The debut season for Gaige Herrera with the powerhouse team Vance & Hines has been nothing short of fantastic.

Herrera won the first three events on his Suzuki in Gainesville, Fla., Charlotte, N.C., and Chicago before losing in the final round in Bristol, Tenn. He was then tripped up in the second round in Norwalk, Ohio, and
rebounded by winning in Denver on July 16.

Herrera’s trend of success has carried over to the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway in Seattle Saturday.

Defending NHRA Funny Car world champion Ron Capps celebrated his third win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race at the Pacific Raceways on Saturday. The victory came after he defeated J.R. Todd in the final round of the event, which is part of the 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals.

In the other divisions, Steve Torrence emerged victorious in Top Fuel, and Gaige Herrera claimed the victory in Pro Stock Motorcycle in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge held in Seattle. 

Capps, driving his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra, completed the race in 3.951 seconds at 322.65 mph, surpassing Todd's run of 3.967 at 323.81 mph. With this win, Capps has now secured three specialty event victories in the last four races. Looking ahead to Sunday's race in Seattle, the two-time world champ aims to achieve his first double-up weekend of the year. Capps has already claimed two career event wins at this location.

John Force emerged as the dominant driver in Funny Car qualifying at the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals, claiming the No. 1 spot for the first time this season. The Funny Car legend stole the show at Pacific Raceways with a blistering run of 3.915 at 327.35 in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS.

Force's impressive performance marked his 166th career No. 1 qualifier, further solidifying his status as a 16-time world champion. The racing veteran expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming race.

"We have a race to win tomorrow, our cars are good, some are a little bit off, some are hot," Force said. "I didn't think we'd be that fast. But like Danny [Hood, crew chief] said, 'Hang on.' So when he does that, I know he's pushing it. So I'm excited and I love Seattle."

Rickie Smith initially had a hard time believing what his drag racing buddies told him ahead of his monumental first run in Scott Palmer's Top Fuel dragster. The car he was about to get behind the wheel of at the PDRA ProStars event was Scott Palmer's nitro-burning Top Fuel dragster, and nothing could remotely compare, Smith thought. 

"I had a couple of people I talked to about it that drove some door cars; Billy Torrence and Scott told me, 'They said, "It's going to be like what I'm used to leaving, but when that thing gets about 150-200 feet, it's going to get on with it," Smith said.

It turns out, Smith admitted, they were right. 

 
Doug Kalitta has showed flashes of some good things this season in his Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel Dragster.

Kalitta qualified No. 1 in Phoenix and won the #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge in the Valley of the Sun as well.

Last Sunday at the Mile-High Nationals in Denver, Kalitta advanced to his first final round of the year before losing to Clay Millican.

Last weekend at the Mile-High Nationals in Denver was forgettable for Bob Tasca III.

The veteran qualified strong – in the No. 3 position – and then lost a pedal fest to Cruz Pedregon in the first round.

Tasca is feeling healthier and trying to flip the script at the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway in Seattle.

Tasca took the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot Friday with a 3.964-second lap at 320.13 mph.

Top Fuel veteran Doug Kalitta is on the hunt for his 50th career victory, and he took a major step toward achieving that milestone on Friday at the 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceway. Kalitta secured the provisional No. 1 qualifier position with an impressive performance.

Joining Kalitta as provisional No. 1 qualifiers are Bob Tasca III in Funny Car and Gaige Herrera in Pro Stock Motorcycle. These drivers have set themselves apart as the top contenders in their respective categories during the 11th race of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Driving his Mac Tools dragster with 11,000 horsepower, Kalitta blazed down the track with a noteworthy time of 3.753 seconds at 327.66 mph. This exceptional run puts him in contention for his second top spot of the season and adds another milestone to his career with a total of 53 top qualifiers. Kalitta, a 49-time event winner, is optimistic about his chances to secure his second victory in Seattle as part of the NHRA's three-race Western Swing.

It’s as if fate was saving it for a big stage. The NHRA rolls into Pacific Raceways this weekend for the Northwest Nationals,  and the milestone is still available for one of the Toyota Gazoo Racing North America drivers to claim.

Who wants to win race No. 200 for the manufacturer, who first claimed victory on February 29, 2004, at the K&N Filters Winternationals at Pomona Raceway, when Jerry Tolliver defeated Gary Densham in the final round. 

Sonoma Raceway has announced the appointment of Brian Flynn as its new Executive Vice President and General Manager, according to a statement made by Marcus Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Speedway Motorsports. Flynn, a distinguished veteran in the motorsports business, brings with him a wealth of experience, having spent 30 years in senior motorsports and business management roles.