Photos by Alex Owens, Dwayne Culpepper, Tracy Waters, Marvin T. Smith
SUNDAY FINAL – VANDERGRIFF RAN HOME, LANGDON RULED, AND A SELLOUT CROWD GOT THE FULL SHOW
It felt like the old Southern Nationals had been gone just long enough to make people miss it properly.
Then Jordan Vandergriff won his first NHRA national event, jumped out of his Funny Car, and sprinted back up the racetrack in a firesuit while a sellout crowd roared at South Georgia Motorsports Park. If anyone wondered whether Georgia still cared about drag racing after Atlanta Dragway’s demise, Sunday answered with volume.
Vandergriff’s breakthrough victory in Funny Car highlighted a packed closing day at the NHRA Southern Nationals, where Shawn Langdon won in Top Fuel, Dallas Glenn survived a wild Pro Stock slugfest, and Matt Smith finished off a dominant weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
The first-year return of NHRA racing to Georgia – some 270 miles from the site of Atlanta Dragway – did not need help from nostalgia by sunset. It had made fresh memories of its own.
Vandergriff defeated top qualifier J.R. Todd in the final round with a 4.007 at 314.17 mph in the Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS. Then came the celebration that instantly entered family lore.
Much like uncle Bob Vandergriff Jr. once did after a win, Jordan ran from the shutdown area toward the starting line, where teammates and disbelief were waiting. It was joy, exhaustion, tribute, and theater rolled into one sprint.
“I’m still kind of taking in just how special this is,” Vandergriff said. “This moment is something I thought of for a very long time. Running up the track was something I always thought about doing because my uncle did it out of pure joy when he won his first, and I just had to do it.”
Driving in only his fifth Funny Car event for John Force Racing, Vandergriff also had the steadiest car in the category all day, beating Jeff Arend, Spencer Hyde and Hunter Green before toppling Todd.
Todd reached his first final of the season and the 50th of his career. He also moved into the Funny Car points lead, three ahead of Ron Capps.
If Vandergriff delivered the emotional moment, Langdon delivered the exclamation point to a weekend already stamped into the record book.
Two days after blasting to a record 345.00 mph, Langdon defeated teammate Doug Kalitta in the Top Fuel final with a 3.808 at 333.16 mph in the Kalitta Air dragster. The win was Langdon’s second of the season and 24th of his career.
He beat Cam Ferre, Antron Brown, and Clay Millican to reach the final. There were no giant speed headlines Sunday, just the kind that matter more – four win lights.
“This is very satisfying,” Langdon said. “You get a little taste of 345 and then today it was different. You had to check your ego a bit and understand that you have to make changes and take what the racetrack gives you.”
Kalitta, the reigning champion, reached his third final of 2026 and now trails Langdon by four points.
Pro Stock looked less like precision engineering and more like controlled disarray. Glenn was the man who handled it best.
The reigning NHRA champion beat Troy Coughlin Jr. in the final with a 6.642 at 211.39 mph in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro for his second win of the season and 23rd career victory. He survived a first-round pedal-fest against Jeg Coughlin Jr., then beat Matt Latino, and Greg Stanfield before closing the deal.
“Today was definitely pretty weird,” Glenn said. “This is probably the weirdest elimination day of Pro Stock car that I can remember. It was not a good day to be a crew chief.”
Coughlin, the No. 15 qualifier, reached his first final of the season by beating Eric Latino, Deric Kramer, and Erica Enders.
Smith spent the first three races of the Pro Stock Motorcycle schedule proving he had speed. Sunday, he proved he still knows how to finish.
The six-time NHRA champion beat reigning titlist Richard Gadson in the final with a 6.724 at 202.06 mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. It was Smith’s first win of the season and the 43rd of his career.
He also beat Chase Van Sant and wife Angie Smith during eliminations after qualifying No. 1.
“This is not only rewarding for me, but rewarding for our team, because we worked so hard this winter to find a little bit of power,” Smith said. “We just hadn’t shown up on Sunday and I’m glad we showed up today.”
Gadson remained the points leader after defeating Geno Scali, Clayton Howey, and Gaige Herrera.
SATURDAY QUALIFYING – KALITTA LEADS FOUR NO. 1 QUALIFIERS AS SOUTH GEORGIA CROWD GETS PAID BACK FOR WAITING
The rain made them wait. The racers made sure it was worth it.
After a long Saturday filled with delays, wet grounds, and enough uncertainty to make cancellation feel like a real possibility, Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd, Greg Anderson, and Matt Smith locked down No. 1 qualifying positions before a sellout crowd at South Georgia Motorsports Park in NHRA’s first national event at the facility.
Kalitta delivered the loudest punch of the day. The reigning Top Fuel champion and current points leader ripped off a 3.657-second pass at 342.37 mph in the Mac Tools dragster – the quickest run of the 2026 season to earn his first No. 1 qualifier this year and 67th of his career.
He did it one week after winning Charlotte. Right now, Kalitta is making life uncomfortable for everybody else.
“This is for the fans, they definitely held in there,” Kalitta said. “It’s been a long day, but it was just one of those deals, with a big storm coming through. I’m just glad that we ran and will have good weather for tomorrow.”
Then came the part drivers understand best. “That thing left and it started to square the tire, and then it just kind of cleared up and just ran. I could tell it was running strong and running hard. Alan, he’s the master, I can tell you that.”
Kalitta opens eliminations with a first-round bye, another advantage for a team already carrying speed and confidence.
Behind him, teammate Shawn Langdon nearly stole the spotlight again. One day after a 345.00 mph blast, Langdon went 344.91 mph Saturday, the second-fastest run in NHRA history, and qualified second with a 3.683.
Billy Torrence was third at 3.710 and 338.00 mph.
Funny Car stayed in the hands of Todd, whose Friday run of 3.887 at 339.28 mph in the DHL Toyota GR Supra held for his second No. 1 qualifier in the last three races and the 16th of his career.
Todd’s team had no interest in protecting the pole Saturday. They came back swinging.
“On that last run, Dickie [Venables] and Todd Smith said, ‘We’re going to throw down’. We had nothing to lose because we were on the pole,” Todd said. “It was trying to run, but it just got loose. We were definitely trying to put a 340 on the board. That would be cool, but either way, I’ll take a win over 340 any day.”
Todd has been around late on Sundays this year. What he has not done enough is finish the job.
He also noticed the people who stuck around through the weather. “These fans are dedicated,” Todd said. “The fans were so appreciative and thanked us for being there. I was like, ‘No, thank you for having us here’. That’s how the fans are here.”
Chad Green moved to second with a 3.894, while Jordan Vandergriff was third at 3.924.
In Pro Stock, Anderson kept doing what he has done for years — parking himself at the top and making everyone else deal with it.
The six-time champion grabbed his fourth straight No. 1 qualifier with Friday’s 6.498 at 210.60 mph in the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Saturday’s quickest Pro Stock run only added to his weekend and gave him 144 career No. 1 qualifiers.
“It’s been a marathon day, but to get that extra run, we’re very appreciative,” Anderson said. “The air was good yesterday and better again today, and it should be even better tomorrow.”
Then Anderson gave the kind of answer veterans give when they know better than the scoreboard.
“We’re just struggling to match our cars up with the starting line and there’s no excuse for that,” Anderson said. “We’ll figure it out by tomorrow.”
That is why he is still a problem. Winning Saturday does not stop him from hunting for flaws Saturday night.
“We’ll make the right adjustments,” Anderson said. “Drivers have to be ready for anything, not just cut a good light, but it just could be a pedal-fest out there. You never know. So you’ve got to find a way to get to the finish line first.”
Eric Latino qualified second at 6.508, with Aaron Stanfield third at 6.525.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Smith stayed a step ahead of the field. His Friday run of 6.669 at 203.03 mph on the Denso Auto Parts Buell held for his second straight No. 1 qualifier this season and the 61st of his career.
Nobody else in the category has run in the 6.60s this season.
“I am looking forward to raceday tomorrow,” Smith said. “I like my chances in the first round [with a bye]. You know, this is the South, and I’ve run so many races down here in Georgia and there’s a lot of motorcycle racing fans down here, and they stuck around to watch us today.”
Smith closed qualifying with a 6.728. Gaige Herrera qualified second at 6.705, while reigning champion Richard Gadson was third at 6.730.
Eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m. EDT.
Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 41st annual NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park, the fifth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.657 seconds, 342.37 mph vs. Bye; 2. Shawn Langdon, 3.683, 345.00 vs. 15. Cameron Ferre, 11.927, 57.72; 3. Billy Torrence, 3.710, 338.00 vs. 14. Dan Mercier, 6.749, 100.28; 4. Maddi Gordon, 3.748, 340.05 vs. 13. Will Smith, 5.441, 124.48; 5. Tony Stewart, 3.758, 334.40 vs. 12. Justin Ashley, 4.250, 198.82; 6. Clay Millican, 3.767, 338.00 vs. 11. Tony Schumacher, 4.030, 236.84; 7. Shawn Reed, 3.783, 329.50 vs. 10. Antron Brown, 3.896, 316.97; 8. Leah Pruett, 3.804, 331.69 vs. 9. Josh Hart, 3.855, 275.22.
Funny Car — 1. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.887, 339.28 vs. 14. Daniel Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 6.468, 134.58; 2. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.894, 323.89 vs. 13. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 4.399, 200.08; 3. Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 3.924, 325.14 vs. 12. Jeff Arend, Dodge Charger, 4.035, 311.41; 4. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.933, 328.78 vs. 11. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.973, 326.24; 5. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.948, 316.23 vs. 10. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 3.968, 326.63; 6. Austin Prock, Mustang, 3.956, 331.94 vs. 9. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.963, 322.42; 7. Hunter Green, Charger, 3.958, 322.65 vs. 8. Dave Richards, Mustang, 3.959, 334.57.
Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.498, 210.73 vs. 16. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 11.959, 104.63; 2. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.508, 209.75 vs. 15. Erica Enders, Camaro, 11.141, 80.93; 3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.525, 210.60 vs. 14. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.731, 209.26; 4. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.526, 210.50 vs. 13. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.604, 201.64; 5. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.527, 210.50 vs. 12. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.600, 209.17; 6. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.536, 210.05 vs. 11. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.591, 208.84; 7. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.544, 219.86 vs. 10. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.585, 209.88; 8. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.547, 210.57 vs. 9. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.569, 210.47.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.699, 203.03 vs. Bye; 2. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.705, 202.30 vs. 15. Charles Poskey, Suzuki, 7.005, 194.13; 3. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.730, 201.61 vs. 14. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.842, 198.82; 4. John Hall, Beull, 6.734, 202.88 vs. 13. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.837, 193.90; 5. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.757, 200.65 vs. 12. Brayden Davis, Buell, 6.830, 198.93; 6. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.775, 200.53 vs. 11. Ryan Oehler, Buell, 6.828, 197.19; 7. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.778, 200.29 vs. 10. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.815, 199.32; 8. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.778, 199.70 vs. 9. Marc Ingwersen, Buell, 6.806, 198.58.
FRIDAY QUALIFYING – LANGDON REWRITES NHRA HISTORY AS SOUTHERN NATIONALS DEBUT OPENS WITH FIREWORKS
If NHRA wanted a statement to open its first national event at South Georgia Motorsports Park, Shawn Langdon supplied one at 345 miles an hour.
Langdon made the fastest run in NHRA history Friday, taking the provisional No. 1 spot in Top Fuel at the Southern Nationals with a 3.724-second pass at 345.00 mph. The run broke the existing record of 343.51, set last season by Brittany Force in Indianapolis.
The former champion now sits in line for his third No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 25th of his career. It also gave public proof to the eye-opening test numbers his Kalitta Motorsports team showed in Gainesville.
“To see that [345 mph] pop up on the scoreboard, I think it was special for the guys. I was happy for them, especially Brian [Husen, crew chief],” Langdon said. “We were able to do that testing and some people had different ideas on what they thought, if it was legit or not.”
“We kind of talked about it and Brian was like, ‘Well, we’ll just do it in the season to prove it was legit.’”
Tony Stewart moved into second at 3.758, 334.40, while points leader Doug Kalitta was third at 3.762, 334.40.
If that weren’t enough for Team Kalitta, J.R. Todd followed with his own headline in Funny Car.
Todd raced to the provisional No. 1 spot with a 3.887, 339.28 mph in his DHL Toyota GR Supra. It was the quickest Funny Car run of the season and the fastest speed of his career. Todd is now in position for his second No. 1 qualifier this season and the 16th of his career. After waiting five years between top qualifying efforts, he now has a chance for two in three races.
“Obviously, today was a good day and kind of continues everything we’ve done so far this year,” Todd said. “We hit the ground running in testing, and I knew we had a really good car.
“What I’m happy with is Dickie [Venables] and Todd [Smith] adjusting to the conditions. Even here, the track is good, but it’s still a bit tricky, and you see a lot of people struggling to get down.”
Jordan Vandergriff was second at 3.924, 325.14. Matt Hagan jumped to third at 3.933, 328.78.
In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson continued one of the strongest qualifying stretches of his career. Anderson drove his Chevrolet Camaro to a 6.498, 210.60 to secure the provisional No. 1 position. He is seeking his fourth straight No. 1 qualifier and the 144th of his career.
No other driver reached the 6.40s Friday. Eric Latino was second at 6.508, while Aaron Stanfield qualified third at 6.525.
“This is a good racetrack, but it seems like quite a few of us got a little greedy today, just because the air was so good,” Anderson said. “We made a lot of power out there today, and some of us missed, including myself.
“We missed a little bit on the starting line, just got a little bit too aggressive, but other than that, we just have to adjust for tomorrow. It’s not a big adjustment.”
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith added another strong Friday to his season.
Smith rode his Buell to a 6.669, 203.03, the first run in the 6.60s this season and quickest pass of the year in the category. It put the six-time champion in line for his second straight No. 1 qualifier and the 61st of his career.
“You know, we tested a lot. Even when we left Charlotte, we went and tested again in Rockingham. We’re out here trying to be better and it’s showing every day,” Smith said. “We’re getting better and better, and that’s the name of the game.
“Looking at the weather I said we should run 6.69 to 6.70, and it went 6.699, so it was as close to a 70 as you can get.”
Gaige Herrera was second at 6.723, while reigning champion Richard Gadson followed at 6.730.
Qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday at the NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park.
Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 41st annual NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park, fifth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.
Top Fuel — 1. Shawn Langdon, 3.724 seconds, 345.00 mph; 2. Tony Stewart, 3.758, 334.40; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.762, 334.40; 4. Maddi Gordon, 3.775, 329.75; 5. Billy Torrence, 3.786, 331.61; 6. Leah Pruett, 3.804, 331.69; 7. Josh Hart, 3.855, 275.22; 8. Antron Brown, 3.896, 316.97; 9. Shawn Reed, 3.988, 236.17; 10. Tony Schumacher, 4.030, 236.84; 11. Justin Ashley, 4.250, 198.82; 12. Clay Millican, 4.755, 159.76; 13. Will Smith, 5.441, 124.48; 14. Dan Mercier, 6.760, 100.26; 15. Cameron Ferre, 11.927, 57.72.
Funny Car — 1. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.887, 339.28; 2. Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 3.924, 325.14; 3. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.933, 328.78; 4. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.946, 318.24; 5. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.948, 316.23; 6. Austin Prock, Mustang, 3.956, 331.94; 7. Hunter Green, Charger, 3.958, 322.65; 8. Dave Richards, Mustang, 3.959, 334.57; 9. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.963, 322.42; 10. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 3.968, 326.63; 11. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.973, 326.24; 12. Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.035, 311.41; 13. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 4.399, 200.08; 14. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 6.468, 134.58.
Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.498, 210.60; 2. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.508, 209.75; 3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.525, 210.60; 4. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.526, 210.50; 5. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.527, 210.50; 6. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.536, 210.05; 7. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.544, 211.49; 8. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.547, 210.57; 9. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.585, 209.88; 10. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.591, 208.84; 11. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.600, 209.17; 12. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.731, 209.26; 13. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 12.343, 106.34; 14. Matt Latino, Camaro, 12.418, 69.98; 15. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 12.901, 104.63; 16. Erica Enders, Camaro, 20.273, 48.94.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.699, 203.03; 2. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.723, 200.23; 3. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.730, 201.37; 4. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.757, 200.65; 5. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.778, 200.29; 6. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.778, 199.35; 7. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.795, 200.53; 8. Marc Ingwersen, Buell, 6.806, 198.58; 9. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.815, 199.32; 10. Ryan Oehler, Buell, 6.828, 197.19; 11. Brayden Davis, Buell, 6.830, 198.93; 12. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.837, 193.90; 13. John Hall, Beull, 6.841, 198.82; 14. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.842, 198.82; 15. Charles Poskey, Suzuki, 7.005, 193.18.
REVISED FRIDAY SCHEDULE
Friday run schedule for the 41st annual NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park.
Weather prediction for today :
Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 75F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
8:30 am
Stock Q1
Super Comp TT1
Super Stock Q1
Super Gas TT1
Top Dragster Q1
Stock Q2
Super Comp TT2
Super Stock Q2
Super Gas TT2
Top Dragster Q2
11:15 am Pro Stock Motorcycle Q1
Pro Stock Q1
12:00 pm Funny Car Q1
Top Fuel Q1
Pro Mod Q1
1:45 pm Pro Stock Motorcycle Q2
Pro Stock Q2
2:30 pm Funny Car Q2
Top Fuel Q2
Pro Mod Q2
Summit JDRL Shootout
Q1
Top Dragster E1
Stock E1
Super Comp E1
Super Stock E1
Super Gas E1
Stock E2
