Photos by Ron Lewis, Mike & Jeff Burghardt, Chris Haverly, Alex Owens,
MONDAY FINAL – ASHLEY, PROCK, ENDERS, HERRERA SCORE VICTORIES AT U.S. NATIONALS
Justin Ashley added his name to drag racing history Monday, winning the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals for the first time with a holeshot victory over Tony Stewart in the Top Fuel final at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Joining Ashley in the winner’s circle was a dominant Austin Prock (Funny Car), a resurgent Erica Enders (Pro Stock), and a seemingly unbeatable Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Ashley posted a 3.839-second run at 326.16 mph to Stewart’s quicker 3.815 at 321.88, with a .027 reaction time making the difference in the closest round of the day; the margin of victory was .002 seconds. It was Ashley’s third win of the season and 18th of his career.
“I think I’m still processing everything. I’ve dreamed about this moment over and over and over again, and then to actually live it right now, right here, is truly special,” Ashley said. “When you win Indy, it’s just something that nobody can take away from you, and the fact that my father won here 18 years ago, to have him here now and to win this event in Top Fuel, it really is special. It’s just different than any other race.”
Ashley reached the final round after eliminating Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta, and Tripp Tatum, showing consistency with reaction times of .036, .035 and .034. He credited preparation during the week for his success. “The hardest thing is not to cut a good light, the hardest thing is to cut a good light over and over and over again,” he said.
Stewart, in his second full Top Fuel season, advanced to his fifth final round of the year by defeating Steve Torrence, Kyle Wurtzel, and Jasmine Salinas. With Kalitta’s loss and his semifinal win, Stewart clinched the regular-season championship and its $150,000 bonus.
“Winning the Top Fuel regular-season championship is massive for us in my eyes,” Stewart said. “It took 14 weeks to win a regular-season championship. I feel that we are in as good a spot as we can be for the next six races.” The six-race Countdown to the Championship begins in two weeks at Pennsylvania’s Maple Grove Raceway.
In Funny Car, Prock completed a nearly perfect weekend by defeating teammate Jack Beckman in the final with a 3.903 at 332.92 in his Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS. Monday’s win was worth $100,000, the regular-season championship came with a $150,000 bonus, and Saturday’s $80,000 PlayNHRA All-Star Callout victory ran his weekend winnings to $330,000.
Prock now has seven wins in 2025 and 19 overall, with 15 coming in his last 32 starts. “To win Indy in my rookie season [in Funny Car, 2024] was obviously really special,” Prock said. “To get a U.S. Nationals win last year and then win the championship, and then come back and win the U.S Nationals again, I don’t even know what to say.”
Beckman reached his fourth final of the year and will enter the Countdown second in points, with Matt Hagan third.
Enders delivered another milestone in Pro Stock, snapping a 30-race drought to earn her 50th career victory. In the final, she overcame a .022-second deficit at the green to chase down Matt Hartford at 6.564, 209.95 and earn her fourth U.S. Nationals Wally.
“That monkey’s been on my back since Gainesville, the season opener 2024, and it’s been grueling,” Enders said. “Without [the team], I wouldn’t be here, and I kind of wondered if I still had it, you know what I mean? We finally got number 50. As a little girl in 1994, rolling under that arch right there for my first final round at the inaugural Junior Dragster Nationals – the feelings are very similar, and here we are, 30-something years later.”
Enders qualified third and beat Greg Stanfield, Aaron Stanfield, and Dallas Glenn before the final. Hartford advanced with wins against David Cuadra, Cristian Cuadra, and Fernando Cuadra Jr. Glenn clinched the regular-season Pro Stock title and will begin the playoffs first in points.
Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Gaige Herrera continued his dominance, defeating teammate Brayden Davis on a holeshot in the final round. Herrera’s 6.834 at 199.32 held off Davis’ 6.799 at 198.93 thanks to a .003 reaction time.
“It’s very exciting, you know, especially to get a holeshot win like that,” Herrera said. “To get back-to-back wins here in the U.S. Nationals is very special to me and it was crazy. I mean, I almost was in the sand because I was more excited and cheering than being on the brakes.”
Herrera earned the regular-season title for the third straight year, entering the Countdown as the No. 1 seed as he pursues a third consecutive championship. Davis reached his first career final, advancing past Dystany Spurlock, Hector Arana Jr., and Richard Gadson, who will begin the playoffs second in points.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series resumes Sept. 11-14 with the 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa.
SUNDAY QUALIFYING – BECKMAN, FORCE, ANDERSON AND HERRERA SEAL THE DEAL AS INDY NO. 1 QUALIFIERS
Brittany Force, Jack Beckman, Greg Anderson and Gaige Herrera retained their No. 1 qualifying positions Sunday at the 71st annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, setting the stage for Monday’s eliminations at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Beckman’s 3.865-second pass at 332.26 mph on Friday in his “Brute Force” tribute Chevrolet SS held up through the weekend, giving the former world champion his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the year. He will open eliminations against Justin Schriefer. Beckman, who has won Indy twice in Funny Car, said a third victory at The Big Go would carry special meaning.
“We know exactly what we need to do for race day,” Beckman said. “This race is as big as it gets, and it took winning Indy in 2015 to realize how big it was to win it.” Ron Capps qualified third at 3.877, 331.69.
Funny Car points leader Austin Prock won the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, defeating Ron Capps in the final round of the specialty race at the prestigious Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.
Prock went a Sunday-best 3.873-seconds at 333.00 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS, driving past Capps to win his first career bonus race for John Force Racing. Prock beat Cruz Pedregon and Matt Hagan earlier in the day to set up the marquee matchup with Capps.
Capps made it close early, but Prock drove away with a stellar run to close out the day. It also gave Prock, who had struggled throughout qualifying this weekend, the No. 2 spot in qualifying and the chance for a massive double-up weekend. He’ll also clinch the regular-season championship, already netting the reigning world champion $230,000 this weekend.
Brittany Force, Jack Beckman, Greg Anderson and Gaige Herrera retained their No. 1 qualifying positions Sunday at the 71st annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, setting the stage for Monday’s eliminations at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Beckman’s 3.865-second pass at 332.26 mph on Friday in his “Brute Force” tribute Chevrolet SS held up through the weekend, giving the former world champion his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the year. He will open eliminations against Justin Schriefer. Beckman, who has won Indy twice in Funny Car, said a third victory at The Big Go would carry special meaning.
“We know exactly what we need to do for race day,” Beckman said. “This race is as big as it gets, and it took winning Indy in 2015 to realize how big it was to win it.” Ron Capps qualified third at 3.877, 331.69.
Funny Car points leader Austin Prock won the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, defeating Ron Capps in the final round of the specialty race at the prestigious Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.
Prock went a Sunday-best 3.873-seconds at 333.00 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS, driving past Capps to win his first career bonus race for John Force Racing. Prock beat Cruz Pedregon and Matt Hagan earlier in the day to set up the marquee matchup with Capps.
Capps made it close early, but Prock drove away with a stellar run to close out the day. It also gave Prock, who had struggled throughout qualifying this weekend, the No. 2 spot in qualifying and the chance for a massive double-up weekend. He’ll also clinch the regular-season championship, already netting the reigning world champion $230,000 this weekend.
Anderson stayed atop Pro Stock with his 6.491 at 210.44 from Friday in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. The run marked his sixth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 138th of his career, tying Warren Johnson for the most in class history. Anderson enters Monday in a tight points race with teammate Dallas Glenn, separated by only a few markers, with the chance to claim an eighth Indy title.
“It’s pretty cool when you can tie Warren’s records,” Anderson said. “We’ve made five great runs, and we’re hoping for four more tomorrow. Hopefully we can make some more history tomorrow.” Glenn qualified second at 6.510, 210.90, with Erica Enders third at 6.516, 211.39.
Herrera closed qualifying in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.738 at 200.98, improving on his own track E.T. record set Friday. The defending U.S. Nationals winner secured his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and enters Monday with a chance to lock down the regular-season championship.
“I didn’t think we’d run better than we did Friday night, but we literally put the same tune-up back in the bike and that’s what it ran,” Herrera said. “I’m also happy about my lights. Today, I was .009 and then .002, so I feel like that gives me a lot of momentum going into tomorrow.”
Richard Gadson qualified second at 6.744, 201.01, and Brayden Davis was third at 6.753, 200.50.
Eliminations begin at 10 a.m. ET Monday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
SUNDAY FUNNY CAR CALLOUT – PROCK WINS FIRST CALLOUT TITLE, DEFEATS CAPPS IN INDY FINAL
Austin Prock scored his first specialty race victory Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, winning the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, and collecting an $80,000 payday.
Prock ran 3.873 seconds at 333 mph in the final round to defeat Ron Capps, who slowed to a 4.048 at 302.01. The win also capped a $230,000 day for Prock, as he also clinched the Funny Car regular-season championship.
“This is my first specialty race win,” Prock said. “To get in there this year and then get the job done obviously felt good.”
Capps advanced with wins over Cruz Pedregon and Matt Hagan. Hagan’s semifinal loss continued his unusual record of never having defeated Prock in eliminations. “They [Hagan] beat up on everybody out here, and the fact that we’re undefeated against them is just mind-blowing,” Prock said.
All eight cars in the Callout were competitive, but Prock said his team saved its best for the final.
“That .87 was stout on that racetrack,” he said. “It definitely gives us some confidence going into tomorrow, getting comfortable behind the wheel again, as crazy as that sounds. It always feels good when there’s extra cash on the line to be able to cash that check at the end of the day.”
Prock said the victory was especially meaningful after his struggles in 2024, when he was unable to qualify for the Callout despite scoring multiple No. 1 qualifiers. Last season, he qualified No. 1 in 14 of 16 events, yet didn’t qualify for the series, which began counting points in 2023.
Asked about his mindset going into Indy after a strong performance in Brainerd, Prock said he tries to approach every event with the same determination.
“Every time I get in the race car, I want to be on a serious mission,” he said. “I want to be intimidating when we get up on the starting line, and all the stars just aligned that day. Coming here, I kind of just had to take a step back and then work back up to that point again. Hopefully, I’m on kill like I was over there.”
A lengthy delay caused by a power outage to the TV broadcast trailer complicated the day for Prock, who said the unexpected pause affected his rhythm.
“Anytime you’re sitting in the water box and they tell you to go home, it’s frustrating,” he said. “I was like, ‘Just run us. There’s got to be some sort of camera around here they can get it on.’”
He recalled a similar delay in the 2023 U.S. Nationals final against Capps that left him exhausted but ultimately worked in his favor. “This year, I was just amped up, ready to go and that delay kind of stung. But definitely glad to get the job done. The Capps car, it’s coming around and it’s running really good. So we are definitely going up there [with] guns loaded.”
As the No. 1 seed in the Callout, Prock had the opportunity to choose his opponents – decisions he said were guided more by circumstance than by strategy. “My dad told me, ‘I really don’t care who you pick. We’re going to have to beat them all at some point anyways,’” Prock said.
“Every one of these cars is competitive, and we would’ve beaten any other car. To be honest, I picked Cruz because it was a Snap-on car. I figured we’d start out the day with some ‘tool wars’ at the Cornwell Tools U.S. Nationals. Then you get a choice of Beckman – which I’m not going to pick – Hagan or Capps, and both of them are stout. I really enjoy racing Matt. I have a lot of respect for Matt. He’s an excellent leaver and I’m an excellent leaver, and I know that we can go up there and throw down.”
Prock said he relished the duel with Hagan, despite Hagan’s inability to beat him in head-to-head races.
“Hagan’s one of the toughest dudes in the game right now,” Prock said. “Mike Knutson and Phil and Alex Conway, they do a great job with that car. And Matt’s a four-time champ for a reason.”
He added that Hagan’s record against him is hard to comprehend. “We respect the shit out of them and we know that they can throw down and I don’t know how our cards have worked out the way they have,” Prock said. “The fact that we’re undefeated against them is just mind-blowing.”
Prock’s final-round performance drew praise from fellow drivers, including No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman, who called the run the one to beat, given the hot track conditions. Prock said the numbers impressed him as well.
“When I saw .87 come up on the board when I was throwing the laundry, I was impressed,” he said. “I knew we were going to send it, but I didn’t think we were going to send it like that, and it was smooth as glass. They’ve been doing a good job. We struggled through a few things the first two days, and then to come out today and put it all together felt good.”
Looking ahead to Monday’s eliminations, Prock said the Callout victory gives him momentum while he remains focused on consistency.
“It was flying to the eighth mile,” he said. “It was running 283-plus all day long and putting up 330-mile-an-hour runs easily. It always feels good when there’s extra cash on the line, but more than that, it shows what we’re capable of as a team.”
SATURDAY QUALIFYING – PROFESSIONAL LEADERBOARD REMAINS UNCHANGED AT U.S. NATIONALS
Brittany Force, Jack Beckman, Greg Anderson and Gaige Herrera remained provisional No. 1 qualifiers Saturday at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The four led their respective categories through two days of qualifying at the 14th of 20 races in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Selections were also finalized for Sunday’s PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout.
In Top Fuel, Force’s track-record run from Friday continued to stand. She went 3.666 seconds at 339.79 mph in her Cornwell Quality Tools dragster, keeping her on pace for a fourth No. 1 qualifier this season and the 56th of her career.
Jordan Vandergriff remained in second with his career-best 3.683 at 333.33, while T.J. Zizzo held third at 3.695 and 333.08. Force, a two-time NHRA champion, said the momentum is building at the right time heading into eliminations.
In Funny Car, Beckman’s Friday night run of 3.865 at 332.26 held the top spot. Driving his “Brute Force” tribute PEAK Chevrolet SS, the former NHRA champion is seeking his fifth No. 1 of 2025.
Ron Capps held the second spot at 3.877 and 331.69, while Alexis DeJoria stayed third at 3.891 and 329.02. Earlier Saturday, Beckman selected Bob Tasca III as his opponent in the first round of Sunday’s Callout.
In the Callout draw, No. 1 seed Austin Prock chose Cruz Pedregon. Ron Capps picked Daniel Wilkerson, leaving Matt Hagan to face J.R. Todd in the opening round.
Anderson held onto the No. 1 spot in Pro Stock thanks to Friday’s 6.491 at 210.44, which broke the track record. He backed it up Saturday with two more strong runs in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
The five-time NHRA champion also clinched the overall Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge crown by one point over Matt Hartford after defeating Erica Enders in the specialty race final. He said the weekend carries extra significance following the death of longtime team owner Ken Black earlier in the week.
“As I said last night, my plan coming in here was to try and have a perfect weekend for the Black family, for Judy and Kent Black,” Anderson said. “And so far, we’re right on schedule. I’m doing all I can to try and lighten her heart a little bit and give her something to smile at this weekend.”
Dallas Glenn stayed second with a 6.523 at 209.59, while Enders was third at 6.528 at 211.26. Anderson entered the weekend locked in a close points battle with Glenn for the regular-season title.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Herrera’s Friday night performance kept him at the top of the field. His 6.739 at 200.98 on the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki remained the best of the weekend.
Brayden Davis stayed in third with a 6.762 at 199.64, while Matt Smith was second after earlier runs put him in the mix. Herrera, the two-time reigning NHRA champion, is seeking his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and 27th in his career.
Qualifying continues at noon EDT on Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, with the All-Star Callout adding another round of competition before eliminations begin Monday.
#2FAST2TASTY – KALITTA, TODD, ANDERSON, GADSON WIN 2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE AT U.S. NATIONALS
Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd, Greg Anderson and Richard Gadson each claimed Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victories Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, adding to the storylines of the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.
Kalitta picked up his fifth Challenge victory of the year in Top Fuel, defeating Clay Millican with a 3.730-second pass at 332.92 mph in his Mac Tools dragster. The win came after he had already clinched the regular-season championship in the specialty race, capping a dominant run in which he and teammate Shawn Langdon combined for 10 wins in 13 events.
“That was really cool, especially down at the end. Mr. [Juan] Gonzalez [of Mission Foods] was down there, so that was very cool,” Kalitta said. “We definitely appreciate what Mission Foods does for the NHRA, and the cool part is being able to race before race day and it’s good for the drivers, too, to have an opportunity to race.
“It didn’t seem like a lot of cars were getting down the track, and I was thinking, ‘If anybody can get my car down the track, it’s Alan [Johnson] and Mac [Savage] and all these Mac Tools/Toyota guys on my car.’ It went straight down through there, so I was very, very happy to see that.”
In Funny Car, Todd completed a Kalitta Motorsports sweep by defeating Austin Prock in the final round. Prock, the points leader and reigning NHRA champion, red-lit to hand Todd his second Challenge win of the season and his second consecutive specialty race victory at Indy.
“I heard him go, and I was about to go at the same time, and caught myself, and then thought, ‘I think he red-lit,’ and saw my win light come on,” Todd said. “We’re definitely having some luck on our side, racing two JFR cars and neither of them make it to the finish under power. That’s pretty wild. I wish this was Monday and this happened.
“It’s our goal to win three races in one week, so that was step one. Dickie [crew chief Venables] said he was just trying to find the limit, and I like his approach, being aggressive. He wants to be aggressive, and the car is responding to the changes he’s making.”
Todd earlier defeated Jack Beckman with a strong performance and will next face Matt Hagan in the opening round of the Callout on Sunday. Hagan finished the regular season as the overall Mission Challenge champion, earning 16 Countdown to the Championship bonus points.
In Pro Stock, Anderson added another highlight to his record season, defeating Erica Enders in the final round with a 6.523 at 210.14 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. The win was his second consecutive Challenge victory and secured the overall specialty championship in Pro Stock.
“Obviously, the drag race with my old nemesis, they’re certainly knocking on the door again,” Anderson said. “They’re capable of winning again and hopefully that drives me even harder to try and do something special. It turned out right for me at that time. We’ll see what happens on Monday, but after today, I’m pretty damn happy.”
Anderson, who entered the weekend locked in a tight points battle with KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn, has secured five national-event wins in 2025. His Challenge victory over Enders continued a weekend in which Pro Stock qualifying saw record-breaking performances.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gadson powered past rival Matt Smith with a 6.744 at 201.01 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It marked his second Challenge win of the year and vaulted him to second in qualifying.
“This was my first shot at him [Smith] since Sonoma, so I wanted to win that a little bit more than normal. I knew he’d probably do something at the start line. I didn’t know what it was going to be. I didn’t care what he did, so this one was all business,” Gadson said.
“It’s always a pleasure to race Matt. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. We have a lot of back-and-forth banter, but he’s not a six-time champ for no reason. You’ve got to kind of savor it because it can go the other way at any moment.”
The Gadson-Smith matchup continued a rivalry that has provided some of the season’s most dramatic moments, including a controversial staging battle earlier this summer. Gadson said Saturday’s win carried extra meaning given the circumstances.
“You’ve seen some Pro Stock teams this year struggle for a number of races and we’re not exempt to stuff like that, too,” Gadson said. “I’m just going to keep enjoying and keep trying to ride the wave. While my bike’s this good in this window, I want to be equally good to match it, and I think I’ll win a lot more than I lose.”
Qualifying at the U.S. Nationals continues Sunday with the Funny Car All-Star Callout competition, followed by eliminations on Monday.
FRIDAY QUALIFYING – FORCE, BECKMAN, ANDERSON AND HERRERA SET PACE FRIDAY AT NHRA U.S. NATIONALS
Brittany Force made the fastest run in Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park history Friday night, claiming the provisional No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.
Joining her atop the Indianapolis leaderboard were Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Force went 3.666 seconds at a track-record 339.79 mph in her Cornwell Quality Tools dragster, putting her on pace for her fourth No. 1 of the season and 56th of her career. She said the timing of the effort – Indy is the final race of the regular season before the Countdown to the Championship – makes the effort especially significant.
“This is what our team’s been chasing all season long, building everything up,” Force said. “All our hard work has come to this point at Indy this weekend, when the points reset, and now it’s game on for this Countdown. So, it was an exciting way to do that. Put a 3.66 on the board. It was a killer run for David Grubnic and all these guys and in Cornwell colors.”
Force, a two-time NHRA champion, said the real prize remains her first Indy win.
“It’s what every driver wants. It’s definitely been on my bucket list for a long time,” Force said. “We’ve accomplished a lot, but one thing we haven’t done is win here in Indy. I was runner-up twice a few years ago, and so we’ve been successful here, but we’ve never been able to take it to the winner’s circle, and we’d love to do that.”
Jordan Vandergriff was second at 3.683, and T.J. Zizzo followed third with a 3.695.
Past Funny Car champion Jack Beckman delivered a highlight in John Force Racing’s “Brute Force” tribute car, going 3.865 at 332.26 in his Chevrolet SS.
“When you’re strapped in that car towing up in the staging lanes, last pair at Indy driving a John Force ‘Brute Force’ tribute car, that’s about as good as it gets,” Beckman said. “I’m trying to do a better job of living in the moment. I just try to tell myself, ‘Just stop, pause, take a breath, look around and let it sink in a little bit.’ I don’t know if that run will hold [for No. 1], but I know it was the best of Friday night.”
Ron Capps was second at 3.877, and Alexis DeJoria third with a 3.891.
Pro Stock champion Anderson set a track record of his own, making a 6.491-second run at 210.44 mph in his Camaro. Anderson said he carried extra motivation after the passing of longtime team owner Ken Black earlier in the week.
“This is for Ken Black, who we lost this week. It’s a sad, sad deal, but we’re going to celebrate,” Anderson said. “He’d want us to go out and win this race, and that’s exactly what I’m going to try my best to do.”
Dallas Glenn, Anderson’s teammate and the Pro Stock points leader, was second with a 6.523, and Erica Enders was third at 6.528.
Herrera set the track Pro Stock Motorcycle E.T. record with a 6.739 at 200.98 aboard his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
“It’s hard to prepare for five runs here at Indy because you know anything can happen. I was shocked that we ran 6.73, but we just treated it like a test lap and we hit it hard,” Herrera said. “I don’t think we could have run any faster. That’s all she’s got.”
Matt Smith was second at 6.779, and Richard Gadson third at 6.782.
Qualifying resumes Saturday at 12:30 p.m. EDT.
Friday’s results after the first one of five rounds of qualifying for the 71st annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.
Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.666 seconds, 339.79 mph; 2. Jordan Vandergriff, 3.683, 333.33; 3. T.J. Zizzo, 3.695, 333.08; 4. Doug Kalitta, 3.697, 329.99; 5. Antron Brown, 3.702, 332.75; 6. Shawn Langdon, 3.712, 337.24; 7. Steve Torrence, 3.727, 332.10; 8. Josh Hart, 3.734, 333.00; 9. Tripp Tatum, 3.737, 316.60; 10. Tony Stewart, 3.744, 328.78; 11. Justin Ashley, 3.757, 333.41; 12. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.799, 296.63; 13. Clay Millican, 4.109, 205.60; 14. Tony Schumacher, 8.239, 86.86; 15. Ida Zetterstrom, 9.855, 64.55; 16. Jasmine Salinas, 10.760, 74.44.
Funny Car — 1. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.865, 332.26; 2. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.877, 331.69; 3. Alexis DeJoria, Dodge Charger, 3.891, 329.02; 4. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.893, 330.88; 5. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.900, 324.83; 6. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.904, 323.50; 7. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.909, 313.22; 8. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.927, 322.81; 9. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.935, 299.93; 10. Blake Alexander, Charger, 3.952, 325.30; 11. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.962, 307.02; 12. Austin Prock, Camaro, 4.084, 238.17; 13. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 4.164, 230.53; 14. Justin Schriefer, Charger, 4.242, 233.28; 15. Chris King, Charger, 4.309, 235.31; 16. Julie Nataas, GR Supra, 4.401, 199.52.
Not Qualified: 17. Cruz Pedregon, 4.570, 160.08; 18. Dave Richards, 5.309, 145.42; 19. Alex Laughlin, 8.402, 82.69.
Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.491, 210.44; 2. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.523, 209.59; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.528, 211.26; 4. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.529, 210.08; 5. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.532, 210.44; 6. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.533, 209.04; 7. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.538, 209.69; 8. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.540, 209.79; 9. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.541, 209.88; 10. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.545, 210.18; 11. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.549, 209.62; 12. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.579, 209.20; 13. Stephen Bell, Camaro, 6.583, 209.79; 14. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.591, 209.30; 15. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.606, 209.98; 16. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.624, 205.16.
Not Qualified: 17. Greg Stanfield, 10.453, 87.61; 18. Troy Coughlin Jr., 10.514, 85.18; 19. David Cuadra, 22.605, 45.74.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.739, 200.98; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.779, 199.88; 3. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.782, 200.47; 4. John Hall, Beull, 6.786, 189.34; 5. Brayden Davis, Suzuki, 6.795, 199.17; 6. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.817, 199.29; 7. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.835, 197.86; 8. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.857, 200.26; 9. Dystany Spurlock, Buell, 6.867, 197.25; 10. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.874, 193.96; 11. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.885, 195.85; 12. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 6.888, 195.73; 13. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.905, 195.00; 14. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.927, 195.68; 15. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 7.153, 189.73; 16. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.156, 189.12.
Not Qualified: 17. Hector Arana Jr, 7.186, 192.77; 18. Charles Poskey, 7.213, 188.38; 19. Wesley Wells, 7.277, 182.72.
THURSDAY QUALIFYING – WEATHER DELAY PUSHES BACK QUALIFYING AS COMELLA, ENGELS LEAD AT U.S. NATIONALS
Rain delayed Wednesday qualifying at the NHRA U.S. Nationals, but once skies cleared, the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge wrapped up its qualifying sessions while Competition Eliminator, Top Dragster and Top Sportsman joined the event’s growing leaderboards.
In the HEMI Challenge, Steve Comella of Webster, N.Y., claimed the No. 1 spot with an 8.291-second pass at 161.04 mph in his 1968 Barracuda. Jason Line of Troutman, N.C., was close behind at 8.309 and 160.42, with Jimmy Daniels of Levittown, Pa., third at 8.331 and 161.34 in a ’68 Dart. Anthony Rhodes of Charleston, S.C., and Bucky Hess of Bunker Hill, W.Va., rounded out the top five.
Doug Engels of Watertown, S.D., took the early lead in Competition Eliminator with a 7.264 at 180.45 mph in his Chevy-powered dragster, running .666 seconds under his index. Donald Thomas of Amarillo, Texas, was second at 6.816, and former Pro Stock driver Rodger Brogdon of Tomball, Texas, held the third spot at 7.764. Jeremy Bailey of North Manchester, Ind., and Mike Farrell of New Albany, Ind., completed the top five.
In Top Dragster, Kevin Thorp of Knickerbocker, Texas, set the pace with a 6.114-second run at 212.86 mph in his Chevy-powered TNT dragster. He edged veteran Al Kenny of Jupiter, Fla., who posted a 6.126 at 226.16. Blake Peavler of Olney, Ill., ran 6.129 to sit third, with Jim Prevo of Mundelein, Ill., and Thomas Bayer of Cherry Valley, Calif., following in the top five.
Top Sportsman saw Bob Mandell III of Culleoka, Tenn., drive his 1955 Bel Air to the provisional No. 1 position with a 6.230 at 227.38 mph. Darian Boesch of Kenner, La., was second at 6.242 in his 2018 Camaro, followed by Jimmy Lewis of Forney, Texas, at 6.284. Dennis Dawson of Auburn, Ill., and Glenn Wright of Odessa, Texas, were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Sportsman competition will continue Thursday with Stock and Super Stock class eliminations, while additional qualifying sessions are scheduled for all categories leading into the weekend.
SOX & MARTIN HEMI CHALLENGE (FINAL)
1 1968 Steve Comella, Webster NY, ’68 Barracuda 8.291 161.04 161.54
2 2455 Jason Line, Troutman NC, ’68 Barracuda 8.309 160.42 160.82
3 1058 Jimmy Daniels, Levittown PA, ’68 Dart 8.331 161.34 161.34
4 2113 Anthony Rhodes, Charleston SC, ’68 Barracuda 8.335 160.08 160.08
5 1426 Bucky Hess, Bunker Hill WV, ’68 Barracuda 8.344 157.36 158.35
6 3651 Charlie Westcott, Albion MI, ’68 Barracuda 8.358 160.21 160.33
7 7406 Eric Bell, Chandler AZ, ’68 Barracuda 8.373 159.97 159.97
8 1979 JR Baum, Wellsville PA, ’68 Dart 8.436 157.61 157.71
9 1990 David Barton, Sinking Spring PA, ’68 Barracuda 8.532 155.02 155.02
10 574 David Bogner, Kearney NE, ’68 Barracuda 8.624 154.88 154.88
COMPETITION ELIMINATOR (Q-1)
1 5212 D/ED Doug Engels, Watertown SD, Dragster-Chevy 7.264 7.93 -0.666
2 41 C/D Donald Thomas, Amarillo TX, Frameworks-Ch 6.816 7.48 -0.664
3 3 B/SR Rodger Brogdon, Tomball TX, ’34 Chevrolet 7.764 8.42 -0.656
4 3073 C/DA Jeremy Bailey, N Manchester IN, Agan 6.982 7.60 -0.618
5 346 B/SR Mike Farrell, New Albany IN, ’34 Chevrolet 7.802 8.41 -0.608
6 4065 B/ED Chase Williams, Carthage TX, Spitzer-Chevy 6.885 7.47 -0.585
7 4483 CC/A John Clegg, Victoria TX, ’86 Firebird 6.908 7.48 -0.572
8 277 A/SM Larry Pritchett, Clarkrange TN, ’09 Sunfi 7.858 8.43 -0.572
9 3506 B/DA Troy Galbraith, Warsaw IN, Spitzer 6.750 7.32 -0.570
10 3629 G/EA Jason Coan, Kokomo IN, ’32 Bantam 8.182 8.74 -0.558
TOP DRAGSTER (Q-1)
1 4026 Kevin Thorp, Knickerbocker TX, TNT-Chevy 6.114 212.86 212.86
2 17 Al Kenny, Jupiter FL, Dan Page-STIN 6.126 226.16 226.16
3 5 Blake Peavler, Olney IL, American-Chevy 6.129 210.87 210.87
4 3505 Jim Prevo, Mundelein IL, VRN-REHE 6.144 226.32 226.32
5 8 Thomas Bayer, Cherry Valley CA, Miller-Chevy 6.145 230.92 230.92
6 39 Christopher Menapace, Danville IN, Indy Speed- 6.149 227.00 227.00
7 2124 Jeff Strickland, Red Bay AL, American-Chevy 6.166 228.34 228.34
8 359X Zach Sackman, Channahon IL, Spitzer-Chevy 6.168 225.90 225.90
9 7 Holden Laris, Raceland LA, Danny Nelson-Chevy 6.168 201.07 201.07
10 2415 Robert May, Kinsey AL, Racecraft-Chevy 6.176 224.70 224.70
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
TOP SPORTSMAN (Q-1)
1 323F Bob Mandell III, Culleoka TN, ’55 Belair 6.230 227.38 227.38
2 4911 Darian Boesch, Kenner LA, ’18 Camaro 6.242 228.54 228.54
3 4880 Jimmy Lewis, Forney TX, ’10 GXP 6.284 225.15 225.15
4 36 Dennis Dawson, Auburn IL, ’14 Challenger 6.292 224.17 224.17
5 406 Glenn Wright, Odessa TX, ’23 Camaro 6.329 223.73 223.73
6 4059 Jim Thorp, Mertzon TX, ’20 Camaro 6.409 223.06 223.06
7 38 Mark McDonald, Booneville IN, ’67 Mustang 6.473 212.16 212.16
8 3233 Bob Mandell Jr., Culleoka TN, ’67 Chevy II 6.538 217.25 217.25
9 3218 Belva Brinegar, Middletown OH, ’03 Mustang 6.553 212.13 212.13
10 5049 Michael Chitty, Ames IA, ’08 Cobalt 6.632 210.11 210.11
WEDNESDAY QUALIFYING – COMELLA, MANDELLA, BOUDREAU TOP FIRST DAY QUALIFYING
Qualifying opened Tuesday for the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with more than 800 entries across the largest contested sportsman classes. Action continues through Thursday, which will also feature class eliminations for Stock and Super Stock.
In the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge’s first qualifying session, Steve Comella of Webster, N.Y., led the field with an 8.299-second run at 161.54 mph in his 1968 Barracuda. He was followed by Jason Line of Troutman, N.C., also in a ’68 Barracuda, at 8.325 seconds and 160.82 mph.
Super Stock qualifying saw Tony Mandella of Springfield, Tenn., claim the provisional No. 1 spot in his 2005 Sunfire with an 8.900 on a 10.00 index, 1.100 seconds under. Byron Worner of Duncannon, Pa., and Sean Dornan of Bucyrus, Ohio, rounded out the top three.
In Stock, Jim Boudreau of Tewksbury, Mass., paced the field with a 9.985-second run in his 1969 Camaro, 1.265 seconds under his 11.25 index. Douglas Hoven of Monroe Township, N.J., in a 1972 Nova, and Jeffrey Blanchard of Lowell, Ind., in a 2013 Mustang, followed.
SOX & MARTIN HEMI CHALLENGE (Q-1)
1 1968 Steve Comella, Webster NY, ’68 Barracuda 8.299 161.54 161.54
2 2455 Jason Line, Troutman NC, ’68 Barracuda 8.325 160.82 160.82
3 1058 Jimmy Daniels, Levittown PA, ’68 Dart 8.331 161.34 161.34
4 1426 Bucky Hess, Bunker Hill WV, ’68 Barracuda 8.356 157.71 157.71
5 7406 Eric Bell, Chandler AZ, ’68 Barracuda 8.373 159.97 159.97
6 3651 Charlie Westcott, Albion MI, ’68 Barracuda 8.379 160.18 160.18
7 574 David Bogner, Kearney NE, ’68 Barracuda 8.624 154.88 154.88
8 5651 Rick Johnson, Wayzata MN, ’68 Barracuda 8.633 154.16 154.16
9 4261 Doug Fazzolare, Ocean Springs MS, ’68 Dart 8.767 152.95 152.95
10 5122 Jack Peterson, Hartford SD, ’68 Barracuda 8.851 154.02 154.02
SUPER STOCK (Q-2)
1 785 GT/DA Tony Mandella, Springfield TN, ’05 Sunfire 8.900 10.00 -1.100
2 3 SS/IA Byron Worner, Duncannon PA, ’95 Camaro 9.613 10.70 -1.087
3 3440 SS/BA Sean Dornan, Bucyrus OH, ’64 Savoy 8.817 9.90 -1.083
4 315 SS/B Ray Paquet, Holt MI, ’64 Fairlane 8.822 9.90 -1.078
5 3777 FGT/C Brandon Daugherty, Sheperdsville KY, ’07 8.730 9.80 -1.070
6 D433 FSS/C Darrell Brown, Hominy OK, ’15 Challenger 8.586 9.65 -1.064
7 3052 GT/QA Jeff Bryson, Washington IL, ’02 Alero 10.726 11.75 -1.024
8 3254 FSS/E Jeff Myers, Decatur IN, ’15 Camaro 9.034 10.05 -1.016
9 26 GT/GA Marion Stephenson, Williamsport IN, ’06 C 9.388 10.40 -1.012
10 159 FSS/F Victor Cagnazzi, Mooresville NC, ’18 Cama 9.199 10.20 -1.001
STOCK (Q-2)
1 1499 B/SA Jim Boudreau, Tewksbury MA, ’69 Camaro 9.985 11.25 -1.265
2 1189 U/SA Douglas Hoven, Monroe Twp NJ, ’72 Nova 13.685 14.85 -1.165
3 353C FS/G Jeffrey Blanchard, Lowell IN, ’13 Mustang 10.186 11.35 -1.164
4 2124 FS/D Jeff Strickland, Red Bay AL, ’23 Camaro 9.469 10.60 -1.131
5 7784 R/SA Paul Wong, Las Vegas NV, ’86 C10 12.943 14.05 -1.107
6 8608 B/S Daniel Williams, Northampton UK, ’69 Nova 10.098 11.20 -1.102
7 5715 FS/G Randy Eakins, Sikeston MO, ’19 Mustang 10.251 11.35 -1.099
8 5018 FS/A Corey Hopkins, North Branch MN, ’12 Musta 8.622 9.70 -1.078
9 3569 FS/J Patrick Downing, Petersburg MI, ’10 Musta 10.728 11.80 -1.072
10 2221 G/SA Thomas Mace, Jacksonville FL, ’90 Corvette10.930 12.00 -1.070
