Matt Hagan – Syndication Server

Hagan picks up No. 1 qualifier at NHRA Carolina Nationals

Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan picked up his first No. 1 qualifier since March for Tony Stewart Racing, clinching the top position on Saturday at zMAX Dragway to close out qualifying at the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals. Brittany …

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 16th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hagan’s Friday run of 3.832s at 333.25mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat stood up through Saturday’s two sessions, as the four-time world champ raced to his second No. 1 position of the year and the 52nd in his career. Hagan, who opened the weekend 137 points out of first, also has a chance to sweep both Charlotte races this season and a win on Sunday would certainly be ideal for his title chances.

“We feel like we found some stuff, working hard behind the scenes,” Hagan said. “My guys have obviously been scratching their head a little bit all year and have just not had the performance that we really wanted or hoped to, but knowing that we can run with these guys, and I think that we showed that Friday, that’s real. We can do this still, so that was a great shot in the arm for us.

“Tomorrow’s going to be 90 degrees, so it’s back to probably pedaling the car some and figuring out how to get down the racetrack. But the lanes are really nice, both equal, so at the end of the day, I feel confident that we got a car that could go down the racetrack.”

Points leader Austin Prock finished second in qualifying with Friday’s 3.833s at 332.84mph, while John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman is right behind in third after a 3.850s at 327.27mph.

Top Fuel’s Brittany Force easily held on to the No. 1 spot thanks to Friday’s stellar run of 3.690s at 334.24mph in her HendrickCars.com Chevrolet dragster, but the two-time Top Fuel world champion added some more momentum with a strong run in the warmer temperatures to close out qualifying on Saturday. It’s Force’s third No. 1 this season – and second in the last three races – and the 49th in her standout career.

She opened the weekend ninth in points but is determined to make a run and Force will need a big race day to do it. Force opens eliminations against rookie Ida Zetterstrom and will attempt to pick up her first event win since her 2022 championship campaign.

“We missed it on the first run today and that was a really crucial run, but on our last run, we ran a [3.77s], which was second in the field, so that was a killer run for us,” Force said. “We needed that. We just needed our car to go down the racetrack. We had a window we were trying to aim for, and we made it right in that window and picked up some points and had a good run in the heat.

“It’s going to be even hotter tomorrow, so that was actually more important of a run than our 3.69s Friday night. I wish we would have gotten down there both runs today, but we pushed a little too hard, and hopefully we can find that balance for tomorrow.”

Shawn Reed qualified second thanks to his 3.700s at 324.12mph and defending world champion Doug Kalitta took third with Friday’s 3.710s at 332.59mmph.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]

Erica Enders made the absolute most of qualifying in Charlotte as she seeks her first win since the season-opener in Gainesville, turning in the quickest run in all four qualifying sessions, including Friday’s 6.557s at 208.20mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car that clinched her 40th career No. 1 qualifier. Enders, who entered the weekend third in points, made two more strong runs on Saturday, setting up the potential for her 50th career national event win.

Enders, who has now qualified first or second at 13 of the 16 races this year, will open race day against Derrick Reese, looking to build on two strong days of qualifying and last weekend’s runner-up at the playoff opener in Reading.

“Obviously, that [50th win] is being held over our heads pretty significantly, but I have a great race car this weekend. My car is flying,” Enders said. “We were low for every session, which was worth 12 bonus points, so that’s more than half a round, so now I have to go to work.

“Hearing the excitement in my guys’ voices, that part’s really exciting, but on the other side of things, it weighs on you because now it’s in my hands. I have a really fast race car and I promise you, as a driver, there’s nothing worse than posting a really fast time, and the guy next to you posting a slower one, and still turning the win light on, which happened to me last week. I’ve got my work cut out for me, but the confidence is very strong in my equipment and my team.”

Greg Anderson moved into the No. 2 position on speed, going 6.580s at 208.49mph on Saturday, pushing points leader and Reading winner Aaron Stanfield to third with his Friday pass of 6.580s at 207.85mph.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, six-time world champion Matt Smith enjoyed another strong day at zMAX Dragway, lowering his No. 1 qualifying time to a 6.799s at 199.67mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. It was quicker than Friday’s run and Smith, who claimed his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the 2024 campaign, was the only rider to dip into the 6.70s through the first days of the event. He gained points on leader and defending world champion Gaige Herrera and Smith feels good about his chances heading into race day as he seeks his second win of the year.

“We knew the weather was a little bit better, but the track was a little bit worse, so we took a tooth off [the rear sprocket] this morning to see if we control the tire. It stuck and we went 6.79s so we thought we were on the right path but got back in that right lane that has thrown us for a loop,” Smith said. “Lane choice is going to be big for me tomorrow and I will stay in the left lane as long as I can or have to figure out how to go down that right lane if I lose [lane] choice tomorrow.

“Having a bye [in round one] is always good because we can go up and try stuff and it’s good that [Gaige Herrera and Richard Gadson] have each other on the other side of the ladder.”

Herrera stayed close behind, qualifying second with a 6.812s at 198.47mph and his teammate, Richard Gadson, qualified third after a run of 6.830s at 199.26mph.

Eliminations for the NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

Force fastest on Friday at NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte

Two-time Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force made the quickest runs in both qualifying sessions on Friday at zMAX Dragway, powering to the provisional No. 1 position at the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals. Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders …

Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Force went 3.690s at 334.24mph in her HendrickCars.com Chevrolet dragster to close out the night session, putting Force on track for her third No. 1 qualifier of the year and the 49th in her career. Currently ninth in points after the opening race in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs – and 133 points out of first entering the weekend – Force is after a big weekend as she seeks her first victory since her record-breaking 2022 championship season.

“To end qualifying with two solid runs, we picked up points, and we’re leaving currently No. 1, our Monster Energy/HendrickCars.com team are all very excited and very proud of that,” Force said.

“Our mindset for tomorrow is what it was coming into today. We want to do exactly what we accomplished today. We want to pick up points where we can tomorrow in the conditions we’re running in where the track temp is going to be quite a bit different, and we’ve got to figure that track out for Sunday. That’s where it really matters.”

Shawn Reed impressed and is currently second with a 3.700s at 324.12mph, and defending world champion Doug Kalitta sits third after going 3.710s at 332.59mph.

Needing his own big weekend to get back in championship hunt, defending Funny Car world champ Matt Hagan enjoyed an ideal Friday, making the quickest pass of both sessions as well, including a blistering 3.832s at 333.25mph under the lights in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat. Two runs after points leader Austin Prock went 3.833s, Hagan eclipsed him by 0.001s in a stellar Friday-night pass.

If it holds, it would be Hagan’s first No. 1 qualifier since the second race of the season as the Tony Stewart Racing team, which won the 4-Wide race this spring, looks to get rolling in the Countdown to the Championship.

“That’s definitely a good shot in the arm. Our qualifying positions all year long have been a struggle and we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to figure it out,” Hagan said. “It’s always tough when you see a guy like [crew chief] Dickie Venables scratch his head. That’s when you’re going, ‘This must be pretty bad if the guy’s not got it figured out,’ but those guys never give up.

“It’s just good to come back and see our guys smiling in the pit and everybody high-fiving and to be on top. There’s a lot of times that these race cars will kick you, and it’s just an awful feeling because it’s just so humbling because you work so hard at it, and then you every now and then you get a little shot in arm.”

Points leader Prock made a big move in the second session, with his 3.833s at 332.84mph good enough for second, and John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman is third thanks to his 3.850s at 327.27mph.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]

In Pro Stock, Erica Enders, who was the runner-up at last week’s playoff opener, went to No. 1 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car after going 6.557s at 208.20mph. It would be her sixth top qualifier of the season and things appear to be heading in the right direction for the defending and six-time world champion. She advanced to the final round in Reading against her teammate, Aaron Stanfield, and was just 35 points out first heading into the weekend at zMAX Dragway.

“Those [qualifying bonus points] can be huge and make or break a championship run,” Enders said. “I think in 2015 when we won the championship, we accumulated the most ‘baby’ points in the Countdown, and it was definitely helpful for us to lock it up. We got six today and if we do the same tomorrow, that will be 12, and that’s more than a half a round of racing, so it’s a pretty significant chunk.

“I’m sure it’ll be sunny and hot and sticky tomorrow, so I just want to go out there and make good runs. I want to make two really clean cracks at the Christmas Tree, trying to redeem myself on last week’s holeshot loss in the finals. I’ve got a little bit of work to do in the cockpit.”

Points leader and Reading winner Stanfield took the second spot after going 6.580s at 207.85mph and Dallas Glenn, who is currently second in points, went 6.590s at 208.20mph to sit third.

Racing close to home, Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith enjoyed a strong Friday on his Denso Auto Parts Buell, grabbing the No. 1 spot on Friday thanks to a run of 6.803s at 198.47mph. The six-time world champion is after his fifth top spot of 2024 and is right in the thick of the points chase, sitting less than 20 points out of first. Smith ran into bike troubles in the semifinals at the playoff opener but returned in impressive fashion on Friday in Charlotte.

“We’ve just got to do our job and collect points,” Smith said. “We gained some points on Gaige (Herrera) today and those bonus points are huge and we’re gaining ground, but we’re in a dogfight. They’ve had the dominant bike all year long, and I still think they have the better bike than what we have right now, so we have to turn on win lights. That’s our goal right now.

“If we win this race. we’ll probably leave here as the point leaders. We’ve just got to keep going, keep digging and turn on some win lights on Sunday.”

Defending world champion and points leader Herrera is right behind after going 6.812s at 198.47mph and his teammate, Richard Gadson, is third after a 6.836s at 197.80mph.

Qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Brown powers back to victory at NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown picked up his 75th career win on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway, powering past Shawn Langdon in the final round of the 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK …

Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the sixth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Brown went 3.838s at 324.75mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster in the championship round, winning for the first time in 2024 and the 75th time overall. Brown picked up wins against Jasmine Salinas, points leader Justin Ashley and Steve Torrence to reach the finals, leading wire-to-wire against Langdon, who went 3.869s at 322.04mph in the finals, to claim his sixth overall Chicago victory and fourth in Top Fuel.

“This weekend, this track was medieval,” Brown said. “It was tricky. We didn’t get down in Q1 so we had to be safe in Q2 because that was Friday night where all the good numbers came up. We ran quick enough to get in the show. Now today was hot, and a lot of cars weren’t making it down. We just had to focus on what we were doing.

“In the final, we had to step it up. We figured we needed to go 3.82-83s because that’s how [Landgon] ran in the semifinals. We got down from start to finish and that was the key. I just try to stay humble and stay hungry. That’s my game. The race here has a lot of special meaning and it was a total team effort to get the job done. I always love racing here in Chicago.”

Langdon advanced to the final round for the third time this year and 41st time in his Top Fuel career, picking up wins against Cody Krohn, Shawn Reed and Dan Mercier. Ashley remained in the points lead.

In Funny Car, defending world champion Matt Hagan became the first two-time winner in the category, taking down John Force in a thriller of a final round with a run of 3.998s at 323.31mph in his Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat for Tony Stewart Racing. It’s also the second straight victory for Hagan, who won in Charlotte, and now appears to have found his groove, moving into the points lead in the process. The Charlotte victory was the 50th in his career and he added to that on Sunday, getting to the final round with wins against Ron Capps, Paul Lee and Blake Alexander.

Remarkably enough, the pass in the finals was the first 3s run of the weekend for Hagan, but it came at the perfect time, as the four-time world champion held off Force’s 4.096s at 311.05mph to win in Chicago for the fourth time, taking plenty of momentum into the summer.

“This was a tricky track but I think the thing I’m most proud of is how we got down it every time today,” Hagan said. “We qualified 11th which meant we got stuck in the left lane. Usually one lane is just a bit better than the other and today it was the right lane, but my guys did a great job. They killed it today. At the end of the day, we had a good car and I felt like I was seeing the light great today.

“I’m honored to race John Force. He’s the GOAT. He’s the best there’s ever been. We’ve had our moments but I have nothing but respect for him. Overall, this is the toughest the class has been since I remember.”

John Force made his second final-round appearance of 2024 and the 268th in his legendary career, taking down Buddy Hull, Alexis DeJoria and Daniel Wilkerson.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]

Dallas Glenn remained perfect in his Pro Stock career at Route 66 Raceway, claiming his second straight victory at the facility with a run of 6.567s at 208.20mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Aaron Stanfield in the championship round. Glenn also moved into the points lead after his impressive day, driving away with his second win this season and the 10th in his Pro Stock career. He made his first Pro Stock appearance in Chicago last year and made strong improvements on Sunday after qualifying in the seventh spot.

He beat Eric Latino, Troy Coughlin Jr. and KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson to reach the final round, making his quickest run of the weekend against Anderson (6.565s) before leading wire-to-wire against Stanfield in the finals.

“I felt good today. I was nice and relaxed, and I hit the tree when I needed to,” Glenn said. “We had a good car and in Q4 when I scored a bonus point that was good for my confidence. Being the No. 7 qualifier was not representative of how good our car was. Racing Greg, you never know what you’re going to get. He might be low for the weekend and lately he’s been driving extra good.

“As for the rivalry with Elite (Motorsports), it’s good for Pro Stock and I love it. I’m not the guy leading the charge. I prefer to let my car do the talking.”

Stanfield advanced to the finals for the second time this season and 17th time overall, taking down Fernando Cuadra Jr., Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Jerry Tucker.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera found another level on Sunday in Chicago, winning his eighth straight race to tie Dave Schultz for the most consecutive wins in class history. In the final round at Route 66 Raceway, Herrera went 6.713s at 200.68mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, holding off Chase Vant Sant to stay perfect in 2024. It’s his third victory this season and eighth straight dating back to the second race in the Countdown to the Championship a year ago, also giving the defending world champion his 14th career victory in just his 24th career start.

Herrera saw his streak of 11 straight No. 1 qualifiers snapped on Saturday to Matt Smith, but he was dominant on Sunday, going 6.694s at 200.47mph in the opening round. He added victories against John Hall and LE Tonglet to reach the championship round, leaving first on Van Sant and cruising to another memorable victory.

“First, congrats to Chase Van Sant. He did a great job today and he’s on his way,” Herrera said. “As far as tying Dave Schultz, I’m honored. I wish I’d had a chance to meet him, but I’ve heard a lot of great stories and I know what he did for this Pro Stock Motorcycle class. It’s still hard to believe I’m mentioned in the same sentence as him.

“We qualified No. 2 behind Matt, but today was a different day. The weather was consistent and that let us really work on our tune-up. I honestly thought I would be me and Matt in the final round. I was consistent and my bike was on rails. We had a very consistent motorcycle this weekend.”

Van Sant, the reigning NHRA Rookie of the Year winner, advanced to his first career final round thanks to victories against Steve Johnson, M. Smith and Angie Smith.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action May 31-June 2 with the 14th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]

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.

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]

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.

Kalitta, Hagan, Enders race to titles at NHRA finals in Pomona

Top Fuel veteran Doug Kalitta claimed his first career NHRA world championship on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, knocking off Leah Pruett in a winner-take-all final round, while Funny Car’s Matt Hagan gave Tony Stewart Racing its first …

Erica Enders (Pro Stock) also secured the championship on Sunday at the 21st race of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the last of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Gaige Herrera earned the Pro Stock Motorcycle world title on Saturday.

Kalitta powered to a Sunday-best run of 3.673s at 334.98mph in his Mac Tools/Toyota dragster in the final round, driving past Pruett’s run of 3.720s at 326.16mph to pick up his third win of the season. After six runner-up finishes in his 26-year career, Kalitta finished the job on Sunday to win a world title for the first time.

On a pressure-packed Sunday, Kalitta knocked off Dan Mercier, Josh Hart and Justin Ashley to set up an incredible final round with Pruett. Kalitta led wire-to-wire, setting off a raucous celebration on the starting line as the veteran had finally achieved the ultimate goal in the sport.

“It’s incredible the way the points thing worked out to come down to that last run,” said Kalitta, who won for the third time this season and 52nd time in his career. “I just stay focused. It was obviously a big round for us and it played out just perfectly. It’s just one of those deals get to the end of the track and I cannot believe these guys are cheering and high-fiving as I get around the corner because I missed seeing the win light.

“When we got to semis with the cars still in, you’re just wishing and hoping for the best really. This is one of the coolest places to run, with the museum and just the history of the NHRA, and I’ve heard all the stories back in the day with Connie (Kalitta), and this is just like the pinnacle for me. It’s hard to believe. I’ve always dreamed about this opportunity over the years and thanks to my guys for making it happen. I appreciate all the support I’ve gotten from the fans and we’re taking this trophy back home.”

Hagan clinched his fourth world championship in his Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat during a wild second round on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. With Hagan, Robert Hight and Bob Tasca III separated by just 17 points entering race day, all three won the opening round, but each lost during the quarterfinals. Tasca fell first, then Hagan and it came down to Hight’s matchup with Chad Green. But Hight also smoked the tires, handing the championship to Hagan.

It’s the fourth world title for Hagan, joining John Force, Kenny Bernstein and Don Prudhomme as the only drivers to win four or more Funny Car world championships in NHRA history. To get there, Hagan was consistent throughout, picking up six victories and advancing to eight final rounds. He held the points lead for the bulk of the regular season and then got hot at a key time in the Countdown to the Championship, winning back-to-back races in St. Louis and Dallas to take the points lead for good. That proved critical during the wild turn of events on Sunday, one that gave Hagan his place in history.

“It’s just one of those things, you hate to have to stand there and watch someone go out to win a championship,” Hagan said. “That’s just not my style of racing and not how I want to win one. But it’s really about the body of work we did all year and coming in here and being ahead in points and being able to have that opportunity. I just can’t say enough about every single one of my guys that wrench on the car. They’re all coming back next year and everyone’s excited about that. Tony Stewart, to get his first championship out here in second year in NHRA, it’s unbelievable.

“I think it speaks volumes to the group he’s assembled and the people we put around and the leader he is as a team owner and just as a guy. It’s unbelievable we were able to do that this year. It’s super special for me, and it puts you in a caliber of drivers, you look up and you go, ‘How is it possible, I’m not that good.’ I know I’m not that good because I’ve surrounded myself with people who are better than me. That’s the only reason I’m in this position. It’s pretty incredible.”

Erica Enders’ path to a sixth world championship in Pro Stock was simple on Sunday: simply win the opening round of eliminations. After qualifying third, the winningest female in NHRA history took care of business, knocking off Fernando Cuadra with a run of 6.502s at 210.80mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro. It gave Enders her sixth world championship, much to the delight of the crowd, tying her with Warren Johnson for the second-most in Pro Stock history.

It was also a resounding bounce back for Enders, who struggled mightily to open the 2023 campaign. But Enders and her Elite Motorsports team turned things around at the perfect time, as she moved into the points lead at the halfway mark in the Countdown to the Championship and then added to her lead with victories in Dallas and Las Vegas. That put her in command and Enders finished with her fourth world title in the past five years and four victories this season. Her victory in Dallas also gave her the most wins by any female in NHRA history and a sixth championship will only add to her legacy.

“On the heels of a career-best season last year, anything is going to be challenging,” Enders said. “It took us seven races to figure out our issue and I owe my guys all my credit in the world. The message this year is tenacity and consistency, and digging through all of it prevailing when it matters. I have to thank my guys for that.

“It was a dogfight and I’m really thankful for the position we were in. When my guys’ back are against the wall, they perform and we execute and makes me so proud to be their driver. I think word that describes this year is tenacity. Every championship has its story and this season is another reminder of why you don’t give up. You doubt yourself and it’s digging yourself out that ditch and that’s what this season is about.”

The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 7-10 with the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Hagan rockets to top on fast Friday at NHRA Finals at Pomona

Funny Car points leader Matt Hagan made a pair of strong qualifying runs to open the final race weekend of the 2023 NHRA season, powering to the provisional No. 1 position for Tony Stewart Racing on Friday at the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA …

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 21st race of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the sixth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hagan put together a run of 3.869s at 328.46mph in his Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat, moving into the No. 1 spot and putting him in line for his second top qualifier of the season and 51st in his career. Hagan, Bob Tasca III and Robert Hight entered the weekend separated by just 17 points as Hagan seeks his fourth career world title and the first for Tony Stewart Racing.

“This is what I worked for all year long – to be able to do this, go down that racetrack, and have a fast racecar underneath me,” Hagan said. “That’s what excites me and keeps me coming back every year. I keep crawling back in this racecar because I get to create these moments. I truly wake up every morning going damn this is my job and I get to do this, and I’m right here in this fight.

“I truly love pulling the helmet on and having an opponent that makes me rise to the occasion. I don’t care if it’s on me. For me, it’s turning it into something that’s exciting energy instead of nervous energy. It’s taken me a long time to learn how to do that as a competitor.”

Paul Lee took the second spot with a run of 3.875s at 322.58mph and Tasca is currently third thanks to his run of 3.880s at 336.99mph. Hight is fourth with a 3.898s.

In Top Fuel, Steve Torrence opened up what he hopes is a championship-winning weekend with a spectacular start, going 3.641s at 335.65mph in his Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster. Should that hold, the four-time world champion would earn his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 38th in his career. More importantly, it’s a great way to kick off the weekend in what could be an incredible finish in the category. Torrence, Doug Kalitta and Leah Pruett are all within striking distance of each other heading into the weekend and each delivered standout runs during the second qualifying session under the lights. But it was Torrence who delivered the biggest, something he hopes is the sign for the rest of the weekend.

“That’s a huge boost for us,” Torrence said. “The last four, five, six races, the car has been really good and getting better. We took a year and developed what we’re doing, maybe a year and a half. We were always the car that ran well in mediocre, hot conditions and tricky racetracks but not powerful or strong enough to go 0.64s, 0.65s, 0.63s. It took a lot of time and effort to get there and I feel very confident that when conditions are like they are now, we’ve got one of the strongest cars if not the strongest.

“That’s big for me. Not that it boosts your head up, but it definitely gives you a mental confidence and somewhat of an advantage going into a round where, hey we’ve got to throw down and we can throw down more than they can. I would dare to say that I have the best racecar I’ve had in a long time, probably the quickest and fastest I’ve ever had. If not the best at the racetrack, one of the best.”

Kalitta is currently in second with a 3.671s at 336.99mph and Pruett’s 3.676s at 332.84mph puts her third.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]

Looking to stay alive in the championship hunt, Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson made a stellar run to close out Friday, going 6.495s at 211.69mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. He entered the weekend trailing Erica Enders by 114 points, but closed the gap a little with two strong runs to open qualifying. Enders can still clinch the title on Saturday if she gains seven or more qualifying points than Anderson. If not, the championship would be decided the next day and Anderson hopes he can stay in the mix for at least a couple more days as both standouts race for their sixth world championship.

“The points deal is not exactly playing in my favor right now, but it’s like the old line from ‘Dumb and Dumber, ‘So you’re saying there’s a chance,’” Anderson said. “Until they tell me there’s not a chance, I’m not leaving. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I need to find a way to have a great run in qualifying and score bonus points and not lose bonus points to Erica. That would put her another round ahead and make it to where it’s locked up.

“That’s No. 1 goal, qualify ahead of her and not lose bonus points. Day one in the books, mission accomplished. We did great today, we did all we could do today. I’ve got all the confidence in the world that this team will do all we can possibly do. You just never know what’s going to happen. It’s not over until it’s over. We’re going to keep swinging until they tell us it’s over.”

Troy Coughlin’s 6.500s at 210.01mph puts him in the second spot, while Enders moved to third in the final session after going 6.500s at 210.31mph.

Gaige Herrera will clinch his first Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship on Saturday and enjoyed a strong Friday as well in Pomona, going to the provisional No. 1 spot on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki with a run of 6.721s at 200.59mph. Should that hold, Herrera would extend his PSM single-season record with his 14th top spot in 15 races, one of the many examples of his dominance in 2023. Herrera will wrap up his world title at the conclusion of qualifying on Saturday on the strength of 10 wins during his record-setting season.

“It’s really starting to set in, what all has been accomplished,” Herrera said. “We’re basically wrapping up the championship tomorrow, and it’s a lot to take in. I was talking to a good friend of mine and he was like a year ago at this time, did you think you’d be in the position you’re in? That’s a definite no. Even though I joined one of the best teams out here, you can’t expect to have a season like this. It’s just, it’s remarkable. It’s incredible. I’m literally living the dream I had as a little kid and I’m just having fun with it. I don’t think it can get any better than this.

“I’m definitely thinking about the championship, but I’m not even nervous about this, I’m more worried about the banquet on Monday.”

Hector Arana Jr. is currently in the second spot after going 6.729s at 201.28mph and Eddie Krawiec, who is seeking his 50th career win, is third thanks to a 6.742s at 201.52mph.

Qualifying continues at 12:00 p.m. PT on Saturday at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

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.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]

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.

Millican fires back to victory lane at NHRA Midwest Nationals

Top Fuel star Clay Millican picked up his third win of the season for Rick Ware Racing on Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway, defeating a charging Leah Pruett in the final round in front of a huge crowd at the 12th annual NHRA Midwest …

Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 18th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Millican powered to his third win this season and sixth in his career, defeating Pruett in the championship round with a pass of 3.758s at 331.94mph in his Parts Plus/Comp Cams dragster. He jumped up to eighth in points in the process, tying Antron Brown for the second-most wins in Top Fuel in 2023.

He reached the finals by defeating Austin Prock, Mike Salinas and Tony Schumacher, before outrunning Pruett in a thrilling side-by-side duel. It is Millican’s first career victory at World Wide Technology Raceway and the veteran was thrilled with his team’s performance in the heat.

“Man, what a day. This is huge,” Millican said. “He gave us a hot weekend and man, (crew chief) Jim O (Oberhofer) just showed again that when it’s hot out, look out. We got away with a couple, but we outperformed the cars we raced, and I am so proud. I mean, this was huge. Jim O will quickly tell you, give me a track above 90 degrees and look out. Needless to say, with this perspiration on my face here, it’s above 95 degrees out there, and it was all day. I am already talking to the man upstairs, bring on the heat in Dallas, baby.

“Our goal is obviously top 10, as far as we can possibly get. It’s way too big a gap to think about chasing down No. 1, but three wins for this Parts Plus team is huge.”

Leah Pruett advanced the finals for the fourth time this year and the 23rd time in her career, driving past Shawn Langdon, points leader Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence. She also jumped to second in points, trailing Kalitta by 47 points at the halfway point of the Countdown to the Championship. Torrence is 51 points back of Kalitta and Justin Ashley is 77 points behind.

Hagan went 3.991s at 324.90mph in his American Rebel Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to slip past Ron Capps’ run of 4.025s at 306.68mph, earning his 48th career win in the process. The three-time world champ also pulled to within less than a round of first, as he now trails Bob Tasca III by just 13 points heading into the final three races of 2023.

It was a clutch performance by Hagan as he defeated Alexis DeJoria, John Force and Tasca to reach the finals. He went 4.016s at 316.38mph to get past Tasca and then held off Capps and his run of 4.025s at 306.68mph to get a much-needed victory.

“We knew we had to win this race to be in the hunt for this thing,” Hagan said. “It feels like it’s meant to be, and I’m just enjoying the ride. [The team] sat down and looked across from each other, and it’s one of those things where you go, I’m going to dig for you, you dig for me, let’s make this happen. I think that’s what makes it happen, having a core group of guys you want to work hard for. You want to show up for them, and today they all showed up for me, and I felt like I showed up for them.

“The pressure is huge. I was telling (crew chief) Dickie Venables, damn, this is a lot of pressure, but that’s what you want. That’s what we’re here for. If we didn’t have the pressure, that means we didn’t have a shot. The pressure was huge – you just have to find a way to capitalize on it.”

Capps reached the final round for the seventh time in 2023 and the 147th time in his career after defeating Tim Wilkerson, Alex Laughlin and Blake Alexander. Tasca leads Hight by just six points – marking the first time Tasca has held the points lead in the playoffs – with Capps only 33 points back in fourth.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]

Greg Anderson’s late-season surge in Pro Stock continued at St. Louis in a major way, as the veteran won for the second straight weekend thanks to a run of 6.552s at 209.92mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro in the finals against Aaron Stanfield. After struggling for much of the season, Anderson is now second in points – just 25 points behind Erica Enders – picking up his second win of the season and the 103rd in his career. He’s gone from eighth to second in just two races, taking down Jerry Tucker, Deric Kramer and Enders on Sunday to reach the final round.

It was the second straight semifinal win against Enders, as Anderson was 0.002s on the starting line against the defending world champ, also snapping her string of four straight wins in St. Louis. He was great on the starting in the final round, too, going 0.021s to lead wire-to-wire against Stanfield, who went 6.567s at 209.14mph.

“I’m back in the game. I’ve legitimately got a shot at this championship with three races to go, and that’s all you can ask,” Anderson said. “I went to the first race at Reading and lost in the first round, and I’ve said it a million times – you can’t win the championship at the first race of the playoffs, but you can lose it. I was knocking on the door of knocking myself out of it. if I didn’t have a big recovery at the next race, I was out of it. I’m back in the fight, and I have a great hot rod, but there are so many great cars, so many great drivers in this class right now. It’s incredible. These next three races are going to be a bare-knuckled brawl.

“From first round on, it’s like racing the final, every week. Right now, if you don’t do a perfect job round one you go home. There’s no telling what’s going to happen from here on out. I feel fantastic about the way things have gone these past two weeks. With the job my guys have done on my race car and even the job I’ve been able to do behind the wheel, it feels great.”

Stanfield advanced to his first final round of 2023 and 14th in his Pro Stock career by defeating Camrie Caruso, Chris McGaha and Bo Butner. Matt Hartford, who was upset in the first round, is 38 points back of Enders and Dallas Glenn, who also lost in the opening round, trails the defending champ by 64 points.

It was a picture-perfect weekend for Gaige Herrera in Pro Stock Motorcycle, continuing his dominant season with a run of 6.728s at 201.79mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki to defeat teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round. It gives Herrera his eighth victory this season, extending his lead to 99 points over Matt Smith at the halfway mark of the playoffs. After qualifying No. 1 for the 11th time this season – tying the single-season mark in Pro Stock Motorcycle history – Herrera broke the track E.T. record in the first round (6.701s) to defeat Joey Gladstone.

He knocked off rookie Chase Van Sant to reach the final round, where he dispatched Krawiec and his 6.761s at 201.52mph to deny his teammate of his 50th career victory. But in the process, Herrera moved a step closer to his first career NHRA world championship.

“Hopefully, I still have a job after knocking Ed off, but that final round was good for our whole team,” Herrera said. “All day I had a very consistent motorcycle, and first round was probably the most nervous round for me. Racing Joey, he’s always a tough competitor, so I knew he was going to be on it. All day has been really good.

“I can’t give enough credit to the whole Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki team. I still can’t believe I got that phone call almost a year ago now to race for them. It’s been incredible, and I’m proud to be part of it.”

Krawiec reached the final round for the second time this season and the 93rd in his career thanks to round wins against Ryan Oehler, Jianna Evaristo and Smith.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 12-15 with the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas.

Hagan quickest so far in NHRA qualifying at zMAX Dragway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1430]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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