Erica Enders – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Tony Stewart Racing blasts to first double at NHRA Texas Nationals

Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan gave Tony Stewart Racing its first-ever nitro sweep in Top Fuel and Funny Car on Sunday at the Texas Motorplex, while Pro Stock’s Erica Enders became the winningest female in NHRA history with her 47th career national …

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera also won at the 19th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Enders, the reigning and five-time world champion, won in her home state for the second straight year to set the new all-time mark for NHRA national event wins by a female, going 6.469s at 211.15mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro to get past Dallas Glenn’s 6.493s at 210.40mph. Enders’ third victory this year also helped extend her lead to an impressive 85 points over Greg Anderson with two races remaining, also picking up her first playoff win of 2023.

After qualifying third as part of the quickest field in Pro Stock history, Enders delivered four straight runs in the 6.40s, knocking off Eric Latino, Cristian Cuadra and Troy Coughlin Jr. to reach the finals. Enders led wire-to-wire against Glenn, surpassing Angelle Sampey for most wins by a female and adding another legacy-defining victory to remarkable career.

“We have a lot of wins that mean an awful lot to us, but as a little girl with big dreams to be a professional driver one day, this one will sit proudly alongside some other ones,” Enders said. “This has been quite the journey and it hasn’t been easy. (Team owner) Richard Freeman gave me this opportunity 10 years ago and I’ll always be grateful. My team has been awesome and we’ve never looked back. This was quite the weekend.

“We came in here on a mission. It’s such a tight field and you see how everyone qualified, and it’s absolutely crazy. It’s cutthroat competition, but I love racing at the (Texas) Motorplex. I’m so thankful for the Meyer family and we’re so blessed to race in Texas. It was a great day and my guys are amazing. I’m really grateful for this group. I’m so thrilled to be here and we’ve got the points lead going to Vegas.”

Glenn took down Bo Butner, Camrie Caruso and Aaron Stanfield to reach the finals for the ninth time in 2023.

In Top Fuel, Pruett finished off the sweep for Tony Stewart Racing, closing out the weekend in style with a holeshot victory, going 3.684s at 330.47mph in her Mobil 1 dragster to defeat Steve Torrence in the championship round. It gave Pruett the points lead in the Countdown to the Championship for the first time in her career as she rolled to her second victory this season and 12th in her career.

She defeated Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, who entered the weekend with the points lead, and Clay Millican to reach the finals, making a trio of runs in the 3.60s. In the final, Pruett posted a 0.055s reaction time, which proved to be the difference in holding off Torrence’s run of 3.662s at 333.05mph. It led to a memorable celebration for the entire Tony Stewart Racing team, which enjoyed its first nitro sweep as Pruett now leads Kalitta by just four points with two races left in the season.

“We’re going to take this momentum on and keep trying to do the best we can,” Pruett said. “Beating Doug was huge. You can’t win a championship here, but you can lose one and we made sure we are deep in the hunt, and I couldn’t be prouder. I think we showed (today) what we can do in the Countdown.

“Matt and I had some time in the staging lanes (before the final round) and we just talked about what it takes to be there. He said the key is just focus. I just made sure I was focused on what I could do to get the best performance out of my car. (Now) we’re going to try to do what Tony Stewart Racing does best and that’s to keep winning.”

Torrence took down Buddy Hull, Antron Brown and his father, Billy, to pick up his sixth finals appearance this year and 87th in his career. He also remains in the thick of the championship hunt, trailing Pruett by only 13 points.

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Hagan took command of the Funny Car class in impressive fashion over the past two races, winning his second straight event, this time defeating John Force in the final round on Sunday in Dallas with a run of 3.883s at 332.25mph in his American Rebel Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It’s the sixth win this season and the 49th career victory for Hagan, who jumped from third to first in the points standings this weekend. He leads Bob Tasca III by 36 points and Robert Hight by 69 points after putting together a spectacular string of runs on Sunday at the Texas Motorplex.

While Ron Capps and Hight both lost in the first round, and Tasca fell a round later, Hagan knocked off Paul Lee, Terry Haddock and Tim Wilkerson to reach the finals, staying in the 3.80s throughout the day. Force smoked the tires early in the run as Hagan made another clean pass, sending him into the points lead and setting the stage for Pruett to deliver the nitro sweep for Tony Stewart Racing just a few minutes later.

“It’s a dogfight in Funny Car,” said Hagan, who is seeking his fourth career world championship. “It’s just that tough out there. My team put a great car under me and I’m just super proud of them. It takes tons of support to do what we’re doing and to win six races in a year, it’s incredible. It’s just so hard to do and it says a lot about what our team is doing and how great Tony Stewart is as a team owner.

“This was our opportunity to rise to the occasion and our team did that. The chances for Robert, Ron and Tasca going out early is pretty rare, so it was an unreal day for us. We did what we needed to do to turn on win lights. To double-up with this team at TSR, it’s just incredible. I’m really proud of the organization I drive for and there’s only more great things to come, I’m sure.”

Force advanced to the championship round for the second time this season and the 266th time overall thanks to victories against Jeff Diehl, Cruz Pedregon and J.R. Todd.

After a record-breaking weekend, it was only fitting that Gaige Herrera capped off his special weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a victory, knocking off teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round with a run of 6.644s at 203.30mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It was Herrera’s seventh straight run in the 6.60s this weekend at the Texas Motorplex, a streak that included Saturday’s record-breaking blast of 6.627s at 204.16mph. He followed with his ninth win of his magnificent 2023 season on Sunday, strengthening his points lead in the process.

He knocked off Blaine Hale, Chris Bostick and Hector Arana Jr. to reach the final round and then put together his quickest run of the day in the final round to beat Krawiec for a second straight race, again denying the multi-time world champ his 50th career win. Herrera now holds a 156-point lead over Krawiec and will have a chance to clinch his first career world championship in Las Vegas.

“A year can make a world of difference. I’m just here living the dream,” Herrera said. “This bike has been flying all weekend and this whole weekend has been cool. This is a special one right here and one I’ll never forget. It’s been this incredible what this Vance & Hines team has given me. My bike has been flying and it’s crazy how fast it is and how easy it has been to ride. It’s on a string right now.

“It’s been an incredible experience this weekend in Dallas. Getting the national record (on Saturday) and then the win, and doing it in front of all these great fans all weekend, it’s been amazing.”

Krawiec advanced to his third final round this year and 84th in his career by getting past Cory Reed, Matt Smith and Joey Gladstone.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 26-29 with the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kalitta storms to another No. 1 at NHRA Midwest Nationals

For the 53rd time in his career, Top Fuel’s Doug Kalitta clinched the No. 1 qualifier in front of a sellout crowd on Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway at the 12th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro …

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the 18th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Saturday also marked the eighth sellout of the 2023 NHRA season.

Kalitta hung on to his second No. 1 qualifier of the season thanks to Friday’s run of 3.709s at 331.85mph in his Mac Tools/Toyota dragster. The points leader will open eliminations against Lex Joon, looking to stay perfect in the Countdown to the Championship. The veteran, who is chasing his first world championship in Top Fuel, has won the first two playoff races, building a strong lead against the likes of Steve Torrence and Justin Ashley. He has marveled at the team’s consistency in the postseason and Kalitta hopes to continue their stellar run on Sunday in front of another huge crowd in St. Louis. Kalitta also went 3.72s to close out qualifying.

“I was really happy with that 0.72s in that last session,” Kalitta said. “My car has been really consistent. I just can’t say enough about how hard everybody is working on my car. Great crowd here today, a sellout. Connie Kalitta is our fearless leader out here and given me a great opportunity over the years.

“It’s just nice when it all can come together like it has the last couple of races for my car. We’re just going to hold on and do our best and keep going rounds, as many as we can get. We’re definitely looking forward to tomorrow, whatever it gives us, and hopefully we can have it dialed in real nice.”

Mike Salinas took the second spot with a run of 3.710s at 329.75mph and Antron Brown was right behind in third with a 3.714s at 331.69mph.

Tasca picked up his sixth No. 1 spot this year as Friday’s run of 3.852s at 324.90mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang held up during Saturday’s final two qualifying sessions. Currently second in points, Tasca trails Robert Hight by less than a round as he looks for his second straight victory in the postseason. He’ll open eliminations against Jack Wyatt and heads into Sunday with plenty of positives after a strong pass of 3.877s at 331.85mph to close out the evening as well.

“Very exciting, but one round at a time, one run at a time,” Tasca said. “We really don’t pay as much attention to what the cars around us are running. We have enough data now with this car and enough track information to go up there and try to go as quick as we can for the conditions that are presented.

“You want to be in the (championship) conversation. No one can guarantee a championship. No one knows what’s going to happen over the next four races, but you want to be in the conversation. That’s why the sponsors invest in us, that’s what the fans cheer about. We’re going to do the best we can and if we come out victorious, it’s that much sweeter. But this is what it’s all about. I’ve been around a lot of successful teams. We’ve had some good runs, but this is clearly our best run at it.”

Chad Green moved all the way to second with a solid run of 3.886s at 330.47mph and Blake Alexander took second with a 3.888s at 326.79mph.

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After earning her third straight No. 1 qualifier to open the playoffs thanks to Friday’s run of 6.549s at 209.69mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro, Pro Stock’s Erica Enders has a chance at history on Sunday. With her next win, the defending world champion will become the winningest female driver in NHRA history. She’ll open eliminations against Eric Latino, hoping to secure her 47th victory this season and first in the Countdown to the Championship. Enders has also dominated over the years in St. Louis, winning four straight seasons heading into the weekend. Her six overall wins are the most for any driver at the track.

“I’m definitely excited to head into raceday,” Enders said. “St. Louis has always been really good to us, and we hope that the trend will continue tomorrow – but there are a lot of really tough competitors out there. I’m hopeful to park that JHG/Melling Performance car in the winner’s circle. We’ve got our work cut out for us, but I’m looking forward to it.

“I haven’t thought about [the record] on race day, but no matter when it comes it will be a huge honor. Angelle [Sampey] was one of my heroes growing up, and we’re great friends now. To be the all-time winner for females in any form of motorsports is pretty substantial and an honor I won’t take lightly.”

Points leader Matt Hartford moved up to second with a strong run of 6.549s at 207.75mph and Troy Coughlin Jr. qualified third with a pass of 6.558s at 208.97mph.

Gaige Herrera tied Matt Hines for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season in Pro Stock Motorcycle history, securing his 11th top spot in 12 PSM races with Friday’s run of 6.716s at 201.79mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Hines set the mark in 1998 and Herrera matched the mark more than 25 years later as he continued his dominant season. The points leader made two more quality runs on Saturday, taking plenty of momentum into Sunday as he aims to pick up his first win in St. Louis and his eighth victory of the season.

“This is very cool. I just have to give it up to Andrew (Hines, crew chief) and all the guys at the shop and Matt, included,” Herrera said. “They’re the ones that make that possible. To be able to tie Matt and get that many No. 1 qualifiers in one season, it’s incredible. There have been a lot of remarkable, crazy, things I’ve accomplished so far this year but to add something like this to it is pretty cool.

“We tried to do different things on the bike today, the track is kind of a little tricky for us, so I feel like we made good passes considering. We’ll go back and go over all our data and be ready for tomorrow. All in all, I felt pretty good on the bike and it should be good tomorrow.”

Defending world champion and defending event winner Matt Smith took second with a 6.766s at 201.76mph and Eddie Krawiec bumped to third thanks to his 6.773s at 201.25mph.

Eliminations for the NHRA Midwest Nationals begin at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.

Kalitta, Tasca, Enders, Herrera start Midwest Nationals on top

Top Fuel points leader Doug Kalitta continued his impressive run in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship at World Wide Technology Raceway, powering to the provisional No. 1 spot to close out Friday’s racing at the 12th annual NHRA Midwest …

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 18th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

As part of the final pair of the evening under the lights at World Wide Technology Raceway, Kalitta turned in a run of 3.709s at 331.85mph in his Mac Tools/Toyota dragster. If that holds, the veteran would pick up his second No. 1 spot this year and 53rd in his career. Seeking his first career world championship, Kalitta has won the first two playoff races this year and continued to gain momentum on Friday.

“Everybody is running really close, and we somehow snuck by them,” Kalitta said. “Hat’s off to (crew chiefs) Alan Johnson and Brian Husen and all my guys; they’re really working their tails off on this car, and it’s definitely showing. Consistency is everything in this sport, and that was a nice A to B run for us. It was close, but we pulled it off.

“We’re all hungry. I always love coming to St. Louis. Just a lot of great memories here and a great racing town. This is really a good start for us here for the first qualifying run. The competition is tough and everybody is running well. I just feel really fortunate to pull off the low qualifier so far.”

Mike Salinas took the second spot with a run of 3.710s at 329.75mph and Antron Brown was right behind in third with a 3.714s at 331.69mph.

In Funny Car, Tasca delivered an epic blast to close out qualifying, going a spectacular 3.852s at 324.90mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. Coming off last weekend’s win in Charlotte and advancing to second in points, Tasca grabbed the qualifying points on Friday at World Wide Technology Raceway as only one of two drivers to dip into the 3.80s. With warm temperatures expected on Saturday, Tasca appears on track to earn his sixth No. 1 qualifier in his tremendous 2023 campaign and the 15th in his career. It would also be his second No. 1 in the playoffs if it holds, a week after making a career-best pass in Charlotte.

“We’ve been working on this all season long, starting in testing,” Tasca said. “We had to have the setup to go out here and run with the big teams when the conditions were good. We had flashes of that early in the season, worked on it when the conditions were good, and just seeing this car run really hard. Aaron Brooks, Todd Okuhara, they have a lot of confidence in the setup. They were trying to run 0.85s and the car ran 0.85s.

“This wasn’t a fluke, they told me keep it on the inside until about a half-track and then pull it back slowly. Normally you muscle a Funny Car, but in this example, you’re really just finessing it. You can’t be a one-trick pony. You have to be able to throw down when it’s hot and be able to pull it back and still throw down when it’s cool.”

Blake Alexander took the second spot with a run of 3.888s at 326.79mph and John Force is third after going 3.914s at 325.06mph. Points leader Robert Hight is 13th.

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World Wide Technology Raceway has belonged to Pro Stock’s Erica Enders over the years and that continued on Friday, as the defending world champion went to the No. 1 spot with a run of 6.549s at 209.69mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro. If that holds, Enders would earn her third straight No. 1 qualifier, fifth this season and the 34th in her stellar career. She’s been nearly flawless in St. Louis, winning the past four years at the track, giving her six overall. That’s the most in NHRA history at the facility and a seventh win this weekend – and 47th in her career – would also give her the most wins by a female in NHRA history.

“It definitely felt awesome,” Enders said. “I say this a lot but I feed off of Mark Ingersoll, my crew chief. I really enjoy his confidence because it in turn gives me confidence. This place has always been amazing to me. To have the last four years in a row is pretty awesome. It’s Mark’s home track, and he wants to swing hard here. We’re really excited.

“My sister and I have coined the phrase, everything changes in St. Louis. We’ll just go ahead and hope that’s going to be the outcome. When we went into the Countdown, we haven’t won one yet, but I said three races in a row, in three weeks I’m going to know where I stand and maybe my stomach can relax a little bit. It’s so fun coming here. I’m excited to have things change in St. Louis.”

Troy Coughlin Jr. took the second spot thanks to his pass of 6.558s at 208.97mph and Greg Anderson, who won last weekend in Charlotte, is third after a 6.560s at 208.81mph. Points leader Matt Hartford’s 6.565s has him fourth.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gaige Herrera enjoyed another terrific Friday night, this time putting together an impressive run of 6.716s at 201.79mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It puts the points leader on track for an incredible 11th No. 1 qualifier this season in 12 races for the category, another sign of his dominating season. He picked up his first career win in the Countdown to the Championship last weekend and, after moving back into the points lead, Herrera looks to keep rolling this weekend in St. Louis.

“I’ve been having fun all year, and all the little changes, they’re out to get us as a team or me,” Herrera said. “Just to have that feeling, basically, Matt (Smith) is doing everything he can to try to knock us off the top. I think that makes us drive harder, push harder, and me as a rider, try to be more consistent. I had a 0.029s light there today and last weekend I had an average of 0.032s. It makes me try harder and push harder, and the same for Andrew (Hines, crew chief). He wants to give me the most consistent but fast motorcycle, so I think overall it just drives us to keep on pushing. I’m just excited to be a part of it. I’m very lucky to ride for them and be part of it.”

Defending world champion and defending event winner Matt Smith, who trails Herrera by 52 points heading into the weekend, is currently second with a 6.766s at 201.76mph and Eddie Krawiec is third with a 6.787s at 201.40mph.

Qualifying continues at 1:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Salinas makes history with 300mph 1/8-mile pass at NHRA Charlotte Nationals

Top Fuel’s Mike Salinas became the first driver in NHRA history to go 300-mph in the 1/8-mile, setting both ends of the track record on Saturday at zMAX Dragway en route to qualifying No. 1 at the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. Robert …

Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 17th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

In the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster driven by points leader Tony Stewart was found to have unapproved ignition parts. Due to the items found, he was disqualified from the event and zero points were awarded.

Salinas powered to an epic blast of 3.647s at 338.00mph in his Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster, earning his third No. 1 qualifier in 2023 and 14th in his career. He also went a whopping 300.80 mph to the 1/8-mile during the run, marking the first time in NHRA history a driver has reached 300-mph in the 1/8-mile and making him the first member of the “Phillips Connect 300 to the 1/8” club, which nets him a $30,000 bonus. It was also the fifth-fastest run in Top Fuel history, as Salinas aims to pick up his second win of the season on Sunday.

“The track was amazing. (Crew chief) Rob (Flynn) and Arron (Cave) getting this thing ready for us – I never get involved with that, but I had this ‘all or nothing’ that we’ve been doing,” Salinas said. “We’ve been working on this for a while and our car has been close several times in testing. We knew we were going to do it, we just didn’t know when. Tonight was the perfect time to do it. The car seemed to like what we’re doing, and Rob and Aaron are amazing every run. we are a real team and I’m just happy to be part of what they’ve put together.

“We’ve been close and to put together a run like this, it is awesome. These are the types of things we’re out here for and what it’s all about. What an amazing run.”

Antron Brown took the second spot, going 3.655s at 332.75mph – and 299.00mph to the 1/8-mile – and Doug Kalitta, who won last weekend in Reading, qualified third with a 3.665s at 331.61mph.

Funny Car points leader Robert Hight also put on an impressive show to close out the night, topping Matt Hagan’s spectacular run on Friday with a track-record performance of 3.824s at 330.15mph in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. A night after Hagan made the quickest run of the year in the class, Hight went even quicker to earn his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 82nd in his marvelous career.

After suffering a huge explosion on the starting line during Friday’s qualifying session, Hight and his team rebounded in fine fashion on Saturday, making a pair of stellar runs, including the terrific blast to end the evening. Following his win at the playoff opener in Reading a week ago, Hight will look to keep rolling on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

“Sometimes when you really go up there and push and try really hard, it doesn’t work out,” Hight said. “Everything has to come together, and there are a lot of variables. It’s a science, but there is some luck with it. Everything has to come into place. But we were pushing, we wanted to go out there and get the No. 1 spot. I never get too hopeful, but to do it by 0.001s, that tells you how close this racing is.

“Matt Hagan and I had a race last weekend that was even closer, and that’s pretty amazing. Hats off to my guys for rebounding from a tough go of it yesterday. I have a lot of confidence in this team. This is a great racetrack. We’ve had a lot of success here over the years, and it was cool to see records fall here tonight.”

Hagan, who closed out the night with a strong 3.828s, will take second with his 3.825s at 333.49mph and Bob Tasca III moved to third with a career-best run of 3.836s at 331.94mph.

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Erica Enders has opened the Pro Stock playoffs with two straight No. 1 qualifiers thanks to Friday’s run of 6.509s at 210.18mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Camaro. It’s the fourth top spot of the season for the defending world champion and the 33rd in her career as she continues to build momentum in trying to earn her sixth world title. A win on Sunday in Charlotte would help the cause a great deal and she’ll open eliminations against Mason McGaha.

“Today didn’t really go as planned but making that monster run yesterday was significant,” Enders said. “It showed that what we had in Reading, carried over here in Charlotte. We’ll make the adjustments accordingly. I’m proud for the No. 1 position. All of those points are going matter at the end of the game.”

Camrie Caruso took the second spot with a 6.525s at 209.20mph and defending event winner Aaron Stanfield qualified third with a 6.533s at 210.50mph. Points leader Matt Hartford, who won the last two races, qualified eighth with a 6.542s.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gaige Herrera continued to cement his qualifying dominance, taking his 10th No. 1 spot of the year on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki on the strength of his 6.731s at 200.44mph from Friday. On the weekend of Pro Stock Motorcycle’s 500th career event, Herrera hopes to pick up his seventh win this season and also his first career Countdown to the Championship victory. He’ll open eliminations against Jerry Savoie. and could move back into the points lead with a big day.

“I feel really confident going into tomorrow. I have a really bad hot rod, it’s fast and has been all season,” Herrera said. “To be able to get 10 out of 11 No. 1 qualifiers, it’s just remarkable. I give all the credit to the Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki team and all the guys at the shop for all their hard work. That run we did yesterday was really good for the conditions, and it wasn’t the perfect run, but it was really good. Today we were trying a few little things, but we’ll go back to what we basically ran Friday and be ready for tomorrow.

“I missed out on a couple today as far as qualifying but at the end of the day, I think we’re going to do good tomorrow and that’s where you’re going to get as many points as possible.”

Eddie Krawiec jumped up to second on Saturday with a run of 6.766s at 200.00mph and Angie Smith took third after going 6.805s at 197.48mph. Points leader Matt Smith qualified ninth.

Eliminations for the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

Hagan quickest so far in NHRA qualifying at zMAX Dragway

Matt Hagan made the quickest Funny Car run of the year on Friday at zMAX Dragway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot for Tony Stewart Racing at the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and …

Matt Hagan made the quickest Funny Car run of the year on Friday at zMAX Dragway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot for Tony Stewart Racing at the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 17th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hagan powered to an impressive run of 3.825s at 333.49mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, setting the track E.T. record and making the quickest pass in the Funny Car category since he went 3.823 in Phoenix at the second race of the 2022 season. If it holds, the three-time Funny Car world champ would earn his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and 50th in his career. It was also a nice bounce back for Hagan and his team after falling by a crushing 0.0001s in the second round last weekend against points leader Robert Hight.

“That was a great moment right there,” Hagan said. “It’s just a great day and what a lap to lay down there. When they’re on a run like that and they’re digging, they’re a handful and that’s why we love driving these things. I’m so proud of my guys.

“A run like that is a huge confidence-booster and it’s just nice to be able to put that in the bank. I can’t say enough about my guys and it was just a great day. These cars are probably the most humbling thing I’ve ever dealt with in my life. You’ve got to be peaking at the right time and if we want to be champion, we need to win two or three more races this year. That’s our mindset and our mentality right now.”

Ron Capps, the defending back-to-back world champ, went 3.885s at 329.02mph to go to second and Chad Green went to third after a 3.887s at 327.27mph. Hight is 15th after suffering a huge explosion on the starting line during his run.

In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta continued his hot streak, following up on last weekend’s 50th career win by going to the No. 1 spot in Charlotte with a standout performance of 3.665s at 331.61mph in his Mac Tools dragster. The veteran, who moved up to third in points with the win last week, is aiming for his second No. 1 spot this season and 53rd in his career. The run under the lights was also the fifth straight run in the 3.60s for Kalitta dating back to last weekend, which bodes well for the rest of the weekend as well as the remaining races in the Countdown to the Championship.

“This car is happy to be on the track,” Kalitta said. “I’m just really happy for all my guys and this whole team. Charlotte is one of the greatest places we run and we’re hungry to keep this momentum going. So far, so good and we’ll see what we’ve got after tomorrow.

“We’ve got plenty of confidence right now and the conditions are going to be good [this weekend]. This team has been gelling really well and hopefully we can keep it going. They’ve been making me look good. We’re going to keep our head down, keep trying to get round wins and see what we can do.”

Defending world champion Brittany Force went 3.686s at 332.75mph, putting her second after the opening qualifying session, and Justin Ashley’s 3.698s at 333.74mph gave him the third spot.

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For the second straight race, defending Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders enjoyed a strong start, taking the provisional No. 1 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro with a run of 6.509s at 210.18mph. If that holds, Enders would earn her fourth top spot this year and 33rd in her career. It would also continue Enders’ strong start to the playoffs after she qualified No. 1 in Reading and advanced to the semifinals. Looking for a sixth world championship, Enders is after more at zMAX Dragway – namely a third win of the season.

“The whole season started off really crappy for us, as everybody knows, and we just kept our heads down and went to work,” Enders said. “We said it’s not going to matter until the final six and here we are. We’re running really well again so we’re absolutely thankful for that. That’s what I mean but this is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to get to the end of the season and then perform as perfectly as possible in the Countdown.”

Camrie Caruso’s 6.525s puts her second and defending event winner Aaron Stanfield swiped third with a 6.533s at 210.50mph. Points leader Matt Hartford, who won the last two races, is currently eighth with a 6.548s at 209.43mph.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera shrugged off his surprising second-round loss from last weekend in strong fashion on Friday, distancing himself from the rest of the field with a run of 6.731s at 200.44mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Herrera, who is now second and 17 points behind Matt Smith, is seeking his 10th No. 1 qualifier of the year and what he hopes is his seventh victory of the year and first career Countdown to the Championship victory. Herrera enjoyed a terrific start on Friday and will try to replicate that over the next two days in Charlotte.

“We’re happy with that run and we’re just trying to get redemption back from Reading,” Herrera said. “It put us down a little bit, but it’s another race and we’re just looking forward to two more rounds of qualifying tomorrow and then race day on Sunday. This is one of my favorite tracks and I’m just happy to be back here.”

Chip Ellis, who advanced to the final round last week, is currently second with a 6.817s at 199.05mph and Eddie Krawiec took third thanks to his 6.825s at 197.94mph. Smith is 17th after one session.

Qualifying continues at 1:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Erica Enders: The making of a GOAT

Erica Enders should come with a warning label: Isn’t great friend material. The 39-year-old will go down as one of the best to ever compete in the NHRA, but greatness doesn’t always have time for anything other than the craft. “She’s not a normal …

Erica Enders should come with a warning label: Isn’t great friend material.

The 39-year-old will go down as one of the best to ever compete in the NHRA, but greatness doesn’t always have time for anything other than the craft.

“She’s not a normal human,” younger sister Courtney Enders says. “If you are a true Erica Enders friend from school or home or church, you have to understand that she’s kind of a half-assed friend.

“I don’t mean that in a sense that she’s not going to be there for you, or nice. But she can’t go to your kid’s birthday parties. She can’t always be a bridesmaid in your wedding. She can’t always sit on the phone and talk about 9 to 5 normal life for an hour, because she just doesn’t have the physical time or the mental capacity because she gives so much of her mind, soul and body to her fans, her team, the industry, me, her sponsors. There are not a lot of pieces of the Erica pie that are left, and if you are truly her friend, you have to understand that and deal with it. She’s not always going to answer the phone.”

Enders entered the year fresh off a fifth Pro Stock world championship. It came with a 10-win season and a win-loss record of 55 and 9.

She is far from done. In her 10th season with Elite Motorsports, Enders is one victory away from sole possession of being the winningest female in NHRA national event history. Victories this season have come at Bristol Dragway (No. 44) and Heartland Motorsports Park (No. 45). Those go with a Super Gas victory from 2004.

Enders is tied with Angelle Sampey, who previously held the record with 46 victories.

It’s been an improbable journey, even if Enders was born and bred to be a racer. She started at eight years old in junior dragsters, developing tunnel vision toward being being an NHRA champion from the start.

But for nearly a decade, Enders struggled to establish herself. Not only were there winless seasons spent driving less than stellar equipment, but there were many times when she failed to qualify for national events.

Enders made her first Pro Stock start in 2005. Her first victory came in 2012, which turned out to be a four-win season. In 2013, she added two more victories.

Then came Richard Freeman. The idea that racers understand other racers and see talent not noticed by the untrained eye is at the crux of Enders being signed at Elite going into 2014.

“What I recognized was how she drove,” Freeman says.

Freeman has been around other great drivers, name-dropping Greg Stanfield and Mike Edwards. When he watched Enders, he noticed that even though she wasn’t driving the best equipment, her routine never changed.

Freeman is a self-described underdog, which is what Enders was. Although she was a winner in the sport, Enders wasn’t yet striking the fear in the competition she does today with her distinctive red Chevy Camaro.

“What I saw in her was she could do what many others just couldn’t get done,” Freeman says. “In my opinion, she is very possibly the best ever to step foot in a Pro Stock. And I say that not because she drives for me, but if you go look, in two years working for me in 2014 and 2015, I don’t know that she ever red-lit. That’s unheard of.”

Enders claimed her first NHRA national class victory in 2004 with a Super Gas win in Houston. Image via NHRA

Claiming a championship was unthinkable for Enders and Elite Motorsports simply because Freeman initially had no plans of fielding the car full-time. But as Enders started winning, the team quickly gelled.

Courtney vividly remembers the 2014 season. When her sister arrived at Elite, Courtney isn’t sure Erica yet knew her place in the sport. And there were no thoughts of her being one of the most dominant drivers or even a champion. However, there was excitement about being in a place where such an opportunity could be realized.

Gone were the days of just hoping to be in the field or just looking for a round win. Enders was suddenly a weekly contender.

“Once we started winning races, I remember a couple of times I was like, ‘Erica, holy ****, what are you doing?’” Courtney says. “She was like, ‘I don’t even know. This is crazy.’ We were taken aback by what was happening.”

Enders became the first female to win a Pro Stock championship in 2014.

“Once we finished off that first championship and she realized about being the first woman champion and knocking off all these items on the list, it was like, ‘OK, how do we back this up? How is it not a fluke?’” Courtney says. “I think the mindset the second year was, the confidence was high but not completely in knowing who she was. The thought was, we had to put an exclamation on this and let the world know it wasn’t one of those fairytale stories of getting it and leaving. It was figuring out, how do we dominate and prove that what we earned was right.”

A second world title followed in 2015. In those two seasons, Enders won 15 events.

“We got to the end of those years, and people questioned if she had some way of cheating,” Freeman says. “Tim Freeman, who now works for me but at the time worked for one of our biggest competitors, has told me many times, ‘We just didn’t see a way that any human being could do that and do it that well.’ I think her average reaction time in the 2015 countdown was 0.014.

“We won a ton of races in 2015, and we weren’t the most powerful car. We were the best program at that point. That’s why I went after her.”

Nail polish, grease and grit

The first thing Mark Ingersoll noticed about Enders was her passion to be the best.

“She’s not happy if she’s not doing the best or we’re not the fastest,” Ingersoll says.

Ingersoll became a crew chief for Enders after the 2014 season, and the two have been together ever since. It is a perfect match. The passion and competitive nature of Enders is met equally by Ingersoll’s.

“She’s worried about what she’s doing and I tell her all the time that she’s the last thing I’m worried about,” Ingersoll says. “I know when it comes down to it, the pressure is on. I’m putting every dollar I’ve got on her. That’s what she does. She doubts herself, but that’s what makes her great. She knows how good she needs to be and how good she can be, and I relate to her through the car.”

It helps that all Enders thinks about is racing. She is all in, all the time. Even when she’s on the starting line watching a teammate.

Enders (right) with sister Courtney at Sonoma in 2005. That season, she moved up to NHRA’s Pro stock class. Image via NHRA

Keep an eye on her the next time you’re tuned into an event. Enders will be behind the car, most likely with her arms crossed. Behind the sunglasses, she’s honed in on the Christmas Tree. When the lights start flashing, she goes through the motions with her feet.

It’s the same in the pits. Enders isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Ingersoll says she knows exactly what’s going on with her car and contributes to the work.

“She can tell you if something feels different and what it is on every run,” Ingersoll says. “I’ve worked with a lot of drivers, and I’ve never seen anybody that can feel and know exactly what’s going on in the car like her. You can’t really teach that.”

Chase Freeman – the nephew of Richard Freeman – first worked with Enders when she arrived in 2014 before he briefly left the program. He returned in 2016, becoming one of Enders’ best friends. Chase has had a front-row seat to Enders’ growth and dedication to the job.

“Her methodical approach” is what he says makes Enders different from others. “She has a number for everything. She’s the only person that can tell you what she wants to do with her clutch linkage, and then it goes out and does it. She is mindful of every little change the car makes because she’s so in tune with the car. She strives for perfection in everything she does.”

The most impressive part of that perfection?

“Her ability to turn off her brain and just perform,” Courtney says. “She thinks so much; I have to tell her to stop thinking so much. Just shut up and drive because you’re so good at what you do. As soon as she puts on her helmet, I see a different set of eyeballs. That’s why I’m always the last one at the door, and we’re joking around and singing or one week, we’re quoting movies right before she went up.

“It’s a different set of eyeballs once she puts that helmet on – it’s, like, mean. It’s crazy. It’s a different part of her brain. I’ve always been envious of the ability of her turning off the world and doing what she was born to do, because if I was in her shoes, I’d be wondering what sponsors are watching or this crew guy didn’t do this and the fans are watching, did I screw this up.

“She’s just so good at shutting the world out when she puts that helmet on, and that is a huge part of her success.”

Richard describes how Enders is there every step of the way when it comes to her car. Whether it’s testing for days on end, being in the shop at all hours or preparing for an engine dyno.

“Them fingernails fly all over the place,” Richard says.

But her attention to detail gets to him – in a humorous way.

“Sometimes it’s annoying,” he says. “We tell her all the time, ‘Hey, just get in the son of a bitch and drive it.’ At the end of the day, Erica’s attention and detail to what she does, from the clutch pedal to things feeling different – and you can ask anyone – you’re like, ‘**** it, shut up.’

“Most people and I’m a driver myself, don’t pay attention to that stuff. But that’s the reason I’m not her. That’s the reason I’m not that good. Heck, there are times I roll through the water box, and I’m thinking about going fishing. I promise you, she is not thinking about that.”

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Tasca rockets to the top of NHRA qualifying in Reading

Bob Tasca III ended Funny Car qualifying in style on Saturday at Maple Grove Raceway, powering to the No. 1 position at the 38th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, the first race in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Justin Ashley (Top …

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 16th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. It was the seventh sellout crowd of the 2023 season. Sunday’s eliminations were also moved up to 9:30 a.m. ET at Maple Grove Raceway.

Tasca, who entered the weekend fourth in points, raced to his fifth No. 1 spot this season with a standout run of 3.866s at 328.30mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Ford Mustang. It’s the 14th career top spot for the veteran, who is seeking his second career win at Maple Grove Raceway and third this season.

He impressed in every qualifying session, making the quickest run in the last three sessions, including both on Saturday. That netted him 11 bonus points, giving him plenty of momentum going into race day, where he’ll take on Cory Lee in the first round.

“The car performed flawlessly,” Tasca said. “As a driver/team owner, that’s what you ask for from your team. They give you a car that can go out there and compete, and you put yourself in a position to win. We have a lot of unfinished business here this weekend, and tomorrow is a big day.

“I think it’s going to be a very challenging day early in the rounds. We’re going to be here at 9:30 (a.m.), and the track is estimated to be somewhere around 75 degrees. You can shake really easy. You could see some big-time upsets, but we just want to go up there and do the best we can. We’ll manage the conditions as they go. As the day progresses, I think you’re going to fall into the conditions that we’ve run really well in. That gives you a lot of confidence going into Sunday.”

Defending world champion and points leader Ron Capps jumped up to the second spot in the final session, going 3.879s at 333.99mph. That bumped Robert Hight, who went 3.879s at 329.34mph on Friday, to third.

Justin Ashley, a New York native, stayed on top in front of a capacity crowd at his home track, with his run of 3.687s at 335.57mph from Friday in his Phillips Connect Toyota dragster handing him the No. 1 spot for third time in what has been a banner 2023 season. It’s also the fifth career top qualifier for the Top Fuel points leader, who has already picked up six victories this season. He made another strong run to close out qualifying and Ashley will open eliminations against Scott Farley.

He’s also had plenty of success at Maple Grove Raceway in his young Top Fuel career, advancing to the final round last year. Ashley would love to set the tone for the Countdown to the Championship with a victory on Sunday and he remains confident in the mentality of the team.

“We feel great. You’re trying to put yourself in the best position to win the race on Sunday and I feel like we accomplished that,” Ashley said. “We went down the track three out of four times, and we had that 0.68s in the quickest session, but tomorrow is going to be different in a lot of ways. It’s going to be faster than what we’ve seen.

“Inherently, there’s more pressure because the playoffs are on, but it doesn’t change our approach. Our mentality is to continue to do the same thing that we’ve been doing since the start of the year. There’s a reason we’re in the position that we’re in now. I think it’s easy to get wrapped up in it being the playoffs and changing what you’re doing or focusing more intently. But we take every race the same way, playoffs or regular season. There is more pressure, but as a group, we’ve stuck to our guns that we’re to have fun, we’re here to have a good time, we’re here to win. I feel confident in the group that we have and I feel confident that we’re not going to let the pressure get to us.”

Defending world champion Brittany Force stayed second with her 3.689s at 336.57mph from Friday and Doug Kalitta took third with his 3.696s at 331.45mph.

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Defending Pro Stock world champ Erica Enders seems poised to defend her event victory from Maple Grove Raceway, qualifying No. 1 for the third time this season thanks to Friday’s 6.494s at 211.13mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro. It’s the 32nd career No. 1 spot for the six-time world champion who moved up to second in points standings on Saturday on the strength of her qualifying performances in Reading. After making the quickest run of 2023 in Pro Stock on Friday, Enders had two strong showing on Saturday, including the quickest run in the final qualifying session.

She’ll open eliminations against Val Smeland, aiming for her third win of the season. A victory on Sunday would also make her the winningest female in NHRA history as she looks to open the Countdown to the Championship in style.

“It was definitely cool to follow up today with two really great runs,” Enders said. “Super proud of my team, we made some changes this morning to try to pick up a little bit and it went in the opposite direction, so we fixed it and were able to outrun the field. It was pretty substantial, but it’s a challenging race day ahead of us tomorrow and we have to make sure everything goes right. I’m excited and proud of my guys. We’ve really turned this season around. I’m stoked and ready to go.

“We were waiting for that pendulum to swing back in our direction after our really sorry to start for the year, but we knew with hard work and determination. My guys have this awesome never-quit attitude and just amazing tenacity. I’m proud of them. It’s not something that’s easy to go through as a team. We’ve been through the trenches before, but this was a tough one. We rallied together and we’re doing well. A lot can change in the next six Sundays, but we’re going to ride this wave as long as we can.”

Troy Coughlin stayed second but improved his performance with a 6.497s at 211.23mph. Aaron Stanfield also bettered his qualifying mark, going 6.500s at 211.13mph, to qualify third. Points leader Dallas Glenn qualified ninth.

Gaige Herrera ended qualifying on another massive note in Pro Stock Motorcycle, tying his mark for the quickest run of the year with a strong 6.672s at 202.94mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. That lowered the track E.T. record he set on Friday and the points leader also set the track speed record with a pass of 203.00mph earlier in the day. Not only did Herrera, who is making his first appearance in the Countdown to the Championship, claim his ninth No. 1 qualifier in 10 races this year, he also picked up the most possible points in qualifying.

Herrera made the quickest run in all four sessions, giving him plenty of confidence heading into the first of six playoff races on Sunday.

“I’m very confident. I have to give all the credit to the whole Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki team and Andrew (Hines, crew chief) and all the guys back at the shop,” Herrera said. “We’re basically just showing off their hard work and to go out there and run that, I’m very happy with it, Andrew is very happy with it. We’re definitely happy with it and I’m going into tomorrow with all the confidence in the world. I’m glad to get as much points as I can so far going into the Countdown. My whole goal is to try to get as many as I can again. That was my goal, and Andrew is always shooting to be No. 1 so he was all for it.”

Chip Ellis made a big jump to qualify second thanks to his run of 6.741s at 200.17mph and Hector Arana Jr. took third with his 6.747s at 201.85mph.

Eliminations for the 38th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals begin at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway.

Ashley opens NHRA Countdown with early No. 1 in Reading

Points leader Justin Ashley started the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs in impressive fashion at Maple Grove Raceway, powering to the provisional No. 1 spot in Top Fuel on Friday at the 38th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. Bob Tasca III …

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 16th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Ashley put together a run of 3.687s at 335.57mph in his Phillips Connect Toyota dragster at his home track, vaulting to the No. 1 position after struggling during the opening session. If it holds, it would be Ashley’s third No. 1 this season and fifth in his career. Seeking his first world championship, it’s already been a banner season for Ashley, as the points leader has six wins heading into the playoffs. But he’s only focused on the task at hand during the Countdown to the Championship.

“That was a great run for this Phillips Connect Toyota team,” Ashley said. “We didn’t have a great run in the first session. This is basically a home race for me since I am from New York and we have a lot of friends and family here. You want to do well to start the Countdown and this was a great start. That run felt really good and it was a great way to wrap up the first day of the Pep Boys Nationals.

“It was good to have fans congratulate us for being No. 1 in the Countdown, but we are putting that behind us starting with this race. We have six races to try and win this championship. It will be exciting and I am looking forward to driving this Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster on race day here in Maple Grove Raceway.”

Defending world champion Brittany Force closed out the night with a strong 3.689s at 336.57mph that puts her second and Doug Kalitta is third thanks to his 3.696s at 331.45mph.

In Funny Car, Bob Tasca III stole the show to close out qualifying, putting together an impressive blast of 3.874s at 334.90mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. That puts Tasca on track for his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 14th of his career, giving the veteran a pair of strong qualifying runs to open the Countdown to the Championship. Starting the playoffs in fourth, Tasca is right in the mix of championship contention for a second straight year and was eager to make a big move on Friday under the lights at Maple Grove Raceway.

“Every point matters right now, every run now through the end,” Tasca said. “I think we got five bonus points, and that’s big. But to be here at Maple Grove – the Koretskys are like family to us — this is the track I debuted professionally in my alcohol Funny Car. I’ve won here in my nitro car. We have great memories here, and to see what they’ve done to this facility, see these fans on Friday night, and run low E.T., it’s a lot of fun.

“I love being here, and a win here is critical. We’re a couple rounds out of first place, and a good weekend really changes the game for us as we march on in this championship. To do it, you have to go toe-to-toe with the best. You saw that Mustang banging heads with Robert Hight [and] I think you’re going to see a whole lot of that from now until the end of the year.”

Running right next to Tasca, Robert Hight went 3.879s at 329.34mph, which is good enough for second at the moment. Chad Green went 3.887s at 330.07mph for third and points leader Ron Capps is right behind after a 3.888s at 335.65mph.

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Maple Grove Raceway continued to bring out the best in defending Pro Stock event winner Erica Enders, as the defending world champion made the quickest run in both sessions and, ultimately, the quickest run of the season in Pro Stock with a standout pass of 6.494s at 211.13mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro. Enders has repeatedly put up big numbers at Maple Grove Raceway over the course of her stellar career and that continued on Friday, making the first Pro Stock run in the 6.40s of 2023. As she chases her sixth career world champion, Enders made a strong impression on Friday, putting her on track for her third No. 1 spot of the year and 32nd in her career.

“That was good. Being able to secure our first win here last year changes that whole feeling of rolling through the gates,” Enders said. “We came off the trailer and went to the No. 1 spot that first session, and we nitpicked the run and felt like we could have gone high 0.48s, low 0.49s. We came back second session and did just that. I’m really proud of my team. We had plenty of pep talks going on last the week and just getting our minds in the right position, because these last six are the ones that matter.

“We just have to put our heads down and go to work. This is a position we’re extremely familiar with. This is my 20th year in Pro Stock and we’re battling for our sixth championship. My dad told me, make it count, make every single run count and don’t leave anything on the table, from reaction times, to shift points, to keeping it in the groove. It sounds simple, but it’s way more challenging than that. That’s our mindset, just be positive, put our heads down and go to work because we can do this.”

Troy Coughlin is currently second after going 6.605s at 210.21mph and Aaron Stanfield took the third spot after the first day with a 6.507s at 211.46mph.

Gaige Herrera made a major statement in his first career appearance in the Countdown to the Championship, shattering the track E.T. record in Pro Stock Motorcycle on both runs Friday, including an incredible 6.678s at 202.45mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki to close out the day. Should that hold, Herrera, the points leader, would grab his ninth No. 1 qualifier in 10 races in the class this season, with the time just off the 6.672s he ran in Chicago earlier this year. It’s the third-quickest run of the season for Herrera, who was thrilled with how his bike ran to open the playoffs on Friday.

“I was kind of shocked it ran 6.67s, but Andrew [Hines, crew chief] isn’t,” Herrera said. “He said all the conditions are there to do it. To come out and be able to get the provisional No. 1 qualifier in the start of the Countdown and get as much points as we can – all those little points add up – I’m happy with today.

“It’s just qualifying so far, but we’re off to a good start. This definitely takes some pressure off. I think everyone kind of flips a switch when the Countdown starts, and I kind of expected all the other teams to step up. For us to have that little step forward in front of everyone, I’m definitely happy with that and the whole team.”

Hector Arana Jr. is currently second with a pass of 6.747s at 201.85mph and rookie Chase Van Sant ran 6.754s at 200.02mph, putting him third.

Qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Brown wins 2Fast2Tasty as Ashley goes No. 1 at NHRA Brainerd Nationals

Top Fuel standout Antron Brown picked up his first win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, defeating defending world champion Brittany Force in the finals of the bonus event on Saturday at Brainerd International Raceway as part of this …

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) also won in Brainerd, as the bonus race featured three first-time winners. Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) qualified No. 1 at the 14th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Brown drove to the victory against Force with a run of 3.840s at 292.01mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster in the championship round. He defeated points leader Justin Ashley earlier in the day before driving past Force. Brown, a three-time world champion, will try to double-up on Sunday in Brainerd and also earn his second event win this season.

“We’ve been wanting to win this for a long, long time,” Brown said. “We made it a couple times, and it felt good to get past that first round today. All these cars are just tough, tough competitors. To go into that final round against Brittany and the way their car’s been running, to go against Justin first round. They’re the two heavy-hitters in the class, so to pull off that is very, very special for us.

“That championship is right around the corner, so we have to keep going and doing what we do. It feels good to get that first #2Fast2Tasty win, and for Mission to put this on and give us something to race for on Saturday, it just feels like this is Sunday but we’re racing on Saturday. It’s really cool to get to do that and watch the fans go crazy.”

Ashley made a big move on Saturday in the heat at Brainerd, powering to the No. 1 position during the final session with a stout run of 3.746s at 328.14mph in his Phillips Connect/Toyota dragster. Conditions will be significantly cooler on Sunday during race day, but Ashley and his team made a big statement to close out qualifying as the Top Fuel points leader looks for his seventh win of the 2023 season. Doug Kalitta’s 3.757s at 330.31mph gave him second and Steve Torrence’s 3.758s at 328.54mph puts him third.

“That’s a stout run with the conditions what they were,” Ashley said. “Nothing surprises me with the team that we have, but nonetheless, it was going to be tough to go out there and run as well as we did. It really just speaks volumes of our team. It’s kind of a unique situation, because I’m not sure how much you can actually take of that and apply it tomorrow. It’s going to be cooler, much different out there tomorrow. But we positioned ourselves the best we can heading into race day.

“I’m looking forward to what will hopefully be a long and exciting race day. It’s going to be cool out tomorrow, so I think you’re going to see a lot of really close racing and a lot of really fast racing.”

In Funny Car, it was a matchup of standouts in the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, as Robert Hight prevailed over points leader Matt Hagan with a run of 3.988s at 315.05mph in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. It was a first-time win in the bonus race for Hight, who appears to be turning the corner at the perfect time after a handful of struggles earlier this summer. He knocked off Bob Tasca III on a holeshot earlier in the day and held off Hagan in the finals as Hight looks for his third victory – and first double-up – of the season.

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“We’ve been chasing this all year and just haven’t been able to seal the deal and get the job done,” Hight said. “I do feel this Cornwell Tools Camaro has turned the corner and we’re getting to where we need to be. Really want to thank Mission Foods for putting up the money and this challenge. It makes things exciting on Saturday and gives us some practice out there racing. You better be on your game.

“Throughout the year, people who win this thing seem to go out there and double up so that’s our goal tomorrow. We need to go out there and get a win.”

Capps’ 3.894s at 330.23mph in his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra held up from Friday, giving the back-to-back Funny Car world champ his second No. 1 qualifier this season and 38th in his career. He’ll look for his seventh win at Brainerd on Sunday, opening eliminations against Jim Campbell. J.R. Todd took second with a 3.907s at 327.98mph and Hagan’s 3.910s at 328.06mph put him third.

“You never take anything for granted, the equalizer will be those cool conditions,” Capps said. “Tomorrow is going to be epic, some pretty incredible times and speeds. But the yellow hat is just such a tribute to how good our guys are. As a driver, you stage the car, keep it in the groove. But I look back at that first run we had to shut the car off and I thought, man, that’s really unfortunate. We really don’t get very many races we get two qualifying runs on Friday but the fact they caught that, we didn’t get anything hurt, then we went back up and got the No. 1 spot, it sure felt a lot better.”

Erica Enders continued to stay hot at an ideal time in Pro Stock, defeating Deric Kramer in the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on a holeshot with a time of 6.700s at 203.95mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Camaro. It’s the first win in the bonus race for the defending world champion, who used a 0.026s reaction time to hold of Kramer’s 6.696s. She also continues to roll after winning last weekend in Topeka as Enders, who beat points leader Dallas Glenn in the opening round of the bonus event, continues to look in championship form at the perfect time of the 2023 season.

“This is very exciting,” Enders said. “We went to the finals last weekend and weren’t able to get it done, so to get it done here is pretty exciting. I’m really excited to put that car in the winner’s circle and put our name on that trophy. Coming into the year, we thought, we’re going to do some good – and then we haven’t, so it’s very meaningful.

“I’ve always loved racing at Brainerd, it’s been a track that’s been really good for me, but aside from that, it’s just really fun coming up here. The last time we were here in 2019, my homie Jason Line put it on me in the finals and took home the win in his home track, but we’ve had a lot of success here and we’re looking to go one round further.”

Greg Anderson continued his hold on the top spot in qualifying, claiming his first No. 1 of the season thanks to his run of 6.597s at 205.79mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro from Friday. The five-time world champ and Duluth native made the quickest run during three of the four qualifying sessions, giving the veteran plenty of momentum as he seeks his first victory of the season. Matt Hartford qualified second with a 6.598s at 205.54mph, and Enders’ 6.603s at 207.27mph puts her third.

“It’s very gratifying to know that you can run in heat, you can run in cool, you can run in any conditions. I’m proud of the KB Titan Racing guys and the job they’ve done this weekend,” Anderson said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow, it’ll be a more fun day for racers. The cars will be fast and hooked up. It’ll be a throw everything you’ve got at the racetrack and it should hold it. Those are exciting days for us, that’s how we love to race.”

Eliminations for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals begin at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway.

Ashley, Tasca, Enders take Heartland Park NHRA wins

Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley continued his impressive 2023 season, defeating defending world champion Brittany Force in the final round and picking up his sixth win of the year on Sunday at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car, pictured) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) also took victories

In the championship round, Ashley went 3.702 seconds at 323.58 mph in his Phillips Connect Toyota dragster to slip past Force’s 3.707 at 323.58 in the final NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series national event at Heartland Motorsports Park. After battling through several weather delays, the final round finished up under the lights as Ashley earned his 11th career win.

Ashley knocked off Josh Hart, Leah Pruett and Antron Brown to reach the final round before turning in the quickest run of the weekend to continue his dream season. He also stretched his lead to 83 points over Steve Torrence.

“We have a lot of history as a team here. Jim Epler was the first Funny Car driver to go 300 mph and he did it right here in Topeka and my father won Funny Car here in 2007. This is the first race that him and I have won professionally at the same venue,” Ashley said. “It’s really exciting and each one is more special than the next. We had four incredible turnarounds today and the team did a good job. Their ability to maintain composure and consistency on and off the racetrack is really second-to-none.

“It was tough to stay focused today. We really didn’t know what today was going to bring but every driver and team were under the same circumstance. We didn’t know if we were going to get a race in, let alone four rounds today, was probably the biggest challenge of all. But you have a lot of confidence as a driver when you have a team like the Phillips Connect team.”

Force, who stayed third in points, reached her first final round of the season, knocking off Shawn Langdon, Torrence and Clay Millican. It is also her 36th career final round.

In Funny Car, Bob Tasca III continued to impress at Heartland Motorsports Park, earning his second straight victory at the facility by taking down points leader Matt Hagan in the final round with a run of 3.885 at 332.26 in his BG3 Ford Mustang. Tasca delivered the quickest run of the Funny Car weekend under the lights against Hagan, moving to fifth in points while also picking up his second victory in what has been a standout 2023 season.

To reach the finals, Tasca got past Blake Alexander, Alexis DeJoria and No. 1 qualifier Robert Hight, posting an identical reaction time and E.T. with Hagan to set up the thrilling final round. Tasca quickly chased down Hagan, making the only Funny Car run in the 3.80s this weekend to clinch his 14th career win.

“It was a hard-fought day and I give all the credit to the guys. Every time we warmed up the car, there was something wrong,” Tasca said. “They just fought through it. The car shut off in the first round, second round, third round, we were struggling with putting cylinders out and having the safety box shut the car off. That run was a monster run (in the finals).

“That’s what’s different about this team from any team I’ve been on. I’ve never had the car that could just step up. This team, led by Aaron Brooks and Todd Okuhara, it’s a different attitude than any I’ve been around. We’re one of the quickest qualifying cars year-to-date, hot tracks, cold tracks, anything in between we can go up there and run low E.T. It was a big time run, a statement run for this team. Going into Brainerd and Indy, we’re in the top five. If you have that leaving Indy, you have a really good chance to win the championship. This car can go to any race and win, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been able to say that before.”

Hagan stretched his lead to 61 points over defending world champ Ron Capps, beating Alex Laughlin, Tim Wilkerson and J.R. Todd to reach the final round for the sixth time this season and 85th time in his career.

Defending Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders seemingly got better with each run this weekend in Topeka, finishing off her weekend with an impressive run of 6.617 at 206.13 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro to defeat longtime rival Greg Anderson in the final round. Enders earned her second victory this season and 45th in her career, beating a strong list of contenders to reach the final round. She knocked off Chris McGaha and teammate Aaron Stanfield to open the day before facing off with points leader Dallas Glenn, who won against Enders a day earlier in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge.

This time, though, Enders won on a holeshot, using a .009 reaction time to slip past the points leader. That set up her 10th career final round matchup against Anderson, leading from start-to-finish in a race featuring a pair of five-time world champions. She moved to fifth in points, making a big step toward another title run.

“Today was just a great day,” Enders said. “Coming in, we felt like we struggled – yeah, we were No. 4 qualifier, but my car wasn’t running as great as some of my teammates, and we certainly weren’t running as good as the other guys. We knew we had our work cut out for us today. Looked up the ladder first thing this morning and it was stout. It was pretty cool that I had to battle everybody from a different team this time except for Aaron.

“I’m fortunate to have such a great team that when everybody was eliminated everybody was all-hands on deck for the quick turnaround. Like always, when my guys’ backs are against the wall, they perform the best. You give Mark Ingersoll a couple opportunities, and he’ll get better. That’s exactly what we did today. We improved on every round. I’m just really grateful he’s in my corner and I’m glad to have the guys I have that have my back.”

Anderson reached the final round for the first time in 2023 and 173rd time in his career after defeating David Cuadra, defending event winner Troy Coughlin Jr. and Deric Kramer. Glenn’s lead now stands at 228 points over Matt Hartford.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action Aug. 17-20 with the 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minn.