Funny Car veteran Bob Tasca said following the season-opening Gatornationals that “the first five races of the season are really critical to show performance.” 

He has done that with a pair of top-qualifying positions now, thanks to his 3.852-second elapsed time Saturday at 324.59 mph in the BG Ford Mustang at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Concord, N.C. 

Matt Hartford and his Total Seal, CIP1, GETTRX Chevy team were perturbed enough by the shock of having the rear end of their Pro Stock Camaro lock up at the starting line during Friday night qualifying for the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. 

“We went to bed last night really disappointed in the fact that we knew we had a car last night that could go to the pole,” he said. 

The Gaige Herrera phenomenon continues. 

In capturing his second No. 1 qualifying position in as many Pro Stock Motorcycle races this young season Saturday at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, the young California Suzuki racer’s dominance of the class is raising eyebrows. 

Final round-by-round results from the 13th annual Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, the fifth of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 13th annual Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, the fifth of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series - 

Brittany Force made the quickest run in zMAX Dragway history on Saturday, as the defending Top Fuel world champion rocketed to the No. 1 spot at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
 
Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the fifth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Josh Hart sounds like he’s being a little hard on himself.

The owner of the R+L Carriers Dragster criticized his driving through the first four races of the season, but after grabbing the provisional No. 1 qualifying position Friday night – after a series of rain and clean-up delays – at the Circle K Four-Wide Nationals, he didn’t need to.

He powered down the 1,000-foot zMAX Dragway course at Concord, N.C., with the day’s only 3.6-second pass – a 3.689-second run at 328.38 mph – for what he said he considered a breakout performance.

NHRA Funny Car racer Alexis De Joria has qualified second at each of the past three races.

So when she found out Friday night at zMAX Dragway that she was her class’ provisional No. 1 qualifier for the Circle K Four-Wide Nationals, she jumped up and down  and covered her mouth in excitement.

“It’s definitely fun when you're winning, when you're going rounds, when you're qualifying really well and you're getting those little, itty-bitty points,” she said as her 199th race couldn’t have gotten off to a better start.

Josh Hart put himself in position for his first career No. 1 qualifier, powering to the provisional top spot in Top Fuel on Friday at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
 
Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), Cristian Cuadra (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the fifth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
 
Hart delivered a run of 3.689-seconds at 328.38 mph in his 11,000-horsepower R&L Carriers dragster, putting together two strong runs as he aims for the first No. 1 in his career and making the only run in the 3.60s on Friday. His second career win in Top Fuel also came at the Charlotte fall race during his rookie season in 2021, and Hart has done well in the four-wide setting, advancing to the final quad the last two years in Charlotte.

Past Mexican drag racing champion turned NHRA Pro Stock racer Fernando Cuadra has zero problem being labeled a dreamer, and with good reason - he is one. But one by one, those dreams are starting to come true.

The latest comes this weekend at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragster when a third Cuadra son enters the complex world of NHRA Pro Stock driving a new Mustang sponsored by the family's Corral Boots brand. David Cuadra will transition from the Top Sportsman division into the Camping World Drag Racing Series.

Months ago, while David was still learning the ropes, his father celebrated the family's inclusion in the Countdown to the Championship. In a significant milestone, one of the three drivers, Cristian, earned a berth organically, while Fernando Sr. and Jr. earned a spot with revised rules.