Bandimere Speedway witnessed a thrilling final qualifying session in its history as Brittany Force showcased an extraordinary performance, setting a track record and securing the No. 1 qualifying effort. In the 10th race of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, 

Force (Top Fuel) was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock), and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) as the top qualifiers. The event in Denver marked the second consecutive sellout crowd.

Force left the audience in awe during the final qualifying session with a remarkable run. Piloting her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster, she blazed through Bandimere Speedway, completing the fastest run ever recorded at the track with a pass of 3.724 seconds at 337.33 mph. This extraordinary performance not only set a new track record but also marked Force’s fourth No. 1 qualifier this season and the 46th of her career. 

Doug Kalitta secured the second spot in qualifying with a time of 3.779 at 322.42 mph, while Antron Brown secured the third spot with a pass of 3.783 at 327.90 mph.

Reflecting on her exceptional run, Force expressed her pride and love for the racetrack. 

“We’re really proud of our run,” Force said. “I love this racetrack, and I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. We want to leave our mark here and to run 337; I’m proud of this entire Monster Energy team. We want to turn on four win lights tomorrow; that’s what we really want to do.”

In the Funny Car category, Hagan rose to prominence with an impressive run on Friday, securing the No. 1 qualifier for the first time this season and the 50th time in his career with a time of 3.895 at 324.59 mph. 

Hagan acclaimed his team’s performance.

“I think we’re putting on a pretty good show for Dodge – No. 1 qualifier, 50th No. 1 for me, and winning the (Mission) #2Fast2Tasty Challenge,” Hagan said.  

Hagan also expressed gratitude towards his team and shared his confidence for the upcoming race, saying, “Rolling into race day, I feel very, very confident about tomorrow.”

John Force followed closely behind Hagan, securing the second qualifying spot with a time of 3.920 at 323.74 mph from Friday’s run. Tasca claimed the third spot with a time of 3.943 at 315.12 mph.

In the Pro Stock category, Enders moved one step closer to her first career victory on Thunder Mountain. Her pass of 6.919 at 195.70 mph on Friday in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Camaro landed her the No. 1 qualifier. With this achievement, Enders secured her second No. 1 qualifier this season and the 31st of her career. 

Enders expressed her satisfaction, acknowledging the challenges of competing on the mountain track. 

“I’m feeling really good,” Enders said. “It’s always challenging to come up here on the mountain. Pro Stock cars, we’re down quite a bit of horsepower, and our shift points come at different increments than normal. Having said all of that, I feel like we performed pretty awesome this weekend, and we’re going to try to continue that tomorrow.”

Matt Hartford, the defending event winner, reserved the second spot with a time of 6.919 at 195.34 mph, closely followed by Dallas Glenn in third place with a time of 6.921 at 195.19 mph.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle category saw Arana Jr. confidently maintain the No. 1 spot due to his record-breaking run of 7.047 at 189.36 mph on Friday, riding his GETTRX Buell. This marked Arana Jr.’s first No. 1 qualifier of the season. 

Expressing his excitement, Arana Jr. hailed his bike and the upcoming elimination rounds.

“I feel awesome,” Arana Jr. said. “We have a great bike. Our GETTRX Buell is mean; she’s bad to the bone. We should be good. We’re going to take it one round at a time and enjoy our last passes we get down this beautiful track here at Bandimere Speedway. What an awesome way to end it.”

Rookie Chase Van Sant secured the second qualifying spot with a time of 7.121 at 188.52 mph, while Gaige Herrera, the points leader, moved up to third place with a time of 7.123 at 187.39 mph.

The 43rd and final Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway will kick off eliminations on Sunday at 11 a.m. MT.