2022 NHRA VIRGINIA NATIONALS - RICHMOND RESULTS
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SUNDAY - B. FORCE, HIGHT AND M. SMITH CAP OFF VIRGINIA NHRA NATIONALS WITH VICTORIES
Brittany Force finished off a dominant weekend that included track records and a No. 1 qualifier with an impressive Top Fuel victory on Sunday at Virginia Motorsports Park, helping John Force Racing to a Top Fuel and Funny Car sweep at the Virginia NHRA Nationals.
Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the seventh of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
Force never trailed in the final round against four-time defending world champion Steve Torrence, going 3.770-seconds at 334.07 mph in her 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster to win for the third time this season. After the Top Fuel points leader set both ends of the track record in qualifying, she knocked off Shawn Langdon and Mike Salinas to reach the final round, finishing off NHRA’s first race at Virginia Motorsports Park since 2019 with her 14th career win. It was particularly rewarding to finish off the JFR sweep, extending her points lead to 81 over rival Torrence.
“This has been our greatest season yet,” Force said. “To come on strong with this many wins, I’m so excited. We’ve never won here in Virginia, so it was very cool to get this win. This Wally (trophy) is for (crew chief) David Grubnic because he makes the impossible happen. Any win is special, but to qualify No. 1, set the track record and then get the win, it’s great. Robert and I seem to have a lot of luck together, and it was great to see him win. Our whole team has come a long way and we’re already ahead of ourselves from last year.”
Torrence reached his first final round this season and 78th in his standout career thanks to wins against Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher, and Austin Prock. He also moved into second in points.
Hight helped ensure a nitro sweep for JFR, delivering a 3.907 at 328.86 in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS in the Funny Car final round against points leader Matt Hagan. It marked a massive turnaround from the previous two days, where Hight and his standout team struggled mightily in qualifying. But the team found the winning recipe in eliminations, knocking off Tim Wilkerson, defending world champ Ron Capps and Bob Tasca III to reach the final round. Hight followed with the victory against Hagan in another thrilling matchup in their 2022 duel, picking up his third win this year and 56th in his career. It also gives Hight his first victory at Richmond to finish off an incredible weekend.
“I think we’ve had three battles with Hagan this year and it seems like it happens every week,” Hight said. “I think we’ve got the best two cars in the class and when you race them, you better be up for it. They were better than us in qualifying, but what a difference a day makes. We had mechanical failure the first run and it set us behind the whole weekend. But when you’ve got this great team, you just believe in them, and they just navigated things great today. We’re going to have a lot of these battles the rest of the year and hopefully we can just keep winning them.”
Hagan, who was the No. 1 qualifier, delivered a strong 3.948 in the finals, reaching the championship round with wins against Chad Green and John Force. It was his fifth final round this season and the 76th in his career. His points lead now stands at just 15 over Hight.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, defending world champ Smith denied Steve Johnson his third straight win, adding another great layer in their ongoing rivalry, going 6.842 at 198.35 on his Denso Auto Parts/Stockseth/Matt Smith Racing Suzuki to beat the points leader on a holeshot. It was a satisfying first victory in 2022 for Smith on a number of levels, including the fact that it was his first career victory on a Suzuki.
“This is big for us,” Smith said. “Our did team did their homework after Charlotte. We’re still not where we want to be, but we’re getting closer and all in all, it was a great weekend for us. I went to 4-5 finals on a Suzuki early in my career, but I could never close the deal, so to now have won on a Suzuki, I’m truly blessed. I haven’t been this excited to win a race in a very long time.”
To reach the final round, Smith knocked off Chris Bostick, teammate Jimmy Underdahl and Eddie Krawiec. He left first on Johnson in the finals, holding him off at the finish line to earn his 33rd career victory and first at Virginia.
Johnson, who maintained his points lead, reached his third straight final on the strength of wins against Ryan Oehler, Karen Stoffer and Marc Ingwersen.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action with the NHRA New England Nationals on June 3-5 at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.
SATURDAY - MORE TRACK RECORDS FALL AS HAGAN, B. FORCE AND A. SMITH QUALIFY NO. 1 AT VIRGINIA NHRA NATIONALS
Matt Hagan was part of another record-setting day at Virginia Motorsports Park, making the quickest Funny Car run in track history on Saturday to qualify No. 1 at the Virginia NHRA Nationals.
Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the seventh of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
Track records were set in all three categories, with Hagan’s run of 3.853-seconds at 331.45 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Smithfield Brand Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat leading the way in Funny Car. It gives the points leader and standout driver for Tony Stewart Racing his second No. 1 spot this season and 44th in his career. This is also Hagan’s 300th career start as he looks to win for the third time in 2022 with the first-year Tony Stewart Racing team.
“What a good job by the guys at the track and Safety Safari to put a great race track underneath us so we were able to lay down a great number out there,” Hagan said. “I can’t say enough about this race car. This has probably been the best start I’ve had in my career in NHRA and (crew chief) Dickie Venables, (assistant crew chief) Mike Knudsen and (car chief) Alex Conaway and all the guys who are putting this thing together are doing a great job.
“Everybody asks, ‘How’s Tony? How’s it working for Tony?’ and I’ve always wanted to win for myself but Tony’s the type of guy you want to win for. You look at all the stuff he’s done and it’s just a respect thing. You want the dude to be proud of you. You’re ready to make things happen. This Smithfield car is just running hard.”
Defending world champion Ron Capps moved up to the second spot with a strong run during the second qualifying session, going 3.864 at 332.75. Alexis DeJoria finished third with a 3.896 at 326.95.
In Top Fuel, Force topped Friday’s track-record run twice on Saturday, finishing with a 3.654 at 333.33 in her 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster. It shattered her E.T. record from a day ago, giving the points leader her second No. 1 qualifier this season and 34th in her career. She’ll head into eliminations looking for her third win this season and with plenty of momentum, setting the track E.T. record three times during qualifying and making the fastest run in track history with her 335.82 blast on Friday.
“That was outstanding for this Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team, improving and improving and improving with each run,” Force said. “Now the hard part is doing that tomorrow (during eliminations). That’s going to be the tough one, but as long as we can make some consistent runs all day tomorrow, I think we should be in good shape. I have confidence in this team and confidence in myself in getting down this track. This is one of the best tracks we’ve been on. It’s smooth and it felt fast, so we were really happy with it.”
Austin Prock momentarily had the track record before Force’s run, going 3.672 at 326.87 to qualify second to his John Force Racing teammate. Four-time defending world champ Steve Torrence took the third spot with a 3.683 at 327.51, while Clay Millican made the quickest run of the final session thanks to a 3.698 at 325.45.
After setting track records on Friday in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Smith followed up with an even quicker 6.756 at 201.37 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell during the second qualifying session, also setting the speed record that she initially set a day earlier. The third session in the class was cancelled due to weather.
For Smith, it’s her second career No. 1 qualifier as she remains the only rider to have made a 200-mph run at Virginia Motorsports Park. She is after her first victory of the 2022 season.
“I knew the bike had more in it,” Smith said. “Matt (Smith) didn’t think it would go quite that fast, but the bike got off the line really well. I saw Angelle (Sampey) run that 6.78 and I knew this bike had it in it. I couldn’t be prouder of my team and the job they’re doing. It’s all about momentum and continuing to make good runs right now. We’re just going to keep trying to do what we’ve been doing. It’s a humbling sport, so we’ve got to continue to stay focused.”
Angelle Sampey moved up to second in that same session with her run of 6.786 at 199.52, while points leader Steve Johnson, who has won back-to-back races, qualified third with his 6.826 at 198.12 from Friday.
In the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon, Kris Thorne took the No. 1 spot with his run of in his ProCharger-powered Camaro. The weekend’s race is powered by LAT Racing Oils. Thorne is the points leader on the strength of victories at the first two races of the season.
Eliminations for the Virginia NHRA Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the Third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the seventh of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel -- 1. Brittany Force, 3.654 seconds, 333.33 mph vs. Bye; 2. Austin Prock, 3.672, 326.87 vs. 15. Lex Joon, 4.161, 215.41; 3. Steve Torrence, 3.683, 327.51 vs. 14. Scott Palmer, 3.870, 302.08; 4. Clay Millican, 3.698, 325.45 vs. 13. Josh Hart, 3.842, 256.45; 5. Mike Salinas, 3.700, 330.39 vs. 12. Antron Brown, 3.828, 324.90; 6. Justin Ashley, 3.700, 325.85 vs. 11. Tony Schumacher, 3.758, 321.50; 7. Doug Kalitta, 3.703, 328.78 vs. 10. Leah Pruett, 3.754, 318.92; 8. Shawn Langdon, 3.724, 308.71 vs. 9. Doug Foley, 3.733, 318.69.
Funny Car -- 1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.853, 331.45 vs. Bye; 2. Ron Capps, Toyota Supra, 3.864, 332.75 vs. 15. Mike McIntire, Toyota Camry, 8.573, 79.85; 3. Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 3.896, 326.95 vs. 14. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 8.165, 91.14; 4. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.905, 323.27 vs. 13. Phil Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.543, 103.13; 5. J.R. Todd, Supra, 3.906, 329.18 vs. 12. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.099, 323.58; 6. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.929, 323.35 vs. 11. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.019, 310.77; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.938, 322.96 vs. 10. Robert Hight, Camaro, 4.017, 270.64; 8. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 3.974, 319.07 vs. 9. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.975, 305.22.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Angie Smith, EBR, 6.756, 201.37 vs. Bye; 2. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.786, 199.52 vs. 15. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 7.147, 178.52; 3. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.826, 198.12 vs. 14. Lance Bonham, Buell, 7.147, 187.44; 4. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.827, 199.32 vs. 13. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 7.068, 189.58; 5. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.828, 197.28 vs. 12. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.988, 192.91; 6. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.843, 198.00 vs. 11. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.932, 198.15; 7. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.858, 197.57 vs. 10. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.925, 190.14; 8. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.868, 196.79 vs. 9. Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.875, 195.25.
FRIDAY - B. FORCE, HAGAN AND A. SMITH ALL SET TRACK RECORDS, ROLL TO PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT VIRGINIA NHRA NATIONALS
Top Fuel points leader Brittany Force powered to both ends of the track record at Virginia Motorsports Park, racing to the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday at the Virginia NHRA Nationals.
Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers, as five of the six track records were broken on Friday at the seventh of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
In NHRA’s first appearance at the track in three years, Force went an impressive 3.710-seconds at 335.82 mph in her 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster, making the quickest and fastest run in Virginia Motorsports Park history. If it holds, it would be the second top spot this year and 34th overall for Force, who now has nine of the 10 fastest runs in Top Fuel history. The stellar run also gives Force, a two-time winner in 2022, track ET records at 11 different facilities.
“It cleared up and (crew chief, David) Grubnic had a goal set and we hit that mark,” Force said. “We’re excited about that. It was a good, solid run and we’re hoping for two more runs tomorrow. (I’m) pretty excited to make that run here in Virginia. It’s been since 2019 that we were here last, so to be able to come out here for the fans and make that run and put a show for them, that was great. We just want to keep improving and see what we can do on race day.”
Justin Ashley, who qualified No. 1 at the most recent race in Charlotte, is currently second after his pass of 3.725 at 327.82. Doug Foley is right behind in third thanks to his 3.733 at 318.69.
Hagan, the Funny Car points leader, also obliterated the track speed record, going to the top with a 3.914 at 335.82 in his 11,000-horsepower Smithfield Brand Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. The impressive pass bested the previous track record by nearly 10 mph, putting Hagan, who already has a pair of wins this season, on track for his second No. 1 qualifier this season. In his 300th career start, it would also be the 45th career No. 1 qualifier for the Virginia native.
“I’m so proud of everyone on this team,” Hagan said. “All of them do a great job and all in all, I’m pretty happy with that run. That 335 mph is a representation of the horsepower in this car. It’s my 300th career start and we’ve got a new look on the car, so it’s nice to be the provisional No. 1. I’m blessed to do what we do and it’s just cool to stick around for 300 races. There’s such a fine line in these cars and everything has to line up perfectly, but that’s just a testament to (crew chief) Dickie (Venables) and our guys.”
Dale Creasy Jr. made a career-best pass of 3.974 at 319.07 and is currently in the second position. It was the only other three-second pass during Friday’s Funny Car session. Blake Alexander went 4.007 at 304.05 to currently put him in the third spot.
Smith closed out the day with a pair of track records in Pro Stock Motorcycle, making her own bit of history with a standout pass of 6.788 at 200.38 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell. It is the first 200-mph motorcycle run in track history and also gave Smith the quickest run at VMP. If it holds, it would be Smith’s second career No. 1 qualifier as she looks to pick up her first victory of the 2022 season.
“It was very exciting to go 200 mph,” Smith said. “I love this facility and we come test out here a lot, and it’s just a great track. I would say it’s my second home and that was a good run. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going. We got off the starting line well and that’s the key with these bikes. It’s a very consistent track for us and to see that 200 pop up on the scoreboard is exciting. You want to put on a good show for the fans.”
Points leader Steve Johnson, who has won back-to-back races, went 6.826 at 198.12 to give him the second spot, while Angie’s husband and defending world champ, Matt, is third after going 6.827 at 199.32.
Qualifying continues at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
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Friday's results after the first one of three rounds of qualifying for the Third annual Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, seventh of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Brittany Force, 3.710 seconds, 335.82 mph; 2. Justin Ashley, 3.725, 327.82; 3. Doug Foley, 3.733, 318.69; 4. Doug Kalitta, 3.740, 322.19; 5. Steve Torrence, 3.747, 324.90; 6. Leah Pruett, 3.754, 318.92; 7. Austin Prock, 3.780, 328.38; 8. Mike Salinas, 3.780, 321.81; 9. Clay Millican, 3.788, 311.05; 10. Antron Brown, 3.828, 324.90; 11. Shawn Langdon, 3.830, 315.05; 12. Scott Palmer, 3.870, 302.08; 13. Lex Joon, 4.161, 215.41; 14. Josh Hart, 4.181, 203.28; 15. Tony Schumacher, 5.392, 129.32.
Funny Car -- 1. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.914, 335.82; 2. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 3.974, 319.07; 3. Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 4.007, 304.05; 4. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.099, 323.58; 5. J.R. Todd, Toyota Supra, 4.201, 231.24; 6. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 6.049, 150.30; 7. Phil Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.543, 103.13; 8. Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 6.926, 100.52; 9. Ron Capps, Supra, 7.700, 90.86; 10. Jim Campbell, Charger, 7.949, 81.59; 11. Chad Green, Mustang, 7.997, 78.55; 12. Robert Hight, Camaro, 8.517, 84.37; 13. Mike McIntire, Toyota Camry, 9.936, 83.28; 14. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 14.830, 61.88.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Angie Smith, EBR, 6.788, 200.38; 2. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.826, 198.12; 3. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.827, 199.32; 4. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.828, 197.28; 5. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.854, 197.36; 6. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.868, 196.79; 7. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.871, 196.13; 8. Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.875, 195.25; 9. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.897, 197.05; 10. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.932, 198.15; 11. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.938, 191.57; 12. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 7.069, 189.58; 13. Lance Bonham, Buell, 7.147, 187.44; 14. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 7.408, 153.65.
