2024 NHRA SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NATIONALS- EVENT RESULTS
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SUNDAY FINAL - BROWN SCORES MILESTONE 60TH TOP FUEL WIN AS TASCA, STANFIELD AND HERRERA SCORE NORWALK WINS
Antron Brown scored a milestone victory Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, winning his 60th career Top Fuel race. The triumph marked the 76th time the Matco Tools-sponsored driver has won an NHRA national event dating back to his days as a Pro Stock Motorcycle competitor.
Joining Brown on the championship podium were Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Brown came into final eliminations as the No. 3 qualifier and, in the final, stopped Doug Kalitta on a run where he was quicker on both ends of the track. The win marked his second of 2024.
Brown grabbed .009 off the starting line and extended at the finish line to win, 3.736 to Kalitta’s 3.747.
“Teamwork makes the dream work,” Brown said. This is the hometown of my crew chief, Brian Corradi, and my sponsor, Matco Tools. We had a little trouble in the semis and hurt the engine. We put in a new one and found something wrong, too. My guys are resilient, put another engine in, and are truly a blessing.
“This one is for John Force.”
Brown’s road to the final round included wins over Dan Mercier, Clay Millican, and Justin Ashley.
Kalitta reached his fourth straight final of the year and the 117th in his career with round wins against Kyle Wurtzel, Billy Torrence, and Steve Torrence. His points lead now stands at 134 over Justin Ashley.
Tasca also picked up his second win of the season, stopping a resurgent Ron Capps in the final round. They left virtually together, and it was over early as Capps lifted. Tasca never looked back en route to a 3.908, 330.47. The victory was career title No. 17 for Tasca.
The win was an 18th birthday present for his son Cam. But the trophy will go to injured Funny Car driver John Force.
“He asked me to go win him a Wally,” Tasca said. “But when I read this morning John Force is making [healing] progress, it felt like a weight lifted from all of our shoulders. I’m gonna tell you what John Force told me every race of my career.”
“He said, ‘Tasca, be safe out there and get home to your kids. John, if you are listening. Get better and get home to your kids. They need you, and we need you. Love you, champ.”
Tasca’s road to the final round included wins over Dave Richards, Paul Lee, and points leader Austin Prock.
Capps broke a season-long slump, advancing to his first final of the year and the 148th in his career after taking down Daniel Wilkerson, J.R. Todd, and reigning world champion Matt Hagan. Prock’s points lead is now 178 points over Tasca.
Stanfield picked up his second consecutive Pro Stock win, stopping Dallas Glenn in the final round. He was off the line first and ran away with the victory when Glenn’s Camaro drifted out of the groove, and he lifted.
Stanfield reeled in the win with a 6.539 elapsed time at 208.91 miles per hour. It was his tenth career Pro Stock win.
The win was a double-up with Elite Motorsports teammate Royce Freeman, who had earlier won the Competition Eliminator title.
“Back-to-back, this feels good,” Stanfield said. “This is Melling’s home race, and I am visiting their headquarters for the first time on Monday. The trophy will be really good to show all the guys. This hot rod was flying today. It feels good to get the ice cream scoop.”
Stanfield’s road to the final round included victories over Chris McGaha, Deric Kramer, and Cristian Cuadra.
Glenn reached the finals for the fifth time this season and the 22nd time in his career, picking up round wins against Jeg Coughlin Jr., Fernando Cuadra Jr., and Mason McGaha. He also extended his points lead to 89 over Greg Anderson, who fell in the first round. Reigning world champ Erica Enders also lost in the opening round.
The win moved Stanfield up to fourth in the Pro Stock points.
Herrera continued his historic successful run with his 11th consecutive national event victory, stopping No. 1 qualifier and rival Matt Smith in the final round. He grabbed almost .02 on Smith out of the gate and never looked back en route to a 6.704 elapsed time at 200.77 miles per hour. Smith drifted towards the centerline during the run and lifted.
Herrera now has 44 consecutive round wins and admits Smith has a combination capable of winning.
“Matt has a fast motorcycle, and he just missed it a little bit today,” Herrera said. “This is fun, and we were going back and forth in the staging lanes. I’m having a good time. We will see how long we can keep this going.”
Herrera’s road to the final round included wins over Ron Tornow, Chase Van Sant, and John Hall.
Smith earned his second trip to the finals this year and the 77th in his career, thanks to round wins against Wesley Wells and Richard Gadson.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action July 19-21 with the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle.
SATURDAY QUALIFYING - KALITTA, PROCK, ANDERSON PULL OFF SATURDAY CLEAN SWEEPS IN NORWALK, GADSON WINS FIRST #2FAST2TASTY
Doug Kalitta, Austin Prock, and Greg Anderson secured two top spots on the second day of qualifying for the 18th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals when they won #2Fast2Tasty titles and held on to their top qualifying spots on the final day of qualifying.
The bikes featured Ricky Gadson as the Mission Challenge Pro Stock Bike winner, while Matt Smith remained the top qualifier from his Friday performance.
Kalitta's #2Fast2Tasty win marked his first of the year, and he did so by going 3.703 seconds at a track-record 337.16 mph to defeat Antron Brown’s 3.755. I
Friday’s track-record run of 3.692 held up, handing the veteran his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and 57th in his career. He opens eliminations against Kyle Wurtzel, looking for his second straight win and third in the past four races.
“This just gets you ready on Saturday to go racing, and we're having fun. I think all the drivers – and definitely me – we enjoy having the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty race and the format,” Kalitta said.
“The track turned out to be in great shape and the conditions were perfect to put down good numbers. The way my car is running, I’m just trying to get into a good routine. I'm certainly working at that and trying my best to be consistent. So far this weekend, I've been pretty steady, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.”
Prock continued to wave the John Force Racing banner. His win, which came at the expense of Bob Tasca III, marked his third this season in the specialty event. He stopped the clocks with a 3.853-second elapsed time at 330.55 in his 11,000-horsepower AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. Tasca left the starting line first and delivered a strong 3.882, but Prock tracked him down to stay on an impressive pace in the Funny Car ranks.
Prock retained his No. 1 qualifier status, his seventh No. 1 in the first ten races of the season. If he can clean sweep the event on Sunday, it will be his third straight this season.
“This feels really good, and we're very blessed to be in this situation,” Prock said. “It's a lot of hard work that goes into making these race cars run like this one has this year. I've said it all year, hats off to my guys, they're making it easy on me. I can go up there and I believe in my car, and they're giving me opportunities every weekend. It's definitely helped my learning curve.
“It's been a great year; the hard work is showing. Growing up, there was always a saying, 'races are won in the shop.' We get to the racetrack and we're prepared, our ducks are in a row and we've got a good notebook. We're just executing that and trying to race smart and make smart decisions, then leave it up to me to let the pedal out and stomp the gas. It's all been working out.”
J.R. Todd was second with a 3.865 at 332.02, while defending event winner Blake Alexander jumped to third after going 3.874 at 328.14 in the final session.
Anderson made his clean sweep complete by beating rival Erica Enders, it was his second victory in the specialty event. He missed out on winning the program last year, but has two this season. Anderson ran a 6.595 at 204.94 to defeat longtime rival Enders.
“This has been a great week. I got here on Wednesday morning, spent all day at Summit and got to chat with all the great employees again. It was great to see them all and it fires you up, it makes you feel good,” Anderson said.
“To come over here to Summit Motorsports Park with the wrap I have on my car, it's just a proud weekend for me. We're off to a great start and we had another great day today. The car ran great, and we found our way to another Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win. I guess we're figuring that deal out. It's all good and a great tune-up for tomorrow. The Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, that's what I'm looking forward to, that's the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for me. I just really, really hope that I can come out tomorrow feeling as well as I did today. I'm looking forward to it.”
Enders, the defending world champion, remained second, but improved to a 6.601 at 207.15, making that run in the specialty race final. Deric Kramer’s 6.605 at 208.17 from Friday handed him the third spot.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Richard Gadson enjoyed a special moment, picking up his first win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty after going 6.819 at 196.87 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki against John Hall, who beat Gaige Herrera in the opening round. Gadson took down Hector Arana Jr. earlier in the day, getting past Hall’s 6.857 in the finals.
"That round right there, that was big for me, to avenge my teammate. That was big. Before I walked out of the trailer, Gaige said to me, 'Go do what I couldn't do.' That was a little booster," Gadson said. "I'm having a blast, and I just want to thank Mission Foods and NHRA for doing this. It gets the juices flowing before Sunday. I love it.
"It gets you into race mode, and you start to find your spot; you start to learn how your bike is reacting and how you're reacting. Typically, you might not be worried about that stuff in qualifying, but it gets you amped up and into race mode. I love the format."
Matt Smith earned his third No. 1 qualifier in the past four races, as his track-record run of 6.748 at 201.31 from Friday on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell easily held up. The six-time world champion enjoyed another strong effort in qualifying and will now to look to pick up his first win since September of last year. Since then, Herrera has won the past ten races, but Smith has plenty of momentum heading into Sunday’s eliminations.
“We've been No. 1 two other times before this, but we have to get it done on Sunday. We have not done that this year like we need to," Smith said. "Hopefully, we can do that tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a totally different day from what it looks like. It's going to be cooler and a lot drier. We're just trying to get an MSR bike in the final and see if we can win this thing tomorrow."
Angie Smith qualified second with a 6.798 at 200.26, while Herrera took third with a 6.799 at 198.88.
Eliminations for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park.
FRIDAY QUALIFYING - PROCK TAKES JFR TO THE TOP OF DAY ONE NORWALK; KALITTA, ANDERSON AND M. SMITH SET THE PACE
Austin Prock, the lone driver representing John Force Racing this weekend, understood the magnitude of the situation. And when Friday qualifying was complete at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, he delivered a performance of epic proportions.
Prock drove his way to the No. 1 qualifying position at the tenth event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series tour. He was joined atop the Friday leaderboard in Norwalk by Doug kalitta (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Prock, also the NHRA Funny Car points leader, scored the best run in Friday’s qualifying by turning in a new track record. His 3.863 seconds at 327.51 mph under the lights put him in line for his seventh No. 1 qualifier in 10 races.
“That was a heck of a lick right there tonight and two great runs for us today,” Prock said. “I’m thinking of Brittany and John, and the whole Force family. I miss all of them out here – it’s just not the same. But the race car is running (well) and that always helps a little bit.
“It’s just how hard this team works. My dad (Jimmy), Thomas, and Nate have been doing a really good job analyzing the racetrack and making the right decisions. How this car is running, it’s really shortening my learning curve because I’ve had so many attempts up there. We’ve made a lot of runs already this year. I’m really proud to be behind the wheel. We had a great day today, got to get our minds off the world for a little bit and just go to work and try to make John Force Racing proud.”
J.R. Todd jumped was second with a 3.865 at 332.02, while Bob Tasca III is currently third with a run of 3.894 at 323.74.
The reigning Top Fuel world champ Kalitta made the most of his run under the lights in Norwalk, vaulting to the top spot with a 3.692 at 332.92 in his Applied Innovation/Toyota dragster. He was in exclusive company as he delivered the only run in the 3.60s in the category for the first day. If it holds he now has a chance to earn his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season. After winning two of the last three races, Kalitta also continued his strong momentum and put on a show at the home track for Kalitta Motorsports.
“That 3.69 was a solid run. The conditions were great, the track – they have this place in very good condition -- and once again, the hospitality the Baders have for the fans is outstanding,” Kalitta said. “It just ended up being a really good night for us. The Kalitta Motorsports effort was good tonight, and hopefully our main man John Force is proud of us—best wishes for him.
“For Alan and the guys tuning, they went up there to throw down, and it stuck. It was really an incredible run for us.”
Antron Brown was second with a 3.722 at 330.72, while Tripp Tatum is third with a 3.739 at 324.36.
In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson was the only driver to dip into the 6.50s, making a strong run right off the trailer and taking the No. 1 spot with a pass of 6.592 at 207.69 in his Summit Racing Equipment/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Sporting a special Summit Racing Equipment wrap for this weekend’s race in Norwalk, Anderson delivered a strong run that could give the five-time world champion his third No. 1 qualifier of the year and the 127th in his career. This event has always meant a great deal for the winningest driver in Pro Stock, and Anderson would love nothing more than to pick up his fourth career victory at “America’s Racetrack.”
“(The first session) went great. It was perfect, actually,” Anderson said. “In Q2, I should have just stayed at the trailer. We had a five-dollar part fail, a relay that fires the ignition coils. I had no spark, so the car started up, and it killed the ignition. It shut right off after two seconds of running, and I was dead in the water.
“No matter what, I have to call today a success. I ran great the first run, but I feel like I could have run even better on the second run. I think it’s there, it’s ready to run well, and the car looks and runs great. It just feels like home racing here at Summit Motorsports Park.”
Erica Enders ran her best in the second session and is No. 2 with a 6.601 at 207.15. Deric Kramer’s 6.605 at 208.17 puts him third.
Qualifying continues to go well for six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith, going a track-record 6.748 at 201.31 on his Denso Auto Parts/Matt Smith Racing Buell. It puts Smith in line for his third No. 1 qualifier in the past four races as the bike continues to impress in qualifying. He ended Gaige Herrera’s string of No. 1 qualifiers in Chicago and has controlled that area recently, but Smith is focused on getting the job done on Sunday. Friday’s run gives him a good start on the weekend, but Herrera has been unbeatable for the past ten races, something Smith hopes to change this weekend.
“Qualifying doesn’t mean anything if you can’t back it up on Sunday, and that’s what I’ve learned so far this year,” Smith said. “We’ve had a good bike in qualifying a couple races, and we haven’t closed the deal. But we’re right where we should be here, and all in all, I’m happy with our Denso/Outlaw Beer bike. We’ve got a great team right now – Angie (Smith) is second, Jianna (Evaristo) is fourth. We have three bikes in the top four right now, (and) we just have to keep digging.”
Angie Smith is currently second with a 6.798 at 200.26, while Herrera is right behind after going 6.799 at 198.88.
Qualifying at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals continues at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park.
Friday's results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 18th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, 10th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.692 seconds, 332.92 mph; 2. Antron Brown, 3.722, 330.72; 3. Tripp Tatum, 3.739, 324.36; 4. Doug Foley, 3.744, 319.98; 5. Tony Stewart, 3.748, 322.65; 6. Shawn Langdon, 3.750, 330.15; 7. Justin Ashley, 3.753, 328.14; 8. Clay Millican, 3.761, 326.24; 9. Shawn Reed, 3.767, 321.19; 10. T.J. Zizzo, 3.771, 331.77; 11. Billy Torrence, 3.777, 330.63; 12. Jasmine Salinas, 3.782, 331.45; 13. Steve Torrence, 3.788, 324.90; 14. Dan Mercier, 3.790, 320.89; 15. Tony Schumacher, 3.791, 327.66; 16. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.801, 304.39.
Not Qualified: 17. Spencer Massey, 3.807, 314.09; 18. Josh Hart, 3.827, 319.98; 19. Travis Shumake, 3.927, 280.49.
Funny Car -- 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.863, 329.10; 2. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.865, 332.02; 3. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.894, 329.42; 4. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.903, 331.04; 5. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.910, 323.58; 6. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.911, 326.95; 7. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.929, 328.78; 8. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.931, 328.22; 9. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.942, 327.03; 10. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.950, 324.98; 11. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 4.006, 307.16; 12. Dave Richards, Toyota Camry, 4.083, 306.81; 13. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.090, 307.72; 14. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.161, 308.00; 15. Joe Morrison, Charger, 4.764, 177.60; 16. Chris King, Charger, 5.554, 129.38.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.592, 207.69; 2. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.601, 207.15; 3. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.605, 208.17; 4. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.606, 206.35; 5. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.607, 207.94; 6. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.608, 208.17; 7. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.608, 208.36; 8. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.611, 207.40; 9. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.615, 207.43; 10. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.618, 207.18; 11. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.621, 208.04; 12. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.622, 206.10; 13. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.638, 206.45; 14. David Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.644, 206.26; 15. Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.647, 206.67; 16. Larry Morgan, Camaro, 6.674, 206.95.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.748, 201.31; 2. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.798, 200.26; 3. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.799, 198.90; 4. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.802, 201.13; 5. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.803, 199.52; 6. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.809, 198.82; 7. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.812, 200.08; 8. John Hall, Beull, 6.817, 198.99; 9. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.878, 196.10; 10. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.884, 196.04; 11. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.901, 196.02; 12. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.962, 195.76; 13. Eiji Kawakami, Suzuki, 7.148, 185.66; 14. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.516, 177.11.
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