Gaige Herrera continued his perfect run in Pro Stock Motorcycle on Saturday at Bristol Dragway, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge and securing his fourth straight No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) also won the bonus event in Bristol. Leah Pruett (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) all qualified No. 1 at the eighth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Bob Tasca III powered to his first win of the season on Saturday at Bristol Dragway, knocking off legendary Funny Car driver John Force in the final round of the NHRA New England Nationals, which was completed as part of a doubleheader weekend in Bristol.

Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley also claimed the victory at the seventh of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. The winning runs from Tasca and Ashley also gave each driver a victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race.

Point standings (top 10) following the 10th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway, the seventh of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series - 

Final round-by-round results from the 10th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway, the seventh of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

Paul Lee became a successful businessman by understanding the industry’s workings. When he saw the efficiency of Cruz Pedregon’s team begin an upward trajectory by adding a retired crew chief as an advisor, he figured it would be worth a shot. 

Lee had John Medlen in his corner starting at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. 

Jason Bunker remains Lee’s crew chief, but with Medlen, the crew can grow to make the most of the investment the McLeod team has made in being competitive. 

Erica Enders wasn’t aiming to have the quote of the day Friday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, but it just happened to work out that way. 

She emerged from her Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro as the provisional low qualifier following six races of sheer frustration. Without batting an eye, Enders proclaimed, “It sucks to suck.”

Friday night, her performance indeed didn’t suck as she drove to the top of the qualifying leaderboard with a 6.627 elapsed time at 205.88 miles per hour. Her run edged out teammate Cristian Cuadra, who stepped up in a fast Friday evening session with a 6.632. Defending event champion Aaron Stanfield’s 6.636 was the third quickest of the Elite Performance logjam.

NHRA Funny Car racer Robert Hight acknowledged that he was concentrating less on what tune-up was in his Chevy Camaro on Friday at Bristol Dragway and more about which sponsor’s hat and shirt he was wearing and how he would weave that company’s name into his interviews.

Like almost every other nitro racer in the Camping World Drag Racing Series this weekend, the three-time champion from John Force Racing was trying to slog his way through the start of a unique twin bill that combined qualifying for the regularly scheduled Thunder Valley Nationals with the first round of eliminations for Sunday’s/Monday’s rain-plagued New England Nationals at Epping, N.H.

Leah Pruett raced to the Top Fuel qualifying lead on Friday at Bristol Dragway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the eighth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. The first round of eliminations in Top Fuel and Funny Car from the postponed NHRA New England Nationals also took place on Friday in Bristol.

Former Top Fuel superstar turned Nostalgia Funny Car has some sage advice for the rumormongers. Don’t believe everything you hear. 

The combination of his team owner Rick Akers being hospitalized to the team’s hauler breaking down in Arkansas is why they are not participating in this weekend’s Red Line Oil Legends Funny Car competition during the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. 

“Everybody’s speculating a lot of stuff,” McClenathan said. “They’re speculating I got fired. None of that’s true. My biggest thing was, if you want to know the truth and know what’s going on, you got to call the owner.”