Kalitta DNQs for 70th running of NHRA US Nationals in Indy

Top Fuel points leader and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta did not qualify for the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, going 3.793s during the final qualifying session. His teammate, Shawn Langdon, bumped him out on the next pass, going 3.784s to go to 16th. He’ll take on Brittany Force in the opening round, while Kalitta won’t qualify for the first time since 2010, an incredible span of 301 races.

Funny Car’s Paul Lee won a specialty race for the first time in his NHRA career on Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, defeating Bob Tasca in the final round of the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout.

In other racing action, Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Lee, who was seeded eighth in the eight-car field and appeared in a specialty race for the first time, went 4.243s at 328.38mph in his McLeod Racing/FTI Performance Dodge Charger to slip past Tasca’s 4.255s. Both cars drove into smoke near the finish line, but Lee had enough to coast to the victory, which nets the veteran the $80,000 prize. Lee beat Ron Capps and defending world champion Matt Hagan earlier on Sunday to reach the final round of the specialty race.

He left first on Tasca and held on for the win, which is certainly Lee’s biggest moment in the Funny Car ranks. Lee has made impressive strides this year with Jonnie Lindberg as his crew chief and John Medlen offering guidance as well.

“I couldn’t be prouder of my whole team. They really worked their butts off today, changed engines between first and second round and did a flawless job,” Lee said. “This is a team sport. I’m here representing my team, but it’s a true team sport and I just remember growing up watching all the specialty shootouts in the past and then growing up and getting to be in one and win it? I’m over the moon.

“I’m in it, I don’t care who I race. I didn’t really care because you have to beat everybody. Look at the cars you have to race, these are the top cars in the country. I don’t look at this as stress, I look at it as opportunity. This time, it was an opportunity to win $80,000. Tomorrow, I look at it the same way. I have the opportunity to win the U.S. Nationals.”

Top Fuel’s Brittany Force has enjoyed the weekend she has needed so far, securing the No. 1 qualifier when Saturday’s 3.693s at 333.08mph in her Chevrolet Accessories dragster. It’s the 48th top qualifier for the two-time world champ and Force needed every bit of it this weekend, entering the U.S. Nationals 10th in points. She’ll enter raceday with a 58-point advantage over 11th-place Josh Hart and Force will need to stay in the top 10 to earn a spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. That means plenty is on the line for Force on Monday as she opens eliminations against Shawn Langdon.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a weekend,” Force said. “We’ve done really well and we’re wearing a No. 1 qualifier hat. We ended up No. 1 and haven’t done that since the very beginning of the season. That’s a huge deal, but we are right now so focused on tomorrow and what it takes to stay in this thing. We’re sitting 10th and we can get bumped out. This team, we want to be in a hunt for a championship. We’ve done great so far and done everything that we can..

“If it wasn’t Langdon, it’d be somebody else and there is no easy team or driver out here. We’ve seen crazier things happen on raceday. We’re going to give it our all, we’re in a really good position, we have to focus on that and just stay in our lane – focus on what our team can do, what our goals are, what we want to accomplish.”

Tony Stewart qualified in the second spot with his 3.707s at 331.04mph and T.J. Zizzo is third with a 3.716s at 332.67mph.

In Funny Car, Austin Prock easily held on to the No. 1 spot, as Saturday’s stellar pass of 3.855s at 328.38mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS handed the points leader a remarkable 10th No. 1 qualifier this season. It’s been nothing short of a spectacular season for Prock in his rookie season in the category and this was another major moment for the young standout who earned his first career U.S. Nationals No. 1 qualifier. Prock will try to turn that into his first U.S. Nationals victory on Monday, where he will open eliminations against Chris King.

“It’s pretty cool, I didn’t even think about it until today and not very many people get to qualify No. 1 here at the U.S. Nationals. It’s our biggest race of the year, and I’m definitely proud of this team,” Prock said. “They all work really hard and deserve results like this. I was proud to be able to get the car down the track in a nice, neat fashion all five runs, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

“Earlier this week I got a new attitude, and I’ve just been having fun. When you get punched in the face like I did (in Brainerd), that’ll change a man. I got a new attitude and it’s been working so far. I’m having fun and can’t wait for tomorrow. It’s going to be a great show for the fans, and that’s how the U.S. Nationals should be.”

Tasca took the second spot with a 3.871s at 336.23mph and Jack Beckman, racing for John Force, qualified third thanks to a run of 3.877s at 329.10mph.

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For a third straight day, Greg Anderson stayed atop the Pro Stock field and for the third straight day, the veteran improved on his performance, going 6.575s at 207.88mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Weather conditions should allow for Anderson to improve again on Monday during eliminations, where the five-time world champion will have a chance to win The Big Go for the eighth time. He’ll open raceday against Camrie Caruso, looking for his third win of 2024. It’s already been a rewarding weekend for the veteran, making the quickest run in all five qualifying sessions, but success on Monday is the biggest thing and Anderson feels confident his team is on track.

“The big day is Monday but it’s been near perfection for three days straight and that’s a helluva confidence builder,” Anderson said. “It certainly makes me feel good, the car feels great, engine is running great, crew is right on point making decisions. Hopefully, we can make that go for four more runs tomorrow and make some magic here at Indy. I feel great, a lot of confidence in the group, the team, and that helps as a driver and makes you get up on the wheel as a driver.

“I need to get it done. That’s not just me, it’s the entire race team. We need to race error free, like we qualified and get the job done, win the race. I’ve got the horse, I need to ride that sucker to the finish line and ride it proud. That’s what I plan on doing tomorrow. I love racing here at Indy. It would be tough to find a more special race than when I won my 100th race here. You never know when you’re going to get another one. The very next one I get, if I can get another one, will be the best one I ever had.”

Defending world champion Erica Enders remained in second with a 6.592s at 207.11mph, while Jeg Coughlin Jr. took third with a 6.598s at 207.50mph.

After two days of strong performances from Matt Smith Racing, Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Gaige Herrera had his day on Sunday, picking up the No. 1 qualifier with a standout run of 6.809s at 197.71mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines. It was a strong weekend turnaround for the defending world champion, who picks up his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season with the impressive run. He’ll open eliminations against Wesley Wells, trying to pick up his first victory at the world’s biggest drag race. It’s one of the few events Herrera didn’t win a year ago and he’ll get a chance for redemption on Monday.

“It’s good to get the No. 1 spot for Vance & Hines. This is big for us,” Herrera said. “I was happy to run 6.80 and I’ve got to credit Mother Nature because the [cool weather] helped us. I just didn’t think it would be good enough to stick. I was surprised that it did. It should be even cooler tomorrow, so I think you’ll see some 6.70s for sure.

“We tested here a couple of weeks ago and it helped quite a bit. The air was close to what we had this morning, so we got good data. We’re in a good spot for Monday. That goes for me and Richard [Gadson], Kelly [Clontz], and Geno [Scali]. I think we’ll also do well tomorrow.”

Matt Smith took the second spot with a 6.816s at 196.90mph and John Hall qualified third after going 6.830s at 198.76mph.

Eliminations for the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Monday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Ashley, Todd, Glenn, Hall win US Nationals Mission Challenge

Justin Ashley picked up his fourth victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, defeating Ida Zetterstrom in the Top Fuel final of the bonus race as part of this weekend’s 70th annual Toyota …

J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round against Zetterstrom, Ashley went 4.085s at 260.01mph in his Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster, also clinching the overall season title in the bonus race for a second straight year. Ashley has enjoyed a stellar 10 wins in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge over the past two seasons, earning 13 bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs this year.

“We feel good. We take the Mission Foods Challenge very seriously,” Ashley said. “It’s important for a number of reasons. Obviously, we want to run well because it’s a part of qualifying and help position ourselves well for raceday, but it’s also points that are going to be added on before the Countdown starts, which is super important to us.

“Anything that we could win, we want to see win lights whether it’s the Mission Challenge or even in qualifying then of course on raceday. I’m super happy for the team, happy for the guys and everybody at Scag Power Equipment. We’ll enjoy it, but then we have to shift our focus to tomorrow.”

Funny Car’s J.R. Todd made the first step in what he hopes is a huge weekend, getting his third Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the year after defeating Chad Green in the final round with a run of 3.953s at 325.22mph in his DHL Toyota GR Supra. Todd is also in the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday, giving the former world champion a rare opportunity to win three times in one weekend.

“We have to thank Mission Foods for allowing us to have the opportunity to race for those bonus points – they’ll come in handy when the Countdown comes around,” Todd said. “We’re already spotting [Austin] Prock over a full round with all the points that he’s racked up, so it’s nice to add to our reset, whatever that may be after Monday. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a good position to maybe finish second in the regular season going into the Countdown and see where we stack up.”

Prock was the dominant overall champion of the bonus race thanks to an incredible seven victories this year. In the two-year existence of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, it’s the most wins anyone has picked up in a single season, giving Prock a whopping 23 bonus points for the playoffs.

In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn claimed his second Mission #2Fast2Tasty victory of the year, going 6.621s at 206.83mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro, defeating a red-lighting Mason McGaha in the final round of the bonus race. Glenn has enjoyed a strong season in the bonus race and the points leader in the category will also take 12 bonus points into the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

“This feels good. I don’t have the greatest track record in these bonus races, so it was good to seal another #2Fast2Tasty win,” Glenn said. “I think we have good momentum going into raceday even though we have another day of qualifying ahead of us. It’s going to be pretty interesting.

“We’re figuring stuff out, we’re getting better, I’m getting the car figured out better and trying to cut better lights. I had a great light against Aaron first round, and If I was 0.017s on the tree I would have lost. We’re coming into a stride right at the right time.”

Erica Enders won the overall Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge championship in the category on the strength of three wins and two runner-up finishes in the bonus race. She’ll take 13 bonus points into the Countdown to the Championship.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s John Hall earned his first-ever win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, getting the victory when teammate Matt Smith went red in the final round of the bonus race. Hall, a former U.S. Nationals winner, has come on strong at the right time on his Denso Auto Parts Buell, making a pair of impressive runs on Saturday.

“Today was a great day. I honestly didn’t know what to expect because we didn’t get to make a run on Friday night,” Hall said. “Normally, missing the first run wouldn’t be a big deal but when you have to go right into the Mission Challenge, you don’t know what the bike will run or what kind of a light you’ll have. I did just fine in the first run with a 0.011s light and I’m not sure what happened in the second, but I have to thank Matt for going red because I was way off.”

Gaige Herrera claimed the overall title in the category, slipping past Matt Smith on a tiebreaker. Both standouts finished with 12 bonus points for the playoffs, but Herrera won the tiebreaker by virtue of his three overall Challenge wins to Smith’s two.

Final qualifying begins at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Prock, Force, Anderson, Hall move to the top at NHRA US Nationals

Funny Car’s Austin Prock moved into the No. 1 position on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, taking over the provisional top spot at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and …

Funny Car’s Austin Prock moved into the No. 1 position on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, taking over the provisional top spot at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Prock made the quickest run in both qualifying sessions, including a weekend-best run of 3.855s at 328.38mph in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. If that holds, Prock, who is looking to win for the first time at the U.S. Nationals, would pick up his 10th No. 1 qualifier of the season in the first 14 races of the 2024 season.

“It’s been an outstanding weekend so far,” Prock said. “Everybody has just been having fun in this Cornwell Tools pit this weekend and I feel like we have a good attitude about the U.S. Nationals and going into the playoffs. It’s been an exciting weekend so far, and to lock up that Mission #2Fast2Tasty Championship says a lot about this race team and how consistent this racecar is with the job that they’re doing.

“Through life you have your ups and downs, but after [Brainerd], I feel like I have a brand new attitude and new mindset that can’t be shook. I’ve been annihilating the Christmas Tree this weekend which makes me feel really good and the hard work that I’ve been putting in is paying off. It’s a great start to the weekend. I’m just so proud of my family and this whole Cornwell Tools team and all of John Force Racing. We’ve been outstanding all weekend, all three race cars are just flying and it’s a great time to be doing it.”

Bob Tasca took over the second spot with a 3.871s at 336.23mph and Jack Beckman is in third after going 3.877s at 329.10mph.

Selections were also made for the opening round of the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout. Top seed Tasca selected Cruz Pedregon, while Ron Capps picked Paul Lee and Matt Hagan chose Alexis DeJoria, setting J.R. Todd and Chad Green as the final first-round matchup.

After a strong start to her weekend, Top Fuel’s Brittany Force enjoyed another standout day, improving on Friday’s time and staying as the provisional No. 1 qualifier with a run of 3.693s at 333.08mph in her Chevrolet Accessories dragster. Needing a big weekend after coming into Indy 10th in points, Force has done that so far, accumulating some much-needed qualifying bonus points in the process. She remains in prime position to pick up her second top qualifier of the season and the 48th in her career.

“There is a lot on the line this weekend, so to be able to improve and step up – our No. 1 spot was taken from us in Q2, and we knew we had to step it up. That was already David Grubnic’s plan, so to go from a 0.74s to a 0.69s was pretty awesome for this team,” Force said. “We’re very proud of that and very happy. We’re moving ahead, and we’re going to try to grasp as many points as we can get.

“The momentum is building for the entire team. We’re excited to be here, it’s the biggest race of the season. We’re sitting 10th and there is so much coming this weekend, so much pressure, but having three good runs down the racetrack really amps us up that much more. We’re excited to be here, but we’re waiting to get to Monday.”

Tony Stewart made a strong improvement as well, racing to the second spot with a pass of 3.707s at 331.04mph, while T.J. Zizzo is third with a 3.716s at 332.67mph.

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Greg Anderson believed there was more in his car and that proved to be true on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, making a major improvement with a run of 6.588s at 206.20mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. He stays in the No. 1 spot for a second straight day and there was plenty for the five-time champion to like. Anderson, who has won the U.S. Nationals seven times, made the quickest run during both sessions on Saturday, putting him on a strong path to collect his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season.

“I knew if we didn’t do something like that, we wouldn’t be No. 1,” Anderson said. “The guys did a fantastic job. My car was No. 1 to 60-foot, I didn’t quite expect that, and that’s what got us the provisional pole. Everything has to go perfect for you to get a No. 1 spot and win rounds anymore. We did a great job but we’re only halfway through the weekend, still have another whole day of qualifying left and it looks like tomorrow is going to be a tick better again.

“The pole is not safe. You’ll have to find a way to do a better job again. They’re all nipping at my heels, without a doubt, and anybody can get that pole. There are a lot of people capable of taking it, so we’ll have to give it all we’ve got and try to be perfect. We’re three for three so far, it’ll be quite a feather in the cap if we can go five for five in qualifying and bring momentum into Monday.”

Erica Enders remained in second, improving to a 6.592s at 207.11mph, while Jerry Tucker nearly dipped into the 6.50s as well, moving to third with a 6.600s at 207.59mph.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith Racing continued to have a strong weekend at Indy, with John Hall making a big move to the No. 1 position with a run of 6.830s at 198.76mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. Hall made the best run of both sessions on Saturday, putting him in a great position to earn his first career No. 1 qualifier. Hall is a previous U.S. Nationals winner and knows full well what success at this race means.

“In this weather, I think a 6.83s is pretty good,” Hall said. “Normally, the Friday run would have been the best, but it was hot yesterday, so we had an opportunity to pick up today. I was in a similar spot in 2013 but this time I have more confidence than ever and that’s the No. 1 thing you can have. This is the biggest race of the year and the one you really want. We want to win all of them, but this is the one that sticks with you for life. I was fortunate to win once but I’d love to have two.”

Matt Smith is currently second after going 6.836s at 199.35mph, while points leader Gaige Herrera moved up to third thanks to a 6.850s at 196.64mph.

Final qualifying begins at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Racing on TV, August 30-September 2

All times Eastern; live broadcasts unless noted. Friday, August 30 Italian GP practice 1 7:25-8:30am Italian GP practice 2 10:55am- 12:00pm Milwaukee practice 1 3:35-6:00pm Saturday, August 31 Italian GP practice 3 6:25-7:30am Aragon sprint 8:30- …

All times Eastern; live broadcasts unless noted.

Friday, August 30

Italian GP
practice 1

7:25-8:30am

Italian GP
practice 2

10:55am-
12:00pm

Milwaukee
practice 1

3:35-6:00pm

Saturday, August 31

	Italian GP practice 3	6:25-7:30am
	Aragon sprint	8:30- 10:00am
	Italian GP qualifying	9:55- 11:00am
	Darlington qualifying	10:30am
	Darlington qualifying	12:30-2:30pm
	Milwaukee qualifying	2:15-3:15pm
	CTMP TA/TA2	2:15-3:30pm
	Darlington	3:00-3:30pm pre-race 3:30-6:00pm race
	Milwaukee	3:50-5:05pm
	COTA race 1	5:35-6:25pm
	Milwaukee race 1	5:40-8:00pm
	COTA race 1	7:05-8:05pm

Sunday, September 1

	Italian GP	7:30-8:55am pre-race 8:55-11:00am race
	Aragon GP	7:30-10:00am
	COTA race 2	9:35-10:25am
	COTA race 2	10:45- 11:40am
	US Nationals qualifying 1	1:00-3:00pm
	COTA – start	1:30-3:00pm
	Milwaukee race 2	2:30-3:00pm pre-race 3:00-5:30pm race
	US Nationals FC All Star Callout	5:00-6:30pm
	Darlington	5:30-6:00pm pre-race 6:00-10:30pm race
	US Nationals qualifying 2	6:30-8:30pm
	COTA – finish	7:00-8:30pm
	DuQuoin	8:30-10:30pm

Monday, September 2

	US Nationals finals 1	12:00-2:00pm
	US Nationals finals 2	2:00-5:00pm

Key: SDD: Same day delay; D = delayed; R = Replay

FIA WEC is available on Max’s B/R Sports Add-On in addition to Motor Trend. Check your streaming provider for air times

MotoGP is now airing live on TruTV and Max’s B/R Sports Add-On. Check your streaming provider for air times

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John Force powers to Mission 2Fast2Tasty win at NHRA US Nationals

Funny Car legend John Force claimed his first win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, defeating back-to-back world champ Ron Capps in the final round on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park as part of this weekend’s 69th annual …

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the world’s biggest drag race in Indy.

Force went 3.989s at 328.78mph in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS to defeat Capps, picking up the victory in the bonus race for the first time in 2023. Force knocked off teammate Robert Hight earlier in the day before getting past his longtime rival in the finals, adding another chapter to his rich Indy legacy.

“I want to win the Mission deal, but it was an opportunity that I got away with it,” Force said. “You just do what you do and attack it. I’m not saying what I do is right, it’s just what I do. Some days, the good Lord lets me get away with it, and I did today. It was good to come in here to Indy and be able to do your job at my age. I ain’t great, but I’m good enough to be here, and I’m going to get better. I have a lot of work to do, but I’m no spring chicken. I’ve won Indy five times, but it was a good feeling to do this.”

Capps was the season winner in the Funny Car Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, accumulating 14 playoff points in the process.

In Top Fuel, Justin Ashley finished off his season-long success in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge with his unprecedented sixth victory in the bonus race thanks to a stellar run of 3.714s at 334.73mph in his Phillips Connect/Toyota Dragster. That gave him the win over Antron Brown in the final round, as well as the season-long title in the specialty race. Ashley was incredible in the Saturday event from start to finish and his reward – along with a number of bonus payouts – is 21 playoff points when the Countdown to the Championship begins.

“These Mission #2Fast2Tasty points really add up, especially because of when they come into play which is after the points reset,” Ashley said. “It was critical for our team to take advantage of every opportunity we had during this challenge. I feel like we did a great job with that, and it’s just a testament to the great team that we have.

“Overall, when you look at the challenge, it’s really unique, something we’ve never done as a sport. I think it’s good for the fans, good for the teams, and good for the drivers. It’s really a win-win all around. It’s just been so much fun. It’s been an absolute blast.”

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Stanfield turned in an impressive performance in the final round of the specialty race in Pro Stock, knocking off Kyle Koretsky with a run of 6.630s at 207.56mph in his Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro. Not only does it give Stanfield his second win this season in the bonus race, but the rising star was also overall Pro Stock season winner in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge over Dallas Glenn.

It was a thrilling moment for Stanfield, who looks to have a huge impact in the Countdown to the Championship. Saturday’s win provided plenty of momentum and Stanfield, who earned eight playoff points for the Countdown, hopes to carry it over to the rest of the weekend.

“It’s pretty cool and to be honest with you I didn’t even know I had a shot to win this,” Stanfield said. “Sometimes that’s the best way to go into something like that. I have to thank Mr. Gonzalez and Mission Foods for putting on a program for us to add a little bit of more competitive juices throughout qualifying and the race. My guys gave me a really good hot rod today, and I drove good enough to get it done. It’s always good to do it at Indy.”

Gaige Herrera cemented his dominance in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, winning for the fourth time in six Pro Stock Motorcycle races by defeating Eddie Krawiec in the finals on Saturday with a run of 6.759s at 199.11mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Much like he has been all year, Herrera was incredible on Saturday in the bonus event, posting a pair of strong runs.

It gave him 13 additional playoff points in the Countdown to the Championship, another tremendous achievement in his standout 2023 campaign.

“It’s been very exciting,” Herrera said. “Mission is a very big sponsor for us, so to be able to represent for them is big. Not only that, but to have both bikes in the final, it was awesome for the whole team and for Mission and our Vance & Hines Suzukis. I’m very ecstatic to get this overall win, I got four out of six of them, and this whole season has been incredible. It’s hard to put into words because I feel like it’s still not real.”

Qualifying continues on Sunday at 12:15 p.m. ET at the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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