Photos by Ron Lewis, Mike Burghardt, Jeff Burghardt, Brian Losness, NHRA
Competition Plus’ Water-Cooler Topics From The NHRA NEVADA Nationals.
1 – FORCE ACCOLADES IN HER FAREWELL – Brittany Force ended her Las Vegas chapter in fitting fashion Sunday, powering to victory in her final appearance at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and becoming the winningest female driver in Top Fuel history.
Force ran 3.704 seconds at 337.33 mph in her Chevrolet Accessories dragster to defeat Shawn Langdon’s 3.727, 333.91 in the final round of the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals. The victory was her 19th career win, second of the season, and fifth in Las Vegas — breaking a tie with Shirley Muldowney for most Top Fuel wins by a woman.
“This win is a special one,” Force said. “When I made my announcement that I was stepping out of the seat, I told my team I wanted to finish strong. Winning here — where we won last year, too — is outstanding. It’s been far too long, and we wanted to end this season on a high note.”
Force’s weekend was dominant from the start. She qualified No. 1 on Friday with a track-record 338.85 mph pass, then knocked out Clay Millican and Tony Stewart on race day before defeating Langdon. Her performance brought a sense of closure to a 12-year full-time career of Top Fuel competition.
On her focus in the final round, Force said she relied on instinct and experience. “It’s trying to find that place where you’re just in the zone,” she said. “I knew I had two races left, and Shawn Langdon is one of the best leavers out here. You just block out everything and stay in your lane. That was my biggest thing — focus on my lane and what I can do.”
The win also carried deep emotion for her crew, led by David Grubnic and John Collins. “Ever since I told them about my decision before Reading, they said, ‘We’ve got to get you one more win,’” Force said. “They wanted it for me, not just for the team or sponsors, and that meant the world.”
Force called Las Vegas one of her most meaningful tracks. “This place has always felt like home,” she said. “I raced Super Comp here, watched my dad and sister race here, and it’s always been special. The fans are incredible, and it’s just the perfect place to close this chapter.”
With the victory, Force became the winningest woman in Top Fuel and leaves the sport’s biggest stage with one more win light — and one more record — to her name.
2 – HAGAN DELIVERS UNDER PRESSURE – Matt Hagan’s championship hopes stayed alive Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as the four-time NHRA Funny Car champion powered to a 3.877 at 327.03, to defeat points leader Austin Prock in the final round of the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals.
The win — Hagan’s third of the season, 55th of his career and sixth in Las Vegas — denied Prock a chance to clinch the title one race early. It also marked a defining moment for Hagan’s first-year crew chief, Mike Knudsen, who guided the Tony Stewart Racing Dodge//SRT Hellcat through a grueling playoff weekend.
“It was a have-to-win race,” Hagan said. “There’s times in your career when you pull your crew chief aside and say, ‘We’ve got to win this one,’ and this was one. I’m super proud of my guys. Crew chiefs win races, man. The driver just keeps it in the groove and makes it look good.”
Hagan’s team found consistency after a stretch of mechanical issues that tested their resolve. “We stumbled a little in Dallas because we’ve had so many parts failures — blow-ups, injectors sticking, seats falling out of heads,” he said. “You just feel like you’ve got bad luck sometimes, but that comes back to digging and overcoming adversity.”
The victory also broke an 0-8 record in eliminations against Prock. “You’re racing the guy that you haven’t beat ever,” Hagan said. “That’s tough. But there’s nothing but respect for that team. They do it right. That’s Funny Car — the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. That race car is the medicine, man. It keeps you humble and hungry.”
Hagan reflected on how much he’s grown since his early championship runs. “I think you learn more from your losses than you ever do from your wins,” he said. “You challenge yourself, you grow, you dig deep, and you work harder. Those missed opportunities push you to be better.”
With one race left, Hagan trails Prock by 101 points heading into the NHRA Finals at Pomona. “We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Hagan said. “It’s theirs to lose, but if they stumble, we’ll be there.”
3 – NOTHING BUT GOOD JU-JU – Dallas Glenn exorcised his Las Vegas demons Sunday, powering his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to victory in the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals and taking a commanding Pro Stock points lead into the Pomona finale.
Glenn delivered a 6.602 pass at 206.61 to defeat Matt Hartford in the final round, earning his eighth win of the season and 21st of his career. The victory marked his third in Las Vegas and gave him a 92-point lead over Greg Anderson, avenging last year’s first-round loss that cost him the title.
“Definitely very satisfying,” Glenn said. “Coming in with a similar points lead to last year and losing first round, it feels a lot better sitting here holding the trophy this time. It hasn’t really hit me yet, but it feels amazing.”
Glenn beat Dave Connolly, 10-time Vegas winner Erica Enders, and Anderson before besting Hartford. His sharp .026 reaction time helped secure a semifinal holeshot win over Anderson, followed by a nearly perfect .006 light in the final. “That was a big 40-point swing,” Glenn said. “Then you can go put the cherry on top — who wants cake without icing?”
The 2025 points leader said experience has changed his mindset. “I’ve got so much more confidence in the car,” Glenn said. “Last year, four people could’ve won it going into Pomona. This year, we’ve got a good lead. I just feel way more relaxed, way less nervous. I was a wreck last year.”
Even as parity has tightened in Pro Stock, Glenn’s consistency has carried him through. “You can go a 6.59 and be No. 2, or a 6.61 and be 14th,” he said. “We’ve had to tighten the belts and keep the momentum going.”
With one race remaining, Glenn said his focus remains simple. “I still need to do good in Pomona,” he said. “We’ve had a phenomenal car all year. Now it’s time to close it out.”
4 – PRESSURE FUELS HERRERA – Gaige Herrera delivered under pressure in Las Vegas, winning his third straight NHRA Nevada Nationals and setting up a dramatic championship showdown for the 2025 Pro Stock Motorcycle title. The two-time defending champion rode his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki to a 6.809, 198.17 pass to defeat Angie Smith in the final round, cutting teammate Richard Gadson’s points lead to just 21 heading into Pomona.
The win marked Herrera’s seventh of the season, 28th of his career, and third consecutive victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It also reaffirmed his reputation as one of the sport’s most composed and dangerous riders when the championship is on the line.
“This weekend couldn’t have gone any better,” Herrera said. “Me and my teammate facing off in the semis — him with the points lead — I needed him to go out to get a little closer. What a race between me and him, my .005 to his perfect light. It just goes to show how hungry we both are to get this championship right now.”
Herrera’s semifinal win over Gadson was one of the tightest of the season. Gadson left the line with a perfect .000 light, but Herrera’s .005 reaction and 6.825 run narrowly took the stripe. “It’s like we’re good friends, but we aren’t at the moment,” Herrera joked. “We’re both going up there willing to cut our own throats because we know we’re both on it.”
In the final, Smith pushed hard with a 6.82-second run, but Herrera held on to take the win. It was Smith’s second final of the season and 11th of her career. “Angie put up a good fight,” Herrera said. “I could hear that bike right there and took a little peek over. She was close.”
Now, with just one event remaining, the championship could come down to a winner-take-all duel between teammates. “Pressure doesn’t scare me,” Herrera said. “It fuels me. I don’t just want to win races — I want to win championships.”
5 – GRAY OUTLASTS THE CONTENDERS FOR PRO MOD TITLE – J.R. Gray began the NHRA Nevada Nationals as the driver with the third-best shot at the Pro Modified title. By Sunday, he left The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as both race winner and 2025 champion.
Gray clinched the crown in dramatic fashion, defeating top qualifier Billy Banaka in the final round with a 5.749 at 250.04, to Banaka’s 5.763 at 247.07. Gray’s .028 reaction time sealed the win — his fifth career Wally, fourth this season, and first Pro Modified title.
“The level of competition — I mean, this truly is the world championship,” Gray said. “There’s no Pro Mod over here that’s easy. It’s a quarter mile that separates the men from the boys. With fields that close, you don’t know which way it’s going.”
Gray advanced to the final by defeating Alex Laughlin, Kevin Rivenbark, and Mike Castellana. Each round, he said, felt like the most important of his career. “Every round, I’d be like, ‘This is the most important round,’” he said. “Then I’d get through that round and think, ‘Hold on, this is the most important round.’ It was just all day long like that.”
After an uneven midseason stretch, Gray credited composure and teamwork for the turnaround. “We fell off a little bit when we came back from our break,” he said. “Then to pull everything back together as a team and triumph like this — this is my greatest victory ever.”
Taking his first Pro Mod championship trophy on stage, Gray summed it up simply: “I controlled my emotions all day long, and that’s one of the reasons we’re in victory [lane]”
6 – CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE DECIDED IN POMONA – Doug Kalitta could have left Vegas as the champion with a win, but teammate Shawn Langdon wasn’t ready to give up the battle.
Langdon took out Justin Ashley in the second round, which would have paved the way for his teammate Kalitta to get closer to the NHRA Top Fuel title – but, then Langdon took Kalitta out, too.
Kalitta heads to Pomona with a 144-point lead, and can reasonably clinch the title by qualifying. Ashley fell to third, 19 points behind Langdon.
“The ladder definitely set up nicely for us starting the day, but Shawn made a really good run in the semis and got around us,” Kalitta said. “After a couple of race wins and halfway through this one, it’s been nice seeing those win lights come on. It was just one of those deals. My guys are really doing a hell of a job, and we had Mac Tools, Toyota Revchem, Dayco and all our friends from them out here so we had a lot of support – that’s definitely a big part of it. We have one more race to go, and we’ll go into it in a really good position. It’s definitely the best position I’ve ever been in going into Pomona, but we didn’t get enough points to clinch it here, so we still have some work to do.”
Funny Car provides a similar scenario as Prock leads Hagan by 110 points.
In Pro Stock, Glenn’s victory puts him 92 points up on Anderson, essentially giving him the chance to clinch after a second round victory.
Pro Stock Motorcycle will be a matter of which rider lasts longer Sunday in Pomona, Richard Gadson or Gaige Herrera.
7 – IT’S NOT THE SIZE OF THE DOG – Jason Rupert’s first-round loss at the NHRA Nevada Nationals didn’t end with a trophy, but it did showcase the heart of a racer who refuses to back down. The Anaheim Hills, Calif., driver qualified 16th in Funny Car field that featured 22 entrants, then turned in his best run of the weekend — a 3.992 at 322.11 mph — before falling to No. 1 qualifier and points leader Austin Prock.
On paper, Rupert was outmatched. His independently funded operation runs on limited resources, a handful of crew members, and determination. While powerhouse teams arrive with spare engines and corporate backing, Rupert’s outfit stretches every part, every run, and every dollar.
“I don’t want to go broke,” he said. “Rahn [Tobler] and the team are doing an outstanding job keeping me safe, keeping all our motor parts in the motor, and doing the best we can with what we have.”
Rupert, a former NHRA Heritage Series champion, is realistic about his place among drag racing’s elite. Competing at the top level comes with sacrifices — financial, personal, and emotional — but his passion drives him through the imbalance.
“There’s no paycheck in this,” he said. “Every dollar that goes into this car comes from somewhere else in my life. These big teams have budgets; we have sacrifices.”
The addition of championship-winning tuner Tobler has been transformative for Rupert’s program. Tobler, who once led multi-car teams to world titles, has brought consistency and calm to the effort. “He’s more consistent now than he’s ever been,” Tobler said. “The team has learned a lot, and even with limited races, they do a great job with what they’ve got. The car doesn’t blow up, stuff doesn’t fall off, and they keep showing up. That makes me proud.”
Rupert’s run against Prock, though short of victory, felt like a win for every underfunded racer still swinging. “We ran our best number of the weekend, kept it straight, didn’t hurt a thing, and gave the champ a clean race,” Rupert said. “That’s a good day for a team like ours.”
For Rupert, success isn’t defined by trophies — it’s in the fight. “We may not have all the bells and whistles,” he said, “but we’ve got heart.”
8 – BELLEMEUR CLINCHES ANOTHER TITLE – Bartone Bros. Racing captured its fifth NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Funny Car championship Saturday during the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Driver Sean Bellemeur and tuner Steve Boggs secured the title in the first round of eliminations. After qualifying No. 1 with a 5.43-second run at 267 mph, Bellemeur advanced past Kirk Kuhns with a 5.46 at 265 mph. Moments later, when points rival Brian Hough lost to Steve Gasparelli, the championship officially went to Tony Bartone’s “Killer B’s.”
“I am a little shocked. I didn’t know we were that close to finishing it up,” Bellemeur said. “The competition out here is tough. Brian and Maddi [Gordon] are great drivers. Tony Bartone gives us everything we need. He just says, ‘Don’t let up.’”
Bellemeur credited Boggs’ tuning mastery and the crew’s chemistry for the team’s success. “Steve Boggs, what can you say? The guy is a wizard,” he said. “He tuned two different engine combinations this year and dominated in both. The guys, all of them, and the best part is I get to call all of them my friends. We criss-cross the country fighting this NHRA fight.”
The team’s 2025 campaign featured eight wins, including national and regional victories in injected nitro and blown-alcohol combinations. Bellemeur said sharing another championship with his crew and supporters was the perfect reward. “To hoist this trophy with Tony Bartone, Steve Boggs, Troy Green, Nick Stoms, Justin Taylor, Garret Bateman, Brian Gawlik, Lauren McMaster, and Matt Krebs is the best,” he said. “I am the luckiest guy in the world.”
Bartone Bros. Racing will remain in Las Vegas for next weekend’s regional event as it looks to add one more win to their 2025 resume.
9 – AND YOUR SPORTSMAN WINNERS ARE – Jon Bradford earned his first national-event Wally and Jim Whiteley claimed career win No. 24 as Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series champions were crowned Sunday at the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Bradford, the No. 3 qualifier, left first and never trailed to defeat top qualifier Madison Payne in the Top Alcohol Dragster final. His 0.032 light and 5.238-second pass at 274.39 mph held off Payne’s 0.051, 5.277, and 273.83. It marked Bradford’s first national victory in three final-round appearances.
Whiteley prevailed in Top Alcohol Funny Car, earning his first win of 2025 with a 0.052 light and 5.493 at 261.78 to edge Stan Sipos’ 5.502 at 263.87 by .0229 seconds, or about nine feet. The veteran driver now has 24 career victories in NHRA national competition.
Top qualifier Scott Linder claimed his first national win in Competition Eliminator, driving his A/A entry to a 6.617 (-.463) over Brooke Heckel’s 7.807 (-.413). Super Stock honors went to Trey Vetter, whose .005 reaction time and 9.903 on a 9.88 dial earned him his second career Wally over Tommy Gaynor’s 9.326.
Bo Butner added his 21st sportsman Wally in Stock Eliminator, overcoming Chris Hall’s nearly perfect .001 light with a 9.552 on a 9.55 to win by just .0096 seconds. In Super Comp, Alec Bianco won his first national title after Mark Simmons broke out, running 9.057 (+.007) to 9.045 (-.005).
Eddy Plaizier earned his first national win in Super Gas, chasing down Val Torres with a 10.095 (+.045) to a 10.116 (+.066). Ty Gaynor closed out the event in Right Trailers Top Dragster, taking his first Wally with a .008 light and 6.901 on a 6.86 dial over Moe Trujillo.
10 – SAY WHAT? – The things you hear on the PA at the races.
“That was my boy, not me.” – SCAG Racing crew chief Tim Wilkerson deflecting praise on son Daniel’s holeshot win over Jack Beckman in the quarterfinals.
“He emotionally, physically, and spiritually abuses me.” – Aaron Brooks, on his friendly rivalry with fellow tuner Jim Head.
“That was a rookie pedal job, but we got the job done.” – Shawn Langdon after his first round win.
“I’m going to try not to cuss, but that was pretty cool. I told you we were trying to run .92 yesterday, but we messed up, figured it out, so three more to go.” – Chad Green co-crew chief Joe Serena to NHRA’s Joe Castello.
“You got lane choice by six thou,” Castello said.
“Hell, yeah,” Serena responded.
