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SATURDAY NOTEBOOK – IT’S A MAPLE GROVE TRADITION – SELL THE JOINT OUT
1 – LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE OURSELVES A SELLOUT – Maple Grove Raceway has always been a popular drag racing destination for fans. Then, the Koretsky family purchased the historic facility outside of Philadelphia and took it to a new level.
For the third consecutive season, Maple Grove Raceway announced a sellout crowd for Saturday’s qualifying at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. The event kicks off the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
An overflow crowd packed the historic facility for two rounds of qualifying. The Koretsky family, which purchased the track in 2022, continues to see strong support as they improve the venue.
“This shows how dedicated these fans are,” said Kyle Koretsky. “We want to give them the best experience possible, and we can’t thank them enough.”
It marks the fifth 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series sellout, following capacity crowds at Phoenix and Epping.
2 – NITRO LEADERBOARD REMAINS UNCHANGED – Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley clinched his first No. 1 qualifier of the season with a run of 3.713 seconds at 333.49 mph from Friday. This marks his sixth career No. 1 qualifier and his second consecutive at Maple Grove Raceway.
Currently second in points, Ashley made the quickest run to conclude qualifying and will face Smax Smith in the opening round. He seeks his first career win at his home track.
“For the most part, today’s focus was on getting ready for race day and collecting those bonus points,” Ashley said. “I think the team learned a lot, and being able to collect a total of five bonus points today was critical for us.”
In Funny Car, Austin Prock continued his strong qualifying streak, earning his 11th No. 1 qualifier in 15 races with a pass of 3.849 seconds at 338.43 mph. Prock is now two No. 1 qualifiers away from tying John Force and Tony Schumacher for the most in a season in NHRA history.
“These guys are giving me an outstanding car,” Prock said. “We just have to do what we’ve been doing all year long and execute exactly how we did all season long.”
Prock, who won at Maple Grove Raceway in 2022 in Top Fuel, will open eliminations against Mike Smith as he aims for his sixth victory of the season.
3 – GLENN MAKES HIS MARK – Last year, Dallas Glenn entered the NHRA’s six-race Countdown to the Championship in the No. 1 position, but finished sixth after losing in the first round of four races. Glenn looks to rewrite his story this year, once again starting the Countdown at No. 1.
Glenn made a strong statement by qualifying No. 1 with a 6.530-second pass at 209.43 mph in Q3 at the Pep Boys Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and sixth in his Pro Stock career.
“Yesterday, I didn’t feel like we made that great of runs even though we were near the top and got bonus points. They were decent runs – the engine was running good and everything – but we were struggling in 60-feet. I knew if we figured that out, we would be good,” Glenn said. “Today, when the track is a little worse and the air is just a touch worse, you go up there and as long as it 60-foots, we should be able to be really close to it. We went up there and made a really nice run.
“I feel like everybody counts all the little points, especially when you reset them with six races to go, and you have this mad rush to try to go rounds and get wins. It really matters when you’re in the playoffs. It’s really important here at the end of the season that we do well, so I’m going to try to stay extra focused, try to just kick it up and grab that little bit of extra gear that I feel like we have, focus a little bit harder, and see if we can squeeze a couple wins here in the last six races.”
Erica Enders (6.535 seconds) and Greg Anderson (6.537 seconds) followed Glenn in second and third on the qualifying ladder. Glenn will face No. 16 qualifier Kenny Delco in Round One.
4 – GAIGE STEALS THE SHOW AGAIN – Gaige Herrera secured the No. 1 qualifying spot at the Pep Boys Nationals in Reading with a 6.743-second run at 200.20 mph on his RevZilla/Mission/Vance & Hines Suzuki. This marked his sixth No. 1 qualifier of the season and 20th overall in his career since joining the Pro Stock Motorcycle class late in 2022.
Matt Smith, riding a Buell, was close behind with a 6.795-second pass at 200.50 mph. Herrera will face Kelly Clontz in Round One of eliminations as he looks to add to his dominant 81-6 elimination round record since the start of 2023.
After winning the U.S. Nationals earlier this month, Herrera entered the Countdown to the Championship with a slim 20-point lead over Smith, down from a gap of nearly 300 points prior to the playoffs reset.
Herrera acknowledged both the positives and drawbacks of the Countdown format, noting that while it resets the standings, it also adds excitement for fans and competitors alike.
“Since I had such a big points lead, obviously I didn’t like the Countdown. But all in all, I like the countdown because it mixes things up and it makes it more interesting,” Herrera said. “I had such a big points lead that it would have been hard for anyone to catch me. So, there’s pros and cons to it. I like it and I dislike it. I think overall I like it just because it brings excitement to the teams, the fans, the racers, just overall. You got to have something to mix it up every once a while, so overall, I like the Countdown.”
5 – GET YOUR PICKS IN, LEARN ABOUT DRAG RACING INSURANCE – Laris Motorsports Insurance, owned by Ross and Holden Laris, is the presenting sponsor of the Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB) during this weekend’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. The company will promote its range of motorsports insurance policies, which cater to to the drag racing community, through DRBB’s platforms and events.
“We aim to introduce our insurance services to a passionate drag racing fanbase,” said Holden Laris, the president of the company.
The partnership aligns with DRBB’s dynamic bracket competition, allowing fans to engage with professional qualifying rounds to predict winners in a bracket-style competition.
Laris Motorsports Insurance is featured prominently on DRBB’s website and social media, offering policies that cover race vehicles, trailers, motorhomes, and tools.
Fans can sign up for DRBB brackets, with competitions that began Sept. 14 after qualifying rounds. DRBB, created by Werner Games + Entertainment, debuted at the 2023 U.S. Nationals and offers drag racing fans a unique engagement platform.
Join today, or get your brackets filled out at https://dragracebracketbonanza.com/
6 – PAWUK SEALS THE DEAL IN FSS – Mark Pawuk secured the No. 1-qualifier spot with a 7.433-second pass in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, marking his sixth career No. 1 qualifier and second this season.
Pawuk, driving the Empaco Don Schumacher Memorial Dodge Drag Pak, was followed by Jason Dietsch in a Mustang and Stephen Bell in a Camaro to complete the top three. Pawuk will face Doug Hamp in the first round of eliminations, while Dietsch will face Anthony Troyer.
Pawuk emphasized the importance of each round as he chases his first Flexjet championship, competing against strong rivals like David Janac and Stephen Bell.
Despite a driver error in the final session, Pawuk held onto the top spot with a 7.743-second run at 173.07 mph. Dietsch clocked a 7.753-second pass, with Bell at 7.799 seconds, securing their positions behind Pawuk.
“Right now, every point matters for this Flexjet championship,” said Pawuk. “Every round of eliminations means a lot. I need to go rounds here and rounds in St Louis. David Janac, Stephen Bell have been very tough competitors all year, and you even put (Scott) Libersher in the mix. Nobody’s out of it (the championship). I have to have a couple good races and hope that things fall my way, so I have a shot at the championship. I’ve never won a championship. It’s always been in my dreams. And all I can do is go out and do the best the I can.”
Jason Dietsch, the No. 1 qualifier at the U.S. Nationals, carries the Flexjet $1,000 bounty into eliminations. However, U.S. Nationals finalists Kevin Skinner and Raymond Nash were absent from the event due to car issues.
7 – MORRISON HOPES TO BE PARTY POOPER – Joe Morrison didn’t set Funny Car qualifying on fire nor himself. He’s in the field at No. 14 with a 4.257, 230.96 – not the quickest, not the slowest.
8 – BECKMAN FINALLY GETS TO DEFEND HIS TITLE – Jack Beckman will start from the No. 3 position, which sets up the potential for an all-JFR final round.
FRIDAY NOTEBOOK – LET THE CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF CHAOS!
1 – PROCK ROCKIN – One would have thought the traditional Countdown points reset might have reeled in so-called rookie Austin Prock enough for the rest of the Funny Car field to catch up. Instead, it made him even faster.
On Friday at Maple Grove Raceway, Prock ran faster than ever, prock-rocketing to the top of the Funny Car field. Prock, who is gunning for his sixth win of the season this weekend, went 3.849 seconds at 338.43 mph, posting a career-best speed and just missing out on the track record.
If the thundering run holds it will mark his 11th No. 1 qualifier in the first 15 races of his Funny Car driving career. That’s not counting his No. 1 qualifier at the PRO Superstar Shootout before the season started.
“That was some classic Reading drag racing right there,” Prock said. “This place is always fast — lot of trees around here, the air is always pretty mongo, and they gave us a great racetrack tonight. That was pretty stout to go No. 1 again and run a career-best speed. It definitely got all of it. I’m really proud of this team, and it was a heck of a way to start the playoffs today.
“I knew it left hard, and just past the Christmas tree I felt the tire just a hair and it cleared up. I probably got about 200 feet out and I started feeling it trying to make that move inside, and I had quite a bit of wheel turning left all the way down the (track). When I tossed the laundry, my brother (Thomas) got on the radio. They were going nuts and that was really special. It was great to hear, and the team is really proud of that today.”
2 – HOME IS WHERE YOU HANG YOUR PROVISIONAL – Growing up on New York’s Long Island, Justin Ashley heard stories of his father and others close to home racing at the famed Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J. Unfortunately, by the time he got old enough to drive at NHRA events, Raceway Park had closed.
Ashley adjusted by making Maple Grove Raceway, located outside of Philadelphia, his new drag racing home track.
Friday night, he showed home is where you hang your provisional No. 1 hat.
Ashley drove his SCAG/Toyota Top Fuel dragster to the top spot with a run of 3.713 at 333.49. If that holds, it would be Ashley’s first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the sixth in his career.
In a reversal of fate, Ashley, who finished second in the regular-season standings, is off to a strong start in the Countdown. Last season, he entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
“I think we did a good job during Q1 of positioning ourselves to a point where we could be a little more aggressive in Q2. That was the key,” Ashley said. “When you go out there that first run, you want to set that baseline so you have the ability to be a little more aggressive and go after that No. 1 spot. We stayed after Indy, we did some testing, we did some testing after Brainerd.
“The whole team has just been chipping away at it for this reason, for this very moment. We want to make sure we’re prepared when the Countdown comes. It’s Day One of the Countdown, but we feel good about where we’re at with everything. Maybe it will hold tomorrow, maybe it won’t, but those three bonus points were critical.”
Tony Schumacher made a big jump to second after going 3.733 at 328.70, and points leader Doug Kalitta, who failed to make the eliminator field at the U.S. Nationals, is third with a run of 3.736 at 335.73.
3 – INDY GOT HER RIGHT FOR READING – The switch always seems to flip at the right time for multi-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders.
The six-time champion didn’t have a dominant regular season, but now that the playoffs have started, she’s showing the grit that earned her those historic championships. She grabbed the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 6.535 at 210.34. If the opening salvo holds, it will be her sixth No. 1 of 2024.
It’s been a dry spell in the win column since she won the opener in Gainesville. If she can seal the deal Sunday, it would be her 50th national event win. Beyond that, she’s looking to add to her crown as the winningest female driver in motorsports.
“I’m feeling confident after Indy last week. We didn’t win; our team went to the finals and raced each other. I lost in the semis and was .014 on the tree,” Enders said. “I feel like my driving has been a lot better, and we have a great race car. We’ve had one all year.
“We put a new bullet in for today and went right to the top right off the trailer, and it held through the second session. That’s extremely encouraging. Everybody wants to start the Countdown on the right foot. If you get in too big of a hole, it’s hard to dig yourself out. There’s a lot of racing to go, a lot of points to accumulate, and a lot of tough competition, but definitely the right foot and I’m proud to be there.”
Greg Anderson moved to second with a run of 6.537 at 209.23, and points leader Dallas Glenn went to third after going 6.540 at 208.91.
4 – SMITH STAYS ONE STEP AHEAD OF HERRERA – Matt Smith was clearly on the offensive Friday at Maple Grove Raceway during the first race of the Mission Foods Countdown to the Championship.
Despite having an ornery bike that wouldn’t shift in high gear, Smith equaled his Q1 run of 6.801 seconds at only 199 miles per hour. If the run holds through expected warmer conditions Saturday, it will make the 57th time he has been the No. 1 qualifier.
“The first run was pretty good, and the second run we should have gone 79, maybe a 78,” Smith explained. “The bike got stuck in fourth gear out there. I hit the button, it wouldn’t go in into gear. I hit it again, it wouldn’t go. And I hit it a third time really quick and blipped the throttle, and it went in. I kind of messed up the eighth-mile numbers by looking at the speed and all that, but it recovered and I made a decent lap.
Smith said he was even more pleased his run stayed on top since traditionally Maple Grove has generally produced conditions more favorable to a Suzuki than a Buell like his.
“This is a really good Suzuki track because it’s a lot of trees here,” Smith admitted. “Suzuki runs good. We won here last year on a Suzuki. So, all in all, it’s pretty good for them. But we brought everything we got for our Denso Buell, and we’re just going to try to keep going and keep digging, and we’ll see. I think we might put another motor in for tomorrow. We’ve got a brand-new piece that’s really, really good on the dyno. So I need to get some tune-ups on it and try to get it right for the Countdown.”
5. SMITH AND THE R WORD – It’s not that his father hasn’t retired a gazillion times and still races, but Matt Smith was bussing the “r” word Friday at his provisional achievement.
“Tuning four motorcycles and a [being a] rider, it’s hard,” Smith said. “It’s hard to do that here. And I hope we can get seven [championships]. That’s all I can say. If we can get seven, I said before, I’ll probably quit. I don’t know. I think Gaige wants me out here, so if I can get seven I might come back and still try to beat up on him.”
6 – THE OLD REBOUND TRICK – History shows Doug Kalitta is pretty efficient iat bouncing back. This is why none of the Top Fuel contingent should be getting anxious following the defending NHRA Top Fuel champion’s failure to qualify at the NHRA U.S. Nationals. It was the first time in 301 races that Kalitta had failed to qualify.
“It was definitely disappointing for my team and me, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort for sure,” Kalitta said. “If you’re gonna have a race like that, you definitely don’t want it to happen during the Countdown. In testing the car on Tuesday in Indy, the thing ran great. It ran times that would have been a low qualifier kind of deal with how qualifying went (at the U.S. Nationals). After those three good, solid runs on Tuesday, we can kind of just shake it all off.”
Last season, Kalitta, who had a less-than-stellar regular season, came alive after trashing his car here after reportedly running over debris on the track that cut a tire. The blown tire seriously damaged the dragster and forced him into the open-cockpit car he ran the previous season.
Kalitta rebounded Sunday, winning his 50th career national event and added a second win at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals. He ended up winning three of the six NHRA Countdown races.
“It was good for our morale,” crew chief and dad Tim Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson admitted that he consulted with multiple teams seeking a fix for what led to the unexpected Indianapolis explosion.
“A lot of good people helped me with the problems we were having in Indy,” Daniel Wilkerson confirmed. “I appreciate that and they know they are. God bless them. They always have my back and make sure my junk is in a pile when I get done.’
8 – GOING BACK TO THE PROVEN – Matt Hartford admittedly has had a forgettable 2024 season. The one thing he didn’t forget was how well his car ran last season. As a result, Hartford is running last season’s car in Reading.
It’s the same Camaro that Hartford drove to the NHRA U.S. Nationals title, and followed up with a victory here last year.
Last year was a survival of the fittest experience for Hartford, who was rushed to the hospital with appendicitis. Then when he and the team arrived in Reading, they faced a car that turned downright ornery. They took the unruly Chevrolet to Ron Breslar’s nearby body shop (thanks to Rob’s Towing) to get it straightened out.
Hartford qualified No. 13 and went on to become the second Pro Stock driver since Dave Connolly won the 2006 NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., to win a Pro Stock national event from the No. 13 spot.
9 – THERE’S UGLY AND THERE’S THAT – The Funny Car first session could only get better after the first pair. Joe Morrison couldn’t do a burnout because his car lost all air pressure. Not to be outdone, Mike Smith launched on a strong run from the Hard Boys Mustang but drifted over into the centerline and took out two cones.
10 – OVERHEARD – “I really wasn’t for [the running all events Countdown clause], either. Sometimes when you do this long enough, you are on both sides of it. NHRA is in the business to put on a show so it’s in their best interest to get the guys in the show who go to all the races. It’s important to us. It’s what you do when you get in the countdown.” – Funny Car racer Cruz Pedregon discussing the NHRA Countdown controversy floating around this week on the Internet.
“I’d drive this thing through the fires of hell to get a Wally for those guys.” – Daniel Wilkerson about the resolve of his crew after running a 3.955 to qualify No. 10 provisionally.
“This Top Fuel class is hardball.” – Jim Oberhofer following a provisional No. 1 in Q1 session for driver Clay Millican.
“If you ever wondered why drivers are wiggling around in the seat in the shutdown, they are trying to see the scoreboards.” – Clay Millican following his 3.76 run in Q1.
