Matt Hagan, the reigning Mission Foods NHRA Funny Car world champion, secured his first No. 1 qualifier position of the season on Saturday at the NHRA Carolina Nationals. Hagan’s top run came at zMAX Dragway during Friday’s qualifying.

Brittany Force in Top Fuel, Erica Enders in Pro Stock, and Matt Smith in Pro Stock Motorcycle also qualified No. 1 in their respective categories. This event is the 16th of 20 races in the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hagan’s 3.832 seconds at 333.25 mph remained atop the leaderboard through Saturday’s two qualifying sessions. This performance marks Hagan’s 52nd career No. 1 position and his second this year as he aims to improve his standings.

“We feel like we found some stuff, working hard behind the scenes,” Hagan said. “My guys have obviously been scratching their head a little bit all year and have just not had the performance that we really wanted or hoped to, but knowing that we can run with these guys, and I think that we showed that Friday, that’s real.”

With 137 points separating Hagan from the points leader, he has the opportunity to sweep the Charlotte races this season. A win on Sunday would significantly boost his championship ambitions.

“Tomorrow’s going to be 90 degrees, so it’s back to probably pedaling the car some and figuring out how to get down the racetrack,” Hagan added. “But the lanes are really nice, both equal, so at the end of the day, I feel confident that we got a car that could go down the racetrack.”

Points leader Austin Prock qualified second with a time of 3.833 seconds at 332.84 mph, while teammate Jack Beckman from John Force Racing secured the third spot with a pass of 3.850 seconds at 327.27 mph.

In Top Fuel, Force clinched the No. 1 qualifier position with a qualifying run of 3.690 seconds at 334.24 mph. This impressive feat, the 49th of her career, came thanks to her performance on Friday, adding momentum as she looks to enhance her standings.

Force, who opened the weekend in ninth place in points, will face rookie Ida Zetterstrom in the opening round of eliminations. She aims to capture her first event win since her championship season in 2022.

“We missed it on the first run today and that was a really crucial run, but on our last run, we ran a (3.77), which was second in the field, so that was a killer run for us,” Force said. “We needed that. We just needed our car to go down the racetrack. We had a window we were trying to aim for, and we made it right in that window and, picked up some points and had a good run in the heat.
 
“It’s going to be even hotter tomorrow, so that was more important of a run than our 3.69 Friday night. I wish we would have gotten down there both runs today, but we pushed a little too hard, and hopefully we can find that balance for tomorrow.”

Shawn Reed qualified second in Top Fuel with a 3.700-second run at 324.12 mph. Defending world champion Doug Kalitta took third place with a time of 3.710 seconds at 332.59 mph.

Enders enjoyed a successful day of Pro Stock qualifying, posting the fastest times across both qualifying sessions. Her best, a run of 6.557 seconds at 208.20 mph, came in Friday qualifying.

Enders, who entered the weekend third in points, is pursuing her first win since at Gainesville earlier this season. She will face Derrick Reese in the initial elimination round.

“Obviously, that [50th win] is being held over our heads pretty significantly, but I have a great race car this weekend. My car is flying,” Enders said. “We were low for every session, which was worth 12 bonus points, so that’s more than half a round, so now I have to go to work.”

Expressing the pressure of the milestone, Enders mentioned, “Hearing the excitement in my guys’ voices, that part’s really exciting, but on the other side of things, it weighs on you because now it’s in my hands.”

Greg Anderson secured the No. 2 position for Pro Stock with a time of 6.580 seconds at 208.49 mph, relegating points leader Aaron Stanfield to third place with a run of 6.580 seconds at 207.85 mph.

Smith, a six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, was the only pro competitor who improved his qualifying time on Saturday, riding to a time of 6.799 seconds at 199.67 mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell, becoming the only rider to break into the 6.70s during qualifying. Smith’s time secured him his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the 2024 season.

“We knew the weather was a little bit better, but the track was a little bit worse, so we took a tooth off [the rear sprocket] this morning to see if we control the tire. It stuck and we went 6.79 so we thought we were on the right path but got back in that right lane that has thrown us for a loop,” Smith said. “Lane choice is going to be big for me tomorrow and I will stay in the left lane as long as I can or have to figure out how to go down that right lane if I lose (lane) choice tomorrow.

“Having a bye (in round one) is always good because we can go up and try stuff and it’s good that (Gaige Herrera and Richard Gadson) have each other on the other side of the ladder.”

Gaige Herrera qualified second with a time of 6.812 seconds at 198.47 mph, while his teammate Richard Gadson secured third at 6.830 seconds at 199.26 mph.

Eliminations for the NHRA Carolina Nationals are set to begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.