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Stewart moving into Top Fuel as he and Pruett look to start a family

Leah Pruett has made the decision to step out of her NHRA Top Fuel dragster in 2024 as she and husband Tony Stewart focus on starting a family, with Stewart taking over her driving seat. Pruett, who finished second to Doug Kalitta in the …

Leah Pruett has made the decision to step out of her NHRA Top Fuel dragster in 2024 as she and husband Tony Stewart focus on starting a family, with Stewart taking over her driving seat.

Pruett, who finished second to Doug Kalitta in the championship last season in a winner-take-all season finale, is not pregnant. However, she doesn’t want to disrupt her Tony Stewart Racing team during the season as those plans move forward. In the meantime, Pruett will compete in the PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park in early February.

Stewart will move into the Top Fuel ranks driving Pruett’s car. He ran a full season of NHRA Top Alcohol with McPhillips Racing last season.

“Drag racing has been an important part of my life for over three quarters of my life,” Pruett said. “27 years of racing in the NHRA has molded who I am and I am extremely grateful for the life it has given me. Through a long series of thought processes and a decision that did not happen overnight, I feel that stepping out of the seat right now is what’s best for myself and Tony to start a family.

“This has been one of the most difficult decisions to make because of what we have collectively created at TSR; a highly successful program and enjoyable operation. I had the best finish of my entire career. To step away from that can be a challenging move, but I had already made up my mind long before we were deep in the championship hunt. I’m excited about how competitive this team is, developed through the leadership of Neal Strausbaugh and Mike Domagala, and to be able to have Tony compete in a very safe, vetted and well-performing car with an established team makes my heart happy.”

Pruett earned two victories in 2023. A runner-up finish in the Top Fuel championship was a career-best.

“Our final-round appearance at the World Finals brought me the closest I’ve ever been to fulfilling a life-long dream of winning a Top Fuel world championship,” Pruett said. “We were so close that we could taste it, but it wasn’t our time. Ultimately, it will be up to the Lord if we are blessed with what so many share as their greatest joy in life, a family of their own. While Tony and I prefer to keep our personal lives private, we’re honored to share in this announcement with our partners, team members, and fans.

“There are no guarantees or promises on when I will be back in the seat, but I have every intention of returning as soon as I can. Everything in my heart says that I will return to driving Top Fuel as soon as I feel ready, especially after being so close to winning it all this year. For now, I am thrilled that Tony is getting a well-performing, safe car with an excellent caliber of people, both personally and professionally.”

Stewart finished second in the NHRA Top Alcohol championship after earning four victories across the regional and national events. In the move to Top Fuel in the Dodge/SRT Direct Connection dragster, Stewart will work with crew chiefs Neal Strausbaugh and Mike Domagala. His debut in the Top Fuel class will be in the season-opening events at Gainesville in early March.

“I am very proud of my wife,” Stewart said. “To make a decision like this has got to be extremely hard. I don’t think from a male’s perspective that we can fully grasp it. To be a competitive, professional race car driver and have to make the decision to take yourself out of the seat to start a family is not a position most males would want to be put in.

“We had discussed starting a family and this was her decision. In those discussions, we came to the conclusion that the timing was up to her. I was very supportive as to whether she wanted to do it now or years from now. I’m very humbled that Leah and Neal felt I was the driver to fill in for her. I feel honored that I can do that for my wife and this team.”

Pruett, 35, and Stewart, 52, started dating in 2020 and were married in the fall of 2021.

Tony Stewart Racing blasts to first double at NHRA Texas Nationals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pruett, Alexander, Hartford, Arana Jr. win NHRA Summit Nationals in Norwalk

Leah Pruett wrapped up her impressive weekend with her first Top Fuel victory of the season for Tony Stewart Racing, knocking off points leader Justin Ashley in the final round on Sunday at the 17th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at …

Blake Alexander (Funny Car) Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the ninth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Pruett, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, powered to a run of 3.761s at 326.79mph in her 11,000-horsepower Dodge Direct Connection dragster in the finals, driving past Ashley to earn her 11th career win and first at Summit Motorsports Park. Pruett also jumped to third in points with the victory, snapping Ashley’s streak of 11 straight round wins. To get there, Pruett had to get past Kyle Wurtzel, defending event winner Mike Salinas and Austin Prock. She also jumped to third in points with the fantastic showing, giving her plenty of momentum heading out to the NHRA Western Swing.

“You always love coming into race day from the No. 1 position, but we were coming off of a final qualifying day that wasn’t going super well for us. But we dug deep and put together what we thought was going to be a good program,” Pruett said. “The day started off stressful, we had some system malfunctions in the first round, but thankfully we got past that.

“Going into the final round, all of the systems we thought we had fixed…well, different ones came up — things we’d never seen before — and we only had 30 minutes. So it was roll the dice, blow on them, and shoot. Neal Strasbaugh said, ‘This round, you’re going to have a race car that’s going to win.'”

Ashley advanced to his fifth final round – and third in a row – by defeating Clay Millican, Steve Torrence and defending world champion Brittany Force. It’s also the 16th career final for the points leader.

Things came together at the perfect time for Alexander in Funny Car, as he defeated points leader Matt Hagan in the final round, going 3.935s at 321.96mph in his 11,000-horsepower Pronto Ford Mustang. Not only was it Alexander’s first win since 2018, but he also earned his first career Funny Car victory. He picked up two victories in Top Fuel five years ago, including a 2018 triumph at Summit Motorsports Park, but had yet to find the winner’s circle in Funny Car.

That all changed on Sunday after he defeated Tim Wilkerson, Alexis DeJoria and No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca III to reach the final round. He went 3.924s to defeat Tasca and then drove past Hagan with a stellar showing a round later, picking up his third career victory. He also becomes just the 18th driver in NHRA history to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.

“I woke up today and I saw my wife and my son, and I knew I was in the right place and I was supposed to be here – I just didn’t know what was going to happen today,” Alexander said. “But everything went well, and I’m very blessed to work with the people I work with and have the sponsors I have. I put in a lot of work to get here, but you have to drive the car well and do everything else well once you show up. I could feel it today.

“I haven’t won one of these in five years. I try hard because the people I compete against have made it so that you have to be better. If you don’t want to get better, you’re going to get beat out here. I tried to get better and I needed to get better once I started racing Funny Car.”

Hagan knocked off Dale Creasy Jr., Robert Hight and J.R. Todd to reach the final round for the fourth time in 2023 and the 83rd time overall. Hagan jumped back in the points lead and he currently leads Ron Capps by four points.

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In Pro Stock, Hartford broke through for his first victory of the season, beating points leader Dallas Glenn in the championship round with a pass of 6.624s at 207.02mph in his Rottler/GETTRX/Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro. Hartford officially bounced back from consecutive first-round losses, rolling to a spectacular weekend in Norwalk. He qualified No. 1 and then performed at a high level on raceday, knocking off Fernando Cuadra, Deric Kramer and Aaron Stanfield to reach the final round.

After coming close all year, Hartford finished the job on Sunday, moving back to second in points in what has been the best year in the veteran’s career. He also picked up a win for the sixth straight year.

“It goes back to all those people back at the trailer and all the people who support us, from the engine program to the chassis builder,” Hartford said. “We just have such a great group. They’ve always said that if you surround yourself with people who work harder than you, who are smarter than you, more motivated than you, and you can be successful. That’s what I’ve tried to do, and I think it starts showing when you let everybody focus on their job and at the end of the day, let the box score be what it may.

“We’ve had a great car all year long, and the races we haven’t won, it’s been driver error. In the final at Pomona, I had Dallas covered, I just couldn’t learn how to drive. We gave up that race, and it’s been a thorn in my side, so I was really glad to get this one today.”

Glenn stayed in the points lead, advancing to his fifth final round this year and the 13th in his young career. He knocked off Bo Butner, defending event winner and reigning world champ Erica Enders and Troy Coughlin Jr. to advance to the finals.

Arana Jr. put together a consistent Sunday in Norwalk and ended it with his first Pro Stock Motorcycle victory of the season, going 6.821s at 199.82mph in the final round on his GETTRX Suzuki to get past Steve Johnson. It’s Arana Jr.’s first victory at Summit Motorsports Park and the 18th in his career. After qualifying third with a 6.814, Arana Jr. stayed in that range throughout eliminations, beating Wesley Wells, Angie Smith and defending world champ Matt Smith with runs of 6.826s, 6.801s and 6.820s.

That consistency followed through in the final round with an impressive performance against Johnson, helping send Arana Jr. to second in points.

“We made one little mistake in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and we were able to learn from our mistake and come out today with a really fast, consistent bike,” Arana Jr. said. “That gives you all the confidence in the world as a rider, knowing you have a good bike beneath you and that when you let the clutch out, it’s going to do what it’s supposed to do and go right down the track.

“We definitely have momentum. We’ve had a fast bike, and we’ve been qualifying really well and running well. We had a good bike in Bristol, we just had a couple little gremlins we needed to get through, but I’d rather have those earlier in the season than later.”

Johnson earned his second straight final round appearance and 32nd of his career with victories Chase Van Sant, Eddie Krawiec and Jianna Evaristo. Gaige Herrera maintained the points lead in the class.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action July 14-16 with the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. It kicks off the famed NHRA Western Swing and also marks the final race at Bandimere Speedway.

Pruett, Capps No. 1 at NHRA Summit Nationals with PS and PSM rain delayed

Leah Pruett powered to the provisional No. 1 spot in Top Fuel on Friday, as the Tony Stewart Racing standout looks to pick up her second straight No. 1 qualifier of the 2023 season at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports …

Ron Capps (Funny Car) also was a provisional No. 1 qualifier at the ninth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Due to weather, only Top Fuel and Funny Car made qualifying runs on Friday. Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle are scheduled for two passes on Saturday.

After a series of lengthy weather delays on Friday, Pruett drove her 11,000-horsepower Dodge Direct Connection dragster to a pass of 3.684s at 333.08mph, putting her in contention for her 15th career No. 1 qualifier. She picked up her first No. 1 spot two weeks ago in Bristol and followed it up with a standout performance to kick off the race weekend in Norwalk. It continues a strong trend of qualifying performances for Pruett, who hopes to finish it off with her first win of the 2023 season this weekend.

“That was definitely the most exciting part of our whole day, and I would say, our last two weeks” Pruett said. “(Crew chief) Neal Strasbaugh is pretty good about giving a target of what we’re going to run, especially when we’re later in the pack like that, but this time we really didn’t know. The track was so good, and NHRA Safety Safari and Summit Motorsports Park did an incredible job throughout the whole day making sure that the track didn’t go away. I was ready to go fast, and like I said last time we were No. 1, it’s one of my favorite things to do.

“There’s no feeling like it when you get that text that says Funny Car at 9 p.m. At that moment, everyone that’s been wiping down the car and checking their notes for hours, at that moment you kick into high gear and turn it on. The fans got a good show tonight.”

Steve Torrence made the other run in the 3.60s on Friday, going to the second spot with his pass of 3.688s at 332.10mph. Doug Kalitta is right behind, going 3.700s at 330.23mph, one of three drivers to make a 3.70s run during the lone session.

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Capps continued his strong month, as the back-to-back Funny Car world champion followed up his Bristol win with a stellar run under the lights, going 3.898s at 331.28mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra. If it holds, it would give the Funny Car points leader his second No. 1 spot this season and 38th in his career. Capps and his standout team waited through the lengthy weather delays and then put on an impressive show at night to close out Funny Car qualifying.

“Back in the staging lanes, I was getting in the car and watching the scoreboards light up and get better and better,” Capps said. “Funny Car is so talented right now, it’s incredible. I saw Guido (crew chief Dean Antonelli) come back in the box a couple times, and working on these cars when I was younger, I kind of know what he’s thinking. It’s kind of a cool thing, sometimes, and I knew he was going to get after it as soon as we saw a couple more 3.90s flats go up on the board.

“There’s something to be said about turning this corner and seeing how many fans stuck around after the rain. So part of you is like, I’m not lifting. I’m going to go low E.T. for Guido and the guys. That was huge.”

Alexis DeJoria continued her solid season, making the second-best run of the session with a 3.901s at 331.20mph. Hagan, who ran side-by-side with Capps, is a spot behind with a 3.905s at 328.70mph with a handful of drivers right behind.

Qualifying continues at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

Pruett, Hight, Enders, Herrera take NHRA Thunder Valley No. 1s

Gaige Herrera continued his perfect run in Pro Stock Motorcycle on Saturday at Bristol Dragway, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge and securing his fourth straight No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. In the Mission …

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) also won the bonus event in Bristol. Leah Pruett (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) all qualified No. 1 at the eighth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round of the bonus event, Herrera was quicker on the starting line against Hector Arana Jr., posting a 0.009s reaction time and a run of 6.849s at 194.83mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It’s Herrera’s second Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory this season, with his run of 6.808s at 198.61mph earlier on Saturday giving him the No. 1 qualifier. Herrera hasn’t lost a round in 2023 and will aim for his fourth straight win on Sunday as he opens eliminations against Ron Tornow in what also is Herrera’s Thunder Valley debut.

“It makes me feel better that I went out there and did my job,” Herrera said. “I had to fight the bike a little bit from going towards the wall, and I think that’s why we slowed up a little bit. But that was a good run with Hector. I was glad to get the holeshot and come out on top. Just to be a part of the whole Mission Challenge is very cool.

“It’s been a wonderful journey so far. This whole season has been a dream come true, like I’ve been saying, and to do it like we’ve been doing it is just incredible. I’m just glad to be part of it.”

Arana Jr. qualified second with a 6.839s at 199.02mph and Eddie Krawiec’s 6.855s at 198.03mph put him third.

Stanfield claimed the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday in his Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro, going 6.637s at 206.32mph in his Camaro to defeat points leader Dallas Glenn. Stanfield, the defending event winner in Bristol, claimed his first victory in the specialty race on the strength of two outstanding runs, knocking off Deric Kramer in the opening round with a 6.631s at 206.80mph. The young standout will look to defend his Bristol crown on Sunday and make it a double-win weekend in the process.

“This is really cool. Qualifying is normally about just making a nice clean run, so to add a little competition in there and to turn on the win light and get a little redemption is great,” Stanfield said.

“Drag racing has a lot of highs and lows, and we’ve been struggling a little bit the beginning of the season, but they’ve been working very hard. We’ve turned it around, and I’ve just got a really good hot rod. I had a really good race car pretty much all year last year, and I think we’re getting back to that place.”

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Enders officially earned her first No. 1 of the season, as her run of 6.627s at 205.88mph from Friday in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet held up. It also gives the defending and five-time world champ her 30th career No. 1 qualifier and plenty of momentum as she heads into eliminations. She’ll open eliminations against Mason McGaha, searching for her first win of the season.

“I definitely feel a lot more confident than we have heading into the other Sundays so far this season,” Enders said. “We seem to have a race car back underneath us and that’s truly exciting, we just have to go to work tomorrow, execute the best that we can and try to park the JHG/Melling Performance car in the winner’s circle.

“We’ll see what happens tomorrow, but hopefully it’s a long, successful Sunday here in Bristol. I’m just so, so thrilled that we’re back. It’s just really exciting. No matter what happens, we’ve just worked so incredibly hard, these guys haven’t had a day off in months, and you’re seeing it come to fruition.”

Stanfield qualified in the second spot and Cristian Cuadra’s 6.632s at 206.04mph put him third heading into Sunday.

In Top Fuel, Pruett enjoyed her first No. 1 qualifier of the season for Tony Stewart Racing, as her run of 3.745s at 322.42mph in her 11,000-horsepower Rush Truck Centers dragster from Friday easily stood up on Sunday. It’s also the 14th career No. 1 spot for Pruett, who will open eliminations against Spencer Massey. Pruett has been solid for the bulk of the 2023 season, but she will be looking for her first win of the season and first victory at Bristol Dragway on Sunday.

“This No. 1 is just a testament to the consistency that this team has had all season long. It’s the culmination of our performance that has led up to this,” Pruett said. “There is nothing like racing on Sunday and racing in Thunder Valley. We got the highs and the lows and the emotions of racing in qualifying. You get the echo of the cars here, and hopefully, we echo our performance of qualifying No. 1 and bring that into race day all day. I’m eager. It’s going to be an early morning for all, but the fans will have a good long day of watching cars.”

Brittany Force qualified second with a 3.747s at 334.48mph, and Torrence’s 3.753s at 329.10mph gave him the third slot.

Funny Car’s Robert Hight earned his second No. 1 spot this season and 79th in his career on the strength of his 3.938s at 321.35mph from Friday in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. Hight will take on Alex Laughlin to open eliminations aiming for his second career win at Bristol Dragway.

“My team has a pretty good handle on all the conditions – we’ve raced a lot of different conditions, and we have a lot of data to look at,” Hight said. “We do have a new combination, and we’re trying to get through that, but if we get the cylinder dropping fixed, this thing will have three-second runs all day tomorrow. That’s probably what it’s going to take to win, especially first round.

“Tomorrow is a new day, we’re starting from a good spot, we’re back with Cornwell for tomorrow, and we need to get them their first win.”

Capps took the second spot with his 3.962s at 318.92mph from Friday and Chad Green’s 3.969s at 322.50mph gave him third.

Eliminations for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Bristol Dragway.

Pruett and Green jump out to early leads at NHRA New England Nationals

Leah Pruett put together an impressive run in the heat on Friday at New England Dragway, rolling to the provisional No. 1 position in Top Fuel at the NHRA New England Nationals. Funny Car’s Chad Green is also a provisional No. 1 qualifier at the …

Leah Pruett put together an impressive run in the heat on Friday at New England Dragway, rolling to the provisional No. 1 position in Top Fuel at the NHRA New England Nationals.

Funny Car’s Chad Green is also a provisional No. 1 qualifier at the seventh of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Pruett went 3.856s at 319.37 mph in her Rush Truck Centers dragster for Tony Stewart Racing, making one of only a trio of three-second runs in the class on Friday. Pruett is after her first No. 1 qualifier this season and 14th of her career, as well as her first victory of 2023 and at New England Dragway.

The standout performance on Friday also puts Pruett in a good position for Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, where she will take on Josh Hart. It’s the third appearance in the bonus race for Pruett, who will try to pick up her first victory. The other matchup on Saturday features defending world champ Brittany Force and Chicago winner Clay Millican, with the two victors meeting up to close out Saturday qualifying in what is expected to be dramatically different conditions.

“That 3.85, as we all know, is not going to stay No. 1. That wouldn’t have even qualified at our last race,” Pruett said. “This particular track and these conditions are basically getting everybody to maximize their adaptability, and that shows with us being No. 1. Our crew chiefs are currently in the system of learning the new program, and there is finding this middle ground, and going slower is actually a lot harder than going fast. We’ll work on that tomorrow.

“Going down the track when you run a 3.85 compared to running, like, a 3.64, it’s night and day. But I knew as soon as I got past a second-and-a-half, which is always going to be our trouble zone with our new system, I was like, alright, we’re cruising. This track is smooth and we just cruised right on over it. Everything was pretty much flawless, and there is not a lot that we can take away from this run and use for tomorrow, but we’ll go back to a lot of other races.”

Running next to Pruett, Antron Brown posted a strong run as well, moving into the second spot with a run of 3.899 at 310.98. Brown posted a win earlier this season in Las Vegas and is after his second career victory at New England Dragway. Hart, who has advanced to three straight final rounds this year, was the only other driver to make a 3-second run on Friday, going 3.902 at 317.27, putting him in contention for his first career No. 1 qualifier as well.

Green (pictured, top) made the best pass on a warm track on Friday in Funny Car, going 4.100 at 310.98 in his Bond-Coat, Inc. Ford Mustang. If it holds, it would be Green’s first career No. 1 qualifier as he continues to enjoy a breakout season in 2023. Green is currently sixth in points and already has nine round wins this season, plus a victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge in Pomona.

He’ll have a chance for a second victory in the special bonus race on Saturday as well, as he will take on Ron Capps in a semifinal rematch from Chicago. The other matchup will feature Chicago winner Tim Wilkerson and John Force, and Green will be focused on having a big Saturday in Epping after his solid start to open qualifying.

“The run felt pretty good. It’s tricky track today, but we were one of the only cars to make it down, so we feel pretty good about that,” Green said. “Tomorrow, the weather situation is going to be totally different than it was today. We have the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge tomorrow, and we’re really excited about that. I’d like to be the first Funny Car driver to win it twice.

“It would mean so much to have this No. 1 at the end of the day tomorrow, but what we really want to do now is get a win. We’ve gone rounds, made it to the semifinals a bunch of times, but we’re ready to take that next step and get that Wally.”

Points leader Matt Hagan, who has won the last two races in Epping and has an NHRA-best four overall victories in Epping, is currently second with a run of 4.123 at 309.13. Capps, the back-to-back world champion in the category, took third with a 4.483 at 199.88. Capps was the runner-up in Chicago and is after his first win of the season following three trips to the final round.

Qualifying continues at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday at the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway.

Q&A: NHRA Top Fuel drag racer Leah Pruett on what it takes to pilot a car ‘faster than a rocket ship’

For The Win got tips on how to be a professional drag racer from Top Fuel star Leah Pruett.

MORRISON, Colo. — With more than 1,000 feet of straight track ahead and NHRA Top Fuel drag racer Leah Pruett coaching me from the passenger seat of a souped-up 2021 Dodge Charger Scat Pack, I floored it.

Literally.

I completed a mostly stationary burnout to scrub debris from the tires and heat them up a bit, as the pros do before a race, and was patiently waiting for the lights in front of me to signal when to hit the gas. Working with both feet, per Pruett’s instructions, I simultaneously released the brake and slammed into the throttle as my right foot literally hit the floor of the car when the lights turned yellow.

If they switch from yellow and you see green, you’re already late, Pruett says, offering up tips as a veteran driver with nine Top Fuel event victories who’s now competing for first-year NHRA team Tony Stewart Racing, owned by her NASCAR Hall of Fame husband.

“As soon as I see any yellow, it’s an explosion, kind of like kickboxers and being an explosive tight end or something,” Pruett said. “Exactly wherever their cue is, it’s hitting it, and my queue is the yellow, amber lights.”

With Leah Pruett (Pat Caporali, Mopar Dodge//SRT Motorsports)

Of course, Pruett drives a dragster with 11,000 horsepower that can reach more than 330 miles per hour and pull up to seven g forces (it reverses to negative seven when the parachute releases to slow the car, according to her Funny Car teammate Matt Hagan). And reaction time is crucial in trying to out-duel the racer in the next lane to the finish line first.

The Charger Scat Pack we were in Thursday at Bandimere Speedway — which will host the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals this weekend and where the speeds might be a tad slower because of the 5,764-foot elevation — was a far cry from what Pruett usually pilots.

In 2018, she won at Bandimere — where she also has a career-best 69.2 Top Fuel round winning percentage — going 316.45 miles per hour in 3.831 seconds, and enters this weekend ranked 10th in the standings.

On a smoking sunny day outside of Denver with temperatures pushing 100 degrees, it felt like 1,000 in the car. The windows needed to be up and the air conditioning off because we couldn’t risk condensation hitting the race. Plus, I was a nervous with a professional racer riding with me, ready to critique.

My reaction time off the start could have been better, but when Pruett shouted, “Go!” I was gone. It took about nine seconds for me to break 80 miles an hour, and suddenly, my thrilling run was over. No parachute needed, as we coasted up a hill at the end of the track and I gently pushed on the brakes while we quickly opened the windows.

Not nearly as impressive as my first ride with Pruett in the driver’s seat when she got us to 91 miles an hour in a smidge more than nine seconds. But she complimented my run — maybe she was just being nice — so I’ll take it.

After our jolts of exhilaration, I chatted with the Arizona-based racer about the NHRA’s mind-blowing speeds, how she trains to handle them and what she wishes people knew about drag racing.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Tony Stewart and NHRA racer Leah Pruett announce they’re getting married

“So excited to spend the rest of my life with a truly amazing woman,” Tony Stewart said about Leah Pruett.

Retired NASCAR driver Tony Stewart is getting married, and the Stewart-Haas Racing team owner and his fiancee, NHRA Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett, announced their engagement on their social media accounts Thursday night.

On both their Twitter and Instagram feeds, 49-year-old Stewart and 32-year-old Pruett shared some sweet photos of them checking out cars together, and in their respective captions, they celebrated each other and announced their engagement.

No word on when they plan to tie the knot, but it might be too soon for them to know that just yet.

Stewart and Pruett were originally introduced in 2019 on FaceTime thanks to legendary drag racer Don Prudhomme, but their first date was the week before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the U.S. down in March 2020, the Associated Press reported in January.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMlQs7FpcDl/

In Stewart’s Instagram post, he included several photos of the couple together, showing off the drag racer’s massive engagement ring. In the caption, he wrote:

So excited to spend the rest of my life with a truly amazing woman. She’s motivated, hard working, funny as hell, and as dedicated to her sport as anyone I’ve ever known. Love you babe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMlQor6FzoB/

Pruett’s Instagram post shared some of the same photos, though not as many, but she went a little more in-depth with what she said, writing:

Thought no better time to share our engagement than right now, after the Tour De Florida clutch dust settled 🥰 …. Checking out hot rods and cruising the Havasu strip with my husband to be @tsrsmoke 🤍 The undeniable level of love, happiness, and soulfulness we have together is monumental. He might run in circles, but is the straightest shooter and the salt of this earth… looking forward to a lifetime of sunrises and sunsets that the Lord has gifted us together. Love you babe!

Earlier this year, Stewart opened up about his goals for NASCAR as a team and track owner, clashes with the sport’s executives and his personal life, which he said includes learning more about drag racing and the NHRA, as Pruett is still racing. Per the AP, that ultimately pushed him to a couple practice sessions at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School, and the couple has been working to mesh their schedules so Stewart can go to as many of Pruett’s drag races as possible.