Texas Motorplex – Syndication Server

Ashley, Hagan, Coughlin Jr., Herrera win NHRA Texas FallNationals

Justin Ashley moved into the Top Fuel points lead on Sunday at Texas Motorplex, holding off Clay Millican in the final round and winning in Dallas for the third time in four years at the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals. Matt Hagan (Funny Car), …

Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 18th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Ashley went 3.773s at 327.99mph in his Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster in the final round, defeating Millican on a holeshot thanks to a brilliant 0.026s reaction time on the starting line. Millican went a quicker 3.762s at 328.40mph but couldn’t track down Ashley at the finish line. It is the fourth win this season and the 15th overall for Ashley, who defeated Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon and Tony Schumacher to reach the final round.

He qualified 12th, only make Friday’s first qualifying pass while observing Yom Kippur. But the team was prepared on Sunday with several standout runs and Ashley now has a 44-point lead over Antron Brown with two races remaining.

“This just speaks volumes of the kind of team we have,” Ashley said. “When I went up to them and told them my plan, the team rallied around me and we rallied together as a group. We’re one team and one family, and for them to understand my principles and having only one lap down the racetrack – I don’t think we had lane choice once today, our backs were against the wall, but Mike (Green, crew chief) and Tommy (DeLago) did an awesome job.

“It’s not over until it’s over, that much is for sure. You just have to keep swinging, and it’s best for us to not even look at the points. If we don’t take care of our business, it’s not going to matter anyway. It’s important to enjoy it, but once we leave here our focus has to immediately shift to Vegas. No matter what, this is far, far from over. We took a major step today, but it’s going to become more and more difficult. Just like it always does, it’s going to come down to Pomona.”

Millican advanced to the finals for the third time this season and the 25th time in his career by taking down defending world champ Doug Kalitta, Shawn Reed and Texan Steve Torrence.

Texas Motorplex continued to bring out the best in defending Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan, who won for the second consecutive year in Dallas for Tony Stewart Racing, defeating Ron Capps with a run of 3.943s at 327.65mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat. It is the third victory this season for Hagan and the 52nd in his career as he also moved to third in points, 168 back of leader Austin Prock.

After qualifying second, Hagan took down Bobby Bode, Cruz Pedregon and Daniel Wilkerson to reach the final round, utilizing a better 0.064s reaction time to hold off Capps’ run of 3.934s at 328.28mph. The team had struggled since Hagan last won in May in Chicago, but he was thrilled with how everyone performed in the warm conditions on Sunday, giving the team a much-needed late-season jolt.

“I was really on the chip, and I love Capps to death, but I was ready to cut his head off,” Hagan said. “You’re going in like a gladiator. You get to get on this crazy machine, and you never know what it’s going to do, but this is one of the cool things we get to do, drive something so unpredictable.

“But that’s why we love doing it. To get this win for Jason Johnson and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage, to pull down the win was huge. Life is about the people and the relationships we build along the way, that’s what really matters. We’ve surrounded ourselves with really smart people and I believe in my guys and my crew. Those core group of guys really mattered and I’ve been lucky to keep my core group together for so long.”

Capps advanced to the finals for the fifth time this season and the 152nd in his career by defeating Dave Richards, Blake Alexander and Prock. Prock will still take a commanding lead into Las Vegas, as he will lead Jack Beckman by 147 points heading into the final two races. Beckman, who has racing for drag racing legend John Force, did not compete on Sunday after waking up with vertigo-like symptoms.

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In Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin Jr. got the better of longtime rival Greg Anderson in the championship round, picking up his first win at Texas Motorplex in more than 20 years after slipping past Anderson with a run of 6.592s at 208.10mph in his Scag Power Equipment car. Coughlin’s last win in Dallas came in 2002, but that all changed with a classic performance on Sunday. It gives Coughlin his fifth victory this season and the 69th in his career.

To get there, he knocked off Cory Reed, David Cuadra and Matt Hartford, but the performance was turned up in the final round against Anderson. It was a pair of five-time world champions, but Coughlin slipped past the veteran at the finish line. He’s fifth in points and was also thrilled to enjoy the first double-up victory for Scag Power Equipment.

“This feels fantastic,” Coughlin said. “For us, the cherry on top was for Justin Ashley and me to get our first double together as Scag teammates. I’m really eager to go celebrate with our team. It should be a big one. This Wally is going back to Mark Ingersoll. It’s quite remarkable what he’s gone through He’s on a good path to recovery, and he’s as strong as an ox for sure. We miss having him out here and look forward to him coming back more.

“Greg has always been the pinnacle since he got behind the wheel of a Pro Stock program. Today he had us outpaced, performance-wise, so we jokingly said we needed to pull a rabbit out of the hat before this final round – and fortunately we did. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded with some amazing teams, amazing people. I think this weekend is another testament to that. I saw that win light come on, and I couldn’t have been more excited.”

Anderson, who was the No. 1 qualifier, reached the finals for the fourth time this year and the 180th in his career by taking down Fernando Cuadra Jr. and points leader Dallas Glenn. But Glenn did strengthen his points lead by knocking off Stanfield in the second round, taking a 54-point advantage over Stanfield into Las Vegas. Anderson jumped to third with his final-round appearance.

It was another dominant Dallas weekend for Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Gaige Herrera, who won for the second year at Texas Motorplex after defeating rival Matt Smith in the final round with a run of 6.816s at 200.56mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. With the win, Herrera picked up his 20th career victory, reaching that milestone quicker than any driver in NHRA history.

Herrera, who was also the No. 1 qualifier as part of a spectacular weekend, now has nine victories in 2024, taking a 62-point lead over Smith into the final two races of the season as he seeks a second straight championship. To reach the final round on Sunday, Herrera got past Chase Van Sant and Jianna Evaristo. Smith left the starting line first but ran into trouble as Herrera cruised to his second straight victory in the Countdown to the Championship.

“Today means a lot,” Herrera said. “I had more luck on my side today than performance, for sure. I was sleeping on one of the lights and Chase went red, and in the final there, Matt would have had me. Luck was definitely on my side, and I’d rather be lucky than good any day. My bike ran well all day with the heat, considering. I made a few little mistakes, but all in all, I’m glad to go home with the win and another cowboy hat.

“This Countdown has been pretty tight. We all know there was some trash talk, so for us to not have the performance advantage and get the win, it means a lot to me. This season, it just means a lot more each round win we get. This year has been a lot more pressure for me as a rider. Each round and win means so much more this time. I’m kind of just showing my real side and not holding it in anymore.”

Smith reached his fifth final round in 2024 and the 80th in his career thanks to round wins against Malcolm Phillips Jr., Marc Ingwersen and Hector Arana Jr.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 31-Nov. 3 with the 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Force, Prock, Anderson, Herrera qualify No. 1 at NHRA Texas FallNationals

Two-time Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force clinched her 50th career No. 1 qualifier on Saturday at Texas Motorplex, hanging on to the top position at the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals. Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) …

Two-time Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force clinched her 50th career No. 1 qualifier on Saturday at Texas Motorplex, hanging on to the top position at the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals.

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 18th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Force’s run of 3.667s at 338.19mph from Friday in her HendrickCars.com/Chevrolet dragster wasn’t challenged on Saturday, handing the 16-time event winner her fourth No. 1 qualifier of the year. She will open eliminations against Spencer Hyde, looking to pick up her first victory since the 2022 season. Force was thrilled to earn a 50th career No. 1 qualifier, but her focus remains on going four rounds on Sunday.

“Just to hear ‘50,’ that’s such a big achievement,” Force said. “It’s a big achievement by all of John Force Racing. It’s something I’m very proud of. It seems like an impossible number and to have that in my career, to be able to accomplish that is huge and something I’m very proud of. The cool thing is, it was a collective thing. It was done with so many different teams and crew chiefs that I’ll always look up to. They all taught me things along the way that I still use to this day. I’m very thankful to them that they’re part of my career and getting that 50.

“To see three [No. 1s] in the last [five] races, it shows that this team is gaining momentum and that we’re moving in the right direction. We’re starting to move on to something positive. But ultimately, we want to perform well on Sunday.”

Shawn Reed qualified second with a 3.676s at 330.71mph and Texan Steve Torrence took third thanks to his pass of 3.721s at 332.03mph. Points leader Antron Brown qualified fifth and will face off with Justin Ashley, who is 34 points behind in second, in a must-see opening round.

In Funny Car, Prock matched his boss and legendary Funny Car driver John Force for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season in class history, earning his 13th No. 1 spot of the 2024 season when Friday’s track-record run of 3.813s at 333.09mph in his AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS wasn’t challenged on Saturday, ensuring a John Force Racing sweep in qualifying.

Friday’s run was also the eighth-quickest in Funny Car history for the dominant points leader, who will look to extend his lead on Sunday. He will start raceday against Terry Haddock as he seeks an eighth victory in 2024.

“It’s pretty special. I had no idea that there was a record until a few weeks ago and we’ve knocked off a few more, and we eventually tied them today,” Prock said. “It’s pretty special to be added to that list, and to do it in 18 races is pretty incredible. It speaks volumes about this team, my dad, my brother, Nate Hildahl, everyone that’s on this AAA/Cornwall Tools car. I’m really proud of this team and happy to be driving this race car.

“I did talk to John last night and he was he was so ecstatic to see our race car and his daughter’s race car go No. 1 qualifier. He was watching all evening long, and he was really proud. It was nice to hear his voice and know that he was watching and he’s proud, and hopefully we can make them proud the rest of the season.”

Defending event winner and reigning world champion Matt Hagan took second after Friday’s 3.823s at 335.20mph and Jack Beckman, who is second in points, finished third with a 3.825s at 331.49mph.

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Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson heads into race day with plenty of momentum after his 6.524s at 208.99mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro from Friday was enough to hand the five-time world champion his sixth No. 1 spot of the season and the 130th in his standout career. Anderson, who is currently fourth in points, made a pair of solid runs on Saturday as well. To stay in the title hunt, Anderson knows he will need a big day on Dallas.

Enders qualified second thanks to Friday’s 6.526s at 209.09mph and David Cuadra took third with a 6.532s at 208.60mph. Aaron Stanfield and leader Dallas Glenn – are fourth and fifth, respectively. The top two in points could meet in the second round, with a potential matchup with Anderson looming in the semifinals.

“Three of us are one side. Erica happened to end up on the other side and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing for her. We’ll see how it plays out tomorrow,” Anderson said. “There’s only going to be one of the three left in the semifinal on our side of the ladder. Without something like that happening at one of these races I probably wouldn’t have a chance to make up ground because if we all four keep making the semifinals, you’re not going to make up much ground. It’s really the only chance I’ve got.

“We’ll see how the cards fall tomorrow, but it’s an opportunity. I like that. We’re going to be fast. I’m excited to race, and it could be a turning point of the season. It’s time to either get it done or go home.”

Herrera was the only provisional No. 1 qualifier to improve on Saturday, delivering a run of 6.749s at 202.52mph in Pro Stock Motorcycle on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It hands the points leader his eighth No. 1 qualifier in 2024 and the 22nd in his career, and Herrera will look to win in Dallas for a second straight year. Herrera was impressed with his team’s ability to improve on Friday’s run as he looks to extend his points lead on Sunday.

“The only thing that made it possible was tail wind,” Herrera said. “You just had to catch it at the right time. It was a cross tail so I didn’t think being in the right lane would affect us as much as it did, but it did. That was a good pass. Tomorrow we’re going to be racing in this kind of weather. I think it’s going to be a direct, straight tail wind instead of across. Probably see a pretty good mile an hour tomorrow and it’ll be a good day of racing.

“The biggest thing I focus on is the here and now. You can’t predict what’s going to happen. You can’t try to make stuff happen. You just have to go out there and do what you have to do and it’s going to turn out how it’s going to be.”

Matt Smith jumped up to second in the final session after going 6.756s at 201.77mph and Jianna Evaristo took third thanks to Friday’s 6.777s at 201.81mph.

Eliminations for the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals begin at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday at Texas Motorplex.

Prock, Force, Anderson Herrera go No. 1 on Friday at NHRA Texas FallNationals

Funny Car points leader Austin Prock made the quickest Funny Car run in seven years on Friday at Texas Motorplex, setting the track record and taking the provisional No. 1 spot for John Force Racing at the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals. …

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 18th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

A special “Friday Night Live” meant more than $40,000 in bonus money on the line as well. The low qualifier under the lights on Friday night handed the Top Fuel and Funny Car stars $15,000 each in bonus money, with $7,500 going to the quickest qualifier in Pro Stock and $5,000 in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Prock left no doubt who would get the $15,000 bonus money in Funny Car, as he went a blistering 3.813s at 333.09mph in his AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS, eclipsing the track record by a huge margin and making the quickest run in Funny Car since 2017. If it holds, Prock would earn his 13th No. 1 spot of the season, which would tie him with John Force for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season in Funny Car history.

“I was definitely jacked up for this one,” Prock said. “I knew the conditions were there and this AAA team was going to push. I’m really proud of them. This track is really difficult to drive, especially at night, [but] I stood on the gas and felt like I was pretty centered up. I think I got a little close to the center line, but it was still a pretty great run. I’m looking forward to getting back to the pit and scoping it out and seeing what I can learn from that.

“We’re always on kill, I would say, but we know we have to be at our absolute best these last three races to try to wrap this deal up. We’ve put a lot of hard work in this year, but three races, that’s a long way to go in this Countdown. We have to keep making smart decisions, play off our notebook, and try to do the best we can and see how everything plays out.”

Defending event winner and reigning world champion Matt Hagan is second after a run of 3.823s at 335.20mph and Jack Beckman, who is second in points, was right behind with a pass of 3.825s at 331.49mph.

In Top Fuel, Brittany Force made it a John Force Racing bonus double-up on Friday, delivering a stellar run of 3.667s at 338.19mph in her HendrickCars.com/Chevrolet dragster to earn the $15,000 bonus check. It was the second-fastest run of the year in Top Fuel and puts Force in a great position to collect her fourth No. 1 qualifier of the year and the 50th in her standout Top Fuel career. Looking for her first victory since 2022, Force is eager to build on a memorable Friday night at Texas Motorplex.

“That was just an amazing run for our team to come out here. We’ve had a tough year and that 3.66s and 338mph, that’s David Grubnic and this HendrickCars.com team,” Force said. “We’ve been pushing all season long to have a run like that. Getting the check and the cowboy boots really boosts the team morale, and we’re ready to attack the rest of the weekend.

“We won’t give up until it’s done. We’ll keep on pushing. Our game plan is to win this event here. We try not to get too far ahead of ourselves, we’re focused on moving up on that ladder and getting back in that winner’s circle. It’s been far too long. When I head back to my pits right now, I know the guys are going to be pumped. We all kept pushing. It gets hard, but we continue to push to be the best that we can. To do that today, it gives us a boost. We want to keep doing that.”

Shawn Reed is currently second after going 3.676s at 330.71mph and Texan Steve Torrence is third thanks to his pass of 3.721s at 332.03mph.

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Anderson closed out Pro Stock qualifying in standout fashion, taking the $7,500 bonus and the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 6.524s at 208.99mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Erica Enders set the bar early in the session, but Anderson closed it out on top as he seeks his sixth No. 1 qualifier of the year and the 130th in his tremendous career. Anderson, who is currently fourth in the Pro Stock points standings, has enjoyed several terrific moments at Texas Motorplex over the years and he added to that on Friday under the lights.

“I love coming here, I absolutely love it,” Anderson said. “It’s all the Meyer family. They make it special, and it matters to us. It makes you rise to the next level. We got it done by 0.002s and how fitting. That’s the battle we’ve been having lately, it’s who makes the sweetest, most perfect run. That was pretty mean. I knew that was the target and it was going to be close, and it certainly was. Fortunately, we were able to keep her in the center of the racetrack and got the check by 0.002s. It all ended up great, it’s a great night in Texas.

“These bonus points mean everything. It’s going to be extremely hard to make up ground on any one of them, let alone three of the four of them. They’re not making mistakes. They’re racing error-free, they’re fast. It’s going to be very hard to make up some ground. I’m not in a great spot, but I’m not going to give up. I’m going to keep trying. Mission accomplished today, a perfect Friday.”

Enders took the second position, just missing the top spot after a run of 6.526s at 209.09mph and David Cuadra’s 6.532s at 208.60mph puts him third. The top two drivers in points – Aaron Stanfield and leader Dallas Glenn – are fourth and fifth, respectively.

Herrera shattered records a year ago in Pro Stock Motorcycle at Texas Motorplex and enjoyed another impressive Friday to open the weekend this season, making the quickest run of each session, including a 6.757s at 201.21mph under the lights on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. The run nets Herrera $5,000 and also puts the defending world champion and current points leader in line for his eighth No. 1 spot this season and 22nd in his career.

Herrera moved back into the lead thanks to his win at the most recent race in St. Louis and he looks to strengthen in a major way with a second straight victory in Dallas.

“You come here, you get a different vibe,” Herrera said. “It’s a very welcoming, ‘have fun’ vibe, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re having fun and getting to race at the same time. It’s awesome to get that bonus money on Friday night. I can’t thank the Meyer family enough for all they do for us racers at Texas Motorplex. My bike ran good coming off the trailer, so we were happy to get that and get a little extra change.

“There are a lot of fast motorcycles right now between the whole class. We just have a consistently fast motorcycle at the moment. We’re trying to get every little point that we can. It’s all about consistency right now.”

Jianna Evaristo is second after going 6.777s at 201.81mph and Angie Smith is third thanks to a run of 6.808s at 201.41mph.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.

Tony Stewart Racing blasts to first double at NHRA Texas Nationals

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Herrera sets new PSM record en route to No. 1 at NHRA Texas Nationals

Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Gaige Herrera made the quickest run in class history on Saturday at the Texas Motorplex, setting the national record and also breaking the category mark for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season in front of …

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 at the 19th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Herrera rocketed to a run of 6.627s at 204.16mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, shattering the previous national record. It was also the second-fastest run in Pro Stock Motorcycle history. Herrera, who has eight wins this year, earned his 12th No. 1 spot, setting the class record for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season. He’ll open eliminations against Blaine Hale, looking to close out yet another magical weekend this season.

“We didn’t think it would be possible, but it was a picture-perfect run,” Herrera said. “It was so smooth it felt slow. We’re definitely happy about that and I was actually almost more excited about that than winning a race. It’s just a big accomplishment. I’ve got a fast motorcycle, and I feel if something doesn’t break and I don’t mess up, it’s going to be hard to beat us.

“There has been a lot to take in this season and I really don’t think it’s all set in. I can’t really put into words. A year ago today I would not have thought I’d be in the position I’m in, especially accomplishing so much that we have so far this season.”

Kelly Clontz made the best run of her career, going 6.705s at 201.99mph to make a massive jump to second. Eddie Krawiec took third on the strength of his 6.714s at 203.92mph.

Steve Torrence hung on to the No. 1 position in a loaded Top Fuel field, as his track-record run of 3.636s at 336.62mph in his Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster was good enough to hold off an epic number of qualifying runs on Saturday. It’s the third No. 1 qualifier for the Texan and four-time world champion, and he’ll open eliminations against Buddy Hull on Sunday. He entered the weekend third in points behind Leah Pruett and leader Doug Kalitta and gathered plenty of momentum with three straight runs in the 3.60s over the final three qualifying sessions. He’ll try to finish off a special weekend with a third win at his home track in front of what’s expected to be another huge crowd.

“It’s definitely morale boosting to go out and go low ET. But more importantly, today we went out and ran (3.66s) on the first lap, (3.67s) on the second lap,” Torrence said. “When you have a car that’s consistent, it’s always a confidence booster but especially when it’s consistently quick and you’re picking up points and something that very potentially could be the deciding factor in winning or losing a championship.

“At this point I’m probably more confident in my car than any other time in the season. We’re making really good strides at the right time, and I’m very confident going into tomorrow. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a hometown crowd.”

Torrence kept all the stars at bay, but nearly everyone put up a challenge, as 12 cars dipped into the 3.60s in the second-quickest qualifying field in Top Fuel history. Points leader Kalitta held on to second thanks to his 3.642s at 334.70mph on Friday and Mike Salinas jumped to third Saturday evening with a 3.655s at 333.73mph.

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In Funny Car, Bob Tasca III closed out qualifying with a massive blast of 338.57mph, giving him plenty of confidence heading into eliminations, but it was his track-record pass of 3.822s at 335.55mph on Friday in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang that handed the points leader his seventh No. 1 spot this season. Tasca will open eliminations against Jack Wyatt and he’s got plenty of momentum, making the quickest run in three of the four sessions, which helped add to his points lead. With ideal conditions expected for eliminations, Tasca is ready for an unbelievable championship Sunday in Dallas.

“We have one of the best cars on the planet right now, so you’ve got a lot of confidence,” Tasca said. “Anyone out there can take out one of these cars easily. But we’ve got a really good car, the guys have a great handle on it. That 338mph speed was pretty remarkable actually. I got No. 1 and the (personal-best) speed record. That was pretty cool. That was the fastest I’ve ever been in a car and I tell you one thing, when those parachutes come out four runs in a row at well over 330mph, I’m a little sore to be honest with you.

“I could really hear the motor rev up in the lights and that’s when you think it’s on a big run. The fans got their money’s worth, and they’ll get their money’s worth tomorrow because you’re going to see a lot of those same conditions. Our side of the ladder is pretty stacked. That’s what we want. If you want to win the championship, you want to beat some of the top cars early and try to get ourselves into a position to win this race.”

John Force made a career-best pass to close out qualifying, taking the second spot with a 3.823s at 328.56mph. Robert Hight, who was second in points entering the weekend, took third with a 3.832s at 327.75mph, with Ron Capps and Matt Hagan right behind with runs of 3.844s and 3.848mph, respectively.

On a historic day in Pro Stock, five-time world champion Greg Anderson jumped to the top on Saturday, claiming the No. 1 qualifier with a standout run of 6.480s at 211.76mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It gives Anderson his second No. 1 spot this season and the 123rd in his career, doing so in Dallas against the quickest qualifying field in Pro Stock history. A total of nine cars ran in the 6.40s, with Chris McGaha taking the No. 16 spot with a 6.536s. That will be Anderson’s first-round matchup on Sunday, as the veteran looks to win his third straight race in the Countdown to the Championship. Anderson enjoyed every bit of Saturday’s performance, making a pair of runs in the 6.40s and taking the top spot in an unbelievably quick field.

“Momentum is obviously worth a lot. You can’t quantify it, but it’s worth a lot,” Anderson said. “To get the No. 1 spot this weekend, this has probably been the toughest four rounds of qualifying that I can remember in my career. There has never been as many cars capable of driving the pole and being No. 1 through No. 10 in any order. Every thousandth meant everything, and that means to us, not only does that car have to be perfect every time down the racetrack, but you have to shift it perfectly.

“It’s that tough out there right now. The bar has been raised in this class and I’m proud to be one of the guys in the mix fighting for a championship and having a chance to fight for the pole like we did this weekend. It’s a lot of fun when you have conditions like this. This is what we live for. It was a great weekend so far in qualifying and tomorrow will be even better yet, I think you’ll see even faster times and it’s crazy. There are just so many capable of doing it.”

Troy Coughlin Jr. took the second spot with a 6.482s at 212.05mph and points leader Erica Enders is right behind in third after a 6.483s at 211.82mph. Jerry Tucker, Dallas Glenn, Deric Kramer, Matt Hartford, Kyle Koretsky and Aaron Stanfield all ran in the 6.40s as well.

Eliminations for the Texas NHRA FallNationals begin at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday at the Texas Motorplex.