Wow seems so inadequate.

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, during an exhibition run between two of the leading inline four-cylinder Top Fuel racers at the NHRA Virginia Nationals, Larry "Spiderman" McBride and Dave Vantine delivered the finest side-by-side performance in the history of two-wheel drag racing.

This weekend marks Funny Car driver Alexis De Joria’s first visit to Virginia Motorsports Park. But the Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota Supra racer’s team owner and crew chief, Del Worsham, certainly is familiar with it. 

He won here 13 years ago in a Funny Car, and he said he loves the facility.

“The track surface at Virginia Motorsports Park is phenomenal, one of the best on tour,” Worsham said. “Tommy Franklin and the Franklin family have done such a great job with the facility. I’ve been racing there since the ’90s and won there in Funny Car in 2009.” 

Dale Creasy wasn’t the first one down the track in the rain-delayed Funny Car session Friday. Phil Burkart went first. 

So Creasy said he was a little surprised to hear public-address announcer Alan Reinhart keep saying that he was No. 1 qualifier all the way until the last pairing. Creasy’s 3.914-second, 319.07-mph performance led the field until Matt Hagan blazed at a track speed record (335.82 mph) to the quickest elapsed time (3.914 seconds). 

And it happened on a day that many thought would be rained out. 

When it comes to record-breaking performances, there is little Brittany Force hasn’t accomplished in her illustrious career.

Topping the field at a nearly 17% clip in the Top Fuel category, Force added another notch to her already impressive belt Friday with the eighth fastest pass in NHRA history, resetting both ends of the track record at Virginia Motorsports Park and giving her the provisional pole at the Virginia NHRA Nationals.

​For a brief period of time Friday evening at Virginia Motorsports Park, longtime journeyman and perpetual underdog Dale Creasy Jr. looked like he might top the field in NHRA Funny Car for the first time ever. 

Then along came Matt Hagan. 

When the engine builder speaks, the driver had better listen. At least, this is how Mountain Motor Pro Stock racer Elijah Morton sees it.

Morton drove his Ford-powered, large displacement Mustang to the provisional pole position in Friday's weather-delayed qualifying at the NHRA Virginia Nationals.

A week ago, Matt Smith said the Buell was competing at a disadvantage against the Suzuki. For at least one day, a week later, his wife proved him wrong.

Angie Smith punched her way into the Virginia Motorsports Park record books on Friday afternoon when she set both ends of the track record, earning her the provisional number one position after the first qualifying session. 

Smith, aboard her Denso Buell, laid down a stellar 6.788 elapsed time and a speed of 200.38 miles per hour, marking the first 200 miles per hour Pro Stock Motorcycle pass at Virginia Motorsports Park.

Top Fuel points leader Brittany Force powered to both ends of the track record at Virginia Motorsports Park, racing to the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday at the Virginia NHRA Nationals.
 
Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers, as five of the six track records were broken on Friday at the seventh of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Due to pending weather, NHRA officials announced a schedule change to help fans get the chance to watch Friday’s qualifying session for this weekend’s Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, as NHRA returns to the track for the first time since 2019.

Pro Stock Motorcycle is now slated to begin NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying at 1 p.m. ET on Friday, while the first round of qualifying for Funny Car and Top Fuel is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The adjustment was made to help the chance of racing action taking place on Friday at Virginia Motorsports Park, which will see its first NHRA action in three years.

As the NHRA Camping World Virginia NHRA Nationals rolls into Richmond, Va., this weekend, what better time to turn back the Hot Tub Time Machine and visit with Cory McClenathan.

The standout Top Fuel driver is the all-time winner in the Top Fuel class in Richmond with four wins in 1995, 1998-99 and 2006.

“Every time we went to Richmond, it was just one of those tracks I really liked and literally everything always went our way,” McClenathan said in an interview with CompetiionPlus.com. “We worked for it and at the same time everybody gets a lucky one here and there and I’m sure I did during those four times. At the same time, it was really cool to go to a track where I was thinking I’m almost going to win this for sure. You get to be that way with those tracks. The ones you struggle on, you’re like God, just let me go a couple rounds.”