​After a three-race struggle with a first-round defeats in Denver, Sonoma, Calif., and Seattle, nitro Funny Car NHRA world champion Matt Hagan turned the corner in Topeka, Kan., advancing to the semifinals.

Hagan then flexed his muscles again, clocking a 3.843-second elapsed time at 331.36 mph in Q4 to take the No. 1 qualifying spot at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

It’s no secret that Snap-on Dodge Charger owner-driver Cruz Pedregon is a Las Vegas Raiders fan. But after a visit to the Minnesota Vikings training camp at Eagan, Minn., Thursday, and a conversation with defensive end Danielle Hunter, the two-time Funny Car champion has found an NFC team to cheer for in hopes of a Super Bowl match-up with his AFC Raiders.

More importantly, Pedregon said he was rejuvenated by watching the Vikings prepare for their season – just as he is getting ready for the Camping World Drag Racing Series’ Countdown to the Championship that begins in four weeks.

Pedregon, in northern Minnesota for this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway,

Final round-by-round results from the 40th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 15th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

It wouldn’t be hard to jump on the Kris Thorne bandwagon these days. And after Saturday’s win at the inaugural D-Wagon NHRA Pro Modified Shootout, the ride got a little more crowded. 

Thorne, the current NHRA Pro Modified champion, drove his way to a monumental victory, beating two-time world champion Stevie “Fast” Jackson in the final round. His run of 5.762-seconds at 250.88 mph was more than enough to knock off Jackson, who got out of shape early in the run and lifted. 

Thorne took home over $11,000 in prize money for the win, thanks to a bonus thrown in by event sponsor D-Wagon on Friday morning. 

Point standings (top 10) following the 40th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 15th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series -

Thank goodness for diversions. 

For Mountain Motor Pro Stock racer JR Carr, a farmer in his daytime job, running his large displacement Pro Stocker is about as good as it gets. Saturday, at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., Carr thundered to the No. 1 qualifying position with a 6.305 elapsed time at  221.74 miles per hour. 

"We're so happy and my guys work so hard, and Frank [Gugliotta] puts everything he has into this program," Carr said. "I'm the lucky guy that gets to strap a helmet on and try to be a race car guy, even though I'm a farmer and just enjoying. It's an accomplishment and it's not easy to do. We were actually just leaving dinner and we were told we are the Pro Mod of Pro Stock. So, that's a compliment if you think about it."

Veteran Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Doug Gordon was able to exit his Beta Motorcycles/Lucas Oil Camaro on his own power following his scary wall-banging accident during the first round of eliminations Saturday.

Rickie Smith said he has raced for 48 years, and what transpired today in advance of the D-Wagon NHRA Pro Modified Shootout is the most unprofessional act of a professional race series he's ever witnessed. It's also the reason why he opted out of the shootout with $10,000 in prize money. 

With the pairings already set for the inaugural running of the race-within-a-race, a last-minute change in the format revised the first round pairings from a traditional qualified program to one of a chip draw.

Smith said there was a meeting presenting the format change to the racers was done, and he wasn't there to vote on it because of a prior commitment. And it wouldn't have mattered, he added, because he would have been outvoted. In his eyes, imagine the uproar had the NHRA changed the format of the old Big Bud Shootout on the day of the event.