Mike Salinas – Syndication Server

Hight, Salinas, Enders and Herrera take Vegas NHRA wins

Robert Hight pulled to within 17 points of the Funny Car points lead on Sunday, finishing off a dominant weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the victory for John Force Racing at the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals. Mike Salinas …

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hight went 3.851-seconds at 326.79 mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Bob Tasca III in the final round, earning his fourth victory of the 2023 season and the 65th in his career. He now trails Matt Hagan by 17 points with one race remaining, with Tasca just 15 points out of first.

Hight’s day also included a track-record run of 3.816 at 332.67 in the opening round, which was the quickest run in Funny Car since 2017. He followed with round wins against Alexis DeJoria and Blake Alexander to reach the final, staying in the 3.80s throughout eliminations to set up what will be an incredible finale in Pomona.

“It’s really been a strong weekend at the races,” said Hight. “I’d like to know if anybody in a Countdown race in Funny Car has swept every single point possible. That just goes to my team. You know, they gave me a race car that was perfect this weekend, and we had good conditions where 3.88 was our worst run.

“I feel really good [going into Pomona]. We just have to stay steady and stay focused. Nothing we can do about what the conditions are going to be at Pomona, but I’m going to pray every night that they’re great like we had this weekend. I feel like my team’s got a good handle on this race car, and we just have to go get it done.”

Tasca reached his 30th career final round and the fourth this season with wins against Steven Densham, Cruz Pedregon and Hagan before falling to Hight.

In Top Fuel, Mike Salinas put together one of the most complete weekends in his career, finishing it off with a run of 3.673 at 331.36 in his Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster to get past Justin Ashley in the championship round. Salinas powered to his second victory this season and the ninth in his career, also remaining in the championship hunt in the process. He’ll head to the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals 76 points out of first, giving himself a fighting chance with a spectacular weekend in Las Vegas.

He qualified No. 1 and then dispatched Rob Passey, Tony Schumacher and Josh Hart to reach the final round. There, he put together his fourth straight run in the 3.60s as Salinas felt his team took an impressive step forward in the process.

“We came into this race and I told my guys, we need to win this race and the next one to even matter,” Salinas said. “We were badass today, we were the best car out here, but we think there’s more.

“We’ve been working on this car since Gainesville and it has shown signs of greatness, but the consistency has been evading us, so we were trying to get more consistent. We have come across some stuff that we were working on, it seemed to work and today is the best day we’ve had all year and the car’s showing amazing signs. If we can continue to do what we’re doing here, it’ll be a great weekend in Pomona.”

Ashley reached his eighth final round in 2023 and 19th overall by defeating Dan Mercier, Austin Prock and Steve Torrence, who took over the points lead in Las Vegas. He leads Doug Kalitta by 15 points, with Pruett now 34 points back.

The most successful driver in the history of The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway continued her winning ways, as Pro Stock points leader Erica Enders won for the 10th time in Las Vegas, defeating Greg Anderson with a run of 6.557 at 208.23 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro. Enders continued her strong run in the Countdown to the Championship, winning for the fourth time this season and the 47th time in her Pro Stock career.

It’s also the second straight win for Enders, as she stretched her lead to 114 points over Anderson heading into the last race of the season. She knocked off Mason McGaha, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Jeg Coughlin Jr. to reach the final round and after defeating Anderson, Enders is on the verge of her sixth world championship.

“Today was stress-level nine million,” Enders said. “It was do or die. We needed to perform perfectly, and my guys went out there and did just that. It was a challenging day. The final round against Greg, it was pretty epic. After we both won the semifinals, we shook hands and he said, ‘Old guys to the top.’ I really enjoy racing him, but I enjoy beating him more, respectfully.

“It was a tremendous day, [but] I don’t feel like [the championship] is ours. We have to go out there and continue to earn it. If you would have told me 12 races ago that we were going to contend for our sixth championship, I would have told you that you were nuts. We have a 114-point lead, but a lot can happen. A lot can change, and I just try to focus on what’s right in front of me. I don’t want to get the bigger picture in my mind too far ahead, but at the same time believe that we can do it and that we’re capable.”

Anderson reached his 176th career final round thanks to victories against Aaron Stanfield, No. 1 qualifier Kyle Koretsky and Matt Hartford.

It won’t be official until the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, but Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera moved a step closer to his first world championship by taking down teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round with a track-record run of 6.755 at 198.32 on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It gives Herrera his 10th victory this season, tying Matt Hines for the most in a single season in Pro Stock Motorcycle history, as well a 181-point lead heading into the finale. That means Herrera will clinch the world championship in Pomona with his first qualifying run, a fitting end to one of the most dominant seasons in NHRA history.

After qualifying No. 1 for the 13th time this year, Herrera reached the final round with victories against Marc Ingwersen and Jerry Savoie. That set up a final round matchup with his teammate for the fourth time this season and Herrera again denied his teammate of a 50th career win. He was untouchable in Las Vegas, shattering his own track record in the finals with another epic run.

“This race was really emotional to me. I have a lot of family and friends here, and I had a stellar bike all day,” Herrera said. “All day today, it was a little bit of a challenge with the headwind, riding-wise, and you could definitely feel it. But I had a very good bike all day. It was awesome being in the final against Ed. That’s the third Vance & Hines final in a row, and it was a fun final.

“We went up there, and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to stage first so I just sat there. He revved the throttle at me and I did it back. Once he did it the second time I said, ‘Oh, he’s definitely not going in first,’ so I just rolled it in. It knocked me off my game a little, but he shook the tire and I ended up going a 6.755. It felt like a very smooth, good pass, but I didn’t expect it to go faster than what I qualified with. We’re happy with that, and after this weekend, once I go to Pomona and break the beams, it’s a done deal – that’s very exciting.”

Krawiec advanced to the finals for the fourth time this season and the 95th time overall by defeating Steve Johnson and Jianna Evaristo.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series closes out the 2023 season with the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals on Nov. 9-12 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

UPDATE: Tasca DQ’d, Koretsky, Salinas and Hight lead into Vegas NHRA finals

Top Fuel’s Mike Salinas powered to the No. 1 qualifying position on Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking the top spot on the final run of the session at the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals. After a post-qualifying penalty was …

After a post-qualifying penalty was applied, Robert Hight (Funny Car), Kyle Koretsky (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 for the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Salinas entered the final qualifying session in the No. 1 spot, dropped to third and then rocketed back to the top with a standout pass of 3.680 at 331.77 in hisValley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster. It gave the veteran his fourth No. 1 qualifier this season and the 15th in his career. Steve Torrence and Doug Kalitta both dipped into the 3.60s during the previous pair, bumping Salinas to third momentarily. But as part of a thrilling side-by-side run with Austin Prock, Salinas jumped back into the lead heading into eliminations, where he’ll open raceday against Rob Passey.

“We were trying to run a 3.67 but Rob [Flynn, crew chief] backed down it a little bit because he saw something that wasn’t right, so he did a great job,” Salinas said. “Don’t underestimate anybody in this class. Everybody is good and you have to be on your ‘A’ game. Our car has been there recently, but I’ve been distracted as a driver. This weekend, I fixed that. We have a lot on our plate, and we took care of it, just compartmentalizing everything and with the right people around us, we’ll be just fine.”

Torrence ended up in second with his 3.683 at 331.69 and Prock qualified third thanks to a 3.696 at 328.66. Heading into eliminations, Leah Pruett leads Doug Kalitta by just one points and Steve Torrence by only six points.

In Funny Car, Robert Hight’s run of 3.851 at 327.51 from Friday in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS held up, after the fourth round qualifying runs from Funny Car drivers Bob Tasca III, J.R. Todd and Jeff Diehl on Saturday in Las Vegas were disqualified when their cars failed a post-run inspection. That bumped Hight back into the No. 1 spot, with Tasca now moving to second with his 3.853 at 335.73 from Friday. The revised results gave the multi-time world champ his sixth No. 1 qualifier this season and 83rd in his career.

Points leader Matt Hagan took the third spot with a 3.871 at 322.58. Hagan has won the last two playoff races.

Pro Stock’s Kyle Koretsky had enjoyed strong qualifying runs this weekend, but made a major move in the final session, running 6.589 at 205.66 in his Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro to earn his first No. 1 qualifier of the season. Running next to points leader Erica Enders, who was the provisional No. 1 qualifier, Koretsky jumped into the 6.50s and into the top position with a standout run, claiming his fourth career No. 1 spot. After a frustrating season – including three straight first-round losses in the Countdown to the Championship – late-season success would be a massive boost for Koretsky and his team. He’ll open eliminations against Jerry Tucker, looking for his first win of the season.

“We didn’t give up after making a good run Q1, they kept digging and trying to get better and better every round, and that just shows the dedication of KB Titan,” Koretsky said. “The last few races, we’ve been behind – but they keep pushing, keep pushing me, and keep trying to make me better. We just keep on going.

“They believe in me, and that gives you a lot of confidence as a driver. That’s real important. The last few races I’ve been down and out, but we didn’t give up. A win tomorrow would do a lot for me personally. I think we have a shot, I really do. I never enter the property thinking we don’t have a shot. I think I need this. I really do. I know everyone wants to win out here, but I think this weekend’s mine. Vegas has been somewhat good to me in the past, so I’m going to try to get the win.”

Enders, who is also the defending event winner and world champion, qualified second, going 6.592 at 208.07. Cristian Cuadra also made a big jump in the final session, taking third with a 6.604 at 206.80.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, points leader Gaige Herrera capped off a dominant two days of qualifying in Las Vegas, making the quickest run in all four sessions on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. He went a terrific 6.767 to close out qualifying, with Friday’s track-record run of 6.760 at 199.82 giving him the top qualifying spot for a class-record 12th time this season. He was the only rider to reach the 6.70s in qualifying and Herrera did it three times, including during both sessions on Saturday. Herrera stretched his lead to 161 points over teammate Eddie Krawiec entering raceday, meaning he’ll need to finish two rounds ahead of him to clinch the world championship on Sunday in Las Vegas.

“I’m thrilled with how we ran all weekend,” Herrera said. “I’m glad to get our 13th No. 1 qualifier so far this season out of 14 races. That right there is just a big accomplishment for Andrew [Hines, crew chief], all the guys back at the shop, and me just being consistent on the motorcycle. From Friday to today, my bike is basically a bracket bike. It’s consistent and fast, and that’s what we want. I’m excited for tomorrow. As long as we go A to B I think we’ll continue gaining little points over my teammate and getting closer.

“We’re making changes in between each round chasing the weather trying to keep the bike running the same no matter the conditions. That’s helping us out a lot as far as our tuning window – and as far as me riding it. The bike always feels like the same bike no matter the conditions. I think it helps me and Andrew out a lot as far as him tuning, me riding, and it’s paying off.”

Herrera’s teammate, Krawiec, qualified second with a 6.830 at 198.85 and defending world champion Matt Smith is a spot behind after going 6.842 at 196.53.

Eliminations for the NHRA Nevada Nationals begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Hight still title hunting with Friday No. 1 at NHRA Vegas Nationals

Looking to stay in the Funny Car championship hunt, Robert Hight claimed the provisional No. 1 position at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, making the quickest run in both qualifying sessions on Friday at the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals. …

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 20th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hight powered to a run of 3.851s at 327.51mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to take the top spot. If it holds, the multi-time world champion would earn his sixth No. 1 qualifier this season and 83rd in his career. He entered the weekend 69 points out of first and called this weekend a must-win situation with only two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship.

“After Dallas, we kind of knew what we were up against,” Hight said. “You dig yourself a big hole and you have to get out of it. The only way to do that is race aggressively, try to get as many points as you can get, and it’s a must-win here and Pomona. But the way those other cars are running that we’re fighting against, you’re going to have to be a win and a semifinal to even have a chance, and we might even have to win both of them – and that still might not be enough. That’s how close this is and the caliber of cars.

“Vegas is kind of like Denver, you have to make big moves to run quicker and faster. It’s kind of an equalizer racing here. I’m proud of the guys – we did exactly what we had to do today, but I predict that if we don’t step up tomorrow, we won’t be here tomorrow night. It’s going to take more.”

Bob Tasca III, who entered the weekend second in points, went 3.853s at 335.73mph to go to second, while points leader Matt Hagan is right behind after a 3.871s at 322.58mph. Hagan has won the last two playoff races.

In Top Fuel, Mike Salinas rocketed to the top thanks to his run of 3.699s at 332.75mph in his Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster. He’s seeking his fourth No. 1 spot this season and the 15th in his career and is also after a strong finish to his season. Salinas, who started the weekend sixth in points and 131 points out of first, started the year with a victory in Gainesville and would love a second victory in 2023. He was also the only driver to make a run in the 3.60s on Friday.

Austin Prock went to second with his run of 3.701s at 329.99mph and points leader Leah Pruett is right behind thanks to her run of 3.707s at 331.53mph. She entered the weekend four points ahead of Doug Kalitta.

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Nobody has more wins at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway than defending Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders and her success continued on Friday, securing the No. 1 spot in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro with a 6.595s at 207.66mph during opening session. Her second qualifying run on Friday was disallowed due to a technical violation.

She’s looking for her 10th career win in Las Vegas and enjoyed a great start, making the only run in the 6.50s. It puts the points leader on track for her sixth No. 1 spot this season and 35th her career. Entering the weekend with an 85-point lead over Greg Anderson, Enders hopes to build on that this weekend at her most successful track.

“[Even with] how well we’ve done here in the past and the success that we’ve had here in Las Vegas, we sucked so bad earlier this year that we couldn’t even win here in the spring,” Enders said. “It’s been an uphill battle, but with the way the Countdown is structured, we finally got ourselves out of the ditch that we were in – and just in the nick of time. We never doubted it, we just had to identify our problem and work through it. That’s something my guys are great at; when their backs are against the wall, they perform flawlessly and they never give up. They’re very tenacious, so I’m proud of them. Having the provisional No. 1 here is very meaningful.

“We tested and I’ve said this before, you win races before you leave the shop. You’re as prepared as possible, and we want to come out here and get every single point we can. Having said that, I know all the other competitors feel the same way, but good start, I’ll take it. The six points are very meaningful.”

Kyle Koretsky’s 6.603s at 206.07mph put him in the second spot and Matt Hartford took third after his run of 6.608s at 206.26mph.

On a weekend where he has a chance to clinch his first NHRA world championship, Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera got off to a flying start on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, shattering the track record with a run of 6.760s at 199.82mph. The points leader entered the weekend with a 156-point lead over teammate Eddie Krawiec and he opened the event by making the quickest run in each of the first two sessions. It puts Herrera on track for his 13th No. 1 qualifier – a race after he set the class record for No. 1 qualifiers in a single season – and plenty of momentum heading into the rest of the weekend.

“For the whole Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki team, we were very happy with that,” said Herrera. “With the cooler conditions in Q2, we were expecting a 6.77s, but that pass was so smooth and straight as an arrow that it felt slow. I knew it was on a good pass, but I didn’t expect it to go 6.76s and get the new track record. That’s a big deal to me and the whole team.

“I’m going into this race knowing in the back of my head that I can possibly lock it up this weekend, but it depends on how Ed does, and the rest of the guys as well. Everything I’ve accomplished this year has really been starting to set in, going to the last two races here and Pomona, just sitting back and thinking about everything, it’s hard to believe what’s been accomplished and what we continue to accomplish.”

Krawiec is currently second 6.830s at 198.85mph and defending world champion Matt Smith is a spot behind after going 6.842s at 196.53mph.

Qualifying continues at 12:00 p.m. PT on Saturday at the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Salinas makes history with 300mph 1/8-mile pass at NHRA Charlotte Nationals

Top Fuel’s Mike Salinas became the first driver in NHRA history to go 300-mph in the 1/8-mile, setting both ends of the track record on Saturday at zMAX Dragway en route to qualifying No. 1 at the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. Robert …

Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 17th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

In the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster driven by points leader Tony Stewart was found to have unapproved ignition parts. Due to the items found, he was disqualified from the event and zero points were awarded.

Salinas powered to an epic blast of 3.647s at 338.00mph in his Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster, earning his third No. 1 qualifier in 2023 and 14th in his career. He also went a whopping 300.80 mph to the 1/8-mile during the run, marking the first time in NHRA history a driver has reached 300-mph in the 1/8-mile and making him the first member of the “Phillips Connect 300 to the 1/8” club, which nets him a $30,000 bonus. It was also the fifth-fastest run in Top Fuel history, as Salinas aims to pick up his second win of the season on Sunday.

“The track was amazing. (Crew chief) Rob (Flynn) and Arron (Cave) getting this thing ready for us – I never get involved with that, but I had this ‘all or nothing’ that we’ve been doing,” Salinas said. “We’ve been working on this for a while and our car has been close several times in testing. We knew we were going to do it, we just didn’t know when. Tonight was the perfect time to do it. The car seemed to like what we’re doing, and Rob and Aaron are amazing every run. we are a real team and I’m just happy to be part of what they’ve put together.

“We’ve been close and to put together a run like this, it is awesome. These are the types of things we’re out here for and what it’s all about. What an amazing run.”

Antron Brown took the second spot, going 3.655s at 332.75mph – and 299.00mph to the 1/8-mile – and Doug Kalitta, who won last weekend in Reading, qualified third with a 3.665s at 331.61mph.

Funny Car points leader Robert Hight also put on an impressive show to close out the night, topping Matt Hagan’s spectacular run on Friday with a track-record performance of 3.824s at 330.15mph in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. A night after Hagan made the quickest run of the year in the class, Hight went even quicker to earn his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 82nd in his marvelous career.

After suffering a huge explosion on the starting line during Friday’s qualifying session, Hight and his team rebounded in fine fashion on Saturday, making a pair of stellar runs, including the terrific blast to end the evening. Following his win at the playoff opener in Reading a week ago, Hight will look to keep rolling on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

“Sometimes when you really go up there and push and try really hard, it doesn’t work out,” Hight said. “Everything has to come together, and there are a lot of variables. It’s a science, but there is some luck with it. Everything has to come into place. But we were pushing, we wanted to go out there and get the No. 1 spot. I never get too hopeful, but to do it by 0.001s, that tells you how close this racing is.

“Matt Hagan and I had a race last weekend that was even closer, and that’s pretty amazing. Hats off to my guys for rebounding from a tough go of it yesterday. I have a lot of confidence in this team. This is a great racetrack. We’ve had a lot of success here over the years, and it was cool to see records fall here tonight.”

Hagan, who closed out the night with a strong 3.828s, will take second with his 3.825s at 333.49mph and Bob Tasca III moved to third with a career-best run of 3.836s at 331.94mph.

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Erica Enders has opened the Pro Stock playoffs with two straight No. 1 qualifiers thanks to Friday’s run of 6.509s at 210.18mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Camaro. It’s the fourth top spot of the season for the defending world champion and the 33rd in her career as she continues to build momentum in trying to earn her sixth world title. A win on Sunday in Charlotte would help the cause a great deal and she’ll open eliminations against Mason McGaha.

“Today didn’t really go as planned but making that monster run yesterday was significant,” Enders said. “It showed that what we had in Reading, carried over here in Charlotte. We’ll make the adjustments accordingly. I’m proud for the No. 1 position. All of those points are going matter at the end of the game.”

Camrie Caruso took the second spot with a 6.525s at 209.20mph and defending event winner Aaron Stanfield qualified third with a 6.533s at 210.50mph. Points leader Matt Hartford, who won the last two races, qualified eighth with a 6.542s.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gaige Herrera continued to cement his qualifying dominance, taking his 10th No. 1 spot of the year on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki on the strength of his 6.731s at 200.44mph from Friday. On the weekend of Pro Stock Motorcycle’s 500th career event, Herrera hopes to pick up his seventh win this season and also his first career Countdown to the Championship victory. He’ll open eliminations against Jerry Savoie. and could move back into the points lead with a big day.

“I feel really confident going into tomorrow. I have a really bad hot rod, it’s fast and has been all season,” Herrera said. “To be able to get 10 out of 11 No. 1 qualifiers, it’s just remarkable. I give all the credit to the Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki team and all the guys at the shop for all their hard work. That run we did yesterday was really good for the conditions, and it wasn’t the perfect run, but it was really good. Today we were trying a few little things, but we’ll go back to what we basically ran Friday and be ready for tomorrow.

“I missed out on a couple today as far as qualifying but at the end of the day, I think we’re going to do good tomorrow and that’s where you’re going to get as many points as possible.”

Eddie Krawiec jumped up to second on Saturday with a run of 6.766s at 200.00mph and Angie Smith took third after going 6.805s at 197.48mph. Points leader Matt Smith qualified ninth.

Eliminations for the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

Force runs to 166th No. 1 at NHRA Northwest Nationals

Defending Funny Car world champion Ron Capps rolled to his third win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race on Saturday, defeating J.R. Todd in the final round at Pacific Raceways as part of the 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest …

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the bonus event in Seattle. Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) each qualified No. 1 at the 11th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Capps went 3.951s at 322.65mph in his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra to slip past Todd’s run of 3.967s at 323.81mph, giving the back-to-back world champ his third specialty event win in the past four races. He will attempt to pick up his first double-up weekend of the year on Sunday in Seattle, where Capps has two career event wins.

“This deal has really changed the way you wake up Saturday morning,” Capps said. “There’s a lot going on inside your head up there. You’re trying to win this and you’re still trying to improve your qualifying spot, too, but this deal is really cool. We’re very excited to get another win in this and it also gives us a lot of good data for tomorrow.

“I want to just say it over and over: Thank you to Mission Foods for putting this on. They really created something cool. We all saw the points is the thing that stood out for most; it’s great money, we appreciate that, too. But as you know, we won the world championship last year by less than a handful of points.”

Funny Car legend John Force put on an impressive show to close out qualifying, jumping to the No. 1 spot for the first time this season with a run of 3.915s at 327.35mph in his PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS. It’s also the 166th career No. 1 qualifier for the 16-time world champ as he looks to win at Pacific Raceways for an incredible 10th time. Bob Tasca III took second with a 3.949s at 322.81mph and Capps qualified third.

“When you’re out here, and you got four teams and so many people represent, it’s hard to make everybody happy,” Force said. “We have a race to win tomorrow, our cars are good, some are a little bit off, some are hot. I didn’t think we’d be that fast. But like Danny (Hood, crew chief) said: ‘Hang on.’ So when he does that, I know he’s pushing it. So I’m excited and I love Seattle.

“It’s funny, the days beat you up and you feel like everything’s going wrong, and then all of a sudden you run like that, you get young again.”

Four-time Top Fuel world champ Torrence made the most of his Saturday, picking up his first victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge by knocking off Shawn Langdon in the final round with a run of 3.788s at 325.61mph in his Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster. It’s the first win of any kind this season for Torrence, who was second in points entering the weekend. That shows the team’s consistency this season, but Torrence has been eager to get back in the winner’s circle. He did that on Saturday, knocking off Doug Kalitta and then Langdon to win the bonus race and enjoy plenty of momentum heading into Sunday’s eliminations.

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“We had a really good race car in Denver and we should have won (in the semifinals against Kalitta),” Torrence said. “It definitely gives me a boost of confidence in my race car. I went to the Western Swing with a completely different mindset. To win that gives us a lot of confidence going into race day tomorrow. It’s the first win we’ve had in a while and I think that’s finally coming around the way that we want to. The win light came on in our side and we won the race. I trusted my guys and my race. We didn’t win four world championships by not trusting in them.”

Salinas enjoyed an impressive Saturday in the class, too, picking up his second No. 1 qualifier this season and 13th in his career with a run of 3.743s at 329.02mph in his Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster. He followed it up with another strong run of 3.77s to close out the day, putting him in prime position to pick up his first win at Pacific Raceways and second victory this season. Doug Kalitta qualified second with a 3.753s at 327.66mph, and points leader Justin Ashley jumped to third in the final session after going 3.760s at 325.45mph.

“We tested a lot. We just didn’t share it with anybody,” Salinas said. “We just fell on our face and tried all kinds of different things. All the stuff we did learn, we’re just applying it now, and the car seems to be responding exactly the way we want it to. Our 60-foots were amazing for the heat. I think we’re in a good place.

“We tried to run a little bit better in Q3, but I think it mowed through the clutch a little bit. We were trying to actually run the same run a little bit hotter, because that’s what it’s going to be tomorrow.”

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, the day belonged to Herrera, as the current points leader won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge and qualified No. 1 in the category’s first appearance at Pacific Raceways. He knocked off Angie Smith in the finals of the bonus race on Saturday, going 6.794s at 197.42mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. It’s the third victory in the challenge for Herrera, who knocked off Chase Van Sant earlier in the day. He was eager to put on a strong performance in his debut in Seattle and Herrera certainly did that, giving him a chance to double up for the second time this season.

“I feel like we’re kind of back in the groove we had before Bristol, so to be able to come out here and get a third Mission win, it’s awesome,” Herrera said. “And to be No. 1 qualifier, it’s just an awesome start to the weekend. All the credit goes to the whole team. They really know their stuff. They’ve been doing this for many years and that gives me all the confidence in the world as a rider. The big thing for me on Sunday is to be consistent on the bike, but I feel very confident we can have a good day.”

Herrera’s 6.767s at 198.09mph from Friday gave the points leader his sixth No. 1 qualifier of 2023. His teammate, Eddie Krawiec, is second with a 6.776s at 198.82mph and Smith took third, going 6.787s at 200.29mph. It was the first 200-mph pass at Seattle for the Pro Stock Motorcycle category.

Eliminations for the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday at Pacific Raceways.

Salinas, Hight, Glenn, Herrera qualify No. 1 at NHRA Route 66 Nationals

Camrie Caruso drove to the win at the first NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout, claiming the victory over Aaron Stanfield on Saturday as part of the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway. In …

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won the bonus event in Chicago. Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the sixth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Caruso, who was seeded eighth in the eight-car field specialty race, went 6.524s at 211.03mph in her Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro in the final round to slip past Stanfield’s 6.525s. The 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year claimed her first career Pro Stock win earlier this year, following with an impressive performance in her first appearance at Route 66 Raceway, which is hosting its first NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series race since 2019.

“I told the guys at the beginning of the year I want to win all the specialty races this year, as well as obviously as many races as possible,” Caruso said. “This Pro Stock All-Star Callout gave us another chance to bring home a trophy at a racetrack I’ve never been to before. This was a whole bunch of new and first-time excitement for us this weekend. We managed to get it done. I’m excited and I couldn’t be more thankful.

“After the first round we had to change engines. We hurt the engine pretty good and couldn’t continue with it. We won and we didn’t really have a whole lot of time to come back up for the final, but the guys pushed through and made it happen. They gave me a great car and it all worked out in the end.”

Glenn claimed his first No. 1 qualifier with a track-record run of 6.510s at 210.70mph in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro. It came in the opening round of the Callout, but Glenn left the starting line too soon, ending his shot at a double-win weekend. Still, the points leader was enthused about his car in what is Glenn’s first Pro Stock appearance in Chicago.

“That run had extra pressure with the Callout race, but I went red. I knew I was red before red light came on,” Glenn said. “I just knew I was letting go early but the run just felt awesome. I was kicking myself the whole time but somehow, I accidentally managed to hit every shift absolutely perfect and keep it dead straight. It was a very nice run and it definitely should be some good momentum going into tomorrow.”

Charlotte winner Deric Kramer jumped to second in the final session with a pass of 6.515s at 210.11mph, while Bo Butner’s 6.519s at 210.21mph in the last qualifier sent him to third.

In Top Fuel, Ashley became the first two-time winner in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, going 3.728s at 331.12mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota dragster to knock off Austin Prock’s 3.742s. Ashley won the bonus event in Pomona and followed it up with another fantastic performance in Chicago, getting past Antron Brown in the opening round on a holeshot on Saturday and following with a victory against Prock thanks in part to an outstanding .046 reaction time.

“It’s very exciting, this deal does mean a lot to us. It’s a new deal and we’re really grateful for Mission Foods and how they’ve put on this challenge,” Ashley said. “Anytime you add an additional opportunity to race and collect bonus points along the way I think it’s special and I think it means a lot. It was a really exciting day, a great day, and I think we did a good job of running well and setting the tone for ourselves going into tomorrow. This place is beautiful and to be able to see the attendance today was really encouraging.”

Salinas’ 3.686s at 333.41mph from Friday in his Gerber Collision & Glass/Scrappers Racing dragster held up for his first No. 1 qualifier this year. He will open eliminations against Chicago-area native T.J. Zizzo. Prock’s 3.694s from Friday has him second, while Doug Kalitta bumped up to third in the final session after going 3.702s at 329.75mph.

“This is really big. Some of the higher ups at Gerber were on the line with us and they’re very pleased with what we did,” Salinas said. “It’s packed here. It’s pretty cool to be back here with all the fans. I was No. 1 qualifier here in 2019 so it’s pretty cool. I just want to finish it better than I did then (when he was runner-up in 2019).”

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Capps picked up his first win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, going 3.941s at 328.30mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra. The reigning world champion was set to face Terry Haddock in the finals of the specialty race, but Haddock’s car broke on the starting line, helping hand the victory to Capps, who was thrilled to win the bonus event for the first time.

“Every driver and crew chief and team that I talked to about this Mission deal was pumped,” Capps said. “They turned Saturday qualifying and made it insane. It really drives you and gets you going, so it’s a great program. When we saw the first one happen and we weren’t in it, we were bummed. Those points are so important and it’s such a great program, and I’m so excited we were finally able to win one.”

Hight maintained the top spot in Funny Car thanks to his impressive 3.831s at 335.07mph from Friday in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools/Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS. It gave Hight his first No. 1 qualifier of the year as he also closed Saturday with the quickest run of the day during the final session. He’ll open eliminations against Dale Creasy Jr., looking for his second straight win this year. Cruz Pedregon’s 3.889s at 327.59mph gave him second and J.R. Todd’s 3.906s at 333.00mph was third.

“We’ve been changing some combinations around a little bit and we’ve qualified No. 2 a couple times this year. We’ve been right there this year,” Hight said. “There’s a lot of great cars. It’s great timing to be No. 1 at the first race with Cornwell Tools. It’s going to be a battle tomorrow but it’s going to be fun. The fans are the ones who win in deals like this.”

Herrera continued to be nearly unstoppable in Pro Stock Motorcycle, crushing the Route 66 Raceway record books and earning the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory in the category as well. He easily held onto the No. 1 qualifier with another massive run in the final round of the challenge, dispatching Chase Van Sant with a run of 6.672s at 200.32mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. It’s the quickest run in Route 66 Raceway history in the category, eclipsing the mark he set on Friday.

He added another 6.677s in his opening-round win against Jianna Evaristo in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge before his standout run against Van Sant. It also gave the points leader his third straight No. 1 qualifier to open the season as he looks to win at his home track in his first appearance at Route 66 Raceway. Herrera will face Ron Tornow in the opening round.

“It means a lot. Obviously, Mission is a big sponsor for us, and for Mission to put this on and to be part of it is just a big deal alone,” Herrera said. “But to be able to get the win means a lot to the whole team and myself to be able to do that for Mission. (Crew chief) Andrew (Hines) has this thing on rails and it’s the baddest bike out here. It’s showing. They’re flexing their horsepower for sure.

“It would mean a lot to win here (on Sunday). It’s my first time racing here, having a lot of friends and family here. It’s special. The amount of support I have and everything. If I’m able to get a win here tomorrow, it would definitely be a special one.”

Chip Ellis took the second spot with a 6.756s at 200.68mph and Hector Arana Jr. qualified third thanks to his 6.759s at 201.85mph.

Eliminations for the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance begin at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway.

Salinas, Hight, Butner, Herrera fastest Friday at NHRA Route 66 Nationals

On a day filled with track records, Robert Hight set two in Funny Car, powering to the provisional No. 1 position on Friday as the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returned to Route 66 Raceway for the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 …

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Bo Butner (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the sixth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

The opening round is also set for the first NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout after the drivers made their selections on Friday. Points leader Dallas Glenn, who is seeded first, got the opening pick and selected five-time world champion Erica Enders. Matt Hartford followed by picking Troy Coughlin Jr. and Kyle Koretsky tabbed Aaron Stanfield as his first-round opponent. That set Cristian Cuadra and Camrie Caruso as the final first-round pairing, as four KB Titan Racing cars will take on four Elite Motorsports cars to kick off the callout.

Debuting a new look on his car, Hight made the quickest Funny Car run in 2023, going 3.831s at 335.07mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools/Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS and shattering the previous track record he set in 2017. If it holds, it would be his first No. 1 qualifier this season and 78th in his career at the NHRA’s first race in Chicago since 2019. Coming off a victory at the most recent event in Charlotte, Hight turned in an incredible performance on Friday.

“That actually surprised me,” Hight said. “(Crew chief Jimmy Prock) kept saying in Charlotte there was so much more left in this car and sure enough there was. It was such a smooth run and when it’s that smooth it doesn’t feel that fast. What’s amazing is to come back to a track we haven’t raced at in that many years and to pick up right like that is pretty impressive.”

Cruz Pedregon’s 3.889s at 327.59mph put him in the second spot and J.R. Todd’s 3.906s at 333.00mph was third best of the session.

Salinas dipped into the 3.60s to lead the way in Top Fuel, rolling to the No. 1 spot with a pass of 3.686s at 333.41mph in his 11,000-horsepower Gerber Collision & Glass/Scrappers Racing dragster. If it holds, it would give Salinas his first No. 1 spot of the season. The veteran has enjoyed success at Chicago over the years, qualifying No. 1 at NHRA’s last appearance at the track in 2019 and also finishing as the runner-up.

“It was really good. We’ve worked really hard on the car the last few weeks,” Salinas said. “The last time we raced here, we were the No. 1 qualifier and the run we made tonight, we did that three times in testing. We know we have a great car, and we just have to carry this over to tomorrow and then Sunday. I think there’s going to be some really good runs tomorrow because the track is really, really good.”

Austin Prock went to second with a 3.694s at 331.20mph and Justin Ashley’s 3.717s at 332.10mph has him in the third position.

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Butner came into the weekend looking to turn around his 2023 Pro Stock season and the former world champion took a big step on Friday, going 6.522s at 207.94mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Chevrolet Camaro. It set the track E.T. record and also puts Butner in line for his first No. 1 spot this season and 13th in his career. Currently ninth in points, Butner could make a big move if his weekend follows Friday’s performance.

“This is one of my favorite tracks and it’s good to be back here,” Butner said. “I missed this place, and it didn’t miss a beat. We haven’t been on it in four years and to go out and get a track record, that was great. The Elite team worked really hard in testing this week and that really paid off. It was a great run, and we were excited about it. I think the team found something in the cars.”

Cristian Cuadra is second after he went 6.529s at 210.31mph and Stanfield’s 6.534s at 210.14mph puts him third.

Herrera laid waste to both ends of the track record in Chicago while also continuing his dominant season in Pro Stock Motorcycle, delivering a stunning run of 6.677s at 202.45mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. After winning the first two races of the season, Herrera kept up his torrid pace on Friday, just missing out on the quickest run in class history. But he stayed on track for his third straight No. 1 qualifier with an unbelievable run to kick off qualifying.

“I live about an hour away from here, so this is my home track and it’s really cool to be back here in Joliet,” Herrera said. “I’ve got a lot of friends and family here, so to go out here and be No. 1, it means a lot to me. I’ve been here many times to watch, but that was my first pass down the track, so do that on my first run was pretty cool. The people at the shop put in a lot of work and I’m just glad to be part of it.”

Chip Ellis is currently second with a 6.756s at 200.68mph and Hector Arana Jr. took third after a run of 6.759s at 201.85mph. In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, Herrera will take on Jianna Evaristo, while Angie Smith will race Chase Van Sant in the semifinal rematches from Gainesville.

Qualifying continues at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.

Hagan, Salinas, Coughlin, Herrera win NHRA Gatornationals

In a matchup of the last two Funny Car winners at the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Matt Hagan drove past J.R. Todd in the final round on Sunday to kick off the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, also giving Tony …

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Hagan powered to a run of 3.926s at 329.34mph in his Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat, winning the Gatornationals for the second straight season. Both Hagan and Todd posted identical reaction times on the starting line, but Todd ran into trouble late in the run and Hagan claimed his 44th career win. He also defeated Tim Wilkerson, Bob Tasca III and Alexis DeJoria, making three straight runs in the 3.80s to reach the final round. After going his entire career without winning in Gainesville, Hagan, a three-time world champ, now has back-to-back wins at the historic race.

“For this team, we were just running strong, and to come out and win the first race of the season, it’s just amazing,” said Hagan, who is fourth all-time in Funny Car wins. “I’m just in awe of our team right now.

“I knew it was going to be a good race and honestly J.R. poked out there in front of me, and then something happened over there to him and we drove around him and turned on the win light. This car is just running strong. It’s just…it’s an honor to just even be in that caliber of drivers… It’s a huge honor for me to be able to be fourth all the time.”

Todd, who won in Gainesville to open the 2021 campaign, also impressed on Sunday, beating Blake Alexander, Robert Hight and Chad Green to reach his 42nd career final round.

In Top Fuel, Salinas won for the first time in Gainesville and the eighth time in his career, slipping past Steve Torrence in the final round with a 3.700s at 330.31mph in his Valley Services dragster. After winning a career-best four races last year, Salinas was determined to improve upon that in 2023. He impressed throughout eliminations, too, beating Justin Ashley, defending world champ Brittany Force and Leah Pruett to reach the final round, running as quick as 3.669s on raceday.

“I think we’re going to be really good all year long, but we’re fighting with the best in the world,” Salinas said. “The teams out here are no joke. You better bring your ‘A’ game every time, but everyone is beatable. It’s special what we have right now. These guys have taught me how to win and it’s a mindset. You appreciate wins like these because they’re so hard to come by.”

Torrence, the four-time world champ, reached the final round for the 82nd time in his career, knocking off Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher and Doug Kalitta, who set the track E.T. record with a run of 3.646s earlier in the day.

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Coughlin’s magical weekend in Pro Stock ended with his first Gatornationals victory, as he closed out the day with a run of 6.637s at 208.71mph in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Mason McGaha in the final round. It’s the third career win for Coughlin, who also qualified No. 1 and beat Larry Morgan, Deric Kramer and Dallas Glenn to set up the matchup with McGaha. Coughlin was excellent on the starting line and cemented his strong start to the 2023 campaign.

“I was a little fired up today,” Coughlin said. “At Elite Motorsports, it’s a little newer than the JEGS so-called legacy. It doesn’t date back to 1960, but it’s the same type of honor to me. You look at Erica (Enders), she’s a five-time world champion and you’re driving for a team that wins championships. They have that same demeanor when they drive through the gates. They expect to win and we’re one big family. That’s the coolest thing about it. When one car is out, we all work together.”

McGaha knocked off Fernando Cuadra, Kyle Koretsky and five-time world champ Greg Anderson to reach his second final round.

Herrera finished off a star-making weekend with one last dominant performance in the final round, going 6.706s at 202.15mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to beat Angie Smith and earn his first career NHRA victory. It was also Herrera’s first career race with Vance & Hines, and the young standout put together a marvelous performance, qualifying No. 1 and setting the track speed record in the process. He knocked off Ron Tornow, teammate Eddie Krawiec and Jianna Evaristo to reach the final round, making the quickest pass of each session before finishing the job in the finals.

“This is a dream,” Herrera said. “Vance & Hines is such an awesome team to work with. They help so much and it shows. I’m at a loss for words. I’m just out here having fun and I can’t believe I’m holding this Wally. To make this Vance & Hines team happy, it’s just an unbelievable feeling. To win out here and to do it in front of all these fans, it’s just amazing.”

Smith advanced to her second straight final round in Gainesville, going 6.845s at 181.84mph in the championship round. She knocked off John Hall, Joey Gladstone and rookie Chase Van Zant earlier in the day.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action with the NHRA Arizona Finals on March 24-26, which is the final race at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix.