The rain made them wait. The racers made sure it was worth it.
After a long Saturday filled with delays, wet grounds, and enough uncertainty to make cancellation feel like a real possibility, Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd, Greg Anderson, and Matt Smith locked down No. 1 qualifying positions before a sellout crowd at South Georgia Motorsports Park in NHRA’s first national event at the facility.
Kalitta delivered the loudest punch of the day. The reigning Top Fuel champion and current points leader ripped off a 3.657-second pass at 342.37 mph in the Mac Tools dragster – the quickest run of the 2026 season to earn his first No. 1 qualifier this year and 67th of his career.
He did it one week after winning Charlotte. Right now, Kalitta is making life uncomfortable for everybody else.
“This is for the fans, they definitely held in there,” Kalitta said. “It’s been a long day, but it was just one of those deals, with a big storm coming through. I’m just glad that we ran and will have good weather for tomorrow.”
Then came the part drivers understand best. “That thing left and it started to square the tire, and then it just kind of cleared up and just ran. I could tell it was running strong and running hard. Alan, he’s the master, I can tell you that.”
Kalitta opens eliminations with a first-round bye, another advantage for a team already carrying speed and confidence.
Behind him, teammate Shawn Langdon nearly stole the spotlight again. One day after a 345.00 mph blast, Langdon went 344.91 mph Saturday, the second-fastest run in NHRA history, and qualified second with a 3.683.
Billy Torrence was third at 3.710 and 338.00 mph.
Funny Car stayed in the hands of Todd, whose Friday run of 3.887 at 339.28 mph in the DHL Toyota GR Supra held for his second No. 1 qualifier in the last three races and the 16th of his career.
Todd’s team had no interest in protecting the pole Saturday. They came back swinging.
“On that last run, Dickie [Venables] and Todd Smith said, ‘We’re going to throw down’. We had nothing to lose because we were on the pole,” Todd said. “It was trying to run, but it just got loose. We were definitely trying to put a 340 on the board. That would be cool, but either way, I’ll take a win over 340 any day.”
Todd has been around late on Sundays this year. What he has not done enough is finish the job.
He also noticed the people who stuck around through the weather. “These fans are dedicated,” Todd said. “The fans were so appreciative and thanked us for being there. I was like, ‘No, thank you for having us here’. That’s how the fans are here.”
Chad Green moved to second with a 3.894, while Jordan Vandergriff was third at 3.924.
In Pro Stock, Anderson kept doing what he has done for years — parking himself at the top and making everyone else deal with it.
The six-time champion grabbed his fourth straight No. 1 qualifier with Friday’s 6.498 at 210.60 mph in the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Saturday’s quickest Pro Stock run only added to his weekend and gave him 144 career No. 1 qualifiers.
“It’s been a marathon day, but to get that extra run, we’re very appreciative,” Anderson said. “The air was good yesterday and better again today, and it should be even better tomorrow.”
Then Anderson gave the kind of answer veterans give when they know better than the scoreboard.
“We’re just struggling to match our cars up with the starting line and there’s no excuse for that,” Anderson said. “We’ll figure it out by tomorrow.”
That is why he is still a problem. Winning Saturday does not stop him from hunting for flaws Saturday night.
“We’ll make the right adjustments,” Anderson said. “Drivers have to be ready for anything, not just cut a good light, but it just could be a pedal-fest out there. You never know. So you’ve got to find a way to get to the finish line first.”
Eric Latino qualified second at 6.508, with Aaron Stanfield third at 6.525.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Smith stayed a step ahead of the field. His Friday run of 6.669 at 203.03 mph on the Denso Auto Parts Buell held for his second straight No. 1 qualifier this season and the 61st of his career.
Nobody else in the category has run in the 6.60s this season.
“I am looking forward to raceday tomorrow,” Smith said. “I like my chances in the first round [with a bye]. You know, this is the South, and I’ve run so many races down here in Georgia and there’s a lot of motorcycle racing fans down here, and they stuck around to watch us today.”
Smith closed qualifying with a 6.728. Gaige Herrera qualified second at 6.705, while reigning champion Richard Gadson was third at 6.730.
Eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m. EDT.
Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 41st annual NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park, the fifth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.657 seconds, 342.37 mph vs. Bye; 2. Shawn Langdon, 3.683, 345.00 vs. 15. Cameron Ferre, 11.927, 57.72; 3. Billy Torrence, 3.710, 338.00 vs. 14. Dan Mercier, 6.749, 100.28; 4. Maddi Gordon, 3.748, 340.05 vs. 13. Will Smith, 5.441, 124.48; 5. Tony Stewart, 3.758, 334.40 vs. 12. Justin Ashley, 4.250, 198.82; 6. Clay Millican, 3.767, 338.00 vs. 11. Tony Schumacher, 4.030, 236.84; 7. Shawn Reed, 3.783, 329.50 vs. 10. Antron Brown, 3.896, 316.97; 8. Leah Pruett, 3.804, 331.69 vs. 9. Josh Hart, 3.855, 275.22.
Funny Car — 1. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.887, 339.28 vs. 14. Daniel Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 6.468, 134.58; 2. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.894, 323.89 vs. 13. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 4.399, 200.08; 3. Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 3.924, 325.14 vs. 12. Jeff Arend, Dodge Charger, 4.035, 311.41; 4. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.933, 328.78 vs. 11. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.973, 326.24; 5. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.948, 316.23 vs. 10. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 3.968, 326.63; 6. Austin Prock, Mustang, 3.956, 331.94 vs. 9. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.963, 322.42; 7. Hunter Green, Charger, 3.958, 322.65 vs. 8. Dave Richards, Mustang, 3.959, 334.57.
Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.498, 210.73 vs. 16. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 11.959, 104.63; 2. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.508, 209.75 vs. 15. Erica Enders, Camaro, 11.141, 80.93; 3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.525, 210.60 vs. 14. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.731, 209.26; 4. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.526, 210.50 vs. 13. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.604, 201.64; 5. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.527, 210.50 vs. 12. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.600, 209.17; 6. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.536, 210.05 vs. 11. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.591, 208.84; 7. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.544, 219.86 vs. 10. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.585, 209.88; 8. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.547, 210.57 vs. 9. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.569, 210.47.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.699, 203.03 vs. Bye; 2. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.705, 202.30 vs. 15. Charles Poskey, Suzuki, 7.005, 194.13; 3. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.730, 201.61 vs. 14. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.842, 198.82; 4. John Hall, Beull, 6.734, 202.88 vs. 13. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.837, 193.90; 5. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.757, 200.65 vs. 12. Brayden Davis, Buell, 6.830, 198.93; 6. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.775, 200.53 vs. 11. Ryan Oehler, Buell, 6.828, 197.19; 7. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.778, 200.29 vs. 10. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.815, 199.32; 8. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.778, 199.70 vs. 9. Marc Ingwersen, Buell, 6.806, 198.58.
