Justin Ashley captured his third Top Fuel victory of the season on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, defeating Shawn Langdon in the final round of the 42nd Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
Blake Alexander (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also took wins at the 13th of 20 races in the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
Ashley led from start to finish against Langdon, posting a 3.745-second run at 329.34 mph in his dragster to earn his 14th career win. The victory, Ashley’s first since April, moved him to third in the points standings.
The win is his first in Top Fuel and his second in Brainerd, dating back to 2017 when he won as a Top Alcohol driver.
“Everything we’ve done this season has been with intent and purpose,” Ashley said. “We want to win every race, but ultimately, it’s about positioning ourselves well for Indy and beyond. The car performed consistently today, which is crucial in this sport.”
Langdon made his sixth final-round appearance of the season, overcoming Shawn Reed, Doug Kalitta, and Ida Zetterstrom, who debuted in Top Fuel. Kalitta now leads Langdon by 84 points in the standings.
Alexander claimed his first Funny Car victory of the season, bouncing back after a tough weekend in Sonoma. Alexander posted a 3.927-second run at 324.67 mph in the final round when defending champion Matt Hagan red-lighted. This marked Alexander’s fourth career win and second in Funny Car.
“Sonoma was the hardest race of my career, and to come here and win means a lot,” Alexander said. “We’re making legit horsepower now, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made.
Despite a challenging qualifying round, Hagan reached the finals for the fourth time this year, overcoming Ron Capps, Daniel Wilkerson, and J.R. Todd. Austin Prock remains the points leader with a 218-point lead over Bob Tasca III heading to Indianapolis.
Dallas Glenn returned to the winner’s circle in Pro Stock, claiming his third win of the season by defeating Mason McGaha in the final round with a 6.613-second run at 206.95 mph. Glenn, who leads the Pro Stock standings, extended his points lead to 184 over teammate Greg Anderson.
Glenn ended Elite Perfomance’s six-race winning streak by stopping Sonoma winner Aaron Stanfield in the semi-finals.
“It feels really good to get back to winning,” Glenn said. “We had a tough day with some strong competition, but the team pulled through.”
McGaha reached his first final of the season, advancing past Jerry Tucker, David Cuadra, and Fernando Cuadra Jr.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series resumes Aug. 28-Sept. 2 with the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
