Matt Smith – Syndication Server

JFR grabs both nitro No. 1s in Vegas on John Force’s return to the track

With John Force returning to the track on Friday for the first time since his crash in June, team drivers Brittany Force and Austin Prock both went to the top in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, securing the provisional No. 1 spots at the 24th …

Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 19th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

B. Force powered to an impressive run of 3.675s at 336.74mph in her Chevrolet Accessories dragster, putting the two-time world champion in line for her fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and 51st in her career. Las Vegas has treated the standout driver well over the years and a win this weekend would certainly be a memorable one.

“Coming into this weekend, we knew it was going to be special, because my dad had planned to come out, and I think everyone was really looking forward to seeing him, especially me,” B. Force said. “I’m so excited for him. I think it’s great for him. This is just the best medicine for him.

“We’re always excited to come back to Las Vegas where we’ve had so much success in the past. We’re really looking to close out the season strong and get into the winner’s circle for our sponsors.”

Shawn Langdon is currently second after going 3.706s at 333.74mph and reigning world champ Doug Kalitta is third with a pass of 3.707s at 330.96mph.

In Funny Car, Prock delivered a standout run of 3.843s at 333.33mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS, as John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman ran a stellar 3.859s at 332.43mph in the lane next to him. With J. Force looking on, the two drivers put on a thrilling side-by-side show, with Prock going to the top.

Should Prock, who held a commanding 147-point lead over Beckman heading into the weekend, qualify No. 1, he would break J. Force’s single-season record with his 14th No. 1 spot.

“That was a great way to welcome him back,” Prock said. “All three John Force Racing cars made tremendous runs and it was a good way to say, ‘Welcome back, boss.’ It’s just nice to have John back at the racetrack for the first time since Richmond. I’m glad that he’s back. I wanted to cry when I saw him this morning.

“That first run was really stout, obviously low of the session. We’ve got two more shots at it tomorrow, and conditions are going to be probably better. I don’t believe that 3.84s will hold. I think we’re going to have to improve on that”

Following Beckman in third is Ron Capps, who went 3.860s at 330.96mph.

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Calling it a must-win weekend in Las Vegas, Pro Stock veteran Greg Anderson enjoyed a strong start in qualifying, taking over the No. 1 spot in the second session with a run of 6.597s at 207.02mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. That would give Anderson seven No. 1 qualifiers this season if it holds and 131 in his career, but Anderson knows he needs a victory to stay in championship contention.

He entered the weekend third overall and 90 points back of KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn. Anderson, a five-time world champ, picked up a handful of points on Glenn on Friday, but knows he’ll need much more this weekend to stay alive.

“Without a doubt I need to win this race,” Anderson said. “That’s all I can do at this point. Even if I do win the last two races that might not be enough to get [the championship] done. Our plan is to set the ladder up so it’s favorable but there is no happy spot on a Pro Stock ladder. At least I still have a shot and that’s all you can ask for.

“Things could change if I drop the ball. If that happens, I’ll do everything I can to help Dallas with the championship. I’ll do what’s best for the KB Titan team. That pole is not safe. The conditions figure to be a little better tomorrow and it’s supposed to be overcast so it’s not safe.”

David Cuadra’s 6.605s has him second, while Aaron Stanfield’s 6.609s at 205.66mph puts him third. Glenn is in fourth after running 6.615s at 205.29mph.

Need a big result to stay in the championship hunt, Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith couldn’t have asked for a better Friday, making the best run in both sessions on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell, including a run of 6.822s at 198.70mph in the second session. It would be Smith’s sixth No. 1 qualifier this season, but more importantly, he gained four points on leader and defending world champ Gaige Herrera.

That puts him 58 points back of Herrera heading into Saturday and the six-time world champ will look to make another move before a likely must-win situation on Sunday in Las Vegas.

“Our mindset this weekend is to just have no bad luck because we’ve had a lot of it lately,” Smith said. “In Reading I had a bad fuel pump and then in St. Louis we lost a crank trigger and in Dallas the bike wouldn’t shift. Those are three races we should have won and that would have been 60 points. We should be leading right now so I’m not asking for good luck. I just don’t want any more bad luck.

“We never quit. I know that I’m No. 2 and we’ve got the second best bike but we’re still in this. I do see this race as must win unless Gaige has some bad luck, which hasn’t happened yet.”

Herrera, the defending event winner in Vegas, is currently second after going 6.846s at 196.99mph and Angie Smith took third with a run of 6.850s at 197.59mph.

Qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. PT on Saturday at the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Brown, Prock, Glenn, Smith win NHRA Carolina Nationals

Three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown moved into the points lead for the first time since 2017, winning his second straight playoff race on Sunday at zMAX Dragway after defeating Doug Foley in the final round of the 16th annual NHRA …

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won 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.

In the final round, Brown went 3.848s at 319.90mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster to beat Foley’s 3.862s at 316.08mph, powering to his fifth victory this season and 79th in his career. It was also his 63rd Top Fuel win, as Brown passed Larry Dixon for the second-most Top Fuel wins in NHRA history.

After qualifying 10th, Brown put together a workmanlike Sunday, defeating Steve Torrence, Billy Torrence and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta to reach the final round. He then led wire-to-wire against Foley, taking over the points lead for the first time in more than seven years. His points lead stands at 53 and 62 points over Justin Ashley and Shawn Langdon, respectively. Kalitta is 67 points behind.

“When you race somebody like Doug Foley, you don’t falter and say, ‘Well, I can’t mess up.’ That’s when you set yourself up for failure,” Brown said. “We go out there and run what we can run, and give it all we got, and it fell our way. We just keep working hard and digging, no matter what. You’ve got to show up on race day and we have that mindset to stay humble and stay hungry.

“We still have four races left. Drag racing’s math. There’s 16 rounds left on table to win and our goal is go out there wins many of those rounds as possible. We won the first eight, so we’ve got a third of them.”

Foley reached his second career final round after beating Tony Schumacher, Ashley and Clay Millican.

Funny Car’s Austin Prock continued his absolute dominant run in the loaded category, winning his third straight race and seventh overall in an incredible 2024 campaign, racing past defending world champion Matt Hagan in the final round with a run of 3.924s at 326.48mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. There appears to be no stopping Prock, who has opened up a commanding 129-point lead in the Funny Car ranks through the first two playoff races after delivering his 11th career win.

He reached the championship round on Sunday thanks to wins against Alexis DeJoria, Ron Capps and John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman. Hagan and Prock then delivered a thriller in the finals, with Hagan leaving first and going 3.958s at 324.98mph. But Prock was able to track the reigning champ down, adding another monumental performance in a season filled with spectacular runs and victories.

“We left the door open to get beat today a couple times and then my team made wholesale changes going into the semifinals, stuff I would say 95 percent of the crew chiefs wouldn’t change going into a round, and it went up there and flew,” Prock said. “It stuck. It was on a mission, and I did the same thing in the final round.

“I’m just trying to take it one moment at a time, one round at a time. And if you do that, you don’t get caught up in being the leader, being the chaser, just go up there and do the best that you can do, because each person on the team has a specific job to do, and they have to do it perfect to have the success. We’ll celebrate tonight and then get my head back in the game and go and try again, one run at a time.”

Hagan, who qualified No. 1, reached the finals for the ffith time this year and 92nd time in his career with round wins against Dave Richards and Bob Tasca III. Hagan was looking for a sweep of both Charlotte races this year. Tasca is second in points, while Beckman trails his teammate by 136 points.

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Pro Stock’s Dallas Glenn, who was the points leader for most of the regular season, jumped back to the top spot on Sunday, slipping past Aaron Stanfield in the finals after going 6.626s at 207.18mph in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro. It’s the fourth win of the season in eight trips to the finals for Glenn, who now leads Stanfield by just eight points with four races remaining this season.

To reach the finals, Glenn had to get past Mason McGaha, Matt Hartford and reigning world champion Erica Enders. That set up a marquee duel with two of the category’s top young standouts, with Glenn posting a 0.026s reaction time and holding off Stanfield at the finish line.

“Aaron has a fast car and he’s a great driver and doesn’t make mistakes,” Glenn said. “So, it’s a deal where you can’t make a mistake against him. The crew chiefs have to do their job and give me the best car they can. I’m glad that Aaron and I put on a good show for the fans in the final. I hate not having a close race against him.

“In the Countdown, every lap I go up there in eliminations, I’m on kill. I’m trying to do everything I can. I can’t make any mistakes. I’ve got to try to make sure I get every last bit in case it does shake a little bit and I lose whatever performance advantage I have. I’m on kill 100 percent of the time.”

Stanfield, who had won back-to-back races, knocked off Chris McGaha, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Greg Anderson to reach the finals for the eighth time in 2024 and 23rd time overall. Enders is 53 points back in third, while Anderson trails his KB Titan Racing teammate Glenn by 74 points.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith took a big step towards a possible seventh world championship, picking up his second win of the year on his Denso Auto Parts Buell when rookie Richard Gadson went red in the final round. Smith rolled to a run of 6.846s at 199.35mph, scooping up his 40th career win and moving into the points lead for the first time this year in the process.

To get to the final round, Smith defeated his wife, Angie, and Matt Smith Racing teammate Jianna Evaristo, clinching the home track win when Gadson left the starting line a touch too soon. He now leads defending world champion Gaige Herrera by 25 points, finishing off a hugely-rewarding weekend that saw Smith also qualify No. 1. He’s now laser-focused on trying to become the first rider in NHRA history to win seven Pro Stock Motorcycle championships.

“I was just trying to stay good and tough against Richard and when I went through the lights, I didn’t see my win light and I didn’t know if I won or not,” Smith said. “It’s never a good feeling when you can’t see a win light because you thought you had a good deal, but you don’t ever know. But all in all, what a weekend, what a day.

“I like being under pressure. It doesn’t matter what you do in the regular season. You always have to be good the last six races, and I’ve always been pretty good last six races, and that’s how I won my championships, and that’s how we’re going to continue to race.”

Gadson reached his second straight final round after defeating Ron Tornow, Chase Van Sant and Herrera. He remains third in points, 27 back of Smith.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Sept. 27-29 with the 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.

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.

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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.

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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.

Prock runs career-best speed to go No. 1 on Friday in Reading

Funny Car points leader Austin Prock made the fastest run in his career on Friday at Maple Grove Raceway, powering to the provisional No. 1 spot for John Force Racing at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Erica Enders …

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 15th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It is also the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Prock, who has been the No. 1 qualifier 10 times in the first 14 races this season, went 3.849s at 338.43mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS, posting a career-best speed and just missing out on the track record. Prock opens the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in the points lead, looking for his sixth win of the season. He comes in on a good note after winning the U.S. Nationals in Indy and put on a spectacular show on Friday at Maple Grove Raceway.

“That was some classic Reading drag racing right there,” Prock said. “This place is always fast, lot of trees around here, the air is always pretty [good] and they gave us a great racetrack tonight. That was pretty stout to go No. 1 again and run a career-best speed. It definitely got all of it. I’m really proud of this team, and it was a heck of a way to start the playoffs today.

“I knew it left hard, and just past the Christmas tree I felt the tire just a hair and it cleared up. I probably got about 200 feet out and I started feeling it trying to make that move inside and I had quite a bit of wheel turning left all the way down the [track]. When I tossed the laundry, my brother (Thomas) got on the radio, they were going nuts and that was really special. It was great to hear and the team is really proud of that today.”

Alexis DeJoria enjoyed a strong pair of qualifying sessions, qualifying second with a 3.867s at 336.40mph, while Prock’s JFR teammate, Jack Beckman, is third after his pass of 3.869s at 330.80mph.

Racing close to home, Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley put on an impressive show under the lights on Friday, bolting to the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 3.713s at 333.49mph in his Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster. If that holds, it would be Ashley’s first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the sixth in his career. Ashley enters the Countdown to the Championship second in points and with plenty of momentum, winning recently in Brainerd. He’s also eager to push on a show this weekend in front of plenty of family and friends.

“I think we did a good job during Q1 of positioning ourselves to a point where we could be a little more aggressive in Q2. That was the key,” Ashley said. “When you go out there that first run, you want to set that baseline so you have the ability to be a little more aggressive and go after that No. 1 spot. We stayed after Indy, we did some testing; we did some testing after Brainerd.

“The whole team has just been chipping away at it for this reason, for this very moment. We want to make sure we’re prepared when the Countdown comes. It’s day one of the Countdown, but we feel good about where we’re at with everything. Maybe it will hold tomorrow, maybe it won’t, but those three bonus points were critical.”

Tony Schumacher made a big jump to second after going 3.733s at 328.70mph and points leader Doug Kalitta is third with a run of 3.736s at 335.73mph.

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In Pro Stock, Erica Enders made a strong opening statement at Maple Grove Raceway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 6.535s at 210.34mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car. The defending world champion is after her sixth No. 1 qualifier this season and the 40th in her career, but Enders, a six-time world champ, has her eyes on the bigger prize. She’s after her first victory of the season since the opener in Gainesville – which would also be her 50th national event win – as Enders aims to win a seventh world title and third in a row.

“I’m feeling confident after Indy last week. We didn’t win. Our team went to the finals and raced each other, I lost in the semis and I was 0.014s on the tree,” Enders said. “I feel like my driving has been a lot better and we have a great race car. We’ve had one all year.

“We put a new bullet in for today and we went right to the top right off the trailer, and it held through the second session. That’s extremely encouraging. Everybody wants to start the Countdown off on the right foot. If you get in too big of a hole it’s hard to dig yourself out. There’s a lot of racing to go, a lot of points to accumulate, and a lot of tough competition, but definitely [on] the right foot and I’m proud to be there.”

Greg Anderson moved to second with a run of 6.537s at 209.23mph and points leader Dallas Glenn went to third after going 6.540s at 208.91mph.

A year after winning at Maple Grove Raceway to open the playoffs, Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith is off to a strong start this year, going 6.801s on both passes and posting a top speed of 199.49mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. That puts him in the provisional No. 1 position as the six-time world champion looks to claim his fifth No. 1 spot this season. Smith, who has three career wins at Reading, has come on strong at a key time in the season, winning in Sonoma, and was pleased with his first runs in the Countdown to the Championship on Friday.

“The first run was pretty good and the second run, we should have run 6.79s, maybe a high 6.78s but the bike got stuck in fourth gear out there,” Smith said. “All in all, we had a great run and I can’t say enough. We got everything turned up. We got the high-side rev limiter turned way up or I’d have hit the limiter there. It’s one of them deals, it’s the Countdown. We’re going for seven [championships], and we’ve got to throw everything we’ve got at it.

“We brought everything we’ve got for our Denso Buell and we’re going to keep digging, try to keep going, and we’ll see. I think we might put another motor in for tomorrow. We have a brand-new piece that’s really, really good on the dyno and I need to get some tune-ups on it and try to get it right for the Countdown.”

Points leader and defending world champion Gaige Herrera is currently second after going 6.804s at 198.55mph and his teammate, Richard Gadson, is in third with a run of 6.807s at 197.45mph.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

Brown, Tasca, Stanfield, M. Smith go the rounds at NHRA’s Western Swing visit to Sonoma

Top Fuel’s Antron Brown defeated first-time finalist Tony Stewart in the final round of the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals, picking up his third win of the 2024 season on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield …

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 12th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Stewart left first with a slight advantage on the starting line, but Brown quickly tracked him down, going 3.746s at 329.67mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster to earn his 77th career victory. Brown defeated Shawn Reed, Steve Torrence and Brittany Force to reach the final round, leaning on consistency time after time this weekend in Sonoma.

It paid off in a major way, as Brown, who qualified seventh, powered to his fifth Top Fuel victory at Sonoma, which ties him with Doug Kalitta for the most in class history at the facility.

“Sonoma has a special meaning to me. It’s like a piece of heaven out here and just being here puts me in the zone,” Brown said. “Me and Tony know each other well. When I started as a team owner he was putting together TSR, we talked a lot about budgets and spread sheets and all that.

“He was also a hero of mine when he ran NASCAR and IndyCar. I know how good of a driver he is. He understands the science so as soon as he showed up I knew what he could do. I did tell him to come on over but there are a lot of sharks in the water here. His time is coming and it won’t be one win. It will be a lot of them, but this is a good win for us. My team stays poised and they were incredible all weekend. I’m super-pumped for all of them. We went down the track every single lap and that was an awesome, awesome job to get a win like this.”

Stewart’s first final in Top Fuel came after defeating Shawn Langdon, Justin Ashley and Ron August Jr., who upset points leader, No. 1 qualifier and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta in the first round.

In Funny Car, nobody could track down Bob Tasca III all weekend and that continued in the final round, racing to his second Sonoma win in three years by taking down Ron Capps in the final round with a 4.088s at 277.15mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. It’s also the third win of the year for Tasca, who remained second points, and he did it in incredible fashion.

Tasca qualified No. 1 with a 338mph run, added a weekend-best run of 338.77mph in the opening round against Buddy Hull and then drove past Paul Lee and points leader Austin Prock to reach the final round. The semifinals against Prock was a thriller, as Tasca won on a holeshot with an 0.022s reaction time, sending him to the final round where he held on to the win against Capps. It was another rewarding moment for Tasca, who now has 18 career wins as he gets into championship form.

“It’s so hard to win these things and that’s a testament to my crew, to Todd Okuhara and Aaron Brooks,” Tasca said. “They pulled it back and still ran 337mph. I was a bit surprised in the final. It was pulling great and then it knocked the tires off. You have no idea how that feels. I looked out the side window because I expected him to come by me. Fortunately, I got it to recover.

“I thought if we could get the car to run like it ran in Q4 we could beat him and I said that to Todd. I said, ‘Let’s run as quick as we can and if he beats us, I’ll be the first to congratulate him.’”

Capps advanced to the finals for the second time in three races and the 149th time in his career by getting round wins against Cruz Pedregon, defending event winner J.R. Todd and reigning world champion Matt Hagan.

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Aaron Stanfield stayed red-hot in the Pro Stock ranks, which meant Elite Motorsports did as well, as Stanfield won for the third time in four races while taking down first-time Pro Stock finalist Cory Reed in the championship round with an impressive run of 6.540s at 209.98mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Janac Brothers car. It’s also the 11th career win for Stanfield, whose efforts over the past two months have helped propel Elite Motorsports to six straight victories.

Stanfield has three of them in that span, grabbing his second career win at Sonoma Raceway after defeating Mason McGaha, defending world champion Erica Enders and No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson. He delivered another strong reaction time in the final round against Reed, rolling to the victory as Stanfield continues to make big strides this season.

“This is a great win, but I want to shout out to Cory Reed for going to the final in his second race,” Stanfield said. “This week we lost a good friend, Tim “the Iceman” Kelly, to cancer and I wanted to get it done for him. I know Cory is fresh to the class so I would have been surprised if he played any games, so I just did my normal routine. I think I’m driving better this year and I’d love to continue that.

“We didn’t have a great ladder since all the hitters seemed to be on one side. I had to race Erica and we’re teammates, but we still want to beat each other. Then there was Greg and you’ve got to be on your game anytime you race him.”

In just his second career Pro Stock start, Reed, who previously raced in Pro Stock Motorcycle, advanced to the final round by taking down Deric Kramer, Eric Latino and Jerry Tucker. Dallas Glenn remains the points leader in the class.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith, a six-time world champion, finished off one of the best weekends in his career on Sunday, getting his first win of the season by taking down teammate John Hall in the final round with a run of 6.700s at 203.77mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. It was a picture-perfect three days for Smith, who qualified No. 1, set the track record with a stellar 6.655s, won the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout on Saturday and then snapped a winless streak that stretched back to the Countdown to the Championship opener last September in Reading, Pa.

That drought is over in emphatic fashion, as Smith, now a two-time Sonoma winner, took down Eiji Kawakami and Seattle winner Chase Van Sant to reach the final round against Hall. His teammate left the starting line first, but Smith, who also picked up his 39th career win, quickly chased him down, picking up a meaningful win and putting him right back on track when it comes to racing for what would be a class-record seventh world championship.

“This is very big,” Smith said. “This is a Denso event which is our sponsor, and we won everything there is to win. We put a lot into getting our bikes ready for this weekend. We’re gaining ground on the rest of the field and that takes a team effort.

“It’s all in the 60-foot area. Our class is so dependent on that. The Suzuki’s stepped up their game and we need to follow them. I learned to leave low and take power out to get the bike to leave the starting line. I’m 51 and I’m getting older but I can still do this. To me, the magic number is seven. If I get that seventh title this year I promise I’ll get off the bike and put some young kid on it who can do the job.”

Hall reached his second final round this year and the fourth in his career by defeating Angie Smith, defending world champion and points leader Gaige Herrera and Hector Arana Jr.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Aug. 15-18 with the 42nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minn.

M. Smith sets PSM track record en route to No. 1 at Sonoma

Six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith set a new track E.T. record on Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, defeating teammate Jianna Evaristo in the final round of the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout as part of this weekend’s …

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Smith all qualified No. 1 at the 12th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round of the specialty race, Smith went 6.655s at 204.23mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell, defeating Evaristo’s 6.703s at 203.77mph to win his first Callout race. Smith topped the track record he set earlier in the day – when he beat top seed Gaige Herrera in the opening round with a 6.662s – and also qualified No. 1 for the fourth time this season as he looks for his first event win of the season.

“I’m really thrilled. This is my first win in the GETTRX Callout but my third win in a specialty race,” Smith said. “We’ve had a tough year. We haven’t won a race, but we’ve been good on Saturdays. Now, we’ve got to be good on Sunday. This is a big payday, and it means a lot so I have to say thanks to Steve Bryson and GETTRX for putting this deal on.

“(Jianna) is going to be an excellent rider and I’m proud of what she’s doing. Before the final, I didn’t cut her any slack. We’ve both struggled to cut a light here, but I still told her I was going to spank her.”

Evaristo qualified second in PSM with a career-best 6.674s at 204.54mph – also making the second-fastest pass in class history – and Herrera is third after going 6.688s at 202.55mph, which took place in the opening round of the Callout.

Top Fuel points leader Doug Kalitta fell in the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge to teammate Shawn Langdon, but he kept his No. 1 spot on the strength of Friday’s track-record 3.649s at 336.40mph in his Mac Tools/Toyota dragster. It handed the points leader his No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 58th in his career, as he looks to win in Sonoma for a sixth time in his career.

“On that last run in Q4, we pushed a bit harder and it didn’t hold so Shawn ended up with the [Mission Challenge] win,” Kalitta said. “Even though I ran a 3.64s there were other cars that were close and tomorrow I don’t think it will be much hotter, so I expect a real battle.

“I’m actually a bit relieved because we now know how hard we can push and that should be a bit tomorrow. You might get one lucky round, but you need to be on your game. Shawn pushes me and he keeps me on my game especially now that both of our cars are as close as possible. He’s one of the best out there and he’s one up on me right now.”

Clay Millican jumped to second with a 3.664s at a track-record 338.26mph and Brittany Force qualified third after going 3.668s at 335.57mph.

In Funny Car, Matt Hagan came close to bumping him out, but Bob Tasca III hung on to the No. 1 position in the loaded category, as Friday’s run of 3.839s at 338.43mph in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang held up. It gave the veteran his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 18th in his career, putting Tasca in a strong position to try and pick up another Sonoma victory.

He’ll open eliminations against Buddy Hull, keeping the top position after reigning world champ Matt Hagan went an identical 3.839s at a slower 330.49mph to take the second spot. Ron Capps qualified third with a 3.864s at 332.43mph. Tasca did close qualifying with a stout 3.868s at a whopping 337.66mph, adding to his momentum for Sunday.

“We tried to run 340mph this morning and it nearly put me into the wall so on the last run we slowed it way down to make a full pull,” Tasca said. “I say this all the time but you could take a fan in the stands, put them in one of these cars and tell them to keep it straight and on most runs they could do it. That was Q4 where the car did exactly what it was supposed to do.

“We’ve had some vibrant conversations in our trailer and a lot of discussions about going 340mph. We have parts that are faster, but we had to be smart. This car is set up to win a championship and when it warms up, like today, we need to be smart.”

Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson made the most of Saturday morning’s conditions, shattering the track E.T. record and taking the No. 1 spot for the fifth time this season with a spectacular run of 6.491s at 211.20mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It was nearly a picture-perfect run for the five-time world champion and Pro Stock’s winningest driver, earning his 128th career No. 1 qualifier in the process. Anderson has a Pro Stock-best six wins in Sonoma and will open raceday against Derrick Reese.

“I love coming here because it’s so fast but we have to rely on Mother Nature to do it for us,” Anderson said. “I love it when she shines on us like today and you can throw everything at it. I didn’t have a great day yesterday but today we had a turn of fortune. We made two great runs today.

“We have a good book on this place and when you come here, you don’t have to de-tune it. That’s a tribute to the guys in our engine shop. I love it here, from the track to the people – everyone is happy.”

Points leader Dallas Glenn took second with a 6.497s at 211.00mph and Eric Latino is third with a 6.501s at 210.60mph.

Eliminations for the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

Kalitta sets Norwalk record to go No. 1 at NHRA Summit Nationals

Top Fuel points leader Doug Kalitta made the fastest run in track history on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park, picking up the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and cementing his No. 1 qualifier position at the 18th annual Summit Racing …

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while Prock, Anderson and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) qualified No. 1 at the 10th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Kalitta stayed red-hot in the loaded Top Fuel ranks, picking up his first specialty race win of the year, going 3.703s at a track-record 337.16mph in his Applied Innovation/Toyota dragster to defeat Antron Brown’s 3.755s. It was an impressive performance in a stretch that has been filled with them for the defending world champion.

Friday’s track-record run of 3.692s held up as well at the home track for Kalitta Motorsports, handing the veteran his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and 57th in his career. He opens eliminations against Kyle Wurtzel, looking for his second straight win and third in the past four races.

“This just gets you ready on Saturday to go racing, and we’re having fun. I think all the drivers – and definitely me – we enjoy having the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty race and the format,” Kalitta said.

“The track turned out to be in great shape and the conditions were perfect to put down good numbers. The way my car is running, I’m just trying to get into a good routine. I’m certainly working at that and trying my best to be consistent. So far this weekend, I’ve been pretty steady and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Justin Ashley jumped to the second spot during the final session, going 3.702s at 330.47mph, while Brown’s 3.717s at 333.33mph gave him the third spot. In all, 15 of the 16 qualified dragsters went 3.791s or quicker.

Funny Car’s Austin Prock enjoyed another spectacular Saturday in a year filled with terrific moments, winning his third straight Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, this time over Bob Tasca III with a stellar, track-record pass of 3.853s at 330.55mph in his AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. Tasca left the starting line first and delivered a strong 3.882s, but Prock tracked him down to stay on an impressive pace in the Funny Car ranks.

The pass was also an improvement from Friday’s provisional No. 1 qualifying run, as the Funny Car points leader earned an incredible seventh No. 1 spot in the first 10 races of the season. After winning the past two races, Prock will also look to make it three in a row, opening eliminations against Joe Morrison. Earlier this month in Bristol, Prock also qualified No. 1, won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and picked up the event win the next day.

“This feels really good, and we’re very blessed to be in this situation,” Prock said. “It’s a lot of hard work that goes into making these race cars run like this one has this year. I’ve said it all year, hats off to my guys, they’re making it easy on me. I can go up there and I believe in my car, and they’re giving me opportunities every weekend. It’s definitely helped my learning curve.

“It’s been a great year; the hard work is showing. Growing up, there was always a saying, ‘Races are won in the shop.’ We get to the racetrack and we’re prepared, our ducks are in a row and we’ve got a good notebook. We’re just executing that and trying to race smart and make smart decisions, then leave it up to me to let the pedal out and stomp the gas. It’s all been working out.”

J.R. Todd qualified second with a 3.865s at 332.02mph, while defending event winner Blake Alexander jumped to third after going 3.874s at 328.14mph in the final session.

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Anderson also made it a clean sweep through two days in Pro Stock, winning his second straight Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge after going 6.595s at 204.94mph in his Summit Racing Equipment/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro to defeat longtime rival Erica Enders in the finals of the specialty race. After missing out on any bonus race wins since last year, the veteran has now won two in a row.

He also qualified No. 1 for the third time this year on the strength of Friday’s 6.592s at 207.69mph, putting him in a prime position to sweep the weekend. That would mean a great deal for Anderson, who has 105 career wins and is sporting a special Summit Racing Equipment wrap this weekend. He opens eliminations against Ohio native Larry Morgan.

“This has been a great week. I got here on Wednesday morning, spent all day at Summit and got to chat with all the great employees again. It was great to see them all and it fires you up, it makes you feel good,” Anderson said.

“To come over here to Summit Motorsports Park with the wrap I have on my car, it’s just a proud weekend for me. We’re off to a great start and we had another great day today. The car ran great, and we found our way to another Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win. I guess we’re figuring that deal out. It’s all good and a great tuneup for tomorrow. The Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, that’s what I’m looking forward to, that’s the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for me. I just really, really hope that I can come out tomorrow feeling as well as I did today. I’m looking forward to it.”

Enders, the defending world champion, stayed second, but improved to a 6.601s at 207.15mph, making that run in the specialty race final. Deric Kramer’s 6.605s at 208.17mph from Friday handed him the third spot.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Richard Gadson enjoyed a special moment, picking up his first win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty after going 6.819s at 196.87mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki against John Hall, who beat Gaige Herrera in the opening round. Gadson took down Hector Arana Jr. earlier in the day, getting past Hall’s 6.857s in the finals.

“That round right there, that was big for me, to avenge my teammate. That was big. Before I walked out of the trailer, Gaige said to me, ‘Go do what I couldn’t do.’ That was a little booster,” Gadson said. “I’m having a blast and I just want to thank Mission Foods and NHRA for having this. It gets the juices flowing before Sunday. I love it.

“It gets you into race mode and you start to find your spot, you start to learn how your bike is reacting and how you’re reacting. Typically, you might not be worried about that stuff in qualifying, but it gets you amped up and into race mode. I love the format.”

Matt Smith earned his third No. 1 qualifier in the past four races, as his track-record run of 6.748s at 201.31mph from Friday on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell easily held up. The six-time world champion enjoyed another strong effort in qualifying and will now to look to pick up his first win since September of last year. Since then, Herrera has won the past 10 races, but Smith has plenty of momentum heading into Sunday’s eliminations.

“We’ve been No. 1 two other times before this, but we have to get it done on Sunday. We have not done that this year like we need to,” Smith said. “Hopefully we can do that tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a totally different day from what it looks like. It’s going to be cooler and a lot drier. We’re just trying to get an MSR bike in the final and see if we can win this thing tomorrow.”

Angie Smith qualified second with a 6.798s at 200.26mph, while Herrera took third with a 6.799s at 198.88mph.

Eliminations for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park.

Prock sets Norwalk track record en route to Friday No. 1 at NHRA Summit Nationals

Funny Car points leader Austin Prock set the track record on Friday at Summit Motorsports Park, powering to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position for John Force Racing at the 18th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Doug Kalitta (Top …

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 10th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Prock made the quickest run in both sessions on Friday, going 3.863s at 327.51mph under the lights in his AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS, which also puts him in line for a remarkable seventh No. 1 qualifier in 10 races.

Prock is the only John Force Racing driver competing this weekend in Norwalk, as John Force remains hospitalized following his crash on Sunday during the first round of eliminations at Virginia Motorsports Park. His daughter, Brittany, is also not racing this weekend in Top Fuel, remaining at the hospital with her father and family.

“That was a heck of a lick right there tonight and two great runs for us today,” Prock said. “I’m thinking of Brittany and John, and the whole Force family. I miss all of them out here – it’s just not the same. But the race car is running [well] and that always helps a little bit.

“It’s just how hard this team works. My dad (Jimmy), Thomas and Nate have been doing a really good job analyzing the racetrack and making the right decisions. How this car is running, it’s really shortening my learning curve because I’ve had so many attempts up there. We’ve made a lot of runs already this year. I’m really proud to be behind the wheel. We had a great day today, got to get our minds off the world for a little bit and just go to work and try to make John Force Racing proud.”

J.R. Todd jumped up to the second spot under the lights in Norwalk, going 3.865s at 332.02mph, and Bob Tasca III is currently third with a run of 3.894s at 323.74mph.

Reigning Top Fuel world champ Doug Kalitta made the most of his run under the lights in Norwalk, vaulting to the top spot with an impressive run of 3.692s at 332.92mph in his Applied Innovation/Toyota dragster. It was the only run in the 3.60s in the category, as Kalitta and his team, led by crew chief Alan Johnson, had an aggressive approach after struggling during the first run. It certainly worked, as the Top Fuel points leader now has a chance to earn his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season. After winning two of the last three races, Kalitta also continued his strong momentum and put on a show at the home track for Kalitta Motorsports.

“That 3.69s was a solid run. The conditions were great, the track – they have this place in very good condition — and once again the hospitality the Baders have for the fans is outstanding,” Kalitta said. “It just ended up being a really good night for us. The Kalitta Motorsports effort was good tonight, and hopefully our main man John Force is proud of us. Best wishes for him.

“For Alan and the guys tuning, they went up there to throw down, and it stuck. It was really an incredible run for us.”

Antron Brown went to second after his run of 3.722s at 330.72mph and Tripp Tatum is third on the strength of his 3.739s at 324.36mph.

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In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson was the only driver to dip into the 6.50s, making a strong run right off the trailer and taking the No. 1 spot with a pass of 6.592s at 207.69mph in his Summit Racing Equipment/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Sporting a special Summit Racing Equipment wrap for this weekend’s race in Norwalk, Anderson delivered a strong run that could give the five-time world champion his third No. 1 qualifier of the year and the 127th in his career. This event has always meant a great deal for the winningest driver in Pro Stock and Anderson would love nothing more than to pick up his fourth career victory at “America’s Racetrack.”

“[The first session] went great. It was perfect, actually,” Anderson said. “In Q2, I should have just stayed at the trailer. We had a $5 part fail — a relay that fires the ignition coils. I had no spark, the car started up and it killed the ignition. It shut right off after two seconds of running and I was dead in the water.

“No matter what, I have to call today a success. I ran great the first run, but I feel like I could have run even better on the second run. I think it’s there, it’s ready to run well, and the car looks and runs great. It just feels like home racing here at Summit Motorsports Park.”

Erica Enders, the defending world champion, put together a strong effort in the second session and currently sits No. 2 with a 6.601s at 207.15mph. Deric Kramer’s 6.605s at 208.17mph puts him third.

Qualifying continues to go well for six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith, going a track-record 6.748s at 201.31mph on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell. It puts Smith in line for his third No. 1 qualifier in the past four races as the bike continues to impress in qualifying. He ended Gaige Herrera’s string of No. 1 qualifiers in Chicago and has controlled that area recently, but Smith is focused on getting the job done on Sunday. Friday’s run gives him a good start on the weekend, but Herrera has been unbeatable for the past 10 races, something Smith hopes to change this weekend.

“Qualifying doesn’t mean anything if you can’t back it up on Sunday, and that’s what I’ve learned so far this year,” Smith said. “We’ve had a good bike in qualifying a couple races and we haven’t closed the deal. But we’re right where we should be here, and all in all, I’m happy with our Denso/Outlaw Beer bike. We’ve got a great team right now – Angie (Smith) is second, Jianna (Evaristo) is fourth. We have three bikes in the top four right now, [and] we just have to keep digging.”

A. Smith is currently second with a 6.798s at 200.26mph, while Herrera is right behind after going 6.799s at 198.88mph.

Qualifying at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals continues at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park.

Millican vaults to a special No. 1 at NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

Top Fuel veteran Clay Millican made the quickest pass on Friday at Bristol Dragway, racing to the provisional No. 1 qualifier at the 23rd annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt …

Top Fuel veteran Clay Millican made the quickest pass on Friday at Bristol Dragway, racing to the provisional No. 1 qualifier at the 23rd annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the eighth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Millican went 3.786s at 325.06mph in his Parts Plus/Rick Ware Racing dragster in Thunder Valley, holding off points leader Justin Ashley under the lights to take the top spot. Millican, whose first career NHRA win came at Bristol Dragway in 2017, is seeking his first No. 1 qualifier of 2024 and 26th in his career. Friday also marked another special moment at Millican’s favorite and home track on the NHRA tour.

“It’s always something at this place,” Millican said. “This team has absolutely been incredible. We were struggling a little after testing, and then the next thing you know we start going rounds, go to a final at Charlotte, go to the semis last week. I’m excited to do this for a lot of reasons. When you qualify No. 1 against the monsters that we’re racing against these days you’ve accomplished something. But this is the first time I’ve qualified No. 1 with Mr. Rick Ware present. We are here because this guy loves drag racing. The biggest thing he hasn’t been a part of yet is a win on Sunday, so that’s on my agenda, just in case you’re wondering.

“I would love to be the No. 1 qualifier right here at Bristol. That would be awesome. When it comes to race day, last year I would have told you I wanted it hot on race day, but I think we have a car now that it doesn’t matter.”

Points leader Ashley also dipped into the 3.70s with a 3.795s at 322.42mph, putting him second, and Antron Brown’s 3.809s at 321.27mph slots him third.

Austin Prock continued to roll in qualifying, blasting to the top of the Funny Car field with an impressive run under the lights, going 3.958s at 317.34mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. Should that hold, the Funny Car points leader would gain his sixth No. 1 qualifier in the first eight races, a remarkable feat for the first-year Funny Car driver. He advanced to the final round last weekend in Epping, finishing as runner-up to his boss, John Force, and moving to the points lead in the process.

Prock made two strong runs on Friday and can continue that momentum on Saturday with the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.

“This place is very tough to navigate, for sure. It’s kind of a driver’s racetrack. You have to be on your game all the way to pulling the parachutes,” Prock said. “This is up another level, stressful for the crew chiefs, but if you’re a race car driver you sure do enjoy a place like this.

“When I heard a [3.95s] over the radio, that was the number they were calling and it ended up being good enough. It ended up working out for us, and the entire day was great for this Cornwell Camaro. We have the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge tomorrow, so we’ll be focused. We want to win that medal at the end of the day for sure.”

Alexis DeJoria jumped to the second spot with a 3.973s at 319.90mph and Ron Capps, who has won back-to-back races in Bristol, is third after going 3.976s at 320.74mph.

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In Pro Stock, Erica Enders returned to the site of her 2023 turnaround and put on a show, going low in each session, including a 6.631s at 206.92mph that put her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car in the top spot. Enders, the defending event winner in Bristol, is now on track to put up her second straight top qualifier and fourth this season, and she hopes to break through with her 50th national event victory as well.

Thunder Valley might be the perfect place to do it, as Enders’ turnaround last year came in Bristol. She went on to win her sixth world championship and she’ll look to win for the 50th time this weekend.

“I feel like we’re getting a better handle on our race car,” Enders said. “It was a nice run and was better on the graph. I like the four-qualifying run format better, you can track more things, purse is a little bigger on Sunday. I had a very fast race car and that’s translating to here so far as well.

“I love what I do and the people that I do it with. These moments don’t last forever, so you have to take advantage of them. I realize how blessed I am that I get to do what I love for a living and have done pretty well at it. I feel like we have a lot more left to accomplish.”

Greg Anderson is currently second thanks to his run of 6.636s at 206.45mph and Jeg Coughlin Jr. is right behind with his 6.639s at 206.45mph.

Making the quickest run of both sessions in Pro Stock Motorcycle, six-time world champion Matt Smith made a strong statement on Friday, taking the No. 1 spot with a run of 6.788s at 198.52mph on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell. Smith is attempting to pick up his second No. 1 qualifier this season and the 54th in his career, but Friday’s two stellar runs also give him a strong shot to possibly unseat Gaige Herrera and end his incredible streak.

Herrera has won eight straight races – tied for the most in PSM history – and 31 consecutive rounds, and a win would tie the defending world champion with Bob Glidden for the most consecutive wins (9) and round wins (35) in NHRA history. Smith, though, has other plans.

“I think we showed at Chicago that we’ve been testing a lot and getting our program back better,” Smith said. “It showed here again. I messed up tuning the bike on Sunday in Chicago and came here to redeem myself. My Denso bike is pretty fast, and I’m pretty happy with what we’ve done so far.

“I’m focused, head down. I’m like a hound dog, I’m a hunting dog right now, on the ground trying to find that 60-foot and make it better and better. We are getting better, and we’ll continue to try to work hard and make our bike as fast as possible.”

Chase Van Sant is currently second after going 6.827s at 196.36mph and Herrera is third with a 6.830s at 197.77mph.

Qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.