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FRIDAY QUALIFYING – LANGDON, CAPPS, ANDERSON AND HERRERA SET FRIDAY’S PACE AT NORWALK
It was a Friday NHRA event at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park missing the traditional night-time qualifying. When rain threatened Friday’s schedule race officials moved up qualifying and were able to get in two qualifying sessions, but in doing so the traditional post-racing fireworks show was scrubbed.Â
Some didn’t mind, as qualifying presented some performance fireworks of its own.Â
Friday’s final qualifying session rewarded the teams willing to chase cooler conditions, and Shawn Langdon, Ron Capps, Greg Anderson, and Gaige Herrera capitalized by taking provisional No. 1 spots at the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio.
Langdon led the Top Fuel field with a 3.742-second pass at 335.23 mph in his Kalitta Air dragster, the quickest run of either session. The points leader is on track for his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season after extending his streak to six consecutive final-round appearances despite seeing a three-race win streak end in Bristol. Langdon fell to Leah Pruett in the finals of the event whose ending was washed out in Epping, N.H., then lost in the Bristol-event title round to Antron Brown.  Â
“We’re very pleased with how the car ran and I think with what we’re trying to accomplish, [crew chief] Brian [Husen has] been making great calls,” Langdon said. “Fortunately, the car’s responding well and it’s pretty glued in. We’re very happy with the setup right now.”
Tony Stewart qualified second at 3.767, 335.07, while rookie Maddi Gordon continued her impressive season with a run of 3.793, 335.40 to claim the third spot.
In Funny Car, Capps used a late-session charge to become the only driver in the 3.80-second range, posting a 3.894, 328.38 in the NAPA Auto Care Toyota. The run moved the three-time NHRA champion into position for his third No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 40th of his career.
“Conditions obviously got cooler three or four cars before us,” Capps said. “I could see the cloud cover coming, and ‘Guido’ [crew chief Dean Antonelli] got back in the box about four or five times more than usual.”
Austin Prock sits second with a 3.905 at 334.15, followed by Alexis DeJoria at 3.918, 330.63.
Anderson continued his command of the Pro Stock category, pacing both sessions with a 6.550 at 209.36 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. The six-time NHRA champion also earned the first selection in Saturday’s GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout.
“Yeah, it was big, but tomorrow’s the big day,” Anderson said. “We had to set it up today. I think we got all the points we can get today.”
Reigning Mission Drag Racing Series champion Dallas Glenn qualified second with a 6.561 at 209.07, while Bristol winner Matt Hartford was third at 6.564, 208.71.
Herrera carried the momentum from his Bristol victory into Norwalk, leading both Pro Stock Motorcycle sessions with a 6.779 at 199.64 aboard his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki. After a slow start to the season, Herrera is on pace for his second consecutive No. 1 qualifier.
“I wouldn’t say it’s back to normal, but it feels good,” Herrera said. “We’ve kind of been struggling for a bit now, but we made some changes to the bike itself, so hopefully I’ll have the same bike in the sun tomorrow.”
Joey Gladstone, filling in for team owner Matt Smith, who is still recovering from multiple gall bladder-related surgeries, qualified second at 6.795 and 198.70, while Angie Smith rounded out the top three with a 6.805, 200.11.
Qualifying continues at noon EDT on Saturday at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. The first round of the GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout begins at 11:30 a.m.
Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 20th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, 10th 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, 3.742 seconds, 335.23 mph; 2. Tony Stewart, 3.767, 335.07; 3. Maddi Gordon, 3.793, 335.40; 4. Clay Millican, 3.799, 339.11; 5. Josh Hart, 3.803, 332.34; 6. Leah Pruett, 3.806, 330.72; 7. Spencer Massey, 3.814, 327.11; 8. Antron Brown, 3.828, 329.50; 9. Billy Torrence, 3.839, 329.83; 10. Shawn Reed, 3.879, 279.79; 11. Tony Schumacher, 3.886, 278.17; 12. Will Smith, 3.926, 273.27; 13. Doug Kalitta, 4.172, 219.69; 14. Justin Ashley, 4.211, 301.87; 15. Scott Farley, 4.669, 162.51.Â
Funny Car — 1. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.894, 328.38; 2. Austin Prock, Ford Mustang, 3.905, 334.15; 3. Alexis DeJoria, Chevy Camaro, 3.918, 331.53; 4. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 3.931, 325.30; 5. Del Worsham, Toyota Supra, 3.934, 332.67; 6. Jordan Vandergriff, Camaro, 3.936, 329.18; 7. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.938, 322.50; 8. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.945, 327.59; 9. Dave Richards, Mustang, 3.961, 332.59; 10. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.966, 332.34; 11. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.988, 325.06; 12. Blake Alexander, Charger, 3.991, 322.34; 13. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.992, 327.43; 14. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.996, 322.96; 15. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 4.125, 267.06; 16. Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.134, 299.33.Â
Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.550, 209.36; 2. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.561, 209.07; 3. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.564, 209.04; 4. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.577, 209.30; 5. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.577, 207.46; 6. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.579, 209.26; 7. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.580, 209.92; 8. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.591, 208.07; 9. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.593, 209.10; 10. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.593, 209.04; 11. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.598, 208.84; 12. Stephen Bell, Camaro, 6.617, 208.26; 13. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.624, 209.23; 14. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.633, 208.55.Â
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.779, 199.64; 2. Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.795, 198.70; 3. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.805, 200.11; 4. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.814, 198.44; 5. Brayden Davis, Buell, 6.829, 197.94; 6. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.841, 196.76; 7. John Hall, Beull, 6.855, 199.46; 8. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.876, 196.19; 9. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.877, 194.52; 10. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.914, 197.10; 11. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.951, 195.36; 12. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.064, 189.31; 13. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 7.090, 163.26; 14. Bud Yoder II, Buell, 7.227, 181.62; 15. Odolph Daniels, Suzuki, 9.102, 98.32.Â
