Six competitors in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series are eligible for the 2025 Rookie of the Year award, with a seventh driver set to join the list later this month. The group spans Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, reflecting a new wave of talent across multiple classes.
The six current contenders include Funny Car drivers Hunter Green and Spencer Hyde, Pro Stock drivers Stephen Bell, Cody Coughlin and Matt Latino, and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Brayden Davis. Pro Stock newcomer Chris Vang will become the seventh driver once he reaches the required five-race minimum with scheduled starts in Dallas and Las Vegas.
Green, the son of Gainesville Funny Car winner Chad Green, has qualified at all nine events he entered in 2025. He has three quarterfinal appearances this year, highlighted by a career-best third qualifying effort at Brainerd.
Hyde has been the most consistent of the rookie Funny Car class, sitting eighth in points. Driving for Jim Head Racing, he made his debut at Gainesville, collected a Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus win in Las Vegas, and posted runner-up finishes at both Epping and Sonoma.
Hyde also advanced as the No. 2 qualifier at Sonoma and clinched a playoff berth in the Countdown to the Championship. He later scored his first career No. 1 qualifier in Reading with a pass of 3.868 seconds at 330.07 mph, adding to his rookie résumé.
In Pro Stock, Bell entered 2025 after a successful stint in Factory Stock Showdown. He has qualified for five events and reached the second round at the fall race in Charlotte, showing flashes of potential in one of the sport’s most competitive categories.
Coughlin, part of the well-known Coughlin racing family, transitioned from NASCAR Trucks to Pro Stock with KB Titan Racing. He earned a runner-up finish in Reading, scored a No. 1 qualifier at Epping with a 6.537-second run at 210.28 mph, and added two more No. 2 starts in Las Vegas and Seattle.
Currently eighth in points, Coughlin’s adaptability has been one of the rookie season’s strongest storylines. His presence has helped KB Titan strengthen its depth as the playoffs advance.
Latino has competed in six events in 2025 while also serving as a substitute for his father, veteran racer Eric Latino. His best performance came in the spring Las Vegas four-wide event, where he reached the final quad, followed by a semifinal appearance in St. Louis.
Davis has quickly made a mark in Pro Stock Motorcycle after joining the powerhouse Vance & Hines Suzuki team. Since debuting at Gainesville, he has earned No. 1 qualifiers in Bristol and Richmond and reached two final rounds, including St. Louis, where he improved to sixth in the standings.
Vang has been limited to three races this year but collected his first Pro Stock round win at the most recent event in St. Louis. His planned starts in Dallas and Las Vegas will give him the five-event minimum needed to qualify for Rookie of the Year consideration.
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