John Force – Syndication Server

Kalitta takes second No. 1 at Charlotte 4-Wide

Defending Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta enjoyed his second straight No. 1 qualifier, cementing the top spot on Saturday at zMAX Dragway at the 14th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. John Force (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event.

Kalitta’s run of 3.691s at 337.92mph from Friday in his Mac Tools dragster held up through two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, handing the reigning world champion his second straight No. 1 spot and the 55th in his career. The result of taking the top position worked well in Las Vegas for Kalitta, as he claimed his first career four-wide win and he’ll look to replicate that on Sunday in Charlotte, also finishing qualifying with a strong 3.710s at 332.18mph.

“We kind of struggled a little bit today. We put this other blower on and just had a little bit too much power in that first run and smoked the tires, and then that last run, we got right to the finish line and kind of took care of that blower, unfortunately,” Kalitta said. “So we’re going to have to start from scratch again. But now that we’ve got our setup that we’ve been running, we’re going to be in good shape for tomorrow.”

Antron Brown clinched the second spot thanks to his 3.698s at 332.18mph, while points leader Justin Ashley’s 3.701s at 334.32mph, which happened during his winning run in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, sent him to the third spot.

In Funny Car, John Force stayed in the top spot thanks to Friday’s track E.T. record of 3.820s at 330.96mph in his PEAK Performance Chevrolet Camaro SS. It gives the legendary 16-time world champion his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 167th in his iconic career, putting him in a strong position for eliminations on Sunday. Force is aiming for his second win this season, closing out qualifying with a solid pass as well.

“I’ve got a real good Camaro and I’m learning how to drive it,” Force said. “It was a good day for my good chiefs. We tried to run it hard earlier [in the third qualifying session] and had a problem then came back and got cloud cover and ran [3.85s]. Now we’ve got to race tomorrow, and that’s a whole new baby. So we’ll see what happens but I’m having fun with my teams and my sponsors.”

Bob Tasca, who won the 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas two weeks ago, took second with a 3.834s at 338.34mph, setting the track speed record and also claiming the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win. Points leader Austin Prock is third with a 3.852s at 333.58mph.

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Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson finished as the No. 1 qualifier on the strength of Friday’s run of 6.500s at 210.90mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, but Saturday certainly featured plenty of other headlines. His qualifying run in the third session – as part of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge – was disqualified due to a technical violation after bypassing a safety device. It eliminated that pass and took Anderson out of the specialty event, as his replacement, Erica Enders, went on to win the Challenge.

But Anderson still has momentum as the No. 1 qualifier at the home track for KB Titan Racing. He’s after his second victory this season after picking up his first top spot of 2024 and the remarkable 125th in his standout career.

“I’m not sure where to start but yesterday in Q2 we had an issue with our ECU [Electronic Control Unit] where the engine wasn’t getting a spark,” Anderson said. “We had a mad thrash in the pits and in the process, one of my guys disconnected a wire that goes to the system that deploys the parachutes in the event of low air pressure. In the process, he forgot to plug that wire back in so our win in the (Mission) #2Fast2Tasty Challenge was disallowed.

“I beat Jeg and Erica and David Cuadra, and then the bottom fell out. It was a simple mistake, but we lost the run and lost the win. Otherwise, the car ran great. It was just a crazy day but it’s over now and I’m ready for race day. Tomorrow, we’re going to make damn sure all the wires are where they should be. I’ve got a really good race car and we’re going to give it all we’ve got.”

Cristian Cuadra qualified second with a 6.507s at 210.18mph and Aaron Stanfield took third thanks to a 6.508s at 209.92mph.

Gaige Herrera’s qualifying dominance in Pro Stock Motorcycle continued on Saturday in Charlotte, but it took until the final session when the defending world champ put together a track-record run of 6.671s at 202.70mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It’s the quickest run in zMAX Dragway history and also hands Herrera his 11th straight No. 1 qualifier dating back to last season. It’s already the 16th career top spot for the young phenom, who will look to stay perfect this season on Sunday.

“Yesterday, we had a malfunction on the first run that set us back, and then we ran 6.68s on the second and that was a good run,” Herrera said. “Today, I ran a 6.70s and then that 6.67s and that’s just our team learning how to fine-tune the new fuel. There was not much left on my bike. It went straight and required very little correction. Tomorrow will be a lot of fun.”

Matt Smith’s 6.685s at 201.61mph from Friday qualified him in the second spot, while LE Tonglet is third after his 6.703s at 200.77mph from Friday as well.

Eliminations for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

J. Force, Kalitta, Anderson, Smith lead Charlotte NHRA qualifiers

Funny Car legend John Force set a new zMAX Dragway track record on Friday, powering to the provisional No. 1 spot at the 14th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock …

In the final Funny Car quad of the night, Force went an impressive 3.820-seconds at 330.96 mph in his PEAK Performance Chevrolet Camaro SS, setting a track record previously set by teammate Robert Hight last September. If that holds, Force, who won the Winternationals earlier this year in Phoenix, would pick up his 167th career No. 1 qualifier and first in 2024. It’s been a strong season thus far for Force, who looks to pick up his fifth career victory at zMAX Dragway this weekend after making the 10th-quickest run in Funny Car history on Friday.

“It ran .89 the run before and they said they were going to lean on it because conditions were getting better,” Force said. “They leaned on it and ‘Hang on,’ and it ran quicker than they thought. It moved on me and I thought I was going to lose it, but I feel really good about it and we’re looking forward to tomorrow.

“I’m having a lot of fun going down the track. I’m here and I’ve got a bad hot rod right now. Luck is a big part of this game and I’m not done yet.”

Bob Tasca, who won the 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas two weeks ago, is currently second after going 3.849 at 335.32 and Alexis DeJoria went 3.859 at 331.69 to move into third. Ron Capps went 335.40 earlier in the day to set the track speed record.

Two weeks after winning his first career four-wide race, reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta enjoyed a terrific start on Friday in Charlotte, making the quickest run in each session, including a 3.691 at 337.92 in his Mac Tools dragster to close out the evening. The run also puts Kalitta in position to pick up his second straight No. 1 qualifier and 55th in his career, as he continues to ride an impressive wave of momentum. He was the quickest in each round of eliminations in Las Vegas to take the four-wide victory for the first time and Kalitta seemed to pick up right where he left off two weeks ago.

“This is exciting for all my guys. AJ [crew chief Alan Johnson] looked happy, and it’s always good to keep him happy,” Kalitta said. “The guys are working their tails off and it shows. The car left strong and stayed straight. I’ve run this car for a couple of races. This is a new chassis and it drives really nice — right down the middle of the track.”

Antron Brown moved to second with his night run of 3.698 at 332.18 and Billy Torrence’s 3.716 at 329.34 has him third heading into Saturday.

Racing close to the KB Titan Racing team shop, Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson delivered an impressive run to kick off the weekend in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, going 6.500 at 210.90 to take the provisional top spot. It puts the veteran and Pro Stock’s winningest driver in line for his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 125th in his fantastic career. The season has started well for Anderson, a 104-time event winner, and he’s currently third in points. After winning the Lucas Oil Winternationals, Anderson and his team wants to keep building as he seeks his first Charlotte 4-Wide victory since 2012.

“Our run in Q1 was great,” Anderson said. “When you get conditions like this where it’s cool, that’s what Pro Stock cars love. You’ve got to come prepared. You can’t be shy. You’ve got to run what you brung and we used everything we brought. The track is great and it held everything.

“Tonight [Q2] we had a computer problem and I’m still not sure what it was. I hope that’s it for the weekend as far as bad luck. I’m shocked that no one was able to get around me. Tomorrow should be good and I figure we’ll have to improve to keep it.”

Cristian Cuadra, who ran as part of a “Cuadra Quad” in the second qualifying session with his brothers, Fernando Jr. and David, and his father, Fernando, is currently second with a 6.507 at 210.18. Aaron Stanfield’s 6.508 at 209.92 puts him third after the first day.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle’s first race back since the season opener in Gainesville, six-time world champ Matt Smith made a strong opening statement on Friday, blistering the track record with a standout run of 6.685 at 201.61 on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. It was a stellar performance at his home track and puts the veteran in line for his first No. 1 qualifier since 2022 and the 53rd in career. If Smith stays on top, it will be the first top qualifier for anyone other than Gaige Herrera since last July as well. It was exactly the type of performance Smith was after on Friday, setting a career-best in the process and making his first career run in the 6.60s.

“We’ve done a lot of testing since Gainesville,” Smith said. “We’ve been to three different tracks four times and made a lot of runs. We gained a lot but it didn’t show today. I was shaking the tire through low gear, so we’re not reaping the benefits of testing. I know there is more there, maybe a 6.66 or 6.65. Gaige went 6.69, so we’re right there with him. If we’re running within two or three hundredths of the fastest bike, we have a shot.

“Tomorrow is the Mission [#2Fast2Tasty] Challenge and we want to get the points and the money. I think we can run faster. This bike is mean.”

Herrera jumped to the second spot under the lights with a run of 6.696 at 201.79 and LE Tonglet grabbed the third position thanks to a run of 6.703 at 200.77.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

John Force scores first win in two years at postponed NHRA Winternationals in Phoenix

Funny Car legend John Force picked up his first victory in two years, powering past Matt Hagan of Tony Stewart Racing to win the postponed Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, which was completed on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd at Firebird …

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the postponed Pomona race on Saturday at Firebird Motorsports Park, which was the second of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Force, the winningest driver in NHRA history, went 4.033s at 318.24mph in his PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, slipping past Hagan’s 4.048s to claim his 156th career victory and first since April of 2022. Force now has eight Winternationals wins to his credit and this marked another special one in his iconic career.

“I’m just facing the truth in life, that, you know, time’s running out, and I’m trying to hang on,” Force said. “This morning, I was talking about, ‘You know, maybe this is it. Maybe I should just walk out the gate and go to the casino,’ and then all of a sudden you win and your weight and your personality just changes.

“I was mad, mad at myself [for losing in the Mission Challenge earlier in the day], and I started saying, ‘You just need to get out of the seat, you’re just too old for this stuff,’ or, ‘Get out there and fight the fight.’ And I did, and things went right, and I got the win, so I’m excited.”

In Top Fuel, Justin Ashley kept his Winternationals winning streak alive, even in a new location, winning the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals for the third straight year and defeating Tony Schumacher on a holeshot with a pass of 3.802s at 330.15mph in his Scag Power Equipment dragster. Ashley posted an impressive reaction time of 0.023s to hold off Schumacher’s run of 3.772s at 326.00mph.

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It is Ashley’s 12th career victory and first this season, and certainly one of the more unique ones in his young career.

“It’s very special. Even though is not in Pomona, the NHRA Winternationals is a very prestigious race so to win it once is extraordinary. To win in three times in a row is an incredible blessing,” Ashley said. “This event, the way everything played out, it was a test for our team and they came through just as they seemingly do every time. I think we needed this as a team.

“This was a huge round win. It’s just so special because you never know when you’ll be in another final and you want to try to take advantage of that opportunity and you never know when you’re going to win your next race so you just have to try and enjoy it. This one feels a little bit different and a little bit different in a good way.”

In Pro Stock, Glenn defended his Winternationals victory with a second straight win, this one coming in Phoenix and on a holeshot against reigning world champion Erica Enders. Glenn went 6.537s at 209.14mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro, using a 0.024s reaction time to hold off Enders’ 6.531s at 209.52mph.

It’s the ninth career win for Glenn and his first in the 2024 campaign, giving the young standout some much-needed Phoenix success.

“I was just thinking that the last two times I’ve raced here in Phoenix, I’ve lost first round both times, so Phoenix hasn’t been the best place to me,” Glenn said. “I definitely wanted to finish that last one in Pomona. We tried some new things and kind of took a few runs to get it dialed in, but it definitely came around in the final. I just tried to do everything I can to hit everything I could on that one. I’m just glad to be able to get it done because I was feeling really good in Pomona.”

Eliminations for the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday at Firebird Motorsports Park.

Wet NHRA Winternationals finals postponed to Phoenix

Inclement weather forced the postponement of the final round of the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. The final rounds in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will now be completed at the upcoming …

Inclement weather forced the postponement of the final round of the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

The final rounds in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will now be completed at the upcoming NHRA Arizona Nationals, which is the next event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series circuit and takes place April 5-7 at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix.

In Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher and defending event winner Justin Ashley both advanced to the final round on Sunday. Schumacher reached his first final round this season after defeating Terry Totten, Gainesville winner Shawn Langdon and Billy Torrence. Ashley, meanwhile, is after his third straight win at the Winternationals and reached the finals thanks to victories against Shawn Reed, Steve Torrence and No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force. Ashley has reached the final round at the Winternationals for four straight years.

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Funny Car’s John Force and reigning world champion Matt Hagan powered to the championship round at the second of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Force will try to pick up his first victory in two years in Phoenix, taking down Jim Campbell, Bobby Bode and Ron Capps. Hagan is after back-to-back Winternationals victories and his 50th career Funny Car win, reaching the finals on Sunday in Pomona with round victories against Buddy Hull, Jeff Diehl and Gainesville winner J.R. Todd.

Defending world champion Erica Enders and No. 1 qualifier Dallas Glenn will meet up in the finals in Pro Stock in Phoenix. Enders, who won the season-opener in Gainesville, took down Fernando Cuadra Jr., Brandon Foster and Greg Anderson to reach the championship round. She will attempt to pick up her 50th career national event win in two weeks at Firebird Motorsports Park. Glenn, the defending Winternationals winner, got by Sienna Wildgust, David Cuadra and Mason McGaha to reach his first final round of the season.

John Force powers to Mission 2Fast2Tasty win at NHRA US Nationals

Funny Car legend John Force claimed his first win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, defeating back-to-back world champ Ron Capps in the final round on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park as part of this weekend’s 69th annual …

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the world’s biggest drag race in Indy.

Force went 3.989s at 328.78mph in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS to defeat Capps, picking up the victory in the bonus race for the first time in 2023. Force knocked off teammate Robert Hight earlier in the day before getting past his longtime rival in the finals, adding another chapter to his rich Indy legacy.

“I want to win the Mission deal, but it was an opportunity that I got away with it,” Force said. “You just do what you do and attack it. I’m not saying what I do is right, it’s just what I do. Some days, the good Lord lets me get away with it, and I did today. It was good to come in here to Indy and be able to do your job at my age. I ain’t great, but I’m good enough to be here, and I’m going to get better. I have a lot of work to do, but I’m no spring chicken. I’ve won Indy five times, but it was a good feeling to do this.”

Capps was the season winner in the Funny Car Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, accumulating 14 playoff points in the process.

In Top Fuel, Justin Ashley finished off his season-long success in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge with his unprecedented sixth victory in the bonus race thanks to a stellar run of 3.714s at 334.73mph in his Phillips Connect/Toyota Dragster. That gave him the win over Antron Brown in the final round, as well as the season-long title in the specialty race. Ashley was incredible in the Saturday event from start to finish and his reward – along with a number of bonus payouts – is 21 playoff points when the Countdown to the Championship begins.

“These Mission #2Fast2Tasty points really add up, especially because of when they come into play which is after the points reset,” Ashley said. “It was critical for our team to take advantage of every opportunity we had during this challenge. I feel like we did a great job with that, and it’s just a testament to the great team that we have.

“Overall, when you look at the challenge, it’s really unique, something we’ve never done as a sport. I think it’s good for the fans, good for the teams, and good for the drivers. It’s really a win-win all around. It’s just been so much fun. It’s been an absolute blast.”

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Stanfield turned in an impressive performance in the final round of the specialty race in Pro Stock, knocking off Kyle Koretsky with a run of 6.630s at 207.56mph in his Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro. Not only does it give Stanfield his second win this season in the bonus race, but the rising star was also overall Pro Stock season winner in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge over Dallas Glenn.

It was a thrilling moment for Stanfield, who looks to have a huge impact in the Countdown to the Championship. Saturday’s win provided plenty of momentum and Stanfield, who earned eight playoff points for the Countdown, hopes to carry it over to the rest of the weekend.

“It’s pretty cool and to be honest with you I didn’t even know I had a shot to win this,” Stanfield said. “Sometimes that’s the best way to go into something like that. I have to thank Mr. Gonzalez and Mission Foods for putting on a program for us to add a little bit of more competitive juices throughout qualifying and the race. My guys gave me a really good hot rod today, and I drove good enough to get it done. It’s always good to do it at Indy.”

Gaige Herrera cemented his dominance in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, winning for the fourth time in six Pro Stock Motorcycle races by defeating Eddie Krawiec in the finals on Saturday with a run of 6.759s at 199.11mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Much like he has been all year, Herrera was incredible on Saturday in the bonus event, posting a pair of strong runs.

It gave him 13 additional playoff points in the Countdown to the Championship, another tremendous achievement in his standout 2023 campaign.

“It’s been very exciting,” Herrera said. “Mission is a very big sponsor for us, so to be able to represent for them is big. Not only that, but to have both bikes in the final, it was awesome for the whole team and for Mission and our Vance & Hines Suzukis. I’m very ecstatic to get this overall win, I got four out of six of them, and this whole season has been incredible. It’s hard to put into words because I feel like it’s still not real.”

Qualifying continues on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. ET at the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Force runs to 166th No. 1 at NHRA Northwest Nationals

Defending Funny Car world champion Ron Capps rolled to his third win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race on Saturday, defeating J.R. Todd in the final round at Pacific Raceways as part of the 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest …

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the bonus event in Seattle. Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) each qualified No. 1 at the 11th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Capps went 3.951s at 322.65mph in his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra to slip past Todd’s run of 3.967s at 323.81mph, giving the back-to-back world champ his third specialty event win in the past four races. He will attempt to pick up his first double-up weekend of the year on Sunday in Seattle, where Capps has two career event wins.

“This deal has really changed the way you wake up Saturday morning,” Capps said. “There’s a lot going on inside your head up there. You’re trying to win this and you’re still trying to improve your qualifying spot, too, but this deal is really cool. We’re very excited to get another win in this and it also gives us a lot of good data for tomorrow.

“I want to just say it over and over: Thank you to Mission Foods for putting this on. They really created something cool. We all saw the points is the thing that stood out for most; it’s great money, we appreciate that, too. But as you know, we won the world championship last year by less than a handful of points.”

Funny Car legend John Force put on an impressive show to close out qualifying, jumping to the No. 1 spot for the first time this season with a run of 3.915s at 327.35mph in his PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS. It’s also the 166th career No. 1 qualifier for the 16-time world champ as he looks to win at Pacific Raceways for an incredible 10th time. Bob Tasca III took second with a 3.949s at 322.81mph and Capps qualified third.

“When you’re out here, and you got four teams and so many people represent, it’s hard to make everybody happy,” Force said. “We have a race to win tomorrow, our cars are good, some are a little bit off, some are hot. I didn’t think we’d be that fast. But like Danny (Hood, crew chief) said: ‘Hang on.’ So when he does that, I know he’s pushing it. So I’m excited and I love Seattle.

“It’s funny, the days beat you up and you feel like everything’s going wrong, and then all of a sudden you run like that, you get young again.”

Four-time Top Fuel world champ Torrence made the most of his Saturday, picking up his first victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge by knocking off Shawn Langdon in the final round with a run of 3.788s at 325.61mph in his Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster. It’s the first win of any kind this season for Torrence, who was second in points entering the weekend. That shows the team’s consistency this season, but Torrence has been eager to get back in the winner’s circle. He did that on Saturday, knocking off Doug Kalitta and then Langdon to win the bonus race and enjoy plenty of momentum heading into Sunday’s eliminations.

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“We had a really good race car in Denver and we should have won (in the semifinals against Kalitta),” Torrence said. “It definitely gives me a boost of confidence in my race car. I went to the Western Swing with a completely different mindset. To win that gives us a lot of confidence going into race day tomorrow. It’s the first win we’ve had in a while and I think that’s finally coming around the way that we want to. The win light came on in our side and we won the race. I trusted my guys and my race. We didn’t win four world championships by not trusting in them.”

Salinas enjoyed an impressive Saturday in the class, too, picking up his second No. 1 qualifier this season and 13th in his career with a run of 3.743s at 329.02mph in his Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster. He followed it up with another strong run of 3.77s to close out the day, putting him in prime position to pick up his first win at Pacific Raceways and second victory this season. Doug Kalitta qualified second with a 3.753s at 327.66mph, and points leader Justin Ashley jumped to third in the final session after going 3.760s at 325.45mph.

“We tested a lot. We just didn’t share it with anybody,” Salinas said. “We just fell on our face and tried all kinds of different things. All the stuff we did learn, we’re just applying it now, and the car seems to be responding exactly the way we want it to. Our 60-foots were amazing for the heat. I think we’re in a good place.

“We tried to run a little bit better in Q3, but I think it mowed through the clutch a little bit. We were trying to actually run the same run a little bit hotter, because that’s what it’s going to be tomorrow.”

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, the day belonged to Herrera, as the current points leader won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge and qualified No. 1 in the category’s first appearance at Pacific Raceways. He knocked off Angie Smith in the finals of the bonus race on Saturday, going 6.794s at 197.42mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. It’s the third victory in the challenge for Herrera, who knocked off Chase Van Sant earlier in the day. He was eager to put on a strong performance in his debut in Seattle and Herrera certainly did that, giving him a chance to double up for the second time this season.

“I feel like we’re kind of back in the groove we had before Bristol, so to be able to come out here and get a third Mission win, it’s awesome,” Herrera said. “And to be No. 1 qualifier, it’s just an awesome start to the weekend. All the credit goes to the whole team. They really know their stuff. They’ve been doing this for many years and that gives me all the confidence in the world as a rider. The big thing for me on Sunday is to be consistent on the bike, but I feel very confident we can have a good day.”

Herrera’s 6.767s at 198.09mph from Friday gave the points leader his sixth No. 1 qualifier of 2023. His teammate, Eddie Krawiec, is second with a 6.776s at 198.82mph and Smith took third, going 6.787s at 200.29mph. It was the first 200-mph pass at Seattle for the Pro Stock Motorcycle category.

Eliminations for the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday at Pacific Raceways.