Competition Plus’ Water-Cooler Topics From The NHRA Midwest Nationals outside of St. Louis.
1 – THE GRAB-ASSIN’ PHILOSOPHY WORKS FOR HAGAN – Matt Hagan delivered a crucial victory in the Funny Car category Sunday at the NHRA Midwest Nationals, defeating Jack Beckman in the final at World Wide Technology Raceway. The four-time champion ran 3.979, 329.34 in his American Rebel Beer Dodge/SRT Hellcat, holding off Beckman’s 4.036 before a near-capacity crowd.
The victory was Hagan’s second of the season and 54th of his career. More importantly, it pulled him within 20 points of leader and reigning champion Austin Prock with three events left in the Countdown to the Championship.
Hagan’s march to the final included wins over Alex Laughlin, Cruz Pedregon, and Daniel Wilkerson. In the decisive round, he left first with a .040-second reaction time and never trailed, picking up his third win at the track.
Beckman, the defending event winner, reached his fifth final of 2025 and 77th of his career by knocking off rookie Spencer Hyde, top qualifier Prock, and Chad Green. He sits third in the standings, 65 points behind Prock.
After the win, Hagan said his team knew its chance would come if Prock faltered.
“We’re all chasing Austin, right? They’ve won eight races this year. But no one’s infallible, right? You just have to be ready when they mess up, and they messed up today,” Hagan said.
Instead of focusing on technical details, Hagan stressed the importance of team chemistry and communication. He said his crew gave him confidence throughout the day, and he credited them for the car’s consistent performance.
“That’s the kind of stuff that makes you a strong team,” Hagan said. “So proud of my guys for stepping up, rising to the occasion, putting a great race car underneath me.”
Away from the racetrack, Hagan admitted he is approaching the championship chase differently this season. He said he has focused on enjoying the moment, and not allowing the pressure to outweigh the privilege of competing.
“I’ve been able to accomplish everything I’ve ever set out to do here in the sport,” Hagan said. “I’ve got a group of guys right now that it’s fun to come to work with. They show up with a smile on their face and a wrench in their hand, and it feels like you’re playing on a college football team.”
That lighthearted approach has included wearing playful race-day outfits and keeping the atmosphere loose around his team. For Hagan, the effort is about balancing the seriousness of competition with appreciation for his career.
“Tony creates that environment where it’s not always cutting heads off,” Hagan said of team owner Tony Stewart. “We’re very blessed to be here, and you’ve got to make the best out of it.”
Sunday also carried a personal milestone. Hagan said it was his daughter Penny’s 16th birthday, and the occasion reminded him of what he often sacrifices while competing. “It’s tough to miss that stuff, so if I’m going to miss it, we’re going to have fun doing it,” Hagan said, his voice cracking with emotion.
As the season narrows to its final stretch, Hagan said the objective remains simple. “Leave on time, keep it in the groove, turn the win light on,” he said. “If we do that every time, we’ll be where we need to be at the end of the day.”
2 – KALITTA PLEADS THE FIFTH (WIN) – Doug Kalitta delivered another statement in his title defense Sunday at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. The 2023 NHRA Top Fuel champion powered his Mac Tools dragster to a 3.796-second run at 327.98 mph, defeating first-time finalist Ida Zetterström. She left the line first, but fell victim to tire smoke.
The win marked Kalitta’s third of the season and 58th of his career, further cementing his place among the sport’s most consistent performers. It was also his fifth career victory in St. Louis, a track where he has historically thrived. With three races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship, he now leads Justin Ashley by 86 points and teammate Shawn Langdon by 127.
Kalitta’s path to the winner’s circle reflected both execution and opportunity. Starting from the No. 1 qualifying spot, he knocked off Will Smith in the opening round, dispatched four-time champion Steve Torrence, and then eliminated Ashley in the semifinals. The 3.805-second, 332.59 mph pass over Ashley was pivotal, extending his advantage in a points battle that has remained tight all year.
While Kalitta was steady, Zetterström was the surprise of the field. The Swedish driver reached her first NHRA final by defeating Tony Stewart, Kyle Wurtzel, and defending NHRA champion Antron Brown. Her breakout performance turned heads in the pits, and Kalitta took notice.
“It was great to see her back out here racing,” he said. “She did a hell of a job driving that thing today, so to have a perfect reaction time, that was incredible. That’s one thing not too many people can say they’ve done.”
Kalitta credited his team for preparing a car capable of handling tricky conditions on a slick racetrack. He said the consistency they provided gave him confidence at each step of eliminations.
“My car was on a rail,” Kalitta said. “The conditions are pretty slick out there, and just going A to B, and Alan [Johnson] and Mac [Savage] and this whole Mac Tools Toyota Rev Chem group, real proud of them. For me, it’s just a huge relief because you’re in the countdown races trying to do your best, and they’ve given me a car that’s going down the track like that, so real special for sure.”
3 – IDA’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE – Last minute might be the key to an excellent race weekend. Ida Zetterström wasn’t originally slated to compete in the NHRA Midwest Nationals, but team owner Joe Maynard decided midweek to send the team to World Wide Technology Raceway.
From the No. 14 qualifying position, Zetterström capitalized on the opportunities thrown her way to score a final-round finish. She left first on every driver she raced Sunday en route to a runner-up finish.
Heading into the weekend, Zetterström had only won four rounds of competition in her abbreviated NHRA career.
“We needed this badly,” Zetterström said after the semi-final win over Antron Brown. “There’s nothing to say, we were struggling. We tested, and Joe said we were running St. Louis, for our partners, we wanted to show that we can be in these races with a car that’s running. This team has done a wonderful job on this car.”
Her day couldn’t have begun any better than the first-round showing that trailered regular-season champion Tony Stewart. His elapsed time couldn’t have matched her dragster’s performance – especially after she unleashed a perfect .000-second reaction time. She ran a 3.802, just .001 off of her first-round elapsed time, to dash the hopes of Kyle Wurtzel. She outran Antron Brown to reach the final against Kalitta.
4 – ANDERSON IS STILL KICKING – Greg Anderson kept himself in the thick of the Pro Stock championship hunt with a playoff win at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. The six-time champion powered his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro to a 6.531, 209.33 pass to defeat Matt Hartford in the final round.
The victory was Anderson’s sixth of the season and the 112th of his career. More importantly, it pulled him within 25 points of KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn with three races left.
Anderson’s road to the final included wins over Mason McGaha, rookie Matt Latino, and Glenn in a pivotal second-round matchup. The early clash between KB Titan drivers came after Anderson’s weak qualifying effort, but he responded with a timely performance.
“That should have never happened. It’s my fault. I qualified poorly, and we shouldn’t have to race each other that early – but you got to play the cards you’re dealt,” Anderson said.
Hartford, meanwhile, advanced with victories over Cristian Cuadra, Erica Enders, and Troy Coughlin Jr. The result was his third final-round appearance of the season and moved him to third in the standings.
For Anderson, the win offered relief after a rocky start to the Countdown.
“I haven’t drove that well into Countdown,” he said. “That second round today was huge for me and it could have probably ended my Countdown if I hadn’t got the job done. I just had to look in the mirror and say, ‘You didn’t execute.’ Thank God I made a recovery today and I closed the gap back up.”
Anderson, 62, admitted the mental grind of competition is tougher with age but said his team continues to give him a car capable of winning.
“Father Time’s not friendly and I’m trying to fight him off as long as I can,” Anderson said. “Every time I go out there, I have to reinvent myself and find a better way of doing this. Today, four times in a row, I found something just good enough.”
With Glenn still holding the lead, Anderson said KB Titan’s advantage is having two cars in the hunt. “Now we’ve got two horses they’ve got to get around, not just one, but two,” Anderson said. “That’s going to be twice as hard for them.”
5 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! – Gaige Herrera celebrated his 31st birthday by keeping his championship hopes alive, winning the Pro Stock Motorcycle title Sunday at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. The back-to-back NHRA champion rode his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki to a 6.791-second run at 199.61 mph in the final, after teammate Brayden Davis fouled out by .001 at the starting line.
The victory was Herrera’s sixth of the season, his third straight in St. Louis, and the 27th of his career. It moved him from fourth to second in the standings, cutting the gap between himself and teammate/points leader Richard Gadson to just 29 points with three playoff races remaining.
Herrera admitted the win carried extra weight after rare early exits in the first two Countdown events. “I probably didn’t expect it, but I’m enjoying it,” Herrera said. “Moving from fourth to second in points, it’s awesome. I’m still the hunter or chaser. I got to chase my teammate. To get a win on your birthday, there’s nothing like it.”
Davis reached his second career final in his rookie year, defeating Chris Bostick, Chase Van Sant, and Gadson along the way. The result still impressed Herrera, who said their staging duel in the final showed Davis is eager to prove himself.
“He wants to play games, I can play games, too,” Herrera said. “He hasn’t seen everything yet. He’s young and he wants to obviously beat all of us, me and Richard included. Wants to come out here and make a name for himself, which he is.”
Herrera also pointed to the unpredictable nature of the class, which has seen top names bow out early during the Countdown.
“Parity right now is very close,” he said. “There’s no freebies out here. Everyone’s got very fast motorcycles, equipment. Anyone can win at any given time.”
With Gadson still in the lead, Herrera said the biggest battles may continue to come from inside the Vance & Hines camp. “I feel like there’s more competition under our tent than there is outside of our tent,” Herrera said. “It makes it a lot of fun.”
6 – ANOTHER PACKED HOUSE – Sunday wasn’t a sellout like Saturday was, coming up just short, but there was plenty about which to brag. World Wide Technology Raceway General Manager Chris Blair confirmed during the first round of eliminations that Sunday’s attendance marked the largest Sunday crowd for the facility located east of St. Louis.
From what CompetitionPlus.com learned from inside sources, the Sunday attendance, while smaller than Saturday, is generally about 77 percent of the final qualifying day. Today, the attendance was 80 percent.
An NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series double divisional is scheduled for next week, and any ticket from Sunday gets a race fan in for free.
7 – FIRST-ROUND UPSET SCOREBOARD – It was a good day to be in the second half of the ladder – in the first round, anyway.
In Top Fuel, over half of the first-round races were claimed by the lower-qualified driver. If it could be considered an upset, Justin Ashley eliminated Brittany Force. Then, European Top Fuel champion Ida Zetterström laid down a .000-second reaction time to send Tony Stewart packing. Tony Schumacher followed and took out teammate Clay Millican, who exploded another engine. Steve Torrence got the win as T.J. Zizzo fouled, and Shawn Langdon beat Reading winner Shawn Reed.
Funny Car was a little more methodical with Jack Beckman, the No. 9 qualifier, beating Rookie of the Year frontrunner Spencer Hyde.
The lower half of the Pro Stock field won half of the opening-round races. Fernando Cuadra beat Cody Coughlin, then a pair of Pro Stock rookies – Matt Latino and Chris Vang – took out Aaron Stanfield and Cory Reed. Vang’s victory was his first in Pro Stock competition. The upset of the round, though, was reserved for Troy Coughlin Jr., who put a .001 light on No. 1 qualifier Eric Latino and outran him to the stripe.
There were only two upsets in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Chase Van Sant eliminated John Hall, and Marc Ingwersen got the win when Matt Smith’s bike broke.
8 – DEFLORIAN IS DE CHAMP – During his day job at Jerry Haas Race Cars, John DeFlorian’s title is shop foreman. On Sunday, following a 300-mile drive back from the race track to the Fenton, Mo., chassis shop, DeFlorian returned with a different title. He is now the 2025 Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock champion.
DeFlorian clinched the title Saturday evening, and followed up the championship title with a Midwest Nationals win.
DeFlorian, who has long been a frontrunner in the large displacement version of Pro Stock, still finds himself wondering if he could achieve a series championship.
“I’m not even crazy enough to dream that big,” DeFlorian said. “To have this happen in St. Louis is something any and every body would want to have happen, but the pressure was immense. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I changed everything. I changed my socks, I changed my underwear. I changed everything for today because we were so messed up yesterday, and it paid off.”
The door opened for a semifinal win to clinch the title when Vincent Nobile knocked off his cousin and defending champion Johnny Pluchino in the first round. All DeFlorian needed was to win the semifinal round, and that race happened to be a bye run.
“I was a basket case up there because when that happened, I mean, I got tears coming in my eyes because I knew we won and I’m just like, ‘Okay, I got to focus,’” DeFlorian recalled. “’I got to focus because we got to try to win this round, and maybe go on, and try to wrap it up, even for tomorrow.’
“It’s just overwhelming. The immense amount of pressure is insane. And people that don’t do it just don’t get it. And I was a basket case. I’m here at home, and our pits were full of people all weekend, all weekend. It’s all friends, guys I’ve raced with forever here years ago. All my buddies I bracket raced with … I mean, they’re all coming by to wish us good luck. That’s awesome. It’s just so much pressure. But I’m so grateful, and thank God the pressure’s over.”
9 – DID I WIN OR NOT? – T.J. Zizzo had no idea what had happened in his first-round race against Steve Torrence, and there was no real reason he shouldn’t know because his team has radios with which to communicate. The reality is, no one on the crew wanted to tell Zizzo that he had fouled., leaving .02 too soon.
“I get to the finish line. I asked our team … ‘Hey, guys. What’s going on? Did I win? Did we win?’” Zizzo recalled. “Crickets, absolute crickets. So I’m like, ‘Wow, what? Okay, maybe they can’t hear me. Maybe I can’t hear them.’
“I get pulled off, I still think that I won. But now I’m starting to doubt myself. Like, ‘Oh, did I red-light? I didn’t even see it.’”
Zizzo’s confirmation came from Torrence who said, ‘Yeah man, you red-lit.’
“I’m like, “Holy smokes.’”
Fouling is just not in Zizzo’s DNA as a driver. In fact, he was in the .100 range all weekend.
“Let’s rewind, Norwalk, a couple years ago, I lost on a holeshot,” Zizzo explained. “I don’t remember the last time I lost on a holeshot. And the last time I red-lit was 2012. But anyway, [team advisor Rahn] Tobler’s like, ‘Hey, go in deeper during E1.’
“That’s what I’ve been doing. I don’t do that during qualifying. I did it during E1. And today he said, ‘Hey, man, TJ, you really have to just do the same thing.’
“Basically, I went it too deep and I red-lit. I don’t even know how to red-light. And to do that was just astonishing. We have lost first round I think every which way you can in the past four or five years.”
10 – YEAH, SUNDAY’s FULL OF SOME OF THE BEST BANTER – “Gee, I had a banana, and it was really good. In fact, it was about as yellow as the Jegs.com machine that’s running better every single run.” – Troy Coughlin Jr., when asked what kind of special breakfast he had after a .001 reaction that took out No. 1 qualifier Eric Latino.
“Ray Charles could have left the starting line better than I did.” – Austin Prock after losing to teammate Jack Beckman in the quarterfinals.
“We just got lucky on that one.” – Ida Zetterström crew chief John Schaeffer on Zetterström’s .000-second reaction time that took out regular-season champion Tony Stewart.
“It’s Pro Stock o’clock.” – Courtney Enders in her traditional P.A. announcer role to keep race fans in the grandstands following nitro sessions or rounds.
“We asked Tony Stewart for an interview that was denied, he got in his tow vehicle and that Top Fuel dragster is leaving the top end because Ida Zetterström just had a perfect light that sends her to the next round.” – FoxSports Amanda Busick during first round eliminations.
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