Pete Wittenberg may have come up short of capturing his third March Meet title just twenty-four hours earlier on Saturday, falling to Jim Murphy in the final round. However, the driver of the Circuit Breaker Top Fuel dragster came back and went all the way on Sunday, using a slew of low 5.70 runs in eliminations to take home his first win at the season-ending race, the Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals in Bakersfield, Ca.

"We hurt some parts but other than that we had a great time," Wittenberg said. “We overcame some hurdles. This win is outstanding, it couldn't have gone any better.

”I got to thank my wife. Five days I'm up here. We have twins, they're two years old. I think I'm going to put the trophy in the twin's room. My guys, they've taken their time away to help us out and get this done. To win is excellent."

History no longer has to wait for Erica Enders.

The Pro Stock superstar has now won the most national events by a woman in NHRA history at 47.

That became a fact when Enders took the coveted title at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Dallas Sunday.

In this sport, timing is everything.

From reaction times to elapsed times, timing things just right can be the difference between wins, losses, and even championships.

For Leah Pruett, sitting atop the championship standings in the Top Fuel category is not a new feat, but doing so in the waning stages of the season is. Now she hopes she can use that timing to propel her team to a first championship in the sport’s premier class.

One thing is certain: You can never count out Matt Hagan.

With much of the focus early in the Countdown to the Championship falling squarely on the battle between Robert Hight and a resurgent Bob Tasca III, the three-time Funny Car world champion was ready to remind the world that he is far from out of this thing.

Hagan returned to the thick of the playoff hunt two weeks ago with a thrilling victory at the Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, then backed that up with a second straight victory Sunday at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex to take over the Funny Car points lead with two races remaining.

Gaige Herrera’s 2023 victory tour continued in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class Sunday near Dallas.

Herrera snared the title at the Texas NHRA FallNationals – his ninth of the season out of 13 races – and third in a row.

Herrera clocked a 6.644-second elapsed time at 203.30 mph to upend his Vance & Hines teammate Eddie Krawiec’s 6.706-second lap at 202.56 mph.

When Tony Stewart entered drag racing the expectations were he would take his gritty style of competition he showcased in other forms of motorsports into drag racing. And, of course there was his championship mettle. 

Sunday afternoon at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals hosted by the Texas Motorplex, the Stewart style was in full effect as drivers Leah Pruett (Top Fuel) and Matt Hagan (Funny Car) secured both national event wins and the points lead in their respective divisions. 

Additionally, Erica Enders secured the role of winningest driver in NHRA history and tied Angelle Sampey for the most wins as a female professional drag racer. Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera continued to pull away from the competition as he secured his third win in the four Countdown to the Championship races. 

With Angie Smith’s nasty season-ending injuries at St. Louis and Chase Van Sant’s knee damage that’ll sideline him until 2024, some have wondered aloud if thinner leathers are to blame for the serious nature of the wounds to Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors. Matt Smith, Angie Smith’s husband and reigning class champion, said he doesn't think they are. Cory Reed, who’s advocating for more comprehensive safety clothing, has a slightly different opinion.

Smith didn’t blame the thickness or quality of his wife’s leathers for her crash that broke eight toes and other bones in her feet and ripped the flesh from her forearm to the extent that she will need at least one more surgery to fix the road-rash damage.

Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Chase Van Sant is out of competition for the rest of the year, his rookie-of-the-year hopes halted by an ugly knee injury he suffered in Friday qualifying for the Texas FallNationals that was almost undetectable by the Texas Motorplex crowd at Ennis.

The Trick Tools Suzuki rider from the White Alligator Racing team said he didn’t think many people saw the accident, which left him with “a golf ball-size hole that shows straight down to my kneecap.”

After more than 18 hours in a local hospital emergency room, Van Sant, 26, was back at the racetrack late Saturday morning, on crutches with his knee heavily bandaged, but in upbeat spirits.

Point standings (top 10) following the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 19th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series -

Final round-by-round results from the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 19th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: