Point standings (top 10) following the 29th annual Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented Minties at Heartland Park Topeka, the eighth of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series -

Matt Hagan stole the spotlight Saturday at the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan.

The two-time world champion nitro Funny Car driver sent shockwaves through the class when he set both ends of the national record with his 3.802-second time at 338.85 mph during the first qualifying session Saturday.

Ideal conditions at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan., Saturday evening suited Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher perfectly.

The eight-time world champion clocked a track record 3.660-second elapsed time at 327.90 mph to capture the No. 1 qualifying position.

A late night of racing at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) Spring Nationals paid off for pro class winners Mattias Wulcan (Pro Extreme), Tommy Franklin (Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by MoTeC), Melanie Salemi (Andy McCoy Race Cars Pro Boost), Trevor Eman (Extreme Pro Stock), and Travis Davis (Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle). Dillon Voss picked up the win in East Coast Auto Transport Extreme Outlaw 632 at the class’ second of four races with the PDRA.

Bob Rahaim raced to the qualifying lead for the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties at Heartland Park Topeka. His pass of 5.7460-seconds at 251.49 mph in the second qualifying session secured his first No. 1 qualifying position of the season.

He later failed to capitalize on his success in eliminations which began Saturday afternoon.

Matt Hagan raced his Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T to the No. 1 Funny Car qualifying position at the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties at Heartland Park Topeka.

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Bo Butner (Pro Stock) were also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the eighth event of 24 on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

NHRA Mello Yello Series Top Fuel points leader Leah Pritchett on Saturday was quick to correct a social media post made moments after being instructed by NHRA's official starter to shut off her Papa John's Pizza dragster during Friday night's only qualifying session of the Heartland Nationals.

Pritchett, who has won three titles this year for Don Schumacher Racing, posted on Facebook.com while riding with her team back to the pit area why she believed she was shut off. She was not aware the attempt to make the run was aborted due to a fuel line leak that later was confirmed by crew chief Todd Okuhara.

The roll Top Fuel driver Steve Torrence has been on of late isn't slowing down.

Torrence, who has won the last two races at Charlotte and Atlanta, followed those performances up by capturing the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by Minties Friday at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan.

Waiting out a lengthy rain delay was more than worth it for veteran nitro Funny Car driver Robert Hight Friday at the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties in Topeka.

Hight claimed the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot by clocking a 3.826-second run at 337.66 mph to set the national speed record for the class during the only qualifying session of the day at Heartland Park.

Mike Recchia, the most recent Pro Extreme winner on the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) 2017 tour, is well on his way to another strong performance at the PDRA Spring Nationals at Darlington Dragway. The Illinois native is currently qualified No. 1 with a 3.61-second pass at 211.96 mph after two of three qualifying sessions during the PDRA’s first stop at the legendary South Carolina track.
 
Also leading in the other professional categories at the PDRA’s third of eight events are Tommy Franklin in Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by MoTeC, Brandon Snider in Andy McCoy Race Cars Pro Boost, Cary Goforth in Extreme Pro Stock, and Travis Davis in Drag 965 Pro Extreme Motorcycle.