Camping World Drag Racing Series drivers recognize that the task at hand centers on this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. But that isn’t stopping them from talking about the following race, at Indianapolis, and the Countdown to the Championship that kicks off just after that. 

Right now, the strategy filters through this annual northern Minnesota event. And some intriguing match-ups are set for the first round of runoffs Sunday in the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes. 

In the Top Fuel class, Austin Prock is 10 points out of the top 10 (behind No. 10-ranked Antron Brown) and has a first-round meeting with Billy Torrence. But Prock also will be keeping eye on the Brown-Clay Millican race, because No. 11-ranked Millican represents one of the obstacles Prock needs to clear if he is to make it into the top 10 and qualify for the Countdown on his own merit and not by simply having attended every race and made the minimum two qualifying passes. 

Rickie Smith advanced to his fifth straight final round on Sunday in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon and broke through for his first victory of the 2022 season at Brainerd International Raceway as part of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. 

The event, which was powered by Stinar, was the sixth of 10 races during the 2022 season in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon. Smith made a major move in the points standings as well, picking up the win over Doug Winters with a run of 5.791-seconds at 250.92 mph in his nitrous-powered Sokal Mustang in the championship round. 

Four-time defending Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence drove to his first victory of the season, defending his event win at Brainerd International Raceway on Sunday at the 40th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. 

Funny Car’s Bob Tasca III also won at the 15th of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season in front of another big crowd in Brainerd. 

​After a three-race struggle with a first-round defeats in Denver, Sonoma, Calif., and Seattle, nitro Funny Car NHRA world champion Matt Hagan turned the corner in Topeka, Kan., advancing to the semifinals.

Hagan then flexed his muscles again, clocking a 3.843-second elapsed time at 331.36 mph in Q4 to take the No. 1 qualifying spot at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

It’s no secret that Snap-on Dodge Charger owner-driver Cruz Pedregon is a Las Vegas Raiders fan. But after a visit to the Minnesota Vikings training camp at Eagan, Minn., Thursday, and a conversation with defensive end Danielle Hunter, the two-time Funny Car champion has found an NFC team to cheer for in hopes of a Super Bowl match-up with his AFC Raiders.

More importantly, Pedregon said he was rejuvenated by watching the Vikings prepare for their season – just as he is getting ready for the Camping World Drag Racing Series’ Countdown to the Championship that begins in four weeks.

Pedregon, in northern Minnesota for this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway,

Final round-by-round results from the 40th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 15th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

It wouldn’t be hard to jump on the Kris Thorne bandwagon these days. And after Saturday’s win at the inaugural D-Wagon NHRA Pro Modified Shootout, the ride got a little more crowded. 

Thorne, the current NHRA Pro Modified champion, drove his way to a monumental victory, beating two-time world champion Stevie “Fast” Jackson in the final round. His run of 5.762-seconds at 250.88 mph was more than enough to knock off Jackson, who got out of shape early in the run and lifted. 

Thorne took home over $11,000 in prize money for the win, thanks to a bonus thrown in by event sponsor D-Wagon on Friday morning. 

Point standings (top 10) following the 40th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 15th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series -

Thank goodness for diversions. 

For Mountain Motor Pro Stock racer JR Carr, a farmer in his daytime job, running his large displacement Pro Stocker is about as good as it gets. Saturday, at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., Carr thundered to the No. 1 qualifying position with a 6.305 elapsed time at  221.74 miles per hour. 

"We're so happy and my guys work so hard, and Frank [Gugliotta] puts everything he has into this program," Carr said. "I'm the lucky guy that gets to strap a helmet on and try to be a race car guy, even though I'm a farmer and just enjoying. It's an accomplishment and it's not easy to do. We were actually just leaving dinner and we were told we are the Pro Mod of Pro Stock. So, that's a compliment if you think about it."

Veteran Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Doug Gordon was able to exit his Beta Motorcycles/Lucas Oil Camaro on his own power following his scary wall-banging accident during the first round of eliminations Saturday.