The names atop the leader sheets Friday at Bristol Dragway were familiar ones.
Leah Pruett, Matt Hagan, Greg Anderson, and Gaige Herrera claimed the provisional No. 1 qualifying positions in their respective categories as the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals opened on Bristol’s rebuilt racing surface. For four drivers with multiple championships and a combined 129 national-event victories, it was a reminder that while the track may be different, the contenders remain much the same.
Pruett led the way in Top Fuel with a 3.794, 332.43, in her Dodge/SRT dragster, giving her a chance to secure her first No. 1 qualifier of the season.
The run capped a memorable Friday for Pruett, who earned a delayed New England Nationals victory earlier in the day. More importantly for this weekend, it reinforced the progress her team has made through the first half of the season.
“I’m happier than I thought I would be,” Pruett said. “Now I finally get to take a breath and enjoy it. This race didn’t come by accident. It didn’t come by somebody falling short or smoking the tires. We earned this.
“To see the smiles on my crew and my crew chiefs’ faces — that’s all-time. The Diamond Wally is super cool, but seeing what this means to my team means even more. We’re chipping away at it and that’s what gave us confidence coming into this final round. I think I’m in a better spot than I’ve ever been as a driver.”
The performance put Pruett ahead of Shawn Langdon and gave Tony Stewart Racing control of the Top Fuel category heading into Saturday’s final qualifying sessions.
In Funny Car, Hagan delivered a statement run of his own.
The four-time champion posted a 4.009, 319.60, in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge to take over the provisional top spot. The run puts him in position for his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 55th of his career. More than the number on the scoreboard, Hagan was impressed by the dramatic transformation of Bristol’s racing surface.
“The racing surface itself is a massive improvement from what we’ve had in the past. I couldn’t even feel the bumps for the tunnel or anything like that,” Hagan said. “Hats off to the whole group that put a really good racetrack under us.
“I think it will only get better as we go. As the rubber comes around and we’re able to apply more power to it, you can really see those lanes starting to fill in. This track is a really good track now, and as these crew chiefs get more runs under their belt with it, you’ll see faster numbers.”
Jack Beckman sits second after his 4.017-second run, while Spencer Hyde is third at 4.030.
The story in Pro Stock looked much like it has throughout most of the season.
Anderson continued his dominance by racing to the provisional No. 1 position with a 6.673 at 204.11 mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. The six-time champion is seeking his sixth No. 1 qualifier in nine races, and once again showed why Bristol remains one of his favorite stops on the tour.
“I don’t care how much we did it by, we squeaked by, but we did it,” Anderson said. “It was a perfect day and you can chalk it up to Bristol.
“You really don’t feel anything going down the racetrack anymore. We asked for a smooth racetrack, we begged for a smooth racetrack, and now we’ve got it. We’re going to run well all weekend here.”
Matt Latino continued his strong season by qualifying second with a 6.676, 205.04, while points leader Dallas Glenn sits third.
Herrera rounded out the provisional leaders by pacing Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.667, 196.59, aboard his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
The two-time champion arrived in Bristol looking to rebound from a rare, first-round loss in Maryland. Judging by Friday’s performance, he found the response he wanted.
“This whole season, I would say luck has not been on my side for a lot of things,” Herrera said. “It’s been a rough go this season for us, as far as me, with parts-wise and just failures, little mishaps. I’m glad to be on the pole at the moment, but it could change at any minute.
“The first run for me was picture perfect, really. I had to make very little corrections. I kind of adjusted the bike too much in Q2 and had to ride it quite a bit. I didn’t think it was going to run an .88 or .80 anything, so I was happy with that.”
Ryan Oehler qualified second, while Angie Smith held the third position entering Saturday.
Qualifying continues at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday.
