Photos by Todd Dziadosz, NHRA
SUNDAY FINAL – REED, PEDREGON, GLENN AND HALL OPEN COUNTDOWN WITH NHRA READING NATIONALS WINS
Shawn Reed earned his first career Top Fuel victory Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway, defeating points leader Doug Kalitta in the final round of the 40th NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish.
The win capped an emotional comeback for Reed, who returned to competition after losing his left index finger in a July crash at Seattle.
Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock), and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also opened the Countdown to the Championship playoffs with wins. The Reading event marked the 15th of 20 stops on the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule and the first of six playoff races.
Reed powered his Reed Trucking & Excavating dragster to a 3.844-second run at 326.63 mph in the final round. He advanced past Kyle Satenstein, Shawn Langdon, and No. 1 qualifier Clay Millican before beating Kalitta, and the victory allowed him to climb to fifth in the points. Reed’s triumph came one week after he returned to action at an IHRA event in Hebron, Ohio – a race that he also won.
“Honestly, you couldn’t even write it any better — just a storybook weekend,” Reed said. “For what happened to me in Seattle, what happened to our team there, and then Jordan Vandergriff stepping in to keep our crew going, this car’s been good. I’ve been telling everybody for a long time that we were going to surprise a lot of people. We just had to get our Sunday morning thing figured out, and today we finally broke through.”
Kalitta advanced to his fourth final of the season with wins against Antron Brown, Tony Stewart, and Steve Torrence. In his matchup with Stewart, Kalitta’s dragster crossed the centerline past the finish line and collided with Stewart’s car, which tipped onto its side before returning to its wheels and striking the wall. Both drivers exited under their own power. Kalitta leaves Reading with a lead of 18 points over Stewart and 33 over Langdon.
Pedregon snapped a 55-race winless streak in Funny Car, defeating Blake Alexander in the final with a 3.969 at 330.63 in his Snap-On Tools Dodge Hellcat. The two-time world champion earned his 40th career victory with his first trip to the winners circle since 2022.
Pedregon reached his first final of the season by defeating Bob Tasca III, points leader Austin Prock, and Paul Lee. He moved to sixth in points with the victory – his third at Maple Grove Raceway.
“This is very special, very special,” Pedregon said. “You know, you start to doubt yourself — as an owner, as a driver — and I’ve done that a lot the last couple of years. I thought, ‘Maybe this is it.’ But we took the hard road. I hired young guys who weren’t already on other teams. It was like a draft.”
Alexander advanced to his first final of the season by defeating Matt Hagan, No. 1 qualifier Spencer Hyde, and Ron Capps. Prock left Reading with a 25-point lead over Jack Beckman and 29 over Capps.
Glenn continued his dominance in Pro Stock, posting a 6.557 at 209.23 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to beat first-time finalist Cody Coughlin in the championship round. Glenn, who entered as the points leader, collected his fifth win of the year and 18th of his career.
Glenn qualified No. 1 and knocked out Shane Tucker, Deric Kramer, and KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson, who was disqualified before their duel for crossing the beams during burnouts. The win gave Glenn his first Maple Grove victory and a 62-point lead over Anderson.
“You definitely come in here and my goal every race in the Countdown is to leave with a little bit more of a lead — and we definitely capitalized on that today,” Glenn said. “Having Cody Coughlin in the final, with me taking out Erica Enders and Eric Latino taking out Aaron Stanfield — it was just a wild weekend. They call [Maple Grove] the ‘House of Chaos’ for a reason.”
Coughlin reached the final with round wins over Troy Coughlin Jr., six-time NHRA champion Enders, and Eric Latino.
Hall added his name to the Pro Stock Motorcycle title fight with a win over teammate Matt Smith in the final. Hall ran 6.802 at 199.70 on his American Rebel Light/Matt Smith Racing Buell for his second win of 2025 and first at Maple Grove.
Hall defeated Kelly Clontz, reigning champion Gaige Herrera, and rookie Brayden Davis before he ousted Smith.
“They’re all special for me. To do it in the Countdown is great because, I mean, there’s six races in the Countdown — you’ve got to bring your A-game,” Hall said. “We had a new tire on there that wasn’t working for us. We put the old tire back on, which worked out. We went four 6.80s in a row.”
Smith reached his fourth final of the year by beating Brandon Litten, Jianna Evaristo, and Richard Gadson. He now leads the standings by six points over Hall and Herrera, with Gadson just nine back in fourth.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues Friday through Sunday, Sept. 19-21, with the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.
SATURDAY QUALIFYING – LEADERBOARD REMAINS UNCHANGED IN FRONT OF MAPLE GROVE SELLOUT CROWD
A sellout crowd witnessed no changes at the top of the qualifying sheets Saturday at Maple Grove Raceway. The leaderboard from Friday held firm as Spencer Hyde (Funny Car), Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all secured No. 1 positions at the 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish.
The unchanged state at the top of the charts capped a landmark Saturday for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, which recorded its fifth sellout of the 2025 season. For Maple Grove, it was the fourth straight year the Koretsky family has announced capacity crowds on Saturday since purchasing the Reading, Pennsylvania, facility in 2022.
Funny Car rookie Hyde added another milestone to his first season with Friday’s 3.868-second run at 330.07 mph in his Head Contractors & Engineers Ford Mustang. He will begin eliminations Sunday against Phil Burkart as he chases his first victory.
“We’ve been waiting 15 races to do this, so it’s good,” Hyde said. “It’s good for me, it’s good for my guys, and it gives them some confidence and motivation to hopefully go out and win this thing tomorrow. This is definitely a good start [to the Countdown], and it’s a good time to get hot. We’re hungry and we’re here to race.”
Reigning champion Austin Prock took second at 3.882 and Paul Lee was third after posting the best runs in both Saturday sessions, including a 3.893 at 328.22. Turning the provisional pole in a No. 1 slot capped Hyde’s strongest weekend of the season as the Countdown to the Championship began this weekend.
In Top Fuel, Millican’s Friday blast of 3.704 at 336.32 in the Rick Ware Racing PowerEdge dragster held through Saturday’s two sessions, giving him his first No. 1 of the year and the 27th of his career. He backed it up with a 3.796 after suffering an engine explosion in Q3, which underscored both the fragility and resilience of his program.
“I certainly wasn’t pleased with Q3. That was a big boomer, and I hadn’t had one that big in a long, long time,” Millican said. “But the boys and girls who make this thing go did a great job getting us right back up there for Q4, and we ended up second-quickest (in Q4). To come back and make that kind of run in the heat was pretty dang impressive.”
The broken engine will be inspected overnight, but Millican’s confidence remains strong. “We’ll find out, and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.
Justin Ashley qualified second with a 3.738 at 331.69, while Doug Kalitta held third at 3.756 at 335.40. Points leader Tony Stewart landed in 11th, and will face eight-time champion Tony Schumacher in the opening round.
In Pro Stock, Glenn’s 6.502 at 210.50 from Friday kept him on top in the RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. It gave the points leader his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 11th of his career. His race day will open with a duel with Shane Tucker.
“We have a really good car and were able to make a decent run this morning and get a bonus point, so heading into that final session, I felt like we had a shot at getting two or three more bonus points,” Glenn said. “Unfortunately, we had a little oops and were shut off and missed out on those points, but being the No. 1 qualifier does help. We’re going to look and see if we can try to get four win lights tomorrow. The car is fantastic, it looks nice and I’m ready for tomorrow.”
Aaron Stanfield was second at 6.505, while Erica Enders, fresh off her U.S. Nationals victory, qualified third with a 6.506. Greg Anderson, the reigning champion, improved to fourth after making the quickest run in each Saturday session.
Herrera, the dominant force in Pro Stock Motorcycle, proved untouchable with Friday’s 6.745 at 200.20 aboard his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It marked his fifth No. 1 of the season and further established him as the championship favorite.
“The track has been very consistent today in the heat, and that gives us good data going into tomorrow,” Herrera said. “I’m happy to get the win for Vance & Hines and all the guys back at the shop. I feel like tomorrow we’re going to have a very strong field. Between me and Richard [Gadson], I’m glad we’re on opposite sides. I definitely don’t want to race him early.”
Herrera said the atmosphere at Maple Grove, with a sellout crowd embracing Pro Stock Motorcycle, gave his team additional energy. “This crowd really loves the bikes,” he said. “I’ve got friends here who had never seen nitro cars before today, and now they want to come to more NHRA races. It feels like home — like we brought our bike crowd into the NHRA world.”
Matt Smith held the second spot with a 6.753, while Gadson rounded out the top three at 6.763. With the leaderboard unchanged, eliminations for the Reading Nationals begin Sunday at 11 a.m. EDT.
FRIDAY QUALIFYING – MILLICAN, HYDE, GLENN AND HERRERA GRAB PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT NHRA READING NATIONALS
Clay Millican powered to the top of Top Fuel qualifying Friday at Maple Grove Raceway, earning the provisional No. 1 position to open the Countdown to the Championship at the 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish.
Joining Millican as leaders after the first day of qualifying were Spencer Hyde (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle). The event is the 15th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and the first of six playoff races.
Millican went 3.704 seconds at 336.32 mph in his PowerEdge dragster for Rick Ware Racing. If it holds, it would be his first No. 1 qualifier this season and the 27th of his career. The veteran entered the Countdown seventh in points after a final-round appearance at Brainerd. He said his focus is on consistency and picking up a second win this season.
“It’s always fun coming here,” Millican said. “It’s only the provisional No. 1, but it was a good one. In qualifying, the only thing the driver can do is screw it up. I was pretty excited when it stayed No. 1 because we need these points.
“The biggest thing is consistency. Home-run hitters can go on streaks, but consistency usually wins. We’ve been putting solid runs together lately. At Brainerd, we went to the final, then had a parts failure. At Indy, we beat Shawn Langdon first round, then had an electrical failure second round. But the car is going rounds, and I like our chances.”
Justin Ashley sits second with a 3.738 at 331.69, while Doug Kalitta is third at 3.756 at 335.40.
In Funny Car, rookie Hyde posted a 3.868 at 330.07 in his Head Contractors & Engineers Ford Mustang. That run gave the Canadian driver the provisional top spot in his first appearance at Maple Grove. Hyde, who is making his first Countdown appearance, entered ninth in points with two final rounds and one Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory this year.
“We’ve known all year that we’ve had a pretty fast car when conditions are good, and Jim’s (Head) known for swinging for the fences when the track will take it,” Hyde said. “Tonight, we left the tune-up alone, let the racetrack come to us, and it went right down through there with an .86. That was pretty cool, and hopefully it holds through tomorrow.”
Hyde said his focus remains on race wins despite Rookie of the Year attention. “Being in the Rookie of the Year conversation is awesome, and a No. 1 qualifier would be a big box to check. But what I really want is to win one of these races,” he said.
Austin Prock is second at 3.882 at 333.74, with Paul Lee third at 3.895 at 290.57.
Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn put his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro on top with a 6.502 at 210.50. It was enough to edge Aaron Stanfield and position Glenn for his fifth No. 1 qualifier this season and the 11th of his career.
“That was a back-up engine, but it’s running fantastic right now,” Glenn said. “I’m really pleased with it, and the car is starting to come around. Going into the Countdown, I’m feeling really good. I feel like we have the car to beat for the championship.”
Stanfield is second at 6.505 at 211.59, while Erica Enders is third at 6.506 at 211.36.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, defending champion Gaige Herrera went 6.745 at 200.20 aboard his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki to take the provisional top spot. The 26-time event winner is chasing his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season.
Herrera said he is focused on turning Maple Grove into a winning stop after struggles in past years.
“Reading has definitely defeated me the last two seasons,” Herrera said. “My best here is a semifinal, so my main goal this weekend is to go one round further and hopefully not leave here second in points like I have the last two years. To leave here with a win and check that box would mean a lot.”
Herrera was followed by Matt Smith at 6.753 at 200.95 and Richard Gadson at 6.763 at 200.92.
Qualifying continues Saturday at 12:30 p.m. EDT at Maple Grove Raceway.
Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish at Maple Grove Raceway, 15th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.
Top Fuel — 1. Clay Millican, 3.704 seconds, 336.32 mph; 2. Justin Ashley, 3.738, 331.69; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.756, 335.40; 4. Shawn Reed, 3.758, 328.46; 5. Shawn Langdon, 3.762, 333.49; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.778, 332.34; 7. Tony Schumacher, 3.779, 334.24; 8. Dan Mercier, 3.796, 316.67; 9. Josh Hart, 3.811, 332.26; 10. Brittany Force, 3.816, 334.32; 11. Tony Stewart, 3.819, 329.10; 12. Kyle Satenstein, 3.917, 281.25; 13. Scott Farley, 4.136, 233.76; 14. Doug Foley, 4.831, 153.53; 15. Antron Brown, 5.010, 145.80.
Funny Car — 1. Spencer Hyde, Ford Mustang, 3.868, 330.07; 2. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.882, 333.74; 3. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.895, 290.57; 4. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.901, 330.72; 5. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.911, 334.24; 6. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.912, 329.34; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.912, 323.50; 8. Blake Alexander, Charger, 3.924, 328.38; 9. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.932, 330.80; 10. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 3.948, 329.26; 11. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.962, 327.82; 12. Joe Morrison, Charger, 4.065, 310.41; 13. Phil Burkart, Mustang, 4.074, 309.63; 14. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.138, 300.73; 15. Alex Laughlin, Charger, 4.255, 292.90; 16. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 5.062, 151.44.
Not Qualified: 17. Dave Richards, 5.180, 182.13; 18. Chad Green, 6.698, 95.23.
Pro Stock — 1. Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.502, 210.83; 2. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.505, 211.59; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.506, 211.36; 4. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.519, 210.11; 5. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.520, 209.33; 6. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.525, 208.17; 7. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.526, 210.24; 8. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.532, 210.37; 9. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.532, 209.33; 10. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.543, 210.41; 11. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.546, 209.98; 12. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.550, 209.62; 13. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.585, 208.46; 14. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.613, 207.18; 15. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.623, 207.50; 16. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.981, 200.50. Not Qualified: 17. Alan Prusiensky, 7.436, 124.38.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.745, 200.20; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.753, 200.98; 3. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.763, 201.46; 4. Brayden Davis, Suzuki, 6.780, 201.49; 5. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.806, 198.41; 6. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.807, 197.13; 7. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.843, 198.58; 8. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.853, 194.10; 9. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.857, 198.26; 10. John Hall, Beull, 6.868, 199.17; 11. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.870, 194.55; 12. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.871, 195.76; 13. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.905, 195.25; 14. Brandon Litten, Suzuki, 6.922, 193.24; 15. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 14.394, 52.09.
THURSDAY – SZUPKA, BELLES, SMYTH AND MILLS LEAD NHRA NATIONALS SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING AT MAPLE GROVE
Steve Szupka set the pace in Competition Eliminator Thursday to open sportsman qualifying at the NHRA Nationals presented by Nitro Fish at Maple Grove Raceway. Donald Belles (Super Stock), Stephen Smyth (Stock) and Vonnie Mills (Top Sportsman) also claimed early leads in their respective categories.
Szupka, from Northampton, Pa., drove his Spitzer C/DA to a 6.907-second pass at 7.57 under the index to lead Competition Eliminator. Joe Carnasciale of Ashway, R.I., followed in second with an 8.864 run in his Cavalier, while Calvin Hill of Tamaqua, Pa., slotted into third at 7.386 in his dragster.
The Comp top five also included Thomas Miller of Nottingham, Pa., in his Cobalt and Richard Schonberger of Southampton, Pa., in his Cavalier. Mark Hopkins of Phoenixville, Pa., and Patrick Ross of Avon Lake, Ohio, were among the other early standouts inside the top 10.
In Super Stock, Belles of Collegeville, Pa., delivered the best performance with an 8.865 at more than a second under the FSS/D index in his 2020 Camaro. He was trailed closely by Anthony Bongiovanni of Parsippany, N.J., who posted an 8.694 in his Mustang, and Peter D’Agnolo of Rochester, N.Y., with an 8.546 in a Cobalt.
Other notables included David Collette of Perryville, Md., and Stacy McCarty of Plainfield, Ind., who rounded out the top five. Defending class standout David Barton of Sinking Spring, Pa., qualified sixth with his Mustang, less than a tenth behind the leaders.
Stock Eliminator saw Smyth of Uxbridge, Mass., lead the way in his 2009 Challenger with a 9.525, more than a second under the FS/D index. He edged out David Ficacci of Randolph, N.J., in his 1969 Camaro, and Eric Merryfield of Andover, Mass., who drove a 1977 Gremlin into third.
The top five also featured Bongiovanni in a second entry with his late-model Mustang and John Leach of Fallston, Md., with a 1969 Roadrunner. More than 100 entries are expected in the category this weekend.
Mills of Kennedyville, Md., paced Top Sportsman with a 6.291 at 221.38 mph in her 2013 Camaro. Jeff Brooks of Fredericksburg, Va., put his Henry J into second with a 6.406, while Alexander Thomson of Milford, N.J., claimed third with his ’67 Mustang.
Rounding out the early top five were Al Davidowski of Columbus, N.J., and Ronald Riegel of Fairless Hills, Pa. The class featured multiple six-second passes as racers set an early tone for the weekend.
COMP (Q-2)
1 11 C/DA Steve Szupka, Northhampton PA, Spitzer 6.907 7.57 -0.663
2 7 I/SMA Joe Carnasciale, Ashway RI, ’07 Cavalier 8.864 9.52 -0.656
3 1057 D/DA Calvin Hill, Tamaqua PA, Dragster 7.386 8.01 -0.624
4 1471 C/AA Thomas Miller, Nottingham PA, ’06 Cobalt 7.242 7.85 -0.608
5 1867 I/SM Richard Schonberger, Southhampton PA, ’06 8.961 9.55 -0.589
6 1086 D/A Mark Hopkins, Phoenixville PA, ’92 Beretta 7.644 8.23 -0.586
7 3002 D/A Patrick Ross, Avon Lake OH, ’05 Pontiac G 7.676 8.26 -0.584
8 1979 AH/SM Eldon Baum, Wellsville PA, ’68 Dart 8.378 8.95 -0.572
9 1034 PSTA Chip Ippolito, Laconia NH, ’01 S-10 7.651 8.22 -0.569
10 104 D/SMA Frank Affronti, Ontario NY, ’12 Chevy Cob 8.400 8.95 -0.550
SUPER STOCK (Q-3)
1 1737 FSS/D Donald Belles, Collegeville PA, ’20 Camaro 8.865 9.90 -1.035
2 1759 FSS/C Anthony Bongiovanni, Parsippany NJ, ’14 M 8.694 9.65 -0.956
3 7 SS/CM Peter D`Agnolo, Rochester NY, ’10 Cobalt 8.546 9.50 -0.954
4 1540 FSS/E David Collette, Perryville MD, ’11 Challe 9.101 10.05 -0.949
5 3099 GT/DA Stacy McCarty, Plainfield IN, ’05 Grand Am 9.069 10.00 -0.931
6 1990 FSS/C David Barton, Sinking Spring PA, ’14 Must 8.724 9.65 -0.926
7 15 GT/MA Bill Kennedy, Wilkes-Barre PA, ’85 Firebi 10.292 11.20 -0.908
8 3662 FSS/F Scott Libersher, Wilmington IL, ’15 Camaro 9.308 10.20 -0.892
9 1027 GT/TB Marc LaBrecque, S. Deerfield MA, ’00 S-10 9.964 10.85 -0.886
10 1325 SS/MA Robert Bagley, Warsaw VA, ’57 Station Wag 10.967 11.85 -0.883
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE RESULTS
STOCK (FINAL)
1 17 FS/D Stephen Smyth, Uxbridge MA, ’09 Challenger 9.525 10.60 -1.075
2 1013 AA/SA David Ficacci, Randolph NJ, ’69 Camaro 9.659 10.70 -1.041
3 1883 T/SA Eric Merryfield, Andover MA, ’77 Gremlin 13.386 14.40 -1.014
4 1759 FS/A Anthony Bongiovanni, Parsippany NJ, ’10 M 8.704 9.70 -0.996
5 1139 C/SA John Leach, Fallston MD, ’69 Roadrunner 10.417 11.40 -0.983
6 7801 F/SA Pete Lanciers, Spring Valley CA, ’73 Dust 10.875 11.85 -0.975
7 3807 A/SA Mike Delahanty, Novi MI, ’64 Belvedere 10.053 11.00 -0.947
8 1150 B/SA Russell Linke, Old Bridge NJ, ’97 Camaro 10.305 11.25 -0.945
9 1152 B/S Ed Bednaz, Terryville CT, ’70 Nova 10.264 11.20 -0.936
10 144 O/SA Bob Bender, Perryville MD, ’69 Kingswood 12.218 13.15 -0.932
TOP SPORTSMAN (Q-2)
1 1027 Vonnie Mills, Kennedyville MD, ’13 Camaro 6.291 221.38 221.38
2 1929 Jeff Brooks, Fredericksburg VA, ’51 Henry J 6.406 217.67 217.67
3 141D Alexander Thomson, Milford NJ, ’67 Mustang 6.598 213.67 213.67
4 1967 Al Davidowski, Columbus NJ, ’10 GXP 6.772 204.42 204.42
5 1736 Ronald Riegel, Fairless Hills PA, ’68 Camaro 6.854 203.37 203.37
6 124 Michael Grafas, Brick NJ, ’63 Corvette 7.067 195.48 195.48
7 163 Don Preece, Meriden CT, ’68 Camaro 7.105 182.60 194.32
8 152A George Forster, Greencastle PA, ’98 Monte Carlo 7.107 194.97 194.97
9 1783 Vincent Fourcade, Mount Airy MD, ’15 Camaro 7.177 191.35 191.35
10 1209 Levon Currie, Glassboro NJ, ’98 Cutlass 7.224 190.97 190.97
