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FRIDAY NOTEBOOK – A NIGHT TO REMEMBER WITH NOSTALGIA AND TOP PERFORMANCES
1 – LANGDON LEADS IN CATCH-UP MODE – Shawn Langdon made the most of Friday night qualifying at the Texas NHRA FallNationals, jumping to the provisional No. 1 spot with a 3.684-second pass at 338.88 mph in his Kalitta Air 25th Anniversary dragster. The run earned him the $15,000 “JEGS Friday Night Live” bonus and three qualifying points — but he still lost ground to second-place Justin Ashley, who earned four.
Langdon entered the weekend 127 points behind his Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta and knows a strong finish in Dallas is critical to keep his championship hopes alive. “We know our team’s capable of it,” Langdon said. “It’s just been certain situations throughout the year where we got behind here and there. Brian [Husen, crew chief] is doing a really good job with the car.”
The Friday pass gave Langdon his first potential No. 1 qualifier of the season and 22nd of his career. “Brian felt like he could go 3.68, and that was his target, and that’s what it ran,” Langdon said. “So it gives me a lot of confidence because it shows he’s got a handle on the car.”
Langdon said the team has emphasized qualifying consistency, something that has eluded them in key moments. “Sometimes you think you’ve got a handle on the car and it doesn’t do what you want, and sometimes it’s vice versa,” he said. “He’s been trying to focus hard on qualifying better. That was a good run.”
With only three races left in the Countdown, Langdon said there’s no time for mistakes. “For us, where we’re at — third behind Doug and Justin — we knew we’ve got to make good runs and we’ve got to get a win,” he said. “Doug’s been on a good run, and when Doug and AJ [Alan Johnson] get in the zone, they’re tough to beat. And obviously Justin’s a great driver, and when Mike and Tommy [Ashley’s crew chiefs] get that car going, they’re tough too.”
Langdon said experience helps him stay composed. “The first couple of times you go through it, it’s the fear of the unknown,” he said. “I just come out here and do my job — hit the gas on time and give my team the best opportunity. I make sure I’m prepared and give 100% every time.”
Shawn Reed followed at 3.685, 333.56 mph, and Ashley was third at 3.688, 338.02 mph heading into Saturday’s qualifying sessions
2 – PROCK ROCKETS TO THE TOP, AGAIN – Austin Prock returned to familiar form Friday night at Texas Motorplex, racing to the provisional No. 1 Funny Car spot and pocketing another $15,000 “JEGS Friday Night Live” bonus with a 3.876-second run at 336.07 mph. It marked his sixth No. 1 qualifier of the season and another step in defending his NHRA Funny Car world title.
The Cornwell Tools Chevrolet driver rebounded from a shaky first qualifying session to the top of the order in the second. For Prock, who entered the Texas FallNationals with eight wins this year, it was more than a fast lap — it was a statement after recent early-round losses.
“It’s a little nerve-racking on a Friday,” Prock said. “Especially when you spin early, because you’re a little bit gun-shy because you don’t really know exactly what the track can hold. You’ve got to go up there and load this race car up to make a lot of horsepower and run a quick ET.”
Prock credited his Cornwell Tools team, led by his father, crew chief Jimmy Prock, and brother Thomas. “These guys are very intelligent, very sharp,” he said. “You just got to believe in your run book and try to make smart decisions. They did exactly that, and we’re walking home with $16,000.”
Texas Motorplex has long been known for its narrow groove and limited traction, making it one of the most demanding surfaces in the NHRA. “I walked the racetrack and was impressed with how much traction there was outside the groove,” Prock said. “You could walk outside that dark distinct coloring and it still had quite a bit of grip. It kind of lets you float the race car around a little bit.”
Still, he said the Friday night sessions remain among the toughest of the year. “Every Friday night here in Dallas, this is one of the most nerve-racking runs,” he said. “I got about to the 660 and felt the thing creeping a little bit to the wall and gave it some wheel. This Chevrolet steered good and went right to the center line. I had my hands full, but it was still good enough to go low ET.”
The strong qualifying effort helped erase recent frustrations. “I haven’t lost confidence in this team,” Prock said. “In Reading, we had a parts failure. In St. Louis, the racetrack got away from us. I did a great job recovering the race car, probably one of the better pedal jobs I’ve had in my life, but our luck just wasn’t on our side.”
That misfortune tightened the championship race, cutting his once 280-point lead to just 20 over Matt Hagan. “We had a huge lead, and they take it all away and tighten everyone up to put on a show for the fans,” Prock said. “We’re in the competition business, but we’re also entertainers. Whoever wins the most in these last three races, that’s what it’ll come down to.”
Prock said he’s not counting points. “I’m not even counting points at this point,” he said. “It’s so close. We just got to go out there and try and win the next three races, and if we do that, we’ll be back-to-back world champions, and that’s got a damn nice ring to it.”
Looking ahead, Prock expects tougher track conditions. “It’s going to be hot, greasy, and nasty out here in Dallas,” he said. “We’re definitely going to have to tame this Prock Rocket down.” He added, “The track’s going to continuously get better throughout the weekend. Hopefully, we can do some damage on Sunday. I’m ready for the fight — bring it on.”
For now, Prock leads the Funny Car field over Ron Capps’ 3.889 at 334.55 mph and Jack Beckman’s 3.892 at 330.83.
3 – THAT GOOD OLD TEXAS DOMINANCE – Greg Anderson showed again why Texas Motorplex has long been his kind of track, powering to the provisional No. 1 Pro Stock position Friday night with a 6.497-second run at 209.88 mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. The performance earned him a $7,500 “JEGS Friday Night Live” bonus and helped trim his points deficit to teammate Dallas Glenn.
The six-time world champion, coming off a win in St. Louis, claimed his seventh potential No. 1 qualifier of the season and second straight “Battle for the Saddle” victory at the Motorplex. “What a great atmosphere out there tonight,” Anderson said. “Not that much gets my heart ticking, but it did tonight. The lighting was perfect, absolutely perfect out there. It’s magical. You just tell yourself, ‘Focus, man, focus.’”
Anderson said his run came with extra motivation. “Anytime there’s an extra carrot like we had tonight, it seems to wake me up for sure,” he said. “We had a lot of cars that could have won that bonus tonight. Three of them could have won it, so that’s a pretty darn good feeling.”
The victory helped close the gap in the Countdown to the Championship standings. Entering the weekend trailing Glenn by 25 points, Anderson picked up five bonus markers Friday to close within 20. “They mean everything,” Anderson said. “Every chance you get, you’ve got to try and capitalize if you want to have a chance to be champion.”
Seven of the top eight cars after Friday belonged to KB Titan Racing, a reflection of the team’s continued dominance. “That’s fantastic, but we know a hundredth or two can be made up on that starting line anytime you go down the racetrack,” Anderson said. “You’ve got to be on your A-game, and all your fortunes can turn in a heartbeat.”
Anderson also credited the extra push from JEGS’ event sponsorship. “First of all, thank you to JEGS for putting up the bonus,” he said. “Does it make you want to dig down and find a way to make sure you get that check? You’re damn right it does.”
Cory Reed followed in second with a 6.504 at 210.99 mph, while Glenn was third at 6.507 and 210.31 mph.
4 – THE GADSON SWAGGER IN FULL EFFECT – Richard Gadson strengthened his grip on the Pro Stock Motorcycle points lead Friday night, riding his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki to the provisional No. 1 spot with a 6.747-second pass at 201.59 mph at the Texas NHRA FallNationals. The performance earned him a $5,000 “JEGS Friday Night Live” bonus and his second No. 1 qualifier of the season.
The second-year rider continues to impress in his breakout season, leading both sessions and widening his edge over defending world champion Gaige Herrera. “Even championship battle aside, I’ve always wanted to have a specialty low qualifier Friday,” Gadson said. “None of them are like the Stampede of Speed. I’ve always wanted to get up there on the bowl, and this was pretty cool. From the championship standpoint, I’m counting every point I can find. I’m holding on for dear life right now, so I’ll take anything I can get.”
Gadson said the team’s recent progress is the result of finding consistency. “Last year, in the Countdown, I think I rode pretty good, but something happened to that motorcycle in St. Louis and it never woke up again,” he said. “We figured that out between Gainesville and Charlotte, won this year, and it’s been solid ever since. It’s a different swagger when you know you have a bike too. It makes me feel like I’m in the fight.”
He credited his growing chemistry with crew chief Eddie Krawiec for the turnaround. “Me and Eddie are starting to have a really good chemistry,” he said. “That’s one of the hidden things people don’t give enough credit for. Gage is an amazing rider, Andrew’s an amazing tuner, and whatever intensity I feel, they feel too. So I’ll take that, knowing that it’s even.”
Gadson said his ability to stay calm under pressure has been key. “You have to learn how to lose because you’re going to do it,” he said. “People have opinions, but I’ve learned to turn down the volume and just stay focused. When I put my visor down, nothing matters. I’m completely at ease.”
Herrera followed in second with a 6.767 at 200.35 mph, and rookie Brayden Davis was third with a 6.772 at 200.53 mph.
5 – BONUS BONANZA – One highlight at Texas Motorplex’s Stampede of Speed — and the inspiration for regional Friday-night side bets and prizes at Epping, Seattle, Brainerd, and St. Louis — is the “Battle for the Saddle” and more than $40,000 in cash for the four Mission Foods Drag Racing Series classes. As part of its JEGS Black & Yellow Bash, a $15,000 bonus Friday went to Shawn Langdon and Austin Prock, the respective provisional top qualifiers in Top Fuel and Funny Car. Greg Anderson, the tentative No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock, received $7,500. And Pro Stock Motorcycle leader Richard Gadson earned $5,000.
The Battle for the Saddle is a playful rivalry in which the first to lead the qualifying order sits on a saddle, waiting to see if anyone can top the elapsed time. Each time someone does, the previous saddle-sitter yields the seat. It was part of the Friday Night Live program at the track in Ennis, as fans were encouraged to dress in the iconic black and yellow colors of JEGS.
Langdon grabbed the honors in Top Fuel. Funny Car leader Austin Prock followed. Sitting on the saddle at the end of Friday’s Pro Stock passes was Greg Anderson, and Richard Gadson went from straddling a Pro Stock Motorcycle to tossing a leg over the saddle.
“I’m a Philly boy, so I’m not very good at ‘Yee-haws,’ but I’m happy to be up here on the saddle,” Gadson said. “We know this is going to be a tight championship battle. I need to win one more. It starts here in Dallas at the Stampede of Speed. I’ve always wanted to sit up there, so to be low Friday night is cool.” He said that although he has earned a number of accolades, “none of ’em are as cool” as this achievement, which included a briefcase full of money.
Anderson said from atop the saddle, his perch for the second straight year, “You can’t make a mistake [in the Countdown at this point]. I don’t know how I’m going to catch Dallas [Glenn, his teammate and the points leader]. But I’m going to chip away at it. I love racing here. It’s a Pro Stock track, and my car loves it. It’s a Greg Anderson track. What a great atmosphere out there tonight.” He picked up five points on Glenn to sit 20 back.
6 – BURNOUT BY BILLY – Billy Meyer turned back the clock Friday night at Texas Motorplex, climbing into a Funny Car for the first time in 37 years to celebrate the track’s 40th anniversary with a burnout that reminded fans why he remains one of drag racing’s great showmen.
Behind the wheel of Buddy Hull’s Funny Car Chaos entry and sporting a 40th-anniversary livery, Meyer staged in front of a packed house and unleashed a long, smoky burnout all the way to the 330-foot mark. The crowd erupted as he backed up, climbed out through the roof hatch, and was greeted by Jack Beckman, who helped him remove his safety equipment, and Ron Capps, who captured the moment on his phone.
“I wanted to go,” Meyer said with a grin. “But my family — my daughter Christie — would’ve killed me. I wanted to do it again because I did the first burnout here, and this is the 40th anniversary. So I wanted to do it one more time.”
The burnout wasn’t just symbolic — it was vintage Meyer to the 330-foot mark, an estimation he quickly corrected. “Yeah, no, it went farther than that, actually, on video,” he said. “Now that they have throttle stops on them, they kind of start grabbing a little bit. If you had a little more throttle, you could spin a tire a little farther. Yeah, it was fun. It was very fun.”
7 – PIVOTAL POINT IN COUNTDOWN – Doug Kalitta said the Texas FallNationals is where “the points can swing out.” This is the race that could seal the also-ran fate of a number of drivers across the pro spectrum.
In Pro Stock, the chase has come down to KB Titan teammates Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn. Anderson said, “I’m so damn proud of Dallas,” knowing he could win the championship and end Anderson’s reign.
In Top Fuel, the top five still are battling, but the top three are making it a dogfight, with Kalitta leading Justin Ashley by 86 points and Shawn Langdon by 127. No. 4 Tony Stewart is 153 back, and Clay Millican is 182 back — with a points-and-a-half finale at Pomona.
The Funny Car crown first looked like a near lock for Austin Prock, dominant since spring Charlotte. But the points reset after Indianapolis, along with Countdown wins by Cruz Pedregon at Reading and Matt Hagan at St. Louis, have tightened the chase. Hagan has pulled within 20 points of Prock as the second-ranked driver. Jack Beckman is third, 65 points off Prock. Ron Capps (-125), Dan Wilkerson (-137), Paul Lee (-158), and Pedregon (-162) remain in the hunt.
Prock, stung by two quarterfinal losses in the Countdown, is embracing a simpler approach: “Just go in there and execute and do as good as you can and hope that it’s good enough.”
Beckman said, “St. Louis let us know we very much are still in the run for the championship.” He added that last year’s head-to-head was “do-or-die,” and the win “revived our championship chase.”
Parity adds intrigue: in 17 races, Funny Car has eight different winners; Top Fuel has nine.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, it’s a seven-rider scramble. Leader Richard Gadson is 29 points ahead of Vance & Hines teammate Gaige Herrera, with Matt Smith 53 back. John Hall and Angie Smith are separated by one point in fourth and fifth. Brayden Davis (-157) and Jianna Evaristo (-163) are longshots.
8 – NO PLACE LIKE HOME – Because of changing priorities with his growing family and CAPCO, the family’s pipeline construction company near Kilgore, Texas, this will be the final event of the season for Steve Torrence, as well as for his father. They have opted out of the final two races at Las Vegas and Pomona.
“With the championship pretty much out of our reach, going out west for the last two races really didn’t make much sense — especially since we have holidays coming up that we all want to make special for the girls (daughters Haven Charli and Harper),” Steve Torrence said.
Although he said it is not his priority, the father-son duo has the chance to extend to 14 the number of consecutive seasons in which they have started at least one event from the No. 1 position. Steve Torrence has not started eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier in 25 events, not since August 2024 at Brainerd, Minn. Billy Torrence’s last No. 1 start was at Reading in 2021, when he won most recently. He also won from No. 1 at Epping that year.
The two-time Top Fuel champion who recognizes her quest is out of reach for a third before stepping from the cockpit to begin family, said, “We focus on eye-hand coordination and quick-feet exercises. I also stay consistent in my workouts where I focus on lower body explosive movements to help with power and speed when stepping on the throttle pedal. Lastly, I’ve made the effort daily with seat time in my cockpit simulator, where I work on reaction time. There are only three races left, and I’m going to give it my all until the seasons end. My team is staying committed back in Indy and I’m staying committed in California. I’ve always had to really put in the effort to see the slightest of improvement, and in racing that’s all you need sometimes.”
Force set top speed of the event Friday night with the first-ever 340-mph run at 340.57. The 3.703-second pass placed her No. 6 in the field.
“We’ve run 340 before but we’d never done it here at the Texas Motorplex,” Force said. “This is for the fans; this is for the Meyer family and I’m excited to be here. We had two good runs down the track today so I’m very excited for the Monster Energy team.”
9 – JEGS ALLSTARS IN FULL SWING – Celebrating its 41st year as the Texas FallNationals marks its 40th, the JEGS Allstars specialty race got right to business Friday. In its third straight edition at Texas Motorplex, the Final Fours were set in Top Sportsman, Super Gas, Top Dragster, Stock, Super Stock, Super Street, and Super Comp. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car reached the semifinals after a full Thursday of activity that included a Hoosier Racing Tire welcome breakfast and a Stampede of Speed Fan Fest appearance in downtown Waxahachie. Final rounds are scheduled for 1:50 p.m. CT Saturday.
JEGS CEO Gabe Mendoza said, “Our commitment to these racers runs deep. They represent the foundation of drag racing and the passion that fuels the industry. Supporting them isn’t just tradition for us — it’s part of who we are as a company.” JEGS Marketing Director David Salin added, “The JEGS Allstars truly represents the best of sportsman racing. We’re proud to have supported this premier event for so many years, and our commitment to the sportsman community is stronger than ever.”
The event brings out the best from across NHRA’s seven divisions and crowns individual champions in 10 classes, plus an overall team title. Racers qualify by earning points in their home divisions during year-long battles.
Texas Motorplex co-owner Christie Meyer Johnson said, “Having racers from all over the country race in an all-star event brings a lot of prestige to the FallNationals.” Texas-style extras include custom T-shirts and decals, a custom trophy, a JEGS Allstars belt buckle for winners, and the traditional custom-fit Texas Motorplex cowboy hats.
9B– NEW SPONSOR — AND A NEW HEADACHE — FOR LEE – Everything Breaks is the primary sponsor for Paul Lee Racing’s Nitro Funny Car this weekend, marking the warranty company’s debut in NHRA competition.
Everything Breaks offers customized protection plans for homes, vehicles, and electronics, with a single-source approach to service and claims. “We are thrilled to launch our partnership with Paul Lee Racing and to be part of the NHRA family,” CEO Brandon San Antonio said.
Paul Lee Racing entered the weekend as a Countdown contender, highlighted by Lee’s first career nitro victory in Phoenix and a top-five regular season. “It only gets better with the addition of our new partner, Everything Breaks,” Lee said.
Fans can learn more at the company’s midway display, where 90 days of complimentary WeCare benefits are available. But Lee’s Friday brought an unwelcome twist: mid-run, his engine exploded. He kept the car off the wall and stopped safely, though the engine and body were ruined.
“Well, I was on a decent run going down there. And right at the finish line, just as I was about to lift it, just blew up,” Lee explained. “Blew the windshield out and blew everything up and couldn’t see much. And main thing was just trying to get it stopped and stay out of Danny’s Lane. And that was my main goal, get a stop, stay out of his lane and get out of the car.
“But luckily, I have Brandon and Jordan here from Everythingbrakes.com. They’re out here and got a booth out in the midway. You guys need to go visit Everythingbrakes.com. I got a warranty on this car, so I’m not worried about it. I’m covered. How about you guys? Are you covered with your car? I’m covered. I’m going to take my warranty down to Everything Breaks and get it fixed for nothing.”
10 – REPORTSremarksOBSERVATIONSinsights . . . – Four-time Top Fuel champion Antron Brown claimed his first of his 16 Pro Stock Motorcycle trophies (and 81 altogether) at Texas Motorplex in 1999, at the discontinued Dallas 1 event. In that final round, he defeated Angelle Sampey, the first driver in his current Accelerate Program. . . . Shawn Reed said his “hopes are high, even after a couple of slim losses that kicked us back in the points a little bit” but is hoping for a top-five finish to his tedious-to-tragic-to-triumphant 2025 Top Fuel performance. The Reading Countdown-race winner, who has bowed out in Round 1 at the past two events, said, “We know what we need to do to try and get back in that top five spot, which would be a win-win for Shawn Reed Racing.”
After the weekend’s opening qualifying session Friday, he said crew chief Rob Wendland and the crew “have a handle on the car. We went through Hell, but we’re back.” . . . Funny Car veteran Ron Capps said he knows that “our team needs to make up ground this weekend.” But he has some reassurance that it can. Capps scored back-to-back victories here in 2021 and 2022, and he went on from there to earn two of his three series crowns. (Capps also won the 1998 Dallas spring race, which has been discontinued.) “If you look back at a few of our championship title runs, you can point right to the Dallas race as being a pivotal event. We’ll see if we can’t have some of the success we’ve had there in the past and move back up in the points this weekend,” he said. . .
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Funny Car’s Alexis De Joria has moved from the Austin, Texas, area and lists Los Angeles as her residence. But she said, “I love going back to the Stampede of Speed. I still consider the Motorplex to be one of my home tracks, even though I don’t live in Texas anymore. The Meyer family is incredible, and they really know how to deliver when it comes to the fan experience. It’s always a great show.” She’s seeking her first victory of the season, her first since the 2021 Bristol, Tenn., race, and her first with crew chiefs Mike Neff and Todd Smith. So Dallas-winner cowboy hats all around for her team is the goal – along with improving from her ninth-place status, right in the middle of a tightly bunched field. In his first pass. . . Mason McGaha has been splitting his attention between the Pro Stock and Comp Eliminator classes this weekend. He qualified No. 1 in Comp and earned a first-round bye Friday.
