Justin Ashley – Syndication Server

Hagan grabs 50th NHRA Funny Car victory at Charlotte 4-Wide

Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan picked up his 50th career victory on Sunday, driving past John Force, J.R. Todd and Daniel Wilkerson at zMAX Dragway to get the win at the 14th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. Justin Ashley …

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the fifth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Hagan went 3.946s at 332.34mph in his Tony Stewart Racing Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat in the final quad to power to his first win this season, defeating Wilkerson on a holeshot to pick up his milestone victory. Hagan was 0.029s on the starting line, holding off Wilkerson’s 3.923s at 327.50mph at the finish line for the win.

Hagan won his opening-round quad with a 3.918s at 331.61mph and then made the second-quickest run of eliminations with a 3.879s at 334.24mph to advance to the final round. That led to his fourth victory at zMAX Dragway, which is less than two hours from home for Hagan.

“This is obviously a massive achievement to win 50 races and to have Dodge sponsoring us for so many years,” Hagan said. “To see so many people come and go out here, you just don’t realize that it’s you, you know, you’re like, ‘Wow, I’ve been out here little bit over 15 years now,” and it’s just a huge accomplishment in my book to be able to be around a group of guys that have been nothing but the best out here, and I think that’s why we won four championships.

“To put us in an elite group of drivers with John Force and [Don] Prudhomme and Kenny Bernstein is pretty crazy. I’m very blessed to still be out here, surrounded by a great group of guys. They gave me a great race car and now we’re going to celebrate.”

It was the first career runner-up for Wilkerson, while Todd took third, going 3.978s at 320.36mph. Austin Prock retained the points lead in the category.

Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley capped off his stellar weekend with his first career four-wide win, holding off Clay Millican, Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown with a run of 3.710s at 328.06mph in his Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster. It’s the second victory this season for Ashley, who swept the weekend by also winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday. He’s been dynamic with double-up wins — Sunday marked his third in the last two seasons — and Ashley did it again on Sunday, winning the first two quads to get to the final round, going 3.711s at 333.58mph in the second round.

In the finals, Ashley left first with another great 0.046s reaction time, holding off the hard-charging Millican, who went 3.722s at a strong 337.92mph, to claim his 15th career victory. Charlotte is where Ashley debuted, so racing at zMAX Dragway will always be special to him and he was thrilled to claim his first four-wide win on Sunday.

“For whatever reason, we’ve struggled a little bit before in four-wide races. We’d go to the traditional format and have a lot of success, but we struggled when we go four-ride racing,” Ashley said. “When you come out here and you race four-wide, the quads are so good. It really doesn’t matter who you’re racing, especially with depth of the Top Fuel field now. The quads are going to be stellar each and every time, and you saw it even in that final round. There was a lot of really good reaction times a lot of really good E.T.s and it made for some close racing.”

Kalitta, the No. 1 qualifier, finished third in the final quad with a 3.725s at 326.00mph.

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In Pro Stock, No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson added another impressive Charlotte victory to his resume, driving past a loaded final-round quad with a standout pass of 6.502s at 210.77mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Anderson ousted KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn, Aaron Stanfield and Cristian Cuadra to pick up his second victory of the season and the 105th in his career, extending his all-time lead in the category.

It’s been a banner season thus far for Anderson, who won both quads leading into the final round and making the quickest pass each round. He was also 0.011s on the starting line to advance to the finals and then chased down runner-up Stanfield and Glenn, who were both 0.011s in the final round, to pick up another meaningful victory. It’s the fifth Charlotte win for Anderson, who won the fall race last year but had not won the four-wide race at zMAX Dragway since 2012 – until Sunday. Anderson also took over the points lead in the class.

“This feels fantastic,” Anderson said. “There is so much talent out here and I’m so proud to be a part of it. We’re in a spot where anyone can win so you’ve got to dig deep to find it and I had it today. We didn’t back into it and it feels good to win a race at zMAX Dragway. It’s my home track and I love it here.

“You have to find a way to get your heart beating and get those butterflies in your stomach and get your nerves going. You can’t artificially create that. I can’t properly explain what it means to win a race for [Rick Hendrick]. I met Mr. H 20 years ago and we’ve stayed in touch and he obviously know a thing or two about winning and he knows how to motivate people. It’s just an honor to have those colors on my race car.”

Stanfield finished second, going 6.551s at 209.75mph and Glenn was third after his 6.551s at 209.75mph.

A prolonged break did nothing to slow down the dominant defending world champion in Pro Stock Motorcycle, as Gaige Herrera rolled to his second straight win this season on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki with a run of 6.684s at 202.73mph in the final round. Dating back to last season, Herrera has now posted seven consecutive victories, putting together another incredible weekend in Charlotte.

Herrera qualified No. 1, setting the track E.T. record, picked up the victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday and then made the quickest pass of each session on Sunday, defeating John Hall, LE Tonglet and Richard Gadson in the finals to earn his 13th career victory and extend his points lead in the process. Herrera also defended his four-wide win from a season ago at zMAX Dragway.

“After Q1 and Q2 I was a bit worried. On the first run we had a malfunction in our wiring, and then after the second run, Matt [Smith] held on to the top spot and that’s because of the rule change,” said Herrera, referring to a recent NHRA rules revision that mandated the same fuel type for both V-twin and inline four-cylinder bikes. “It has created parity and made for better racing. We still had three Vance & Hines bikes in the final [quad].

“In the end, me and [crew chief] Andrew Hines and the bike bond so well. We’re a hard combo to beat. This is just the beginning. It’s all the haters that make us push that much harder and we’re out there to prove them all wrong. I hear people say it’s the bike and that I can’t cut a light, and today my worst light was a 0.021s, so I was here to prove a point. We had three fast bikes and almost everyone is running the same.”

Hall’s 6.758s at 202.12mph gave him the runner-up finish, while Gadson was third with a 6.767s at 198.41mph.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action May 17-19 with the 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago.

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.

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.

NHRA video: Justin Ashley hopes 2022 was a lesson in learning how to win the Countdown

Justin Ashley tore through the NHRA Top Fuel class last season and appeared in control of the championship fight until it all turned during the final two races. Ashley again looks like the driver to beat with six wins and sitting as the No. 1 seed as the NHRA Countdown begins this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway, and he hopes there was a lesson learned from last year’s disappointment.

“To a certain extent, I do think you have to lose to be able to learn how to win, and we already went through that last year,” Ashley says in the video interview below. “So, I certainly think that experience will prove to be valuable this time around.”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HUChw1o5g7g%3Fsi%3D72hhfX0E7L8FJdE6

Click HERE to watch on YouTube.

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.

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.

Herrera secures first NHRA Western Swing sweep since 2009

Points leader Gaige Herrera became the first rider in Pro Stock Motorcycle history – and the first NHRA competitor since 2009 – to sweep the three-race NHRA Western Swing, racing to the victory on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway at the 35th annual Denso …

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) and J.R. Todd (Funny Car) also won the 12th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round, Herrera put together a run of 6.775s at 198.12mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to defeat defending world champion Matt Smith, who broke on the starting line. Herrera, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, collected his sixth win in what has been a dominant 2023 campaign, rolling to consecutive wins in Denver, Seattle and then Sonoma on Sunday.

He reached the finals with wins against Ryan Oehler, Marc Ingwersen and Karen Stoffer, putting together an incredible three-race stretch in the first season Pro Stock Motorcycle ran the full Western Swing. Herrera also notched a Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge win and a victory in the Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout over the past three weeks, becoming just the eighth different competitor in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series history to sweep the Western Swing.

“I can’t even put this into words,” Herrera said. “To be able to do this and accomplish what we have over the past three weeks, it’s incredible. The Denver win got us the momentum and the drive to keep pushing forward to get the sweep, and to do it, I never thought I would add my name to that part of history.

“I try to focus on the big picture, but as soon as go on the starting line, I’m focused on what I need to do. The class is tough, but I’ve got one bad machine right now. The team has my back and I was able to do my job today. I’m not a big person to show emotion, but when that win light came on, I was screaming and yelling in my helmet, and all that. To do what all of this, I’m out of words. I don’t talk much as it is, but this is just an incredible feeling.”

Smith advanced to the finals for the second time this season and 73rd time in his career with victories against Lance Bonham, Steve Johnson and Eddie Krawiec.

In Top Fuel, Justin Ashley moved back into the points lead with his fifth victory of the season, slipping past Antron Brown in the finals with a run of 3.778s at 328.78mph in his Phillips Connect/Toyota dragster. It gives the young standout his first career victory at Sonoma Raceway and the 10th win in his career, ending the Western Swing on a positive note.

He reached the finals with round wins against Doug Kalitta, No. 1 qualifier Austin Prock and Josh Hart, defeating Brown by just 0.001s in the championship round in what was a thrilling side-by-side run. The victory gives Ashley a 32-point lead over Steve Torrence heading into the final three races of the regular season.

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“It was tough out there,” said Ashley, who also earned his 100th career round win in the semifinals. “The competition is so tough right now in Top Fuel and it feels like four final rounds every time you get up there. The margin of error is so small and it takes a real team effort to get a win like this. I was happy to win such a close race against Antron and that’s the way to close out a weekend like this at Sonoma Raceway.

“We just had a great car on race day. This team just doesn’t flinch and they’ve got such a good handle on the car. We’re just focused on what we need to do each and every time and that speaks volumes with the culture and leadership we have. We’ve got a lot of championship-winning people on this team and that makes a big difference.”

Brown reached the final round for the third time in 2023 and the 133rd time in his career, getting past Mike Salinas, defending world champ and defending event winner Brittany Force and Torrence.

Todd put together a weekend to remember in Funny Car, making a clean sweep at Sonoma Raceway with his victory over Chad Green in the final round. The former world champion also broke a 52-race winless streak on Sunday, knocking off Green with a run of 3.972s at 322.81mph in his DHL Toyota GR Supra. Todd, whose last win before Sunday came at the season-opener in Gainesville in 2021, won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday and then used that momentum a day later to collect his 20th overall win and his fourth at Sonoma Raceway.

The Kalitta Funny Car started the day with round wins against Blake Alexander, No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca III and points leader Matt Hagan, finishing the day with a victory against Green. After coming close to a victory on the Western Swing, including a runner-up last weekend in Seattle, Todd was thrilled to close the deal in Sonoma and get Kalitta Motorsports back on the winning track.

“It’s been a long road to get here,” Todd said. “We’re getting a good handle on it and the consistency is coming around. When you’re going down the track like we are, it just gives everyone more confidence. I keep saying Funny Car is the toughest class in the sport and it’s definitely not easy. When you go two-plus years without winning, you don’t know if it’s going to happen again.

“This is my favorite track on the tour. I love coming here and anytime you can win here, it’s special. I caught myself going down the track; I don’t think I’ve had the gas pushed down that hard. I was trying to shove it through the floorboard. I was just wanting those win lights to come on and when that win light comes on in the final, it’s just instant relief. To come back and win a week after a runner-up (in Seattle), it’s just awesome.”

Green advanced to his first career final round on Sunday, knocking off Cruz Pedregon, Paul Lee and back-to-back world champ Ron Capps. Hagan leaves the Western Swing with a 19-point lead over Capps.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action on Aug. 11-13 with the 34th annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kan.