Mike Salinas has not been happy with his recent on-track performance.

After starting the year with a win at the season-opening Gatornationals, Salinas has failed to make it out of the second round in the four races since, including a stagnant performance two weeks ago in Charlotte.

But after a few alterations, a couple of test sessions and a renewed drive, Salinas thinks he may have turned a corner in his Scrappers Racing machine.

Nowhere was that more evident than Friday in the NHRA’s triumphant return to Chicago. Salinas shot to the top spot on Day One at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance. In the first laps turned by nitro cars at Route 66 Raceway in more than four years, Salinas managed a 3.686-second lap at 333.41 mph to take the provisional pole Friday.

“Everybody was worried about the track because it hadn’t been run on in so long, and we were worried about the high-powered car,” Salinas said. “That run right there, we actually backed the car down. We wanted to run a 65, but they saw something and backed it down, and we still ran a 68.

“The run we just had, we did it three times in testing this week in Indy. The car just feels amazing. We had some problems at the last few races, but we addressed everything, and right out of the box it ran a number like this, so we know that we have our car back to the way it should be. We know we have a great car, we just have to close it out and run well tomorrow.”

After watching the Funny Car class struggle to turn competitive laps moments, crew chief Rob Flynn slowed the car a touch to assure a clean pass. Still, it was good enough for the provisional top spot, though Salinas does not believe that time will hold.

“I expected my car to go faster than that, to be honest,” Salinas said. “We just front-halved the car, so it is like brand new again, and we are pretty pleased with the results.

"But tomorrow is another day. I think there are going to be some very good runs tomorrow because the track is really tight and it is really good. I think somebody is going to squeeze in with a 67 or 68 under our number. But I will say, from half-track on, our car has a lot more. I think it would have run a 65 and been really smooth and clean. It is going to be very interesting to see how good everybody runs tomorrow.”

Austin Prock, winner of the most-recent race, was the only other driver to break into the 3.60s on Friday, running a 3.694 at 331.20 mph, good enough for second. Justin Ashley followed with a 3.717 at 332.10 mph, with Doug Kalitta (3.722) and Spencer Massey (3.722) fourth and fifth, respectively..

Because of his recent struggles, Friday’s run was especially gratifying as Salinas tries to right the ship that has seen him slip from second in the championship standings to sixth.

“We have done a lot of work the last few weeks,” Salinas said. “We weren’t happy with Vegas. We knew we had a great car, and we had a malfunction and it is unacceptable. We went to the next race and the driver didn’t show up and made mistakes. After all of that, the guys are pretty pleased with today’s run because it is a great start.”

Looking for a little repeat history this weekend, the last time Top Fuel ran in Chicago (2019), Salinas was the No. 1 qualifier and runner-up in eliminations to Steve Torrence.

Salinas is not overly concerned with where he ends up on race day. To Salinas, qualifying means little as he is prepared to face any driver at any time.

“I don’t care where I qualify as long as I qualify,” Salinas admitted. “I don’t care who I run. It doesn’t matter to me because on every run I race myself. I don’t know who I am running until I get into the lane. I don’t want to know, and my guys know not to tell me. I didn’t even know I was number one tonight.

“I have this thing, if you are going to be good, you are going to be good no matter who you are racing. If you let anybody get in your head, it is a bad game. Every run I go up there it is just another test session. I go out, drive the car and have fun.”