The tears should have been ones of joy. 

In just her fifth professional outing, the NHRA SpringNationals at Baytown, Texas, 24-year-old rookie Camrie Caruso became only the second woman to earn a top- qualifying position in the Pro Stock class. It came 16 years after Erica Enders scored her first No. 1 start in 2006 at Topeka. 

Instead of celebrating, the tears running down her cheeks Saturday afternoon at Houston Raceway Park as she bravely stood for a television interview with FOX’s Amanda Busick represented a jumble of emotions. Within minutes, Caruso was all smiles –  but not after an unexpected encounter with four-time class champion Enders.

Point standings (top 10) following the 35th annual NHRA SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park, the fifth of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series - 

A recent open letter from Houston Raceway Park (HRP) General Manager Seth Angel indicated this genuinely is the final SpringNationals at his family-owned facility that is set to give way to industrial and commercial sprawl at the start of 2023. 

HRP will carry out its regularly scheduled racing program and events throughout this year. Global logistics solutions firm Katoen Natie’s expansion is planning to swallow the dragstrip land. 

Sunday's final results from the 35th annual NHRA SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park. The race is the fifth of 22 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: 

Final round-by-round results from the 35th annual NHRA SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park, the fifth of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

This is a memory NHRA rookie Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso will likely never forget.

In just her fifth career start, Caruso, thanks to her 6.547-second lap at 209.39 mph Friday night, held on to the top qualifying spot at the SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park Saturday.

​​After a record-breaking victory performance at the season-opening Gatornationals in March, veteran Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Karen Stoffer shows no signs of slowing down.

Stoffer had the provisional No. 1 spot after Friday’s lone session with a 6.775-second pass and she stayed there thanks to a quicker 6.738-second run at 200.35 mph Saturday in Q2 at the SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park.

Things just keep getting better for nitro Funny Car standout Ron Capps during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Capps, in his first year as the owner of Ron Capps Motorsports, arrived at the SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park this weekend third in the points standings with one win and two No. 1 qualifier positions.

​When Jim Yates asked his rookie driver what her expectations were for the season, she didn't hesitate.
 
"I told him I wanted to win the championship and win races," Caruso said. "And he looked at me and told me, 'Yeah, in five years."