Matt Hartford – Syndication Server

Kalitta posts quickest NHRA run of the year on Friday at Sonoma

Reigning Top Fuel world champ Doug Kalitta made the quickest run of the 2024 NHRA season on Friday at Sonoma Raceway, setting the track record and taking the provisional No. 1 spot at the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Matt …

Kalitta, who has a Top Fuel-best five career wins at Sonoma, powered to a run of 3.649 seconds at 336.40 mph in his Mac Tools/Toyota dragster, obliterating the track record and putting the points leader in line for his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 58th in his career. It was a spectacular run under the lights and Kalitta was thrilled to start the weekend in that fashion.

“That was really cool. I got my first win here in Sonoma and I have a lot of cool history here,” Kalitta said. “(Crew chief) Alan Johnson puts a lot of thought into his tune-up and he had a plan. He’s one bad dude.

“I could tell it was on a run and honestly, I was happy to be the first car out. I knew it would get cooler as the night went on and you never know what conditions might do. I thought it might have rattled a bit but not much. The car was hooked up and I managed to keep it in the middle, as straight as possible. This is one of the nicest tracks on the tour, and I love the layout with the road course. I’d love to get another win this weekend.”

Brittany Force went 3.668 at 335.57 to go to the second spot, while Billy Torrence is third after going 3.684 at 332.92.

Funny Car’s Bob Tasca III just missed out on history on Friday, rocketing to the top with an outstanding run of 3.839 at 338.43 in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. The goal was a 340mph run and Tasca just missed out, still delivering a spectacular blast under the lights. The run could give the standout his second No. 1 of the season and the 18th in his career, putting him on track for what could be another great weekend in Sonoma. He won the race in 2022 and will look to replicate that this year, but Tasca had another goal in mind for Friday.

“I’ve never been so disappointed to run a 3.83 at 338mph. I really wanted to go 340 for these fans,” Tasca said. “We would have done it if not for that 15-knot headwind. We were a little concerned about the track, so we also cranked a little more spoiler in it. I’d trade the low qualifier for a 340 run in a second.

“We ran 338 in Charlotte, and we ran 338 in Seattle and did it again here. I can tell you there won’t be a time when conditions are there that we don’t try and do it. Believe it or not, we run a little different set-up to try and run those speeds. If we tuned the car a little different, it might be a little bit quicker. As for tomorrow, we’ll see what the conditions are like. It all depends on which way the wind is blowing.”

Ron Capps is currently second thanks to his run of 3.864 at 332.43, while defending world champion Matt Hagan is third after going 3.869 at 328.22.

In Pro Stock, the early-season slump for Matt Hartford appears to be over, putting down an impressive 6.515 at 210.41 in his GETTRX/Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro to go to the No. 1 position on Friday. It puts Hartford on track for his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and fifth in his career and the veteran hopes it’s a sign that the frustrations from earlier this year are a distant memory. Hartford, who is currently 11th in points, has qualified fourth three of the past four races and Friday’s run is another positive step forward. The next step is turning it around on raceday after Hartford has suffered through five straight first-round losses.

“Things are starting to come around although this feels like the first race of the season for us,” Hartford said. “It’s no secret that this hasn’t been a good year for our team but I’m a big believer that it’s not where your start it’s where you finish.

“The last three or four races it’s started to come together, and we’ve had a fast race car and I’m getting my confidence back. In Seattle, I thought we had a chance to go to the pole and we missed it. Here, we said we could run a 6.51 and we did. I think Chicago was the turning point for us. We brought two cars and let John DeFlorian drive the other one. We were able to compare notes from both cars and we’ve been improving ever since.”

Defending world champion Erica Enders is currently second with a run of 6.520 at 209.46 and Seattle winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. is third after a 6.524 at 209.82.

Still riding high after his first career Pro Stock Motorcycle victory on Sunday in Seattle, Chase Van Sant kept rolling on Friday in Sonoma, taking the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 6.768 at 197.10 on his Trick Tools Suzuki. Should that hold, Van Sant, the 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year, would pick up his first career No. 1 qualifying spot, which would continue his recent momentum. He made a pair of solid runs on Friday, which could bode well for Saturday’s GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout.

The bonus race takes place on Saturday after riders made their first-round selections on Friday. Herrera, the top seed, picked Matt Smith, who was seeded second, while Hector Arana Jr. took Steve Johnson as his first-round opponent. Jianna Evaristo will face off with John Hall, with the other first-round matchup featuring Van Sant and Angie Smith.

“It’s been a whirlwind week to say the least and it’s cool to knock it out and get the provisional No. 1 here today,” Van Sant said. “I know the Vance & Hines team has issues today, so I expect a battle but it’s good to be here. I had my best 60-foot time ever on that run. It’s just reassuring to know we can get the job done and it reaffirms my faith in Tim [Kulungian, crew chief], not that I ever doubted him.

“I’ve got to run Angie [Smith] tomorrow in the GETTRX All-star Callout and we’ve gone back and forth a few times this season. They’ll be fast too. The wind was a bit tricky, which explains why our mph was down a bit. For me, I really didn’t notice it too much, but the bike just feels a bit more mundane. The win is so unpredictable here in Sonoma because it gusts but it’s usually either a head wind or a tail wind.”

M. Smith is currently second with a 6.770 at 198.73 and A. Smith is right behind after going 6.784 at 199.26.

Qualifying continues at 11:30am PT on Saturday at Sonoma Raceway.

Hight wins Funny Car Callout and qualifies No. 1 at NHRA US Nationals

Robert Hight claimed his first Funny Car specialty win at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Sunday, defeating Matt Hagan in the final round of the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout at the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. …

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also claimed No. 1 qualifiers at the 15th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round of the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, Hight went 3.955s at 321.58mph in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS to slip past Hagan’s 3.979s and win the $80,000 shootout at The Big Go. The multi-time world champ had fallen short in four previous specialty event final rounds at Indy, but came through in a big way on Sunday, knocking off points leader Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon to set up the marquee matchup with Hagan.

“It’s amazing to get this,” Hight said. “Hagan really stepped up in the final round. We made the right decisions today, went out and did the job today. There’s been a lot of double-ups at this race and I’d like to add my name to it. You’ve got to win on Sunday first to even have a chance, but we’re looking forward to Monday. We’re definitely coming around and coming together at the right time.”

Hagan reached the final round in his Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat with wins against Tim Wilkerson and John Force. Hight will also try to make it a clean sweep of the weekend on Monday and starts race day from the No. 1 qualifier for the fourth time in 2023 thanks to Saturday’s run of 3.853s at 329.67mph. He’ll open race day against Paul Lee on Sunday.

Torrence’s standout Top Fuel run of 3.708s at 329.42mph from Friday in his Capco Contractors dragster on Friday held up, giving the four-time world champ his first career No. 1 qualifier at The Big Go. He put together a series of standout runs this weekend, qualifying No. 1 for the second time this season and 36th time in his career and giving him plenty of confidence going into race day. He’ll face off with Will Smith in the first round of eliminations, trying to win the world’s biggest drag race for the second time in three years.

“We’ve had a pretty consistent race car,” Torrence said. “We utilized the track conditions today to prepare for tomorrow and I feel really confident that the two runs we made today – even though we didn’t make it down the track – what we learned today will be useful for tomorrow. I enjoy coming here and we’ll see what we can do tomorrow. Being No. 1 at Indy for the first time is really special to me and now we’ll see if we can go win this thing [on Monday].”

Defending world champion Brittany Force stayed second with her 3.709s at 333.25mph and Doug Kalitta qualified third with a run of 3.717s at 328.54mph.

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Matt Hartford can now claim his first No. 1 qualifier at the world’s biggest drag race in Pro Stock, securing the top spot thanks to Friday’s run of 6.569s at 209.23mph in his Total Seal/GETTRX Camaro. That hands him his fourth No. 1 position this season, but none have been bigger than this weekend. Hartford, who is currently second in points, had never qualified No. 1 before this season, but has impressed in that area this year. He also closed out eliminations with a stellar 6.601s, adding to his momentum going into eliminations. He faces Mason McGaha in the opening round, looking to add a first Indy victory to his first Indy No. 1 qualifier this weekend.

“To come to Indy and qualify No. 1 is a dream come true, plain and simple,” Hartford said. “That 6.601s in those conditions, that’s more impressive to me than the 6.56s we ran on Friday night. I need to get focused tonight, I’m going to have to do something to clear my head before I go to bed because getting up tomorrow it’s a brand new day.

“It doesn’t matter what you did on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, what matters is what you do on Monday. It’s going to be four grueling rounds tomorrow. We’re going to be in conditions similar to this, and we have a great race day tuneup. We’re going to go up there with some strategy tomorrow and if I just do my job in the car, my crew is going to do theirs. All I have to do is my job and this car is going to go four rounds.”

Troy Coughlin Jr. stayed second with his run of 6.570s at 208.30mph and Aaron Stanfield, who won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, took third after going 6.586s at 208.39mph.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gaige Herrera wrapped up his eighth No. 1 spot in nine races in 2023 on the strength of his track record run of 6.746s at 198.96mph from Friday on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. He made another strong run to close out qualifying on Sunday, setting Herrera up nicely for race day, where he’ll open up eliminations against Cory Reed. Herrera made his Pro Stock Motorcycle debut last season at The Big Go and, a year later, the points leader now has a chance to wrap up a dominant regular season with his first Indy win.

“Running the [6.74s] off the trailer, that was a big accomplishment for the whole team,” Herrera said. “They worked pretty hard the last couple of weeks from Sonoma to here. All weekend, I’ve had a very consistent motorcycle and today Andrew (Hines, crew chief) decided to play with tires a little bit. We were in full test mode today, and we’re definitely ready for Monday.

“It would almost top the Western Swing to win Indy. That was a very big accomplishment for me and the whole team, but if I’m able to clinch here at Indy, this is the big race everyone talks about. It would definitely be amazing to win here.”

Herrera’s teammate, Eddie Krawiec, qualified second with his 6.800s at 198.79mph and Hector Arana Jr. took the third spot after going 6.828s at 199.11mph.

Eliminations for the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Monday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Torrence seeking two for three after Friday No. 1 at NHRA US Nationals

Four-time Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence made the quickest run on Friday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, racing to the Top Fuel provisional No. 1 position at the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals. Bob Tasca III (Funny …

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 15th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Torrence went 3.708s at 329.42mph in his Capco Contractors dragster, going to the top spot on the final run of the night. If that holds, Torrence would earn his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and 36th in his career. He is aiming for his second win in three years at the world’s biggest drag race and third overall at The Big Go.

“This is a huge confidence builder,” Torrence said. “You have to come to Indy and be ready to endure it, and today is the longest day. Everybody likes to see these things at night and fire coming out of them. It’s just exciting and it adds a different element to it. We all say we’re riding on fire-breathing dragons, but until the nighttime, you don’t get to see it.

“It gives us an opportunity to work on the tune-up, work on the race day setup, and adjust from there. When you go out on Q1 and make a good run, you’re comfortable. It gives us that luxury. And it is The Big Go. You want to be the quickest every time. You want to win the race, but there is some prestige to being No. 1, even if it is for the day.”

Defending world champion Brittany Force is currently second after going 3.709s at 333.25mph and Doug Kalitta took the third spot on Friday with a run of 3.717s at 328.54mph.

Tasca’s strong summer in Funny Car continued on Friday, powering to the top in the loaded category with a run of 3.864s at 324.90mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. If that holds, Tasca would earn his fifth No. 1 qualifier in what has been a strong season for the veteran. Currently fourth in points, Tasca has a chance to move into third with a strong weekend that will also include a spot in Sunday’s Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout.

“I give all the credit to the guys. We worked really hard on Monday at Brainerd testing some things we felt we needed to make a change, and you saw some of that tonight,” Tasca said. “It felt so good, it sounded good, it was smooth, and I came back to the guys and I said, ‘When you pull it up on the computer, you’re going to smile.’

“Sometimes you get all of it and it’s sketchy, but I felt it like it was planted all the way down the racetrack. Tomorrow is a new ballgame. I think you’re going to have to step up to hold onto it, but the good news is that we’ve got a package that we can definitely step up for tomorrow night.

Robert Hight is currently second with a 3.886s at 327.43mph and Alexis DeJoria’s 3.888s at 331.77mph puts her third.

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Looking to regain momentum heading into the Countdown to the Championship, Pro Stock’s Matt Hartford made a strong first impression on Friday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with a run of 6.569s at 209.23mph in his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro. It puts Hartford in line for his fourth No. 1 qualifier this season as the veteran bids to win for the first time at the U.S. Nationals.

“It’s running pretty good right now,” Hartford said. “I’ve struggled the last few races driving, but we’re going to make up for it at Indy. It’s up to me to drive well because we know we’ve got power.”

Troy Coughlin Jr. is currently second with a run of 6.570s at 208.30mph and Aaron Stanfield currently has the third spot after going 6.586s at 208.39mph.

Back in action for the first time in a month, Pro Stock Motorcycle continued to belong to Gaige Herrera, as the points leader blistered the track record on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki with an impressive run of 6.746s at 198.96mph. The last time the class was in action, Herrera was sweeping the Western Swing and he didn’t let up on Friday. If that run holds, Herrera would pick up his eighth No. 1 qualifier in nine races, an incredible success rate in what has been a dominant season. The points leader knows the magnitude of The Big Go and an Indy win would add another spectacular moment in his 2023 campaign.

“I was definitely anxious to get back on the motorcycle, especially after three weeks in a row on the Western Swing and then basically having a month off,” Herrera said. “That 6.74s was a perfect run for us, for the team. The guys at the shop have put in countless hours, and that pass right there showed it.

“But I have all the confidence in the world, and I’m very comfortable on the bike and with the whole team. Everything has been going smooth as can be. We’re here at Indy, this is where I made my debut last year, so it’s kind of got a special feeling to me. It’s been good. It’s Indy, it’s Friday, and there’s a long weekend ahead.”

Herrera’s teammate, Eddie Krawiec, is currently second with a 6.807s at 198.79mph and Hector Arana Jr. is third after going 6.873s at 198.76mph.

Qualifying continues at 2:15 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Force, Pedregon, Hartford qualify No. 1 at NHRA Vegas Four-Wide Nationals

Cruz Pedregon raced to his second straight No. 1 qualifier, hanging on to the top spot at Saturday’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 …

Cruz Pedregon raced to his second straight No. 1 qualifier, hanging on to the top spot at Saturday’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 qualifiers at the fourth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Pedregon’s run of 3.910s at 326.71mph in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodger Charger Hellcat SRT from Friday held up, giving the two-time world champion his second No. 1 spot this season and the 64th in his career. Pedregon will race for his first win of the season on Sunday, with his opening-round quad also featuring Steven Densham, Tim Wilkerson and Bobby Bode.

“We stayed No. 1 and I’m grateful for that,” Pedregon said. “The team made the right calls today and we made down the track three of our four runs. Now, we just need to keep doing the same thing, be consistent and race the track (tomorrow). You have to be smart. The guys that are disciplined and don’t press are the ones that have success. We’ll see what the day brings (on Sunday), but it’s anybody’s race out there.”

Alexis DeJoria stayed second with her run of 3.933s at 329.18mph and points leader Matt Hagan took third with a 3.936s at 327.82mph.

In Top Fuel, Brittany Force’s run 3.697s at 335.73mph in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster from Friday easily gave her the top spot, giving the defending world champ her second No. 1 qualifier on the season and the 44th in her career. Force is after her third straight victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after sweeping both races last season en route to her world title, and she made one strong run on Saturday.

In the opening round, Force will have to face off with Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown, with the trio combining for 13 world titles. All three were in the final quad last year, but only two will advance past the first round on Sunday.

“Our team is very happy. We had three good runs down the track and we stayed in the top spot,” Force said. “Now we’re looking for a win. We were successful here last year and we’d love to do it again. Coming into season, we knew there was a chance for a slow start and I still feel like we’ve already outdone ourselves. We’ve made a lot of changes and done a lot of testing, but I think we’re figuring this out far quicker than we imagined.”

Steve Torrence qualified second after his 3.712s at 330.23mph from Friday and Mike Salinas moved to third in the final session after going 3.729s at 331.77mph.

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A strong weekend got even better for Pro Stock’s Matt Hartford, as the veteran claimed his first career No. 1 qualifier with a run of 6.599s at 206.45mph in his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro. Hartford, who is making his 161st career start this season, put down a pair of strong passes on Saturday, vaulting him into the top position for the first time and adding another impressive moment in what has been a strong start to his 2023 season.

The only thing missing is a victory on Sunday, something Hartford will aim to change this weekend and possibly move into the points lead for the first time in his career. His opening-round quad includes Jerry Lee Tucker, Camrie Caruso and Erica Enders, who swept both Las Vegas races last year.

“This is awesome for our entire team. We’ve been working on this since 2006 and it’s been a long time coming,” Hartford said. “Some of these people come out here and within first few races get a number one and we always just watch and go well someday we’ll get it. But it’s hats off to having a great team around me and a great racecar. We just keep our heads down and keep focused on one run at a time.

“There was a time we were 16th and just overjoyed. It’s just a different mindset as you progress through the sport. We’ve come from the bottom and we’ve worked our way up. We have a fast car right now. Our whole goal is to turn this yellow (No. 1 qualifier) hat into a blue (winner’s) hat and then turn that into a white (world champion) hat.”

Current points leader Dallas Glenn, who was the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday, took the second spot with a 6.610s at 205.65mph and Aaron Stanfield took third in qualifying on the strength of his 6.614s at 206.95mph.

Eliminations for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.