.927s at 324.67mph in the championship round after staying in the low 3.90s the entire day.

It’s the fourth career victory for Alexander – and his second in Funny Car – and he advanced to the final round on the strength of round wins against Dave Richards, Jack Beckman and Chad Green. Working with crew chief Jim Head, Alexander has turned into a legit contender and will head to the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals seventh in points, feeling fully capable his team can compete against anyone. Alexander proved that in Brainerd, taking another step forward in his career at a track that means a great deal to him.

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“Sonoma was the hardest race I’ve ever had in my career and then to come here and have one of the best races I’ve ever had in my career, it means a lot,” Alexander said. “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I know that when I’m on, I’m one of the top guys out here. I know when I’m not on, just like anyone else, I can be a problem for my race team. So I’m trying to keep it tight, four straight runs every single time. Saying that is really easy to do, but doing that is really hard.

“I’m really proud of this team, they worked really hard on the combination and seeing them pull the strings on it in between runs. We’re making legit horsepower now and when it turns into a horsepower game we can play that game now and I’m pretty proud of that. It’s just a nice to place to come to and when you can feel that the people who own the track and the fans care, it just makes this big difference.”

After struggling in qualifying, Hagan reached the finals for the fourth time this year and 91st time in his career, getting past Ron Capps, Daniel Wilkerson and J.R. Todd. Austin Prock remains in the points lead, holding a 218-point advantage over Bob Tasca III heading to Indy.

Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn got back to his winning ways in impressive fashion, picking up a repeat win in Brainerd after defeating Mason McGaha in the final round, going 6.613s at 206.95mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. It’s the third season of the season for Glenn – and his first since Chicago in May – and the 11th in his career. Brainerd also continues to treat Glenn very well, defeating Eric Latino with a 6.598s, defending world champion Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield, who had won three of the past four races, to reach the final round.

McGaha left first but ran into trouble as Glenn cruised to a victory. It opened up his lead over KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson to 184 points heading to the regular-season finale in Indy and gets Glenn back on track, also snapping the six-race winning streak of Elite Motorsports in the process.

“It feels really good,” Glenn said. “I went to three finals in that six-race streak where they kept winning. It was definitely good to finally seal the deal. We made a really nice run there in the final, even though I kind of got caught with my pants down on the tree. I kept flickering it all day and had really long trees, then all of a sudden I get a quick one and it caught me off guard.

“Everybody on the crew did an awesome job. You go up second round against Erica and you know she’s going to be tough, and then you follow it up with Aaron Stanfield, who’s won three out of the last four – yeah, it was a tough day. This is a big Pro Stock area, the Zoo is always a good time, and people around here definitely show up for this race. They support it, and it’s really great seeing the stands packed and everybody up against the fence cheering every run you go up and down.”

McGaha reached his first final round of the season and third in his career thanks to victories against No. 1 qualifier Jerry Tucker, David Cuadra and Fernando Cuadra Jr.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Aug. 28-Sept. 2 with the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

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.