EVENT RESULTS   TOP FUEL  FUNNY CAR  PRO STOCK  PRO STOCK BIKE  SPORTSMAN

VIDEO NOTEBOOK  WED GALLERY  THURS. GALLERY  FRI. GALLERY  SAT. GALLERY  SUN GALLERY

 

 

SUNDAY NOTEBOOK - IT'S GREG ANDERSON'S WORLD AND THE REST OF THE FIELD ARE LIVING IN IT

1. NEWS FLASH...ANDERSON STILL BAD TO THE BONE -  Greg Anderson keeps on getting better with each day at the Toyota U.S. Nationals.

He was the fastest qualifier in all five sessions, and his 6.57-second elapsed time at 207.88 mph gave him the No. 1 spot in the field for Monday’s eliminations at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway.

“The big day is Monday, and it has honestly been near perfection for three days straight,” said Anderson, who pilots the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro for KB Titan Racing. “That’s a hell of a confidence builder. It certainly makes me feel good. The car feels great. The engine is running great. The crew is right on point. I said it the last couple of weeks, we have made some mistakes coming up to the Countdown, and it is time to flush those mistakes down the toilet and race the rest of the way error free. So far this weekend knock on wood, we have been error free.

“Hopefully we can make that go for four more runs (Monday) and make some magic here at Indy. We will see what happens, but I absolutely feel great. I have a lot of confidence in the group and a lot of confidence in the team. It helps as a driver, and it absolutely makes you get up on the wheel better. When you have a smile on your face, you always do better.”

This was Anderson’s fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 129th in his decorated career, which includes world championships 2003-2005, 2010, and 2021.

2 – ERICA ENDERS RIGHT IN MIX FOR ANOTHER U.S. NATIONALS TITLE – A year ago, Erica Enders didn’t have the best regular season yet went on to win her sixth world championship thanks to victories in two of the six races in the Countdown to the Championships.

Enders, who arrived at the U.S. Nationals third in the points, is right in the mix to win the U.S. Nationals on Monday. She qualified No. 2 with a best elapsed time of 6.592 seconds at 207.11 mph.

“Well, Indy's a marathon. It's a lot of days that we're here, and it's something that we've been preparing for all summer,” Enders said. “I definitely have a renewed sense of confidence. I've spent a ton of time getting my car fixed the way I like it, and I got to give a lot of credit to Rick Jones and his guys at the shop for making sure that all of that happened before we went to Brainerd (Minn.). So, my faith in myself and my equipment is back, and in the past that has proven to be a dangerous combination, so we'll hope that the trend continues.

“But either way, we've been working really hard on it and I'm excited. (Monday’s) race day, and there's no more important one than the U.S. Nationals.”

If Enders can find her way to world championship No. 7 – she won her first six in 2014-15, 2019-20, and 2022-23 – she would trail only the late Bob Glidden for most Pro Stock titles. Glidden won 10 in 1974-75, 1978-80, and 1985-89.   

“It definitely would mean a lot to me. I try not to get ahead of myself, by any means, and I'm so very proud of what we've accomplished up to this point,” Enders said. “But I believe, and I know a lot of other people believe, that we're nowhere near being done yet. I'm excited about what's to come. We certainly haven't had the season leading up to this point that we had hoped for, but I did, however, get to achieve that one goal of winning the Gatornationals, which had eluded us for 21 seasons. That was a high point of our season, and now that we get into the thick of things with Indy being points and a half and then heading into the Countdown … it's usually the time that we shine.

“When my guys are against the wall, they perform, and I thrive on the pressure. We're going to put our heads down and go to work and do the best we can like we always do. And if that includes the seventh world title, if that's in the good Lord's plans, then we'll be grateful and humbled to have it. But it's going to take a lot of work. The competition's thick, but again, my money's on us.”

Enders, who is the winningest female driver in NHRA history, has won the U.S. Nationals three times (2015, 2020-21).

And Enders acknowledged the talk of her competing in a Top Fuel dragster sooner rather than later is not fake news.

“It's definitely something that we've been working on behind the scenes,” Enders said. “Richard (Freeman, Elite Motorsports owner) kind of opened his mouth on WFO Joe's show a few weeks ago. There's planning going on behind the scenes. I went to the chassis shop and got fitted when we got to Indy on (Aug. 29). Things are moving in that direction. Again, I'll harp on it, but we're not going to do it unless we can do it right, with the right funding and the right group of people. Because in that class, you get into a totally different arena where you have to have a crew chief, and it is a crew chief's game. Without the right people in place, we absolutely will not explore it. Until all of those things align, I guess in a sense it is on the back burner, but we are working towards that. And I'm going to do some stuff, an alcohol car.”

Yes, you heard that right. Enders plans on making some laps in a Top Alcohol Dragster in the near future.

“This season I'm just going to go make some laps and get reacquainted with going that fast,” Enders said, adding that a Funny Car would've been her first choice.

“I want to back up and say, again, we're not 100% in until everything falls into place, but we're going to keep putting one foot in front of the other as if that's the plan. We'll see what happens.”

3 – MASON MCGAHA SEEKS COVETED WALLY – Mason McGaha has been sneaky good this season in the Pro Stock ranks.

McGaha, who drives his family-owned Harlow Sammons Chevy Camaro, arrived at Indy 11th in the standings thanks to his runner-up finish in Brainerd, Minn., the most-recent stop on the circuit.

“It was pretty wild. We just felt pretty fortunate to even qualify being that we weren't qualified until that last run,” McGaha said about Brainerd. “And typically, I feel like when you do that, it's like, ‘Alright, maybe you go out there, you win a round and it's like, ‘Alright, cool. We salvaged something.’ But then we ended up in the final and it was like, ‘Oh, wow, we're up here about to run for the trophy.’

“I had a good light, had Dallas (Glenn) by a bunch and we probably should have changed tires, and then it'd been good enough to not shake and win the race. But you always learn for the next one and maybe we'll be better prepared for the next time.”

McGaha has three runner-up finishes in his Pro Stock career – the spring Four Wide race in Charlotte, N.C., in 2021 and Gainesville (Fla.) in 2023 in addition Brainerd.

“I feel like I've brought it up about every way imaginable,” said McGaha, who has lost several times in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge races. “I'm new to the plate. I'm sure there's more ways, there's so many ways to lose, but not a lot of ways to win.”

Nonetheless, the Brainerd performance was a much-needed boost.

“It gave us a lot of confidence. I mean, we qualified No. 16 at the last race, but I think we were just screwed up in qualifying, but then we felt like we were running all right on race day,” McGaha said. “Probably could have been a little faster. We had tested the next day in Brainerd, and we felt better then. Here in Indy, I feel like we've run pretty well. … I feel like we got a decent package.”

Mason qualified No. 10 in the field and will face David Cuadra in round one. McGaha’s father Chris failed to make the field.

“That would be cool. Especially because only so few people won Pro Stock, period,” Mason said. “To have both of us out of the same family win it, that'd be really special.”

 

 

 

4 – JERRY TUCKER HAS BECOME WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER – Jerry Tucker made his debut in the NHRA Pro Stock ranks a year ago and finished 13th in the standings in his learning year.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Tucker, driving the Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer/SCAG Equipment Chevy Camaro for Elite Motorsports, has become a championship contender.

Tucker arrived at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis this weekend seventh in the points on the strength of one runner-up finish and three appearances in the semifinals.

He hasn’t let up at Indy, qualifying No. 5 with a 6.600-second elapsed time at 207.59 mph. He will face Cory Reed in the first round.

“Well, the car's fast. It's just added stress because the car, the mechanics, the crew chief and everybody's doing a good job. It just adds stress to the driver, but it's a good stress,” Tucker said. “We've actually had the opportunity and the car to win the last three (races), and we have the car to win this race. I mean, we've been third quick, right there with Erica (Enders) and (Greg) Anderson every pass and I don't see how we can't. ... We should win.”

Tucker acknowledged his thoughts about his place in the Pro Stock scene have evolved.

“When we started this, it was for fun, and then after a minute it gets serious and then it's stressful and then the sponsors and the Outlaw guys are helping us, and the SCAG guys are helping us, and then it turns from a hobby to a job pretty quick. But it is an awful fun job,” he said. 

“I like the challenge of driving it and I like to work on the car, and I like to work with the guys. I'm a hands-on person, so I'm out here in the tune-up and setting the clutch and building the transmission. I may like it as well as driving the car.”

Then, Tucker took a moment to imagine what it would mean if he were crowned U.S. Nationals champion.

“That would be incredibly awesome. I've been watching Pro Stock my whole entire life and it's my favorite sport by far,” he said. “ If we can keep from messing up, we sure have an opportunity to do it.”

5 – ELITE MOTORSPORTS OWNER RICHARD FREEMAN SPEAKS – When Richard Freeman, the owner of the Elite Motorsports team, speaks people listen.

And Freeman shared some of his thoughts about Indy and his team with CompetitionPlus.com.

“We have got to have some breaks along the way. We got a lot of tough competition,” he said, “but I got a lot of good cars, so hopefully one of them gets it done.”

Freeman, whose powerhouse team is led by six-time and five-time Pro Stock World Champions, Erica Enders and Jeg Coughlin Sr., respectively, enjoys the rivalry his team has with KB Titan Racing.

“That's always been there ever since I started, that was real,” he said. “So, we're happy with that. They're good competition, good team, and we'll see what we can do.”

And winning championships never gets old.

“Oh, it's something that I dreamt of as a kid and then getting to do it with the people we get to do it with,” he said. “That's what I'm more proud of, is I get to do it with my family and then all the rest of our extended family that we get to do it with. You got to be really good (in Pro Stock), and we feel like we got a good stable of those good, really good drivers.”

6 – CAMRIE CARUSO WILL RACE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE PHOENIX – It’s official, Camrie Caruso will be competing in eliminations at the U.S. Nationals on Monday.

Caruso, who drives a Camaro for KB Titan Racing, qualified No. 16 with a 6.628-second elapsed time at 205.72 mph. She will face her teammate and No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson in the opening round of eliminations.

Caruso has been sidelined since she broke a leg during final-round qualifying April 6 at the Arizona Nationals in Phoenix. Her Aqua Prop Chevy Camaro nosed into the left guard wall as she crossed the finish line at 142 mph and darted into the right-side wall.

“Everybody loves Indy and I’m excited to be racing on Monday,” Caruso said.

Caruso, the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year, has one Wally in 40 Pro Stock starts, that being Phoenix in 2023.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 – JEG COUGHLIN JR. READY FOR RACE DAY – The U.S. Nationals has meant plenty to the Coughlin family over the years. Jeg Coughlin Jr. will try and add another line on the family’s impressive resume when he competes Monday.

Coughlin qualified third at 6.598, 207.50 in his Elite Motorsports Camaro, and will face Eric Latino, out of the KB Titan Racing stable, in Round One.

“We kind of started off the weekend pretty well in the fifth spot and then that crucial Saturday morning run that was pretty sporty for yesterday, at least. We were on the tail end, made it kind of a poor run getting started and ended up ninth,” Coughlin said. “We were fourth quickest the last session Saturday, but still stayed ninth, and then (Sunday morning) we bumped up to No. 3.”

Now, Coughlin Jr. is ready for race day and searching for his fifth Pro Stock U.S. Nationals title to go with the ones he won in 2000, 2002, 2009 and 2020.

“It's kind of like if the weather shows up that they're predicting for (Monday), it's kind of been a stair step. The Friday run was pretty hot and wet. Saturday was very hot and wet – Saturday was overcast but really wet. And then today Sunday dried up quite a bit, but hot. (Monday) is supposed to be much, much cooler and much drier both. So, we're kind of working our way up to our peak performances on game day, which should be exciting.”  

9 – COUNTDOWN NOT SET IN PRO STOCK – With the U.S. Nationals slated to conclude Monday, the fields in all the professional categories will be set for the Countdown to the Championship. That race is set for Sept. 12-15 in Reading, Pa. And there are still spots on the line for that in Pro Stock heading into Monday’s eliminations.

Cristian Cuadra, who is eighth in the standings needs, to maintain his spot in the 10 because he has not attended every race this season. Cristian’s brothers, David and Fernando Cuadra Jr. could race their way into the top 10 on Monday.

10 – OUTSIDE LOOKING IN – While 16 Pro Stock drivers will be competing for glory Monday, the following list of drivers had their weekend end Sunday when they didn’t make the field.

Those who DNQ’d were: No. 17 Deric Kramer (6.640 seconds); No. 18 Chris McGaha (6.652 seconds); No. 19 Derrick Reese (6.668 seconds); No. 20 Larry Morgan (6.670 seconds); and Kenny Delco (6.705 seconds).

 

 

 

SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - ANDERSON TIGHTENS THE NOOSE ON THE FIELD AS KB RACING CONTINUES TO DOMINATE

1 – GREG ANDERSON IMPROVES STAYS NO. 1 IN PS QUALIFYING – Greg Anderson keeps flexing his muscles at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, which he has acknowledged is his favorite race on the tour.

Anderson, who held the provisional No. 1 spot on Friday after Q1 with a 6.621-second elapsed time at 206.23 mph, improved his ET Saturday to stay atop the list. Anderson, in his HendrickCars.com Chevy for KB Titan Racing, clocked in at 6.588, 206.20.

Qualifying finishes Sunday with two more sessions.

“I certainly knew if we didn’t do anything like that, we wouldn’t be No. 1,” Anderson said. “My guys did a fantastic job. I was No. 1 at 60-foot, and I didn’t quite expect that, and that’s what got us the pole so far. Two great runs (Saturday). We were low on 60 foot on both runs and that’s what it takes. These cars are so close in performance and power and driving ability, and everything has to go perfect for you to get a No. 1 spot and win rounds anymore. 

“We did a great job (Saturday), and we made three pretty much close to flawless runs so far, but we are not even halfway through the weekend. We have another whole day of qualifying left, and from our weather meter it looks like (Sunday) is going to be better again. So that pole is absolutely not safe again. You’re going to have to find a way to do better. They are all nipping at my heels without a doubt, and anybody can get that pole. We have to give all we got and try and be perfect.”

2 – DALLAS GLENN WINS #2FAST2TASTY NHRA CHALLENGE RACE – Dallas Glenn has had a solid weekend in his RAD Torque Systems Chevy Camaro.

Glenn, who drives for KB Titan Racing, had another reason to celebrate Saturday as he won the #2Fast2Tasy NHRA Challenge at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Glenn claimed the title by defeating Aaron Stanfield and then Mason McGaha in the finals, who had a redlight start.

Through 13 #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge races this season Glenn collected 12 bonus points and snared two wins.

“This feels good,” said Glenn, the leader in the season standings. “I don’t have the greatest track record in these #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge race races, so it was good to seal a #2Fast2Tasty win. “It is definitely big (to get these bonus points from the #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge races) you can go back and look at some of the previous years and championships, even if they weren’t decided by a small amount, it definitely played into the stress and drama of it. It always changes the whole situation of what’s going on and the mentality of it.”

Glenn is qualified No. 6 through three sessions with his 6.609, 206.92.

“I just the class being so competitive as a whole,” Glenn said. “Sometimes I feel like my car takes a few runs to get all the bugs worked out of it for race day. That’s why I feel like I have been in a lot of these (#2Fast2Tasy) races, and I felt like I have been pretty good on race day. I haven’t necessarily been great in qualifying and sometimes we just need those couple of qualifying runs to get everything out for race day.

“Plus, the competition nowadays is just absolutely crazy. The top half of the field is separated by less than two hundredths of a second. You can’t miss. You can’t do anything wrong. You can’t make any mistakes.”

“I think we have good momentum going into race day even though I think qualifying ahead of us (Sunday) is going to be pretty interesting.”

Glenn has had a stellar season, winning three races, including the most-recent race on the circuit in Brainerd, Minn.

“I feel like we are figuring stuff out,” Glenn said. “We are getting better, and I feel like I’m getting the car figured out better trying to cut better lights. I had a great light against Aaron (Stanfield) in first round. We are coming into our stride at the right time.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 – FERNANDO CUADRA JR. GETTING COMFORTABLE IN NEW LEADERSHIP ROLE – The Cuadra brothers have definitely made their presence felt this year in the NHRA Pro Stock ranks.

Fernando Cuadra Jr. has kept busy on and off the track, managing new responsibilities helping run the team and his family’s business, Corral Boots.

The season “was a really bad start personally, but a good one for my brothers,” Fernando Jr. said. “My brothers (Cristian and David) have been … I mean, Cristian is in the top 10, even missing three races. He's in No. 8, so that's, just doing simple math, he was going to be probably higher if he kept coming to all the races. I think we see an improvement overall. Now that my car and David's are running again really fast, so we're really happy.”

Cristian and Fernando Jr. are running Mustangs and David is behind the wheel of a Camaro.

“Personally, I like the (Mustang) better,” Fernando Jr. said. “We are Ford guys. Plus, it's a little bit different, the view. I mean, you can see the Christmas tree better in the Mustangs than in the Camaro.”

Fernando Jr. also addressed what his new role is with the family’s NHRA team and business.

“I already kind of knew how everything was because it was not like I just jumped in, like I've never worked,” Cuadra Jr. said. “I used to work for my company since I was 18. I'm 28 now, so it's been 10 years working in the company. But it's been fun now to get it all actually in my hands and be able to do all the movements that we need to, and all the pressure is there, so it's nice. I like it.”  

Cuadra Jr. acknowledged he loves the competition in the Pro Stock class and is proud of the progress that his team has made.

“Elite Motorsports helps us a lot because at the beginning, we started with our own program. Sometimes we were good, sometimes we were really bad – and most of the time we were really bad. We have good power, and you can see it, especially with Cristian.

“He's always top half of the field and everything. So, we knew we had the power, we just were missing all the knowledge, all the years of experience. And the best way for us to cut that line was to get involved with (Elite). They helped us tremendously, both in the team and also mentally, because if you have a fast car, you have to be strong in your mind. It's been good.”

As much as Cuadra Jr. loves Pro Stock, he keeps extremely busy working at the Corral Boots headquarters in León, Guanajuato, Mexico.

“I work at the factories,” Cuadra Jr. said. “Racing is our hobby. We only have a distribution center in McAllen (Texas), but it's only where we send the boots from Mexico to McAllen and then McAllen to all the states. Me and my brothers are all general managers at the factory.

“We call (racing) the getaway. We like to get more stress with racing, but it's racing, it's not working, and we like this type of stress.”

Cuadra Jr. admitted the family’s business outside of racing has changed his 2024 racing schedule.

“It has been busy, especially this year. That's why we missed so many races this year because we have to be working more, especially this year. This is a transition year. That's why we missed three races so far. David and I are going to miss Reading (Pa.) and Charlotte (N.C.). Cristian is going to stay because hopefully he's going to stay in the top 10. We don't get any sponsors, right? Our pockets are the sponsors, so we have to keep them flowing. Cristian will be here racing and David and I, we will be in Europe, in Milan, Italy, at a trade show.”

Running the family business has been a work in progress with father Fernando Cuadra Sr. passing the torch to his sons.

"’Okay, what are you going to do here? What would you do?’ Stuff like that. And then he was like, ‘Go. You're good,’” Fernando Jr. said. “It's pretty good. It's pretty stressing and it's also pretty fun because most of the people that work with us, all the employees, they've been working with my father for more than 30 years. So, it's funny because I know them, or they have known me since I was a little baby. I'm 28 and they've been working for 30 years. It's almost like one big family. It's a very good group that we work together.” 

5 – CORY REED EXPEDITES LEARNING CURVE – Upon his own admission, Cory Reed never thought he would be racing a door car. He was a motorcycle racing lifer – or was.

That changed when Reed jumped at the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Pro Stock Camaro for KB Titan Racing. In just his second race in the class at the Denso Sonoma (Calif.) Nationals on July 28, Reed advanced to the finals losing to Aaron Stanfield.

“It's good, dude, it's a good change. It's a refresher. For me and Joey (Gladstone), it's so different than what we've been doing, and it's pretty stress-free in the sense of decision making. We just get told what to do and we do it and it works,” Reed said. “It’s getting better. Every run is better and better. The first few runs were terrible. Being strapped in and not being able to see, I didn't like that too much. … I still make mistakes though, little ones, and you get mad at yourself, frustrated, whatnot, and then it just compounds from there. If I keep myself from thinking when I'm in it's a lot better.”

Now, Reed is ready to see what he can accomplish at the most-storied race on the NHRA national circuit – the U.S. Nationals this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway Park.

“It's always nice being Indy. Everybody likes it here,” Reed said. “But honestly, I've had pretty good luck here in the past, overall. Every track's good, though. It's a lot different being in the car. All the tracks kind of feel the same so far. Like on the bike, you really could tell where the bumps are and everything – crown and all that nonsense, which I don't know, they may be adjusting the car well enough I can't even tell, so who knows?”

This Pro Stock car scene is something Reed will stick with for the remainder of this season and full time in 2025.

“I had no clue how it was going to go. I didn't have any expectations though, either,” Reed said about leaving the bikes. “The very first time I went in and drove my car in neutral, dropped it twice (on burnouts) and blew the transmission out right away. All the guys, the higher-ups in KB, they were like, ‘Oh, shit, this is going to be a long day.’ Then they fixed it and … I was like, ‘Well, this is going to be rough.’ Then literally the next pass, 10 times better; next pass, 10 times better. Everything went boom, it just compounded really fast, and it made it a lot better. It went really well. Sixteen passes in two days (at Rockingham Dragway) and I got my license.”

Then, he was one round away from winning a Wally in Sonoma.

“That was wild. … Sometimes you go to events, or you go to places, and you just feel like, ‘This is our type of place,’” Reed said. “I've had really good luck in Sonoma personally. Joey (Gladstone) won there his first time (in Pro Stock Motorcycle in 2022). That place is good to us; honestly, it is. It's not even like I did great, I drove the car good. The car went fast enough to win rounds and stuff, but I went .050, .045 all day long and made it to the final. I lost because I couldn't leave better.

“We fixed that. We figured that out finally. Now I can cut a better light in it. So, I think that was kind of a combination of driving the car good enough and doing just good enough and having luck while we were there. Going to the final and then winning in the first round of the [#2Fast2Tasty] thing, it's Brainerd, and then losing against Greg at a good race. All that stuff's just been like it's a dream come true.”

It’s a dream he never even imagined, being in a Pro Stock car.

“I mean, I figured I'd drive anything my family (the Whiteleys) owned at one point. I'd drive it once or twice and not go, race it ever. I would just get to drive it before they sell it. I figured I'd be able to do that at some point. But I never thought a Pro Stock car was ever going to be an option. I absolutely thought I would drive a Pro Mod car or an alcohol Funny Car before a Pro Stock car. Pro Mod definitely is on the list to do.”

 

 

 

 

6 – JOEY GLADSTONE ENJOYING HIS NEW PRO STOCK VENTURE – Joey Gladstone proved he was one of the top Pro Stock Motorcycle racers in NHRA, highlighted in 2022 when he won three times and finished second overall for Cory Reed Motorsports..

Gladstone competed in a limited PSM season in 2023, then he jumped into the world of Pro Stock when Cory Reed made his debut in the class in July in Seattle.

“Right now, my duties on Cory's car are clutch and transmission. In between rounds, we build the transmissions according to whatever the crew chiefs tell us to put in them,” Gladstone said. “Then, we service the clutch in between rounds. It's a lot of work, it's fast-paced, but I love it. It's fun.”

Gladstone competed in Pro Stock Motorcycle from 2016-23, but said he doesn’t miss being a rider.

“I raced for a long time, and I chased the tour for a long time, and I'm really liking the time off,” Gladstone said. “I'm concentrating more on work rather than just racing, racing, racing. I'm trying to do stuff to produce money instead of just spending it, you know?”

Gladstone is especially grateful about the relationship he has with the Whiteley family.

“I've been with the Whiteley family for probably seven or eight years now,” he said. “When I heard that they were purchasing stake in KB Racing, I was very excited, obviously. Because I was like, ‘Yep, that's where I'm going.’ Then, we ended up going down there and moving to Mooresville (N.C.). And now, I get to … work with people, like Greg Anderson, Rob Downing, and Lon Moyer every day. And these guys are gurus. They're the best in the business. They build arguably the baddest naturally aspirated engines in the world.

“To be able to be in a position to see behind closed doors and learn from these guys is an opportunity that ... That's another reason why I wanted to step away from racing. I can spend more time in the engine shop and actually learn and soak in what these guys are willing to give me. I don't know about (being a) crew chief. There's a lot that goes into that. I like the engine side of it. I really like the engine side of it. I'm a machinist, I have a machinist background, so it goes with that as far as tolerances and all the machine work that has to go into these things. I really like the engine side, and I like the management side of it, too, managing a race team and stuff like that. That's where I'm at right now with my career.” 

7 – DAVE CONNOLLY SPEAKS PRO STOCK – World championship crew chief Dave Connolly is one of the key catalysts in the powerhouse KB Titan Racing organization. 

Connolly is back at the U.S. Nationals and bringing his knowledge back with him to help KB Titan win Monday. 

“We kind of try to approach it the same as any race, but again, the No. 1 thing that the team wants to do is win a championship,” Connolly said. “It looks like we got Dallas (Glenn) locked in the No. 1 spot, but it's a battle between Greg (Anderson) and (Aaron) Stanfield. Every little point counts with that car. We're trying to stay aggressive and through qualifying being points and a half here, and hopefully we can get Greg to have a good weekend and stay in the No. 2 spot going into the Countdown. So that's kind of where our head's at right now.”

The six-race Countdown to the Championship begins Sept. 12-15 in Reading, Pa.

“We are trying to hit on all eight going into the Countdown, and I feel like we've gotten better with the cars and the engine package and stuff. It's all kind of coming together more so this year,” Connolly said. “Hopefully we can have a stronger Countdown – that's what it's all about. It really starts in Maple Grove, and it's hard to make up for a bad run, so you definitely don't want to get off on the wrong foot.”

As good as KB Titan Racing has been this season, it has had a hard time closing the deal on race day compared to rival Elite Motorsports.

“A lot of little things – little hiccup here or there, and they (Elite) always seem to slide in there and get the win,” Connolly said. “I felt like we were doing a better job, if not just as good a job with the racetrack on Sunday as they were, and they just kept sneaking in there with mainly Aaron Stanfield's car and getting the win on us. But we finally turned the tables there in Brainerd when Dallas won, but it's been close every weekend. They won six in a row or whatnot, but it wasn't by any means a blowout. It was just the thousands weren't going our way for those and hopefully the luck's changed and we will get the tight races going our direction during the Countdown.”

Connolly, who last competed in NHRA’s Pro Stock class fulltime in 2014, is also an accomplished bracket racer, likes the opportunity drivers in the class have now.

“Yeah, I wish I was racing in this era. Back when I ran, it was KB had us covered by four hundredths and that was just the average week,” he said. “From a driver's standpoint, it's great. All the cars are very close. It usually comes down to the last foot and who can manage the racetracks better on Sundays. Unfortunately, the Countdown usually tends to have a lot of really killer, tight racetracks, cooler conditions, and I feel like we do better on hot racetracks, but we don't get a lot of those during the Countdown.”

Being a driver, including in the Top Fuel ranks, is something Connolly believes benefits him as a tuner.

“I have no plans of it at the moment (of driving), but never say never. These things run on dollar bills. That's just like everything in drag racing,” Connolly said. “So, until something comes along there, then I'll continue to work on them. I do feel like obviously the more understanding you have about what's going on with the total package or even things that we may want to change with the car that affects the driver, I feel like having that input and I do, I try to be very driver-cautious of what we're doing and what's going to make it easier on them. Obviously, I think it helps. But again, just even getting the race a couple of times this year, it kind of was a refresher course per se about how we were running the cars a little bit. So, it was good. It was good to get back in there.”

 

 

 

8 – JEG COUGHLIN JR. ENJOYING HIS COMEBACK TO PRO STOCK – Jeg Coughlin Jr., a six-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion, may have thought his racing career was over when he walked away in 2020.

Honestly, he did.

His mindset changed late in the 2023 season when Richard Freeman, the owner powerhouse Pro Stock team Elite Motorsports, asked him to drive.

“When Richard asked me to drive at the tail end of last year, Erica's new car, her current car she's in today, I thought about it,” Coughlin said. “I talked to my family about it, and I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to get back to it. I'd had the same opportunity a couple years earlier with her previous new car that Bo (Butner) ended up driving, which is, I think, the car I'm in today, ironically. And I passed on that opportunity just because I just wasn't ready, and I wasn't really planning on making a return.

“We had a transition in our business in '21. I stayed on much of '22 and found myself with a little more time on my hands: A, with no professional racing, and then B, later with not having a full-time job. It lent itself to a good opportunity to consider. I took that test opportunity in Tulsa (Okla.) and that led into the race in Vegas, and I think I made a couple of runs at Tulsa. It felt pretty good. (The car) was brand new, never been down the racetrack. We sorted out a few things, or the team sorted out a few things. Still had some question marks in my mind. I made the first run at Vegas, but when I made the second run at Vegas, it was like a key switched and I just felt extremely competitive. I felt on top of the car and felt ready for work. And it was at that moment, that Friday night in Vegas, that I thought if something were to transition further into the next season, that I would hop on that.” 

Coughlin did, and tackling full-time competition again in 2024 has worked out well for him. He arrived at the U.S. Nationals in Indy fifth in the standings with three wins.

“The answer's kind of yes,” Coughlin said about stepping back into driving. “I had an amazing team behind me, Mark Ingersoll, Tim Freeman, Chase Freeman, the entire crew chief bank, all the folks here at Elite Motorsports are very good at what they do. I've raced with majority of them from '16 through '20. I had a good rapport with the team and they made my job really easy. But it took me that span to say, ‘You know what? I think I'm ready to race.’

“I was fortunate the folks at SCAG – Randy and his team at SCAG – coupled with us to put an assault together for the season. I couldn't be prouder to don the Cat's Eye Gold colors that they've made very famous and represent such a great brand and a great company, great values. We're about to enter our playoff in the Countdown to one. I'm excited and ready for work.”  

9 – MATT HARTFORD KEEPS SCRATCHING AND CLAWING – After a career-best third-place finish in the 2023 Pro Stock points, 2024 has been a struggle for Matt Hartford.

However, the Phoenix driver, who also happens to be the defending champion at the U.S. Nationals, is doing everything he can to get his season headed in the right direction. Indy eliminations are Monday, followed by the six-race Countdown to the Championship.

Hartford’s 2024 Indy experience began with a nightmare in Q1, but it didn’t define his weekend.

“Unfortunately, Friday, I broke the motor in fourth gear,” Hartford said. “I shut off as soon as I felt something going away in the engine, so we didn't make a good run. …

“We swapped (the engine Friday night), and we were out of here still before the fuel cars were done,” Hartford added. “But it's just disappointing. We hate ever tearing up parts. We hate it for KB. They work really hard to provide us with awesome power, and it just adds a lot more work on their plate, which none of us ever want to see.”

Hartford had two qualifying runs Saturday and posted a best elapsed time of 6.623 seconds at 205.94 mph, currently No. 10 in the field. 

“We are not giving up,” Hartford said. “We won this race last year, and Monday is still long ways away. We got a great engine in the car. Greg (Anderson) makes sure that we have as much power as he's got in his car. He went to No. 1. We know we have the same power, so there's no reason that we can't go right to the front with what we have in the car.”

10 – OUTSIDE LOOKING IN – With two qualifying sessions Sunday to get into the 16-car Pro Stock field, there are several drivers on the outside frantically trying to break into that group.

Deric Kramer is the No. 16 spot with a 6.640-second elapsed time. The list of drivers on the outside heading into Sunday are: Eric Latino (6.652 seconds); Derrick Reese (6.668 seconds); Larry Morgan (6.670 seconds); Chris McGaha (6.671 seconds) and Kenny Delco (6.705 seconds).

 

 

 

FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - ANDERSON MAKES THE BOLD MOVE, CARUSO RETURNS 

1 – GREG ANDERSON MAKES STATEMENT RUN FRIDAY – Greg Anderson makes no secret about how much he loves the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis -- and with good reason.

Anderson has won the Big Go seven times, second only to Bob Glidden’s nine Pro Stock wins in Indy. Anderson, who has won Indy 2001, 2003-06, 2011, and 2022, took a small step to winning No. 8 on Friday night.

Anderson captured the provisional No. 1 qualifying spot in Indy with a 6.621-second elapsed time at 206.23 mph.

Anderson and Erica Enders had identical 6.621-second elapsed times but she had a slower 206.13 mph, giving Anderson the No. 1 spot.

“Normally when you come here the Friday night run, nine times out of 10 sets the field,” Anderson said. “You have your Friday night shot under the lights and the track cools down and everybody goes out there and throws down and nine times out of 10 it ends up holding up as No. 1 through the weekend. It doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case this weekend. It is going to cool down quite a bit the next couple of days. (Friday) seems to be the hottest day, which is the exact opposite of what we normally experience here.

“We wanted to come (Friday night) and basically just get some data and get ready for (Saturday) and Sunday which we think will be the pole-setting runs.” 

With that as his gameplan, Anderson, who has won an NHRA Pro Stock-record 105 races, wasn’t surprised with his elapsed time.

Friday night "was an added bonus,” Anderson said. “I didn’t expect to go out there and get all the points. I didn’t expect to get low ET. We went out there trying to get enough data to make it right for (Saturday) is what it came down to. There’s a lot of room left. It wasn’t a very clean run, so I was shocked they told me I got the No. 1 spot. I didn’t expect that when I got out of the race car. It was a pleasant surprise and for me that’s great news because I know we can do a better job.”

If Anderson can hold the No. 1 spot it will be his fifth of the season in his HendrickCars.com Chevy Camaro for KB Titan Racing.

2 – CAMRIE CARUSO FINALLY RETURNING FROM INJURY – Rising NHRA Pro Stock star Camrie Caruso has been stuck in neutral – in terms of her driving career – after suffering an injury during final-round qualifying April 6 during the final round of qualifying at the Arizona Nationals in Phoenix.

Her Aqua Prop Chevy Camaro nosed into the left guard wall as she crossed the finish line at 142 mph and darted into the right-side wall. Doctors diagnosed Caruso with a broken fibula in her left leg. She finally returned behind the wheel at the 70th annual Toyota U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis this weekend.

“I broke my fibula and then chipped my ankle,” Caruso said. “It's frustrating, but we got to kind of revamp some stuff. Got to get some different wraps on the car and come back stronger. We've tested a bunch before this race. (Testing) went really well. We made really good runs. The car is happy, I'm happy. The guys worked really hard to get it back to a 100 percent.”

On Caruso’s lap Friday, she clocked a 6.689-second elapsed time at 205.66, good for the No. 14 spot.

Carusso got her racing juice flowing again with test sessions at Darlington, S.C., and Rockingham, N.C.

“It was awesome. I really enjoyed it. They made it super easy. The car works great, the guys work hard, so super comfortable in it. The car is in great condition. We've won in this car twice, so. It definitely has the potential to be No. 1 (in qualifying) and win. So, we're excited.”

While sidelined, Caruso kept herself plenty busy.

“You just go to work with your partners and sponsors and look for new ones and keep on pushing for this year and next year,” said Caruso, who confirmed to CompetitionPlus.com she will return to the KB Titan Racing in 2025.

“I love it. It's all I've wanted to do."

3 – MATT HARTFORD LOOKING TO GET HIS SEASON ON TRACK IN INDY – Wow, what a difference a year makes. Seemingly everything that could go right for veteran NHRA Pro Stock driver Matt Hartford did go right in 2023.

Hartford won a career-best three races – including the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis – and finished a career-best third in the season points.

Fast-forward to this weekend and Hartford is trying to gain traction as his team enters Indy 12th in the season points and has just two round wins.

“We've struggled this year a little bit, and we've definitely been on the wrong side of luck. Every time that there's been a chance to have something go our way, it doesn't,” Hartford said. “So, look, if there's a time to turn it around, it's now. We know how to win rounds, we know how to win races. We got a great team, we got great supporters, we got great sponsors, and we're going to go out here, try to qualify on top at Indy, and try to win the race and do a repeat from last year.

"I love Indy. I've got a runner-up and a win here. We definitely want to put another final round and another win on our stat sheet after this weekend. So, we're excited for Indy, and we just look forward to ... capitalizing on the opportunities we have here and moving into the Countdown.”

Hartford struggled with a 7.342-second elapsed time at 140.14 mph, which kept him out of the top 16 after Q1. He has four more qualifying sessions to try and get in the field.

Hartford is still getting engines from KB Titan and enjoys the relationship he has with them.

“We have got KB power, we got great horsepower. They make sure that we always have at least one or two good engines in the trailer,” Hartford said. “So, if we ever want to try something different, all we got to do is go over and ask for another engine and put it in. But right now, we have got as good a power as anybody out here. It's just up to us to manage it. 

“Every time you make a run in the car or every time you start the car up, you learn something. So, we've added a lot of new notes in our notebook for the year, and like I said, it's time to turn the season around and turn on win lights.”

What Hartford also has going for him is the fact the points are reset after Indy for the six-race Countdown to the Championship that begins in Reading, Pa., from Sept. 12-15.

“We're not going to start very high in the points, but that's OK. If you go out here and win six races in a row, you're going to win the championship,” Hartford said. “It doesn't matter where you start. And I'm not saying that any car is capable of doing that today. The competition is as tough as it's ever been, but it still comes down to whoever can win the most rounds, should win the championship.”

 

 

4 – KRAMER CHASES PERFECTION – Deric Kramer knows how to win. The veteran NHRA Pro Stock driver owns five Wallys, his last coming in at the fall race in Charlotte, N.C., in 2023.

This season, however, has been a struggle for Kramer as he arrived at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis ninth in the standings.

“Not as well as we'd hoped,” said Kramer when asked to summarize his season. “I'd say there was more bad luck than good luck this year, but I mean, we still show up every weekend because we still think we have a great shot of winning every single weekend. So, there's no reason to stay home with some bad luck. It's all good.”

Kramer’s GetBioFuel.com-sponsored Chevy Camaro has posted a 4-12 elimination-round record in 2024. In the lone hot, muggy qualifying session Friday, Kramer clocked a 6.685-second elapsed time at 205.26 mph, good for No. 13 on the ladder.

“Same working relationship we've had in the past, so that's been great,” said Kramer about using KB Titan engines. “Can't say enough good things about those guys.” 

There’s plenty in play for Kramer this weekend as he tries to build momentum and roll into the six-race Countdown to the Championship.

“I think there's always a big gap between the top car and the 10th car or however many make the Countdown, but the ability to shorten that gap makes for interesting racing at the end of the year.

"If the top car was ahead by 400 points, the last bunch of races aren't nearly as entertaining, I don't think. So I think the fact that we have a Countdown style of championship at least makes it interesting for the cars that aren't in the No. 1 car.”

5 – ACCOMPLISHED RACER TROY COUGHLIN SEEKS INDY PRO STOCK WIN – The last name Coughlin is well known in NHRA circles. For decades, the family has won countless national events in a variety of classes. This weekend in Pro Stock, Troy Coughlin is aiming to add a Pro Stock title to his resume and those to the U.S. Nationals victories he captured in Super Comp in 2010 and Super Gas in 2014.

“Man, there wouldn't really be words to win the 70th running in the U.S. Nationals in Pro Stock. I mean, it would be all emotions, which I mean, you think of the history here,” Coughlin said. “I mean, look at the guys that have won here. Bob Glidden, my uncle Jeg, Warren (Johnson). Gosh, they're just ... It'd be really hard to explain the feelings of that. It's very ... If you like the history of the sport, this is one that you want to win.

“This is the one you get aggressive for, as you should really get up and be aggressive for every run you make. But this is special, and there's a lot of history here. And to be on that list of names would be an overjoying feeling.”

Coughlin Jr. drives the Jegs.com Chevy Camaro for Elite Motorsports. He arrived in Indy sixth in the season points on the strength of his win in Epping, N.H., June 2. He qualified No. 7 on Friday with a 6.657-second elapsed time at 206.64 mph.

“It has its ups and downs. Like anything in life, you just got to keep rolling,” Coughlin said about his season. “You just take it as it comes and learn. Don't lose. Learn. We've run really well. We won the race in Epping this year. And we were fast and ran well decently in Sonoma (Calif.) and won that Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and just about, just got to get up on the wheel and limit your mistakes and focus.”

Coughlin made his NHRA Pro Stock debut in July 2020 in Indianapolis during the abbreviated season schedule as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. He’s loved every minute of competing in Pro Stock.

“I think that's the most intriguing part to Pro Stock is there is no margin for error. And I think that's a lot of fun. It's a constant challenge to be, to chase perfection like that. I can't wait to get after it,” Coughlin said. “It's really awesome (to get to compete in Pro Stock). We're with a wonderful team here at Elite Motorsports, and every single individual here works extremely hard to work together. A lot of collaboration. It's a ton of learning and knowledge under multiple trailers and it's really unique.

“I think that's another really big portion of why it's so gratifying to win over here in Pro Stock cars because of the people here. The people who make it possible. It's an exciting group. It's a family. You almost have to come to the races and come by the ropes and hang out with us for a little bit to really see it.”

6 – SIENNA WILDGUST EXPERIENCING INDY AS PRO STOCK DRIVER – It certainly has been an eventful rookie year for Sienna Wildgust.

She began the Pro Stock season with KB Titan Racing and then switched to Elite Motorsports, making her debut for that team at the Northwest Nationals in Seattle in mid-July. She also competed the following weekend at Sonoma.

This weekend, Wildgust is back behind the wheel at the U.S. Nationals. She was impressive Friday in Q1, clocking a 6.678-second elapsed time at 207.37 mph, which put her in the No. 11 spot.

“I mean, it's been awesome, being able to learn from some of the best drivers, Erica Enders. You have Jeg (Coughlin), you got Aaron (Stanfield), you got everybody around here," she said. "It's been great working with Richard (Freeman) and all the people that are put in place here. Everybody's just been so welcoming, and it's been really good.”

The Canadian recently completed high school while also driving a Camaro in NHRA’s Pro Stock class. Wildgust had to finish all her high school classes at St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Stratford, Ontario, by June 3 to receive her diploma. Stratford is about 90 minutes from Toronto.

“I'm going to do the Pro Stock thing for about a year and then go back to school, but continue doing Pro Stock as well,” she said.

Wildgust admitted things have been a little crazy.

“But I have such a good group of people over here that kind of help me keep it straight and give me the confidence to keep going,” she said. “I'm really excited. There are 21 cars entered right now, so it's going to be hard to get in. But we're really hoping that we can get all nine of our cars in, which is more than half of the field. So, it'll be good. I'm excited.”

7 – KENNY DELCO BACK AT INDY AND READY TO GO – Kenny Delco stays in his lane. The part-time veteran Pro Stock racer has continued the grind of competing in the highly competitive Pro Stock class.

He’s competed in 12 races this season and he’s happy to make No. 13 be the U.S. Nationals in Indy. Delco clocked a 6.724-second elapsed time at 205.41 mph. That put Delco in the No. 17 spot.

“This is nice. Everybody wants to come to Indy,” Delco said. “It's just a nice race. Everybody comes, you see a lot of people you don't see because everybody comes to Indy. We know we got power, we just got to get it down the racetrack.”

Delco is running engines provided by Frank Iaconio.

“We try to figure out which is the good one,” Delco said about qualifying. “Tonight's not going to be that good because it's going to be so hot. But it's going to get cooler, so maybe Sunday's going to be the better session. Which is better, because at least you get an idea of the track before you get the good session. If you come in and the first session's the good one, it's tough. Because if you don't make a good run, you got lousy sessions. Mainly you got all Elite cars and all KB cars, and then there's me and McGahas. Everybody else is either Elite or KB.” 

Cristian Cuadra, who drives his family-owned Mustang, has an Iaconio engine. He entered Indy eighth in the standings despite only competing in eight of the 13 races on the schedule.

“He's fast, so that's why I know we are fast. We've got the same power,” Delco said.

 

 

8 – ELITE MOTORSPORTS SQUARELY IN THE MIX – The rivalry between Elite Motorsports and KB Titan Racing in the Pro Stock ranks is real.

The Elite team, led by Richard Freeman, is paced Erica Enders. The six-time world champion (2014-15, 2019-20, 2022-23) just mixed taking the provisional pole position with her 6.621-second elapsed time at 206.13 mph. Greg Anderson’s 206.23 mph gave him the No. 1 position because the drivers had identical ETs.

So, Enders was No. 2 after Friday, and her teammate Aaron Stanfield (6.630 seconds at 204.88 mph) was third. Fellow Elite driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. (6.647 206.83 seconds) was No. 5.

Six-time world champions Enders and Coughlin have plenty of experience heading to the winner’s circle at the historical event in Indy.

Enders has three professional wins in 2015, 2020-21 and reached the finals in 2019 and in 2012 when she was also No.1 qualifier. Coughlin has three professional event wins at the U.S. Nationals four at Indianapolis Raceway Park but the Coughlin family as a whole has secured eight total victories at IRP.  

Enders' history at IRP goes back to her Jr. Dragster days. She was part of the Jr. Dragster League’s inaugural Jr. Dragster Nationals held at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1994.

Enders is now on the hunt for her 50th national-event win, 49th in Pro Stock, after picking up the first Gatornationals victory of her career to open the 2024 season.

“I have quite a few good memories at Indy, but I have a handful that really stand out. The inaugural Jr. Dragster Nationals in 1994, unfortunately I red-lit in the finals to finish runner-up. But then fast forward to being 16 and racing Super Comp and Super Gas. In Super Comp there were 174 entries, and we got down to three cars,” said Enders. “Then to think back to that first professional win in 2015, which doesn’t seem all that long ago, tying Shirley at 18 wins, that one was important. Now we’re trying to break through that 50 barrier.”

9 – MELLING PERFORMANCE AND ELITE MOTORSPORTS NAME HONORARY CREW MEMBERS FOR U.S. NATIONALS – Joining the Elite Motorsports team at this weekend’s Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals will be two lucky sweepstake winners. Thanks to Melling Performance, Mike Wendt and his guest Ken Stenger will be honorary crew members for the day on Saturday.

Wendt, from Midland, Mich., is a former racer who hasn’t been to an event in 25 years. He entered Melling’s contest for the crew member experience from an ad on enginelabs.com. Melling’s contest was in conjunction with its efforts to spread the word of the CARS ACT H.R. 4468, the bill limits the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with regard to regulating emissions standards for new motor vehicles. 

“Melling is proud to have two crew members for a day that showed they care about car culture and keeping an option for driving a hot rod with horsepower,” said Mark Melling, President and CEO of Melling. “In spreading the word about the CARS ACT, we wanted to find a way to provide our customers with the pertinent information while giving them an experience they won’t forget. What better way than the experience of a lifetime at the NHRA U.S. Nationals? Thank you to Elite Motorsports and Mike and Ken for making the Melling Supports CARS ACT promotion a success.”

Wendt and Stenger will get an up close and personal experience at the U.S. Nationals, NHRA’s biggest drag race. They’ll get a behind the scenes look from inside the Elite Motorsports pit, and their names will be featured on the cars of six-time world champion Erica Enders and three-time 2024 event winner Aaron Stanfield.

10 – OUTSIDE LOOKING IN – Getting full fields at NHRA national events the last several years has been a struggle at times. That’s the not case in the Pro Stock class at the U.S. Nationals this weekend.

There are 21 drivers vying to make the 16-car field and compete on raceday Monday. After Friday’s Q1, the following drivers are on the outside looking in: 

No. 17 Kenny Delco (6.724 seconds); No. 18 Larry Morgan (6.733 seconds); No. 19 Derrick Reese (6.738 seconds); No. 20 Chris McGaha (7.109); and No. 21 Matt Hartford (7.342).

The good news for these drivers is they have four more opportunities to crack into the eliminator field before Monday.