UPDATED - The fourth round qualifying runs from Funny Car drivers Bob Tasca III, J.R. Todd and Jeff Diehl on Saturday in Las Vegas were disqualified due to a failed post-run inspection. Robert Hight will now move up to the No. 1 qualifier position with his Friday run of 3.851-seconds, with Tasca bumping to second with his 3.853 from Friday.

Todd remains in the 10th spot and Diehl remains the No. 16 qualifier.

9:30 PM, PT

The NHRA’s Funny Car championship battle promises to be one of the best the series has ever seen. Saturday evening, after watching Robert Hight thunder to the top spot, Bob Tasca III returned on the final day of qualifying to nail down the No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Nevada Nationals in Las Vegas. 

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Kyle Koretsky (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) closed the day as leaders of their respective categories in the 20th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Tasca left little room for doubt as he blistered The Strip at Las Vegas Speedway's 1,000-foot course with a 3.842-second pass at 336.74 mph in his PPG Ford Mustang. The run was the fastest in the history of the track, and secured his eighth No. 1 qualifier of the year.

Second in points, Tasca seeks his fourth win of the season.  

“Hey listen, the guys were disappointed. I got back to the pit, and Aaron [Brooks, co-crew chief] goes, ‘Man, I thought it would go quicker.’ I said, ‘Aaron, be happy. We just went No. 1 qualifier!’ But that’s the mentality of Todd [Okuhara, co-crew chief] and Aaron. I’m so proud of them,” Tasca said.

“At the end of the day, it’s a lot of hard work, a lot of effort, and we’re just trying to go out there and do the best we can. That’s all we’re doing. Fortunately, the car is performing, but we have a long way to go. We have to win this race tomorrow. It’s a must-win race to go into Pomona with a chance. It’s cool to be in the conversation.”

Friday's leader, Hight, fell back to second while point leader Matt Hagan was third with a 3.871 at 322.58.

Salinas remained in the top spot after Saturday's qualifying despite having dropped to third in the final session. It was his fourth No. 1 qualifier this season and the 15th of his career. 

“We were trying to run a 3.67 but Rob [Flynn, crew chief] backed down it a little bit because he saw something that wasn’t right, so he did a great job,” Salinas said. “Don’t underestimate anybody in this class. Everybody is good and you have to be on your ‘A’ game. Our car has been there recently, but I’ve been distracted as a driver. This weekend, I fixed that. We have a lot on our plate, and we took care of it, just compartmentalizing everything and with the right people around us, we’ll be just fine.”

Steve Torrence and Doug Kalitta both dipped into the 3.60s during the previous pair, bumping Salinas to third momentarily. But as part of a thrilling side-by-side run with Austin Prock, Salinas jumped back into the lead heading into eliminations, where he’ll open raceday against Rob Passey.

Torrence ended up in second with his 3.683 at 331.69 and Prock qualified third thanks to a 3.696 at 328.66. Heading into eliminations, Leah Pruett leads Doug Kalitta by just one points and Steve Torrence by only six points.

Koretsky was always in the running for the top spot, but his Q4 attempt vaulted him past Erica Enders. He ran a 6.589 at 205.66 in his Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro to next to points leader Enders. It was his fourth career No. 1 spot. After a frustrating season – including three straight first-round losses in the Countdown to the Championship – late-season success would be a massive boost for Koretsky and his team. He’ll open eliminations against Jerry Tucker, looking for his first win of the season.

“We didn’t give up after making a good run Q1; they kept digging and trying to get better and better every round, and that just shows the dedication of KB Titan,” Koretsky said. “The last few races, we’ve been behind – but they keep pushing, keep pushing me, and keep trying to make me better. We just keep on going.

“They believe in me, and that gives you a lot of confidence as a driver. That’s real important. The last few races I’ve been down and out, but we didn’t give up. A win tomorrow would do a lot for me personally. I think we have a shot; I really do. I never enter the property thinking we don’t have a shot. I think I need this. I really do. I know everyone wants to win out here, but I think this weekend’s mine. Vegas has been somewhat good to me in the past, so I’m going to try to get the win.”

Enders, who is also the defending event winner and world champion, qualified second, going 6.592 at 208.07. Cristian Cuadra also made a big jump in the final session, taking third with a 6.604 at 206.80.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, the Herrera train rolled through Vegas as he posted the quickest run in all four sessions on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. He ran a 6.767 to close out qualifying, with Friday’s track-record run of 6.760 at 199.82 giving him the top qualifying spot for a class-record 12th time this season. He was the only rider to reach the 6.70s in qualifying and Herrera did it three times. Today's top performance stretched his lead to 161 points over teammate Eddie Krawiec entering raceday, meaning he’ll need to finish two rounds ahead of him to clinch the world championship on Sunday in Las Vegas.

“I’m thrilled with how we ran all weekend,” Herrera said. “I’m glad to get our 13th No. 1 qualifier so far this season out of 14 races. That right there is just a big accomplishment for Andrew [Hines, crew chief], all the guys back at the shop, and me just being consistent on the motorcycle. From Friday to today, my bike is basically a bracket bike. It’s consistent and fast, and that’s what we want. I’m excited for tomorrow. As long as we go A to B, I think we’ll continue gaining little points over my teammate and getting closer.

“We’re making changes in between each round chasing the weather trying to keep the bike running the same no matter the conditions. That’s helping us out a lot as far as our tuning window – and as far as me riding it. The bike always feels like the same bike no matter the conditions. I think it helps me and Andrew out a lot as far as him tuning, me riding, and it’s paying off.”

Herrera’s teammate, Krawiec, qualified second with a 6.830 at 198.85 and defending world champion Matt Smith is a spot behind after going 6.842 at 196.53.

Eliminations for the NHRA Nevada Nationals begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.