Gaige Herrera – Page 5 – Syndication Server

Millican, Wilkerson, Glenn, Herrera win NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Top Fuel veteran Clay Millican powered to his first win in five years, claiming the victory over Josh Hart on Sunday in the final round of the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway. Tim …

Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the sixth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. It was also NHRA’s first race at Chicago’s Route 66 Raceway since 2019.

Millican delivered a run of 3.801s at 328.94mph in his 11,000-horsepower Parts Plus/Rick Ware Racing dragster to slip past Hart’s 3.808s at 324.28mph, handing the driver his first victory since 2018, which also took place in Chicago, and Rick Ware Racing its first NHRA win. It’s the fourth career win for Millican, who entered the weekend without a round win in 2023 but knocked off Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta and defending world champ Brittany Force to reach the final round.

Chicago and Route 66 Raceway continued to be a special place for Millican as he enjoyed every moment of his memorable victory on Sunday.

“I still love my job. I’ve been doing it a long time and I’m not done yet,” said Millican, who was 12th in points entering the weekend. “This is huge for this team. We’ve been struggling and it’s been tough. We got all new parts and pieces from Rick Ware, and they believed in us. For a little while, it looked like we were better with the old stuff, but I think we’ve got it figured it out and hopefully we can go out and get some more of these this year.

“My very first (NHRA Top Fuel) race was at this racetrack and 20 years later I won this race. Now 25 years later, we did it again. This group of people never quit and never stop, and they turned this car around flawlessly today.”

Hart reached the final round for the first time this season and fifth time overall with wins against Antron Brown, Jacob McNeal and T.J. Zizzo. Steve Torrence stayed in the points lead in the class.

In Funny Car, Wilkerson picked up his first victory in 33 races, with his run of 3.966s at 325.14mph in his 11,000-horsepower SCAG Power Equipment/ Levi Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang enough to get past defending world champion Ron Capps in the final round. It’s the 23rd career win for the fan-favorite veteran and first since the fall Charlotte race in 2021. The thrilling win also gave JCM Racing its first Funny Car win after Wilkerson joined the organization in the off-season.

He reached the final round by racing past Blake Alexander, Alex Laughlin and John Force, making his best run of eliminations in the final round against Capps. The victory also bumped him to fifth in points, with Matt Hagan maintaining the points lead despite a first-round loss.

“I was just thinking I didn’t need to screw this up again,” Wilkerson said. “We made some nice runs all weekend long and my team did a great job, so I can’t really complain about a thing. We’re very excited about this team.

“To be this close to home; I have so many people out there, so this is very exciting. I didn’t have the best car – Capps had a better car than I did all day long – but it worked out better for us in the finals. I did a lot better job tuning than I did driving, but I was consistent, and that’s what we needed to be able to win this race because the track was tricky.”

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Capps, who won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, defeated Terry Haddock, Bob Tasca III and Chad Green to reach the final round before his chutes deployed at about half-track against Wilkerson. It’s the third final round appearance for Capps in 2023 and the 143rd in his career. He also moved to second in points.

With his car continuing to perform at a high level, Glenn again made the most of it during Pro Stock eliminations, as the points leader got past Deric Kramer in the final round with a pass of 6.562s at 209.95mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. That gives Glenn three wins this season for his KB Titan Racing team and the seventh in his career. After setting a track record to qualify No. 1, Glenn got past Chris McGaha, teammate Greg Anderson and Jerry Tucker on Sunday to reach the final round.

He put together another consistent performance in the final round against Kramer, cruising to another victory and strengthening an already commanding points lead in the loaded Pro Stock category.

“You get a car this good, you just want to capitalize on it,” Glenn said. “I definitely feel like I’ve got a really good car. I didn’t feel like I drove my best today, but luckily it was good enough. It feels good now, but it can change in a heartbeat in this class. We’re just going to try to keep improving because I know all these other teams are trying really hard. We definitely need to step up and keep the hammer down, but I’m definitely enjoying this moment.”

Kramer advanced to his second straight final round this year on the strength of round wins against Mason McGaha, Cristian Cuadra and Aaron Stanfield.

Herrera stayed perfect on the season in Pro Stock Motorcycle, going 6.717s at 201.25mph in the final round on his Vance & Hines / Mission Foods Suzuki to beat Chip Ellis and claim his third straight win. As impressive as his first two winning weekends have been, Herrera was on another level in Chicago, putting together a dominant weekend that included shattering the track record by a huge margin with a run of 6.672s, qualifying No. 1 and winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge.

On Sunday, he finished things off with four strong performances, riding past Ron Tornow, Marc Ingwersen and teammate Eddie Krawiec to reach the final round. He raced past Ellis in the finals, building on his points lead and claiming the victory at his home track, where Herrera was making his first career appearance.

“It gives me a whole lot of confidence having a bike like this,” said Herrera, who made the second, third and fourth-quickest runs in class history this weekend. “This whole Vance & Hines team has this bike on rails and it takes a lot of weight off my shoulders. To get a third straight win and do it in front of these friends, it means a lot. I’m so excited about this.

“You couldn’t draw it up any better than this. We’ve got a lot of friends and family here, and it’s a special one. It’s just a dream right now for us.”

Ellis advanced to his 15th career final round thanks to wins against Chris Bostick, rookie Chase Van Sant and Hector Arana Jr.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action June 2-4 with the 10th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.

Salinas, Hight, Glenn, Herrera qualify No. 1 at NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Camrie Caruso drove to the win at the first NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout, claiming the victory over Aaron Stanfield on Saturday as part of the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway. In …

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won the bonus event in Chicago. Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the sixth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Caruso, who was seeded eighth in the eight-car field specialty race, went 6.524s at 211.03mph in her Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro in the final round to slip past Stanfield’s 6.525s. The 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year claimed her first career Pro Stock win earlier this year, following with an impressive performance in her first appearance at Route 66 Raceway, which is hosting its first NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series race since 2019.

“I told the guys at the beginning of the year I want to win all the specialty races this year, as well as obviously as many races as possible,” Caruso said. “This Pro Stock All-Star Callout gave us another chance to bring home a trophy at a racetrack I’ve never been to before. This was a whole bunch of new and first-time excitement for us this weekend. We managed to get it done. I’m excited and I couldn’t be more thankful.

“After the first round we had to change engines. We hurt the engine pretty good and couldn’t continue with it. We won and we didn’t really have a whole lot of time to come back up for the final, but the guys pushed through and made it happen. They gave me a great car and it all worked out in the end.”

Glenn claimed his first No. 1 qualifier with a track-record run of 6.510s at 210.70mph in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro. It came in the opening round of the Callout, but Glenn left the starting line too soon, ending his shot at a double-win weekend. Still, the points leader was enthused about his car in what is Glenn’s first Pro Stock appearance in Chicago.

“That run had extra pressure with the Callout race, but I went red. I knew I was red before red light came on,” Glenn said. “I just knew I was letting go early but the run just felt awesome. I was kicking myself the whole time but somehow, I accidentally managed to hit every shift absolutely perfect and keep it dead straight. It was a very nice run and it definitely should be some good momentum going into tomorrow.”

Charlotte winner Deric Kramer jumped to second in the final session with a pass of 6.515s at 210.11mph, while Bo Butner’s 6.519s at 210.21mph in the last qualifier sent him to third.

In Top Fuel, Ashley became the first two-time winner in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, going 3.728s at 331.12mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota dragster to knock off Austin Prock’s 3.742s. Ashley won the bonus event in Pomona and followed it up with another fantastic performance in Chicago, getting past Antron Brown in the opening round on a holeshot on Saturday and following with a victory against Prock thanks in part to an outstanding .046 reaction time.

“It’s very exciting, this deal does mean a lot to us. It’s a new deal and we’re really grateful for Mission Foods and how they’ve put on this challenge,” Ashley said. “Anytime you add an additional opportunity to race and collect bonus points along the way I think it’s special and I think it means a lot. It was a really exciting day, a great day, and I think we did a good job of running well and setting the tone for ourselves going into tomorrow. This place is beautiful and to be able to see the attendance today was really encouraging.”

Salinas’ 3.686s at 333.41mph from Friday in his Gerber Collision & Glass/Scrappers Racing dragster held up for his first No. 1 qualifier this year. He will open eliminations against Chicago-area native T.J. Zizzo. Prock’s 3.694s from Friday has him second, while Doug Kalitta bumped up to third in the final session after going 3.702s at 329.75mph.

“This is really big. Some of the higher ups at Gerber were on the line with us and they’re very pleased with what we did,” Salinas said. “It’s packed here. It’s pretty cool to be back here with all the fans. I was No. 1 qualifier here in 2019 so it’s pretty cool. I just want to finish it better than I did then (when he was runner-up in 2019).”

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Capps picked up his first win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, going 3.941s at 328.30mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra. The reigning world champion was set to face Terry Haddock in the finals of the specialty race, but Haddock’s car broke on the starting line, helping hand the victory to Capps, who was thrilled to win the bonus event for the first time.

“Every driver and crew chief and team that I talked to about this Mission deal was pumped,” Capps said. “They turned Saturday qualifying and made it insane. It really drives you and gets you going, so it’s a great program. When we saw the first one happen and we weren’t in it, we were bummed. Those points are so important and it’s such a great program, and I’m so excited we were finally able to win one.”

Hight maintained the top spot in Funny Car thanks to his impressive 3.831s at 335.07mph from Friday in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools/Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS. It gave Hight his first No. 1 qualifier of the year as he also closed Saturday with the quickest run of the day during the final session. He’ll open eliminations against Dale Creasy Jr., looking for his second straight win this year. Cruz Pedregon’s 3.889s at 327.59mph gave him second and J.R. Todd’s 3.906s at 333.00mph was third.

“We’ve been changing some combinations around a little bit and we’ve qualified No. 2 a couple times this year. We’ve been right there this year,” Hight said. “There’s a lot of great cars. It’s great timing to be No. 1 at the first race with Cornwell Tools. It’s going to be a battle tomorrow but it’s going to be fun. The fans are the ones who win in deals like this.”

Herrera continued to be nearly unstoppable in Pro Stock Motorcycle, crushing the Route 66 Raceway record books and earning the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory in the category as well. He easily held onto the No. 1 qualifier with another massive run in the final round of the challenge, dispatching Chase Van Sant with a run of 6.672s at 200.32mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. It’s the quickest run in Route 66 Raceway history in the category, eclipsing the mark he set on Friday.

He added another 6.677s in his opening-round win against Jianna Evaristo in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge before his standout run against Van Sant. It also gave the points leader his third straight No. 1 qualifier to open the season as he looks to win at his home track in his first appearance at Route 66 Raceway. Herrera will face Ron Tornow in the opening round.

“It means a lot. Obviously, Mission is a big sponsor for us, and for Mission to put this on and to be part of it is just a big deal alone,” Herrera said. “But to be able to get the win means a lot to the whole team and myself to be able to do that for Mission. (Crew chief) Andrew (Hines) has this thing on rails and it’s the baddest bike out here. It’s showing. They’re flexing their horsepower for sure.

“It would mean a lot to win here (on Sunday). It’s my first time racing here, having a lot of friends and family here. It’s special. The amount of support I have and everything. If I’m able to get a win here tomorrow, it would definitely be a special one.”

Chip Ellis took the second spot with a 6.756s at 200.68mph and Hector Arana Jr. qualified third thanks to his 6.759s at 201.85mph.

Eliminations for the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance begin at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway.

Salinas, Hight, Butner, Herrera fastest Friday at NHRA Route 66 Nationals

On a day filled with track records, Robert Hight set two in Funny Car, powering to the provisional No. 1 position on Friday as the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returned to Route 66 Raceway for the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 …

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Bo Butner (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the sixth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

The opening round is also set for the first NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout after the drivers made their selections on Friday. Points leader Dallas Glenn, who is seeded first, got the opening pick and selected five-time world champion Erica Enders. Matt Hartford followed by picking Troy Coughlin Jr. and Kyle Koretsky tabbed Aaron Stanfield as his first-round opponent. That set Cristian Cuadra and Camrie Caruso as the final first-round pairing, as four KB Titan Racing cars will take on four Elite Motorsports cars to kick off the callout.

Debuting a new look on his car, Hight made the quickest Funny Car run in 2023, going 3.831s at 335.07mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools/Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS and shattering the previous track record he set in 2017. If it holds, it would be his first No. 1 qualifier this season and 78th in his career at the NHRA’s first race in Chicago since 2019. Coming off a victory at the most recent event in Charlotte, Hight turned in an incredible performance on Friday.

“That actually surprised me,” Hight said. “(Crew chief Jimmy Prock) kept saying in Charlotte there was so much more left in this car and sure enough there was. It was such a smooth run and when it’s that smooth it doesn’t feel that fast. What’s amazing is to come back to a track we haven’t raced at in that many years and to pick up right like that is pretty impressive.”

Cruz Pedregon’s 3.889s at 327.59mph put him in the second spot and J.R. Todd’s 3.906s at 333.00mph was third best of the session.

Salinas dipped into the 3.60s to lead the way in Top Fuel, rolling to the No. 1 spot with a pass of 3.686s at 333.41mph in his 11,000-horsepower Gerber Collision & Glass/Scrappers Racing dragster. If it holds, it would give Salinas his first No. 1 spot of the season. The veteran has enjoyed success at Chicago over the years, qualifying No. 1 at NHRA’s last appearance at the track in 2019 and also finishing as the runner-up.

“It was really good. We’ve worked really hard on the car the last few weeks,” Salinas said. “The last time we raced here, we were the No. 1 qualifier and the run we made tonight, we did that three times in testing. We know we have a great car, and we just have to carry this over to tomorrow and then Sunday. I think there’s going to be some really good runs tomorrow because the track is really, really good.”

Austin Prock went to second with a 3.694s at 331.20mph and Justin Ashley’s 3.717s at 332.10mph has him in the third position.

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Butner came into the weekend looking to turn around his 2023 Pro Stock season and the former world champion took a big step on Friday, going 6.522s at 207.94mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Chevrolet Camaro. It set the track E.T. record and also puts Butner in line for his first No. 1 spot this season and 13th in his career. Currently ninth in points, Butner could make a big move if his weekend follows Friday’s performance.

“This is one of my favorite tracks and it’s good to be back here,” Butner said. “I missed this place, and it didn’t miss a beat. We haven’t been on it in four years and to go out and get a track record, that was great. The Elite team worked really hard in testing this week and that really paid off. It was a great run, and we were excited about it. I think the team found something in the cars.”

Cristian Cuadra is second after he went 6.529s at 210.31mph and Stanfield’s 6.534s at 210.14mph puts him third.

Herrera laid waste to both ends of the track record in Chicago while also continuing his dominant season in Pro Stock Motorcycle, delivering a stunning run of 6.677s at 202.45mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. After winning the first two races of the season, Herrera kept up his torrid pace on Friday, just missing out on the quickest run in class history. But he stayed on track for his third straight No. 1 qualifier with an unbelievable run to kick off qualifying.

“I live about an hour away from here, so this is my home track and it’s really cool to be back here in Joliet,” Herrera said. “I’ve got a lot of friends and family here, so to go out here and be No. 1, it means a lot to me. I’ve been here many times to watch, but that was my first pass down the track, so do that on my first run was pretty cool. The people at the shop put in a lot of work and I’m just glad to be part of it.”

Chip Ellis is currently second with a 6.756s at 200.68mph and Hector Arana Jr. took third after a run of 6.759s at 201.85mph. In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, Herrera will take on Jianna Evaristo, while Angie Smith will race Chase Van Sant in the semifinal rematches from Gainesville.

Qualifying continues at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.

Prock, Hight, Kramer, Herrera NHRA 4-Wide Nationals winners in Charlotte

John Force Racing swept the nitro classes on Sunday at zMAX Dragway, as Austin Prock and Robert Hight rolled to wins in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Deric Kramer (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro …

John Force Racing swept the nitro classes on Sunday at zMAX Dragway, as Austin Prock and Robert Hight rolled to wins in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.

Deric Kramer (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the fifth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

In the Top Fuel final quad, Prock went 3.684s at 330.88mph in his Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster, beating a group that also included points leader Steve Torrence, Josh Hart and Leah Pruett. It gives Prock his first win this season and fourth in his career, along with his first-early season victory, which could bode well for season-long momentum.

He finished first in all three quads, posting a 3.686s in the opening quad and then making the quickest run of eliminations in the final round. After struggling at the four-wide race in Las Vegas, Prock enjoyed a strong bounce back weekend in Charlotte, moving to fourth in points.

“It was a great weekend overall, Prock said. “To rebound like we did after an awful weekend in Vegas shows how strong this team is. I’ve never had any success in Charlotte, so I’m super proud of my team. This category is just booming right now, so this is extra special.

“All my wins have come pretty late in the season, so it feels really good to get a win early like this. It sets us up to do our part at JFR and give ourselves a chance at the championship. This is just the start.”

Pruett finished as the runner-up with her run of 3.708s at 329.99mph, with Hart taking third. Torrence maintains his points lead in the class.

In Funny Car, Hight powered to a 3.888s at 328.30mph in his 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Camaro SS to beat John Force, defending world champ Ron Capps and Alexis DeJoria. It’s the second win this season for Hight and helped give John Force Racing its 13th overall win in Charlotte. Before this weekend, Hight had endured a rare slump, suffering back-to-back first-round losses.

But the multi-time champ and his team didn’t disappoint in Charlotte, rolling to the win in every quad as he collected his 63rd career Wally. It’s also his seventh career win at zMAX Dragway, which is the most for anyone in Funny Car.

“I love this place. Everybody always asks me my favorite racetrack, and without a doubt, it’s this place. This facility is like none other; it’s amazing, the fans are great, and luckily, we get to come here twice a year,” Hight said.

“We did change our car around, we stayed and tested Monday after Vegas. We had some ignition problems and I was thinking, ‘Oh man, we’re not going to get the data we need.’ But Jimmy (Prock, crew chief) said, ‘Nope, we’re going to be fine.’ To come here and make seven respectable runs, you can see it in his eyes; he’s excited. I’m proud of him for not overdoing it and giving me a chance to win. That was a big, big deal.”

DeJoria finished as the runner-up as she continued her solid season, while Capps was third. Despite a first-round exit, Hagan maintained the points lead in Funny Car over DeJoria.

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Kramer enjoyed a huge turnaround in Charlotte, driving to his first win in nearly four years by going 6.555s at 208.88mph in his Get BioFuel Chevrolet Camaro in the championship round. Kramer ousted the likes of points leader Dallas Glenn, who was after his third straight win, No. 1 qualifier Matt Hartford and Fernando Cuadra Jr. to earn his fifth career victory. But it was also Kramer’s first win since earning the Wally at the fall race in Charlotte in 2019, which left the veteran plenty excited on Sunday.

“The Get BioFuel Chevy Camaro is a fun car to drive, first and foremost, and that right there is enough to keep someone wanting to be out here. Once you hoist that Wally, you want to win another. The drought is so long, and when it finally happens again, the euphoria just washes over you,” Kramer said.

“I think we’ve been, as a team, struggling with the car the last few years. It was a lot of small stuff. But we got to the finals (in Vegas), stayed and tested the day after, and it’s just been getting more and more laps, getting more comfortable, getting more data, and compiling it all to get a victory.”

Kramer finished second to Hartford in the opening-round quad and then won a round later, finishing his day with back-to-back 6.55s runs. After making it to the final quad in Las Vegas, Kramer took an impressive next step in Charlotte, as Glenn finished second with his 6.581s at 208.81mph and extended his points lead over Hartford in the process.

Herrera continued to be incredible to open the 2023 season in Pro Stock Motorcycle, staying perfect with another dominant performance, breaking the track E.T. record with a stellar run of 6.710s at 202.00mph in the final round on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. After qualifying No. 1 for the second straight race, Herrera made the quickest run in two of the three rounds on Sunday, delivering an epic performance in the final quad against teammate Eddie Krawiec, defending world champ Matt Smith and defending event winner Steve Johnson.

Herrera finished first in both quads heading into the final and then ran away from his competition in the final round, posting a 0.013s reaction time and making the quickest PSM run at zMAX Dragway.

“I’m on cloud nine. To be out here and go No. 1 back-to-back, win the race back-to-back, it’s a lot to take in. I’m enjoying the ride,” Herrera said. “There are plenty of good riders out there, so to be able to be in the final with those three and come out on top, that’s awesome. It’s going to be a tough season. We’re out here basically dominating, but it’s the beginning of the season, and it’s going to be a long ride. (Four-wide) is a different kind of pressure. To be up there with three other rides, you have to focus. I didn’t want to wait or get timed out, so pretty much every round I put it on the two-step and made sure I was ready for anything that happened.”

Smith finished as the runner-up, going 6.780s at 199.61mph, with Krawiec, who was seeking his 50th career win, taking third and Johnson following in fourth.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action May 19-21 with the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago.

Force, Tasca, Hartford, Herrera qualify on top in Charlotte 4-Wide Nationals

Brittany Force made the quickest run in zMAX Dragway history on Saturday, as the defending Top Fuel world champion rocketed to the No. 1 spot at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro …

Brittany Force made the quickest run in zMAX Dragway history on Saturday, as the defending Top Fuel world champion rocketed to the No. 1 spot at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the fifth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Force went 3.651s at 336.32mph in her 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster, breaking her own track record at Charlotte in the process. It gives the reigning champ her third No. 1 spot this year and the 45th in her career as she looks to pick up her first victory of the 2023 season. After struggling in the opening qualifying session, Force and her team responded with three strong runs, giving her plenty of momentum going into Sunday, where she’ll opening eliminations in a quad also featuring Doug Foley, Las Vegas four-wide winner Antron Brown and Clay Millican.

“That was an incredible run, it was more than our team expected,” Force said. “Three of the four runs were solid, and hopefully, that will carry over and we’ll go some rounds tomorrow. We’ve had success here in the past, and I’ve always loved this track – but four-wide is tricky. That’s what makes it rewarding.

“We were doing some testing and finished that up yesterday, and that was part of our game plan coming in. We kind of expected that it might not go down there that first run, but it got down there on the second run and today was a whole new set-up. Like Grubnic said, it flew. (Crew chief) David Grubnic always wants more. He expects the best and he pushes hard, and he wants to win them all. I think that motivates all of us, and we all want to win together.”

Justin Ashley qualified second with a 3.662s at 332.84mph and Leah Pruett jumped to third with a 3.678s at 334.65mph during the final qualifying session. In all, six drivers dipped into the 3.60s during qualifying.

In Funny Car, Tasca showcased a strong performance on Saturday, vaulting to No. 1 in his 11,000-horsepower BG Products Ford Mustang with a run of 3.852s at 324.59mph. It’s the second No. 1 spot for Tasca already this season and the 11th in his career. After a tough loss in the opening quad in Las Vegas, Tasca is looking for redemption and his first victory of the 2023 campaign. His car has performed at a high level for most of the season, as Tasca also just missed out on a career-best pass and the track E.T. record. Still, he feels confident about his chances on Sunday, which starts with a quad that includes Dave Richards, Tim Wilkerson and defending world champ Ron Capps.

“I said leaving Gainesville, the first five races of the season (will be) really critical to show performance,” Tasca said. “We’ve had two No. 1 qualifiers in the first five races, and we haven’t won a race yet, but we’ve been working on getting this car to run really hard and compete. Come championship time, if you’re not running mid- to low-3.80s, you’re not running for a championship. That’s just the hard reality out here.

“That was the run we’ve been looking for since we put this together. We’re five races in with a completely new team and complete new package, and we’re racing against guys with thousands of runs and a plethora of data. We don’t have that yet as a team, and yet we’ve still competed at a very high level. That gives a lot of confidence. To have this under our belt, I’m way ahead of where I was the last three years. I’m very pleased at this point, but I really want to get a win. My goal was to get a win in the first five races.”

Cruz Pedregon jumped to No. 2 in the final session by going 3.859s at 330.23mph, just missing out on his third straight No. 1 qualifier, and Robert Hight is third with a 3.865s at 330.23mph.

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After car struggles before the second session on Friday, Hartford made a big move on Saturday, driving to the top spot in his Total Seal/CIP1/GETTRX Chevrolet Camaro with a run of 6.538s at 208.52mph. Not only was it a huge jump for Hartford, it also gave the veteran his second straight No. 1 qualifier and another huge opportunity to grab his first victory of the season. His opening round quad will feature David Cuadra, who is making his first Pro Stock start, Deric Kramer and Troy Coughlin Jr., with Hartford sweeping the No. 1 spot at both four-wide races this season.

“Let me tell you, getting out of here late last night – none of us were in a good mood,” Hartford said. “We went to bed really disappointed, knowing that we had a car that could go to the pole. But luck was on our side last night, because if we had that failure past the finish-line we wouldn’t be here for this.

“But we regrouped. Coming out here, we were the first car out, which means we had to pull back some, but we made a good run. We came in this morning with the idea that we could go into the top five, and that if we made the right run, we could go No. 1. That’s what we did. It’s a rocket ship right now. This is the best car and the best team I’ve ever had, and we just have to capitalize on it.”

Points leader Dallas Glenn, who has back-to-back wins this season, qualified second with a 6.553s at 209.07mph and Kyle Koretsky is third with a 6.557s at 208.52mph.

Herrera’s dominant start to the 2023 season in Pro Stock Motorcycle took yet another impressive step, making two more great runs on Saturday, including a 6.735s at 201.52mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to secure his second straight No. 1 qualifier to open the year. His opening round quad includes Marcus Hylton, Ryan Oehler and Kelly Clontz, as Herrera looks to make it two straight wins to start 2023. The young standout has praised the performance of his team and a bike that has delivered incredible results thus far this season.

“Just being part of this, I can’t ask for anything better,” Herrera said. “You’re always trying to improve, always trying to out-do yourself each round, and for us to make that big improvement – Andrew (Hines), our crew chief, has both bikes on rails, and it’s showing. It makes me feel good, but it puts more pressure on my shoulders. It’s exciting to know I have a top tier bike, and it’s a lot of pressure on me. There is more pressure on me than there is on the bike. The whole team, they have a lot of confidence in their machine. At the end of the day, it’s all on me.”

Herrera’s Vance & Hines teammate, Eddie Krawiec, qualified second with a 6.765s at 197.77mph and Steve Johnson, who has won the Charlotte four-wide race in back-to-back years, is third with his 6.804s at 196.27mph.

Eliminations for the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

Hagan, Salinas, Coughlin, Herrera win NHRA Gatornationals

In a matchup of the last two Funny Car winners at the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Matt Hagan drove past J.R. Todd in the final round on Sunday to kick off the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, also giving Tony …

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Hagan powered to a run of 3.926s at 329.34mph in his Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat, winning the Gatornationals for the second straight season. Both Hagan and Todd posted identical reaction times on the starting line, but Todd ran into trouble late in the run and Hagan claimed his 44th career win. He also defeated Tim Wilkerson, Bob Tasca III and Alexis DeJoria, making three straight runs in the 3.80s to reach the final round. After going his entire career without winning in Gainesville, Hagan, a three-time world champ, now has back-to-back wins at the historic race.

“For this team, we were just running strong, and to come out and win the first race of the season, it’s just amazing,” said Hagan, who is fourth all-time in Funny Car wins. “I’m just in awe of our team right now.

“I knew it was going to be a good race and honestly J.R. poked out there in front of me, and then something happened over there to him and we drove around him and turned on the win light. This car is just running strong. It’s just…it’s an honor to just even be in that caliber of drivers… It’s a huge honor for me to be able to be fourth all the time.”

Todd, who won in Gainesville to open the 2021 campaign, also impressed on Sunday, beating Blake Alexander, Robert Hight and Chad Green to reach his 42nd career final round.

In Top Fuel, Salinas won for the first time in Gainesville and the eighth time in his career, slipping past Steve Torrence in the final round with a 3.700s at 330.31mph in his Valley Services dragster. After winning a career-best four races last year, Salinas was determined to improve upon that in 2023. He impressed throughout eliminations, too, beating Justin Ashley, defending world champ Brittany Force and Leah Pruett to reach the final round, running as quick as 3.669s on raceday.

“I think we’re going to be really good all year long, but we’re fighting with the best in the world,” Salinas said. “The teams out here are no joke. You better bring your ‘A’ game every time, but everyone is beatable. It’s special what we have right now. These guys have taught me how to win and it’s a mindset. You appreciate wins like these because they’re so hard to come by.”

Torrence, the four-time world champ, reached the final round for the 82nd time in his career, knocking off Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher and Doug Kalitta, who set the track E.T. record with a run of 3.646s earlier in the day.

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Coughlin’s magical weekend in Pro Stock ended with his first Gatornationals victory, as he closed out the day with a run of 6.637s at 208.71mph in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Mason McGaha in the final round. It’s the third career win for Coughlin, who also qualified No. 1 and beat Larry Morgan, Deric Kramer and Dallas Glenn to set up the matchup with McGaha. Coughlin was excellent on the starting line and cemented his strong start to the 2023 campaign.

“I was a little fired up today,” Coughlin said. “At Elite Motorsports, it’s a little newer than the JEGS so-called legacy. It doesn’t date back to 1960, but it’s the same type of honor to me. You look at Erica (Enders), she’s a five-time world champion and you’re driving for a team that wins championships. They have that same demeanor when they drive through the gates. They expect to win and we’re one big family. That’s the coolest thing about it. When one car is out, we all work together.”

McGaha knocked off Fernando Cuadra, Kyle Koretsky and five-time world champ Greg Anderson to reach his second final round.

Herrera finished off a star-making weekend with one last dominant performance in the final round, going 6.706s at 202.15mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to beat Angie Smith and earn his first career NHRA victory. It was also Herrera’s first career race with Vance & Hines, and the young standout put together a marvelous performance, qualifying No. 1 and setting the track speed record in the process. He knocked off Ron Tornow, teammate Eddie Krawiec and Jianna Evaristo to reach the final round, making the quickest pass of each session before finishing the job in the finals.

“This is a dream,” Herrera said. “Vance & Hines is such an awesome team to work with. They help so much and it shows. I’m at a loss for words. I’m just out here having fun and I can’t believe I’m holding this Wally. To make this Vance & Hines team happy, it’s just an unbelievable feeling. To win out here and to do it in front of all these fans, it’s just amazing.”

Smith advanced to her second straight final round in Gainesville, going 6.845s at 181.84mph in the championship round. She knocked off John Hall, Joey Gladstone and rookie Chase Van Zant earlier in the day.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action with the NHRA Arizona Finals on March 24-26, which is the final race at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix.

Force, Capps, Coughlin, Herrera No. 1 qualifiers for NHRA Gatornationals

Top Fuel’s Josh Hart picked up the victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday at this weekend’s 54th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, beating Mike Salinas in the final round to win the bonus event in front of a sellout …

Brittany Force (Top Fuel) Ron Capps (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Hart, a local Ocala native, put together a run of 3.748s at 331.53mph in his 11,000-horsepower R&L Carriers dragster, knocking off Salinas who went up in smoke on the starting line in the specialty race. Hart beat Austin Prock and defending world champ Force to reach the final round. Two years ago, Hart won in Gainesville in his Top Fuel debut, following it up with Saturday’s impressive showing.

“First of all, I guess I’ll just say that nice guys don’t finish last,” Hart said. “The team gets all the credit. That consistency to get it done every time makes me so very, very proud of the team. It’s a huge, huge accomplishment for our team. To go out and win a specialty race right off the trailer is pretty awesome. But I’m just the jockey that gets to hit the gas.

“I don’t think I knew I was supposed to be nervous or knew that I was supposed to have butterflies two years ago but when you taste it, and then it gets taken away from you and your sophomore season you want to get back to that place. I think we found a little bit of magic and Gainesville has always been good to us. We’ll do our best to get this thing in the winner’s circle more often.”

Force’s 3.699s at 336.99mph from Friday in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster handed the defending world champion her 43rd top spot. She’ll open eliminations against Keith Murt, while Steve Torrence jumped to second with a 3.723s at 331.36mph. Doug Kalitta is third with a 3.723s at 327.82mph.

“It was a bummer to lose out on the All-Star Callout, but we got the No. 1 qualifier,” Force said. “We felt good going into (the Callout) and got to the semifinals, but we got beat, so our bigger focus now is race day tomorrow. We’ll put today behind us, and got in that last qualifying session, which was good, solid run for us.

“It’s outstanding, to be in different conditions run in and still be able to run that. We missed it the one time in the Callout, but we all feel pretty good.”

In Funny Car, Capps opened his title defense with an outstanding run to close out qualifying, going 3.874s at 333.25mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra. It gives Capps 36 No. 1 qualifiers in his standout career, and he’ll open race day against Terry Haddock. Capps lost in the final round of the season-opener last year and ended with his second straight world title, which has him hoping for a big showing this weekend in Gainesville.

“We all talked about how tough it was going to and you saw it in the last session,” Capps said. “Last year I end up winning Indy for the first time in my career, then we win the Callout in the same weekend and then we go on to win the championship and it’s just a dream year. So, it’s almost like how do you top that? But we show up here and we come from behind and we lay down low E.T. My gosh, what a way to start the year.”

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John Force is qualified second with a 3.878s at 332.59mph and Robert Hight was a spot behind after his 3.879s at 333.99mph.

Coughlin made a big move on Saturday in Pro Stock, jumping to the top spot and moving past his teammate, Erica Enders, with a run of 6.515s at 212.29mph in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. After a breakout season a year ago, which included his first two professional wins, Coughlin is off to a quick start in 2023, taking his third career No. 1 qualifier. He’ll open eliminations against Larry Morgan.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve done so far. Kudos to Elite Motorsports and everyone on our team,” Coughlin said. “They all work hard and we are a complete family. The guys in the engine shop never stop working. I wish everyone could come to our shop and experience it firsthand. It’s just such an honor to be a part of.”

Enders, the reigning world champ, qualified second after going 6.515s at 211.73mph, just missing out on the top qualifier position. Mason McGaha took third thanks to his run of 6.519s at 211.59mph.

Making his debut for Vance and Hines, rising Pro Stock Motorcycle star Gaige Herrera enjoyed a tremendous day on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki, delivering a 6.685s at 203.49mph, breaking the track speed record. Herrera made his PSM debut last year and joined the Vance and Hines team in the off-season. He’s made a strong impression already and will go for his first win on Sunday, opening eliminations against Ron Tornow.

“I honestly don’t have words for this,” Herrera said. “Just being here with the best team in Pro Stock Motorcycle is a dream and then to run 6.68s on back-to-back runs and then go 203mph. It’s been an awesome journey so far. It’s still not real to me. When I got that phone call from (Vance & Hines crew chief) Andrew Hines in November it took a while to sink in. Then I got my new leathers and realized I’d be riding the best bike in the class.”

Steve Johnson’s 6.746s at 198.90mph kept him second and rookie Chase Van Sant took third in his first PSM race with a 6.747s at 200.80mph.

Eliminations for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway.