Photos by Chris Simmons
FRIDAY QUALIFYING – SALINAS SHATTERS IHRA RECORD AS WORSAM, HARRIS, DRINKWATER LEAD SEASON QUALIFYING OPENER
Qualifying stretched deep into the night during the opening day of the rejuvenated IHRA’s second season, but the marathon session concluded with defining statements across every professional category. Under the lights at Darana Motorsports Park, Jasmine Salinas delivered the performance of the evening with an eighth-mile world record that set the tone for the championship chase.
Salinas, a second-generation Top Fuel driver, thundered to a 3.004-second pass at 285.59 mph to claim the first No. 1 qualifying position of the season. The run not only established a new IHRA benchmark but also signaled her intent to contend for the series title.
“I knew the run obviously was going to be shorter [going to eighth-mile],” Salinas said. “So you know when you’re running 1000 feet, your brain slows down and you can start kind of feeling the other things happening in the race car. But you know from the starting line all the way to 660, there’s still a lot going on in that car.”
She added, “Me not running full-season all the time, being in and out of the car every now and then. I don’t know, that’s just as much excitement as running 1000 foot for me. For us trying to get a lot of our tune up dialed in this year, a lot of it’s been happening before the 330 where we’ve been struggling.”
Salinas credited recent testing for the breakthrough performance, emphasizing the importance of early-season adjustments. She pointed to the progress made since Gainesville as evidence that her team is moving in the right direction.
“And so coming out here is really good for us,” Salinas said. “Gainesville was a test session for us as well. Our car wasn’t running the way we wanted. And so getting everything dialed in to the way we want, I think that run right there just shows we’re heading in the right direction.”
Gary Pritchett, driving the Doug Foley Top Fuel dragster, followed with a 3.061 at 283 mph to secure the provisional No. 2 spot. Former Top Alcohol Dragster standout Lee Callaway was third after posting a 3.164 at 275.07 mph.
The Funny Car division delivered its own late-night drama as Del Worsham surged to the top of the order with a 3.202-second blast at 282.13 mph. The veteran’s pass displaced early leader John Smith and underscored the depth of competition emerging in the revived series.
“That’s just qualifying. Saturday’s the race,” Worsham said. “There’s tough competition out there definitely; it’s definitely the most competition we’ve had.”
Worsham noted the tight performance window separating the front-runners, suggesting that eliminations could hinge on small margins. He emphasized that experience will play a decisive role as the season unfolds.
“Since I came back over to the IHRA, we have four or five cars right now that are all within .05 seconds of each other,” Worsham said. “We’re all running pretty close and some pretty experienced racers.”
Smith held the second position with a 3.241, while Terry Haddock’s 3.253 placed him third. Joey Haas occupied the bump spot with a 3.924, highlighting the competitive spread within the field.
In Pro Modified, multi-time PDRA Pro Boost champion Jason Harris set the pace with a 3.543-second run. Harris narrowly edged John Doc, who followed with a 3.558, while Jason Lee secured third at 3.562.
The Mountain Motor Pro Stock category featured the largest field of the event, with 23 entries competing for 16 qualifying positions. Alan Drinkwater seized the top spot during the final session with a 4.026 at 179.23 mph.
Drinkwater’s late surge displaced Johnny Pluchino, whose earlier 4.032 placed him second. Chris Powers matched the elapsed time but settled for third on speed at 177.16 mph.
Elijah Morton claimed the final qualifying berth with a 4.100, completing a tightly contested field that promises high-stakes eliminations. The depth of entries reinforced the category’s continued growth within the IHRA structure.
The opening day’s results reflected a series seeking to reestablish its competitive identity through parity and performance. From record-setting Top Fuel runs to late-night position changes in Funny Car, the first qualifying session delivered both momentum and intrigue.
With championship points on the line and multiple title contenders emerging, the revived IHRA campaign has already begun to define its narrative. If opening night is any indication, the season’s storylines will be written in thousandths of a second and decided under pressure.
FRIDAY – Q-1
