Iconic wrestler Ric Flair regularly proclaimed, "To be the man, you must beat the man." To be the man, Comp racer Don Thomas said he regularly raced the man. On Friday, on the biggest stage of them all, the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals, Thomas pocketed the largest single-day payout in Competition Eliminator history, winning $30,000 from the Rooftec Cash Clash, a race within a race for those in the top 16 points earners in the Division 4 Competition Eliminator Bonus. 

Four-time Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence dominated the first day qualifying at the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals on Friday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. 

Joining Torrence atop their respective divisions were Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Torrence raced to the provisional No. 1 position with a quick run of 3.708 seconds at 329.42 mph in his powerful Capco Contractors dragster. If his performance holds, Torrence will secure his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and 36th in his career. He is aiming for his third overall win at The Big Go, the world's biggest drag race.

A couple of triumphant returns highlight the NHRA's 2024 Camping World Drag Racing Schedule. NHRA released their schedule on Thursday during the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals. 

The season will begin at Gainesville Raceway in Florida from March 7-10, with the NHRA Gatornationals. The Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout will also be part of the presentation.
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The NHRA returns to Phoenix for the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals on April 5-7. 

Longtime Pontiac racer John Clegg put his CC/Altered centrifugal supercharged entry into the wall when an apparent suspension failure put his entry into the retaining wall before coming to a stop in the middle of the track. Save for some lower back soreness, Clegg emerged from the incident uninjured. 

"It was just a hard hit," Clegg said. 

The first day of the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals is in the book. Robert Bailey (Competition Eliminator), Steve Comella (Hemi Shootout), Ernie Neal (Super Stock) and Paul Wong (Stock) set the pace for Wednesday's qualifying.

Jasmine Salinas, the 31-year-old daughter of NHRA Drag Racing Top Fuel driver Mike Salinas, is set to make her debut in the Top Fuel ranks during the 2024 season. She successfully earned her NHRA Top Fuel license after a series of test sessions throughout the 2023 season. Salinas will be racing for her family's race team, Scrappers Racing, when the season kicks off in Gainesville, Florida in March.

Josh Hart is gearing up to showcase the red, white, and blue livery of the TechNet Top Fuel dragster, featuring the Brakes for Breasts charity. The campaign collaborates with TechNet Professional, a prominent network of automotive repair shops throughout North America.

During the 69th edition of the U.S. Nationals, Hart, who currently holds the tenth spot in the Top Fuel point standings, will launch his breast cancer research fundraising efforts. This program will commence at Burnyzz, a renowned automotive repair and restoration shop in Ocala, Fla., co-owned by Hart and his wife Brittanie.

Drag racing fans are in for a treat as the inaugural Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB) kicks off this weekend, allowing enthusiasts to truly participate in the excitement and unpredictability of the U.S. Nationals. Developed as the first dynamic bracket competition for drag racing fans, DRBB empowers fans to make their picks round by round for all four professional classes, predicting the winners and earning points along the way until an overall event winner is determined at the conclusion of the race on Monday. In addition, individual category winners for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be recognized.