In the Top Fuel final quad, Austin Prock went 3.684-seconds at 330.88 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster, beating a group that also included points leader Steve Torrence, Josh Hart and Leah Pruett. It gives Prock his first win this season and fourth in his career, along with his first-early season victory, which could bode well for season-long momentum.
In Funny Car, Robert Hight powered to a 3.888 at 328.30 in his 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Camaro SS to beat John Force, defending world champ Ron Capps and Alexis DeJoria. It’s the second win this season for Hight and helped give John Force Racing its 13th overall win in Charlotte. Before this weekend, Hight had endured a rare slump, suffering back-to-back first-round losses.
Gaige Herrera continued to be incredible to open the 2023 season in Pro Stock Motorcycle, staying perfect with another dominant performance, breaking the track E.T. record with a stellar run of 6.710 at 202.00 in the final round on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. After qualifying No. 1 for the second straight race, Herrera made the quickest run in two of the three rounds on Sunday, delivering an epic performance in the final quad against teammate Eddie Krawiec, defending world champ Matt Smith and defending event winner Steve Johnson.
Antron Brown picked up his first Top Fuel title of the season at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when he went 3.760 seconds at 319.75 mph to defeat reign champ Brittany Force, Steve Torrence and Josh Hart at the unique NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.
Funny Car driver continued his hot streak and collected his third win of the 2023 season on Sunday when his 3.943-second pas at 326.79 mph was best of the final quad at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas. An added bonus for the sophomore TSR Nitro team was owner Tony Stewart also collected an NHRA title when he won in the Top Alcohol Dragster division
Pro Stock driver picked up his second consecutive NHRA win on Sunday when he was best of his quad thanks to his 6.649-second pass at 206.29 mph at the unique four-wide format at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Tony Stewart is an NHRA national event WINNER! He takes home the Wally at the #Vegas4WideNats
Justin Ashley went 3.713-seconds at 330.63 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by National Debt Relief, leading from start-to-finish against Prock’s 3.762 at 327.43. It gives the Top Fuel points leader his second straight victory and ninth career win, as well as a clean sweep of the weekend in Pomona after winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday.
Matt Hagan jumped back in the points lead with his second win in three races for Tony Stewart Racing, going 3.967 at 328.06 in his 11,000-horsepower Haas Automation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to defeat defending world champ Ron Capps. After qualifying just 10th, Hagan and his team were consistent throughout eliminations, driving past Blake Alexander, Alexis DeJoria and Terry Haddock.
In a final round matchup of two KB Titan Racing cars, Dallas Glenn drove to his fourth career win and first this season in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro, beating Matt Hartford in the final round with a 6.546 at 209.92. Glenn and his team dialed up an impressive run in the final round, slipping past Hartford by a narrow margin after defeating Chris McGaha, Bo Butner and No. 1 qualifier Camrie Caruso earlier in the day, using a .002 reaction time to get past Caruso.
Justin Ashley put together a run of 3.705-seconds at 329.34 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by National Debt Relief, driving past Langdon’s 3.732 at 329.58. It gives Ashley his sixth career victory and first at Phoenix as the championship contender also defeated Tony Schumacher, Mike Salinas and Steve Torrence to reach the final round. Ashley was stellar on the starting line during eliminations, leaving first in the final round and holding on for the victory in front of another massive crowd in Phoenix.
In Funny Car, Robert Hight, who finished 2022 with eight victories, picked up his 62nd career victory in his 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Camaro after going 3.930 at 328.62 to beat defending world champ Ron Capps. It gives Hight the points lead and his second straight Phoenix victory, putting on a show after struggling during eliminations. The multi-time world champ qualified just ninth but Hight and his team, led by crew chief Jimmy Prock, were brilliant on Sunday, making the quickest run of every round, including a 3.900 in the semifinals to beat Chad Green. He also picked up wins against teammate John Force and No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca III, making another strong run in the final round to the huge crowd’s delight.
Camrie Caruso enjoyed her own memorable day in Phoenix, picking up her first career victory with a run of 6.592 at 210.31 in her Powerbuilt Tools Camaro to slip past Bo Butner’s 6.593, becoming just the second female to win in Pro Stock in NHRA history. The second-year driver impressed throughout eliminations, also giving the new KB Titan Racing team its first victory. She opened raceday by knocking off Deric Kramer, got past No. 1 qualifier Cristian Cuadra and then got past Matt Hartford on a holeshot. Caruso, who reached one final round a year ago en route to winning NHRA Rookie of the Year honors, was first off the line in the final round as well, securing a victory and a moment she won’t forget.
In Top Fuel, Mike Salinas won for the first time in Gainesville and the eighth time in his career, slipping past Steve Torrence in the final round with a 3.700 at 330.31 in his 11,000-horsepower Valley Services dragster. After winning a career-best four races last year, Salinas was determined to improve upon that in 2023. He impressed throughout eliminations, too, beating Justin Ashley, defending world champ Brittany Force and Leah Pruett to reach the final round, running as quick as 3.669 on raceday.
Matt Hagan powered to a run of 3.926-seconds at 329.34 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat, winning the Gatornationals for the second straight season. Both Hagan and Todd posted identical reaction times on the starting line, but Todd ran into trouble late in the run and Hagan claimed his 44th career win. He also defeated Tim Wilkerson, Bob Tasca III and Alexis DeJoria, making three straight runs in the 3.80s to reach the final round. After going his entire career without winning in Gainesville, Hagan, a three-time world champ, now has back-to-back wins at the historic race.
Troy Coughlin Jr's magical weekend in Pro Stock ended with his first Gatornationals victory, as he closed out the day with a run of 6.637 at 208.71 in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Mason McGaha in the final round. It’s the third career win for Coughlin, who also qualified No. 1 and beat Larry Morgan, Deric Kramer and Dallas Glenn to set up the matchup with McGaha. Coughlin was excellent on the starting line and cemented his strong start to the 2023 campaign.
Gaige Herrera finished off a star-making weekend with one last dominant performance in the final round, going 6.706 at 202.15 on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to beat Angie Smith and earn his first career NHRA victory. It was also Herrera’s first career race with Vance & Hines, and the young standout put together a marvelous performance, qualifying No. 1 and setting the track speed record in the process. He knocked off Ron Tornow, teammate Eddie Krawiec and Jianna Evaristo to reach the final round, making the quickest pass of each session before finishing the job in the finals.
What an amazing end to an incredible season! What was your favorite moment from the #NHRAFinals? #WeekendRewind
What an amazing end to an incredible season! What was your favorite moment from the #NHRAFinals? #WeekendRewind
In the Top Fuel final round, Austin Prock finished off his impressive run in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, winning for the second time in the postseason by going a remarkable 3.641-seconds at 336.23 mph in the final round in his 11,000-horsepower Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster. The career-best run sent him past Antron Brown and to his third career victory, also vaulting him to third in points to finish off the year.
Cruz Pedregon was dominant to close out the year in Funny Car, winning his first race of the year and setting a string of career-bests along the way. The topper was an outstanding 3.839 at 335.65 in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the final round against Capps, putting the two-time world champ on a great path heading into 2023. Pedregon made four runs of 3.84 in qualifying and then was stellar throughout eliminations to pick up his 39th career victory.
Greg Anderson didn’t grab a championship this year in Pro Stock, as Erica Enders rolled to her fifth title, but he did close out 2022 with a victory in Pomona, getting past Enders in the final round with a pass of 6.516 at 210.31 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It hands Anderson his 101st career win, as well as a perfect sendoff for departing owner Ken Black, who watched his final race on Sunday in Pomona.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Angie Smith helped the team finish the season with a victory for the third straight year, knocking off Joey Gladstone with a 6.749 at 199.55 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell. Smith, who picked up her first win of the season, has now won the finale twice in the past three years, making it an all-Smith winner’s circle for the race and championship. She set the track speed record earlier in the weekend and then put together a string of quality runs on Sunday, finishing a career-best third in points.
In the final round, Erica Enders knocked off teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. with a run of 6.640-seconds at 206.86 mph in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to collect her ninth Las Vegas win, which is the most for any professional driver in NHRA history. She clinched her fifth world title a round earlier with a pass of 6.639 at 206.67 against Kyle Koretsky, celebrating a massive moment in the career of one of the top drivers in Pro Stock history. In the finals, she clinched her 10th victory, which sets a single-season career-best for the 43-time event winner.
Erica Enders clinched her fifth Pro Stock world championship on Sunday, racing to her 10th victory of the season at the 22nd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals to cap off a dream weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Check out the race that advanced him to the semis!
In a thrilling final round matchup featuring Justin Ashley, the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year, and Austin Prock, the 2019 Rookie of the Year, Ashley came out on top with a run of 3.694-seconds at 314.53 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect dragster to slip past Prock’s 3.713 at 333.00. It gave Ashley his third career victory and first in Pomona.
In a tremendous side-by-side matchup of longtime stars, Robert Hight slipped past Ron Capps in the Funny Car final round, going 3.861 at 329.58 in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS to beat Capps’ 3.882 at 333.82. It gave Hight his fifth win at the Winternationals and 54th in his career, setting the tone for a strong 2022 season after finishing a disappointing eighth in the class last season.
In the 900th race in Pro Stock history, Erica Enders earned her 34th career win, going 6.559 at 210.31 in the final round in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to knock off teammate Aaron Stanfield. It marked another historic victory for the four-time world champ, who earned a special trophy along with the Wally in honor of the 900th win.
Justin Ashley, Robert Hight, and Erica Enders collected victories at the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series-opening Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com hear from the winners as the traditional season opener returned to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Alex Miladinovich walked away after taking a hard hit into the wall during Q3 at the Lucas Oil #Winternats.
Steve Torrence continued his incredible reign of dominance and secured the world title for a fourth consecutive year with a win in the first round in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster. He wasn’t done there, either, and powered to the victory, going 3.759-seconds at 317.12 in the final round against Antron Brown. It capped off another dominant season, as he picked up his 11th victory of the season and 51st in his career.
Bob Tasca led the points for eight straight races in the early portion of the season and while he wasn’t in the title mix at the end of the year, he finished on a huge strong note, going 3.955 at 321.65 in his 11,000-horsepower Mustang to defeat Alexis DeJoria’s 3.974. It is Tasca’s third win this season and ninth in his career and it came after knocking off J.R. Todd, Jim Campbell and John Force to reach the final round. DeJoria advanced to her third final round this season thanks to wins against Bobby Bode, Tim Wilkerson and Hagan, but Tasca led wire-to-wire in the finals and finished a career-best third in points.
An absolute dream season for Greg Anderson ended with a fifth world championship in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro when he slipped past defending world champ Erica Enders in the semifinals. The all-time wins leader in Pro Stock history then rolled to his 99th career win, going 6.574 at 208.23 in the final round, defeating KB Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky on a holeshot.
Matt Smith wrapped up his second straight world championship and fifth overall by winning in the second round on his Denso Auto Parts/Stockseth/Matt Smith Racing EBR against three-time world champion Angelle Sampey. Smith was first off the starting line in the pivotal matchup to pull off the holeshot victory and replicated that in the final round, going 6.817 at 200.74 to beat Karen Stoffer on a holeshot. That gave Smith six victories during his championship season.
Mike Salinas went for a wild, tire-smoking battle with Tripp Tatum. Salinas nearly tipped over his Scrappers Racing dragster trying to get to the finish line first, but made the save!
Steve Torrence drove his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster to a 10th win in his impressive 2021 season, powering to a run of 3.717-seconds at 329.50 mph in the final round against Mike Salinas, who went 3.737 at 314.24 and was after his second straight victory. To reach the final round, the points leader took out Jim Maroney, Tripp Tatum and Justin Ashley and then posted a wire-to-wire win against Salinas. Torrence was impressive on the starting line in the championship round and it led to another victory in his dominant 2021 campaign, as the Texan will now take a 105-point lead into the final race of the season.
Cruz Pedregon stayed in the championship hunt in Funny Car, taking out points leader Ron Capps in the final round with a run of 4.257 at 225.03 in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. Capps ran into trouble almost immediately in the championship round, as Pedregon cruised to his second victory this season and 38th in his career.
In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn was nearly perfect on the starting line again in the final round, holding off defending world champ Erica Enders with a run of 6.660 at 204.60 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. It was another stellar moment in Glenn’s impressive rookie season, as he picked up his third victory this season.
Steve Johnson had a huge turnaround this weekend in Las Vegas, staying alive in the championship hunt with a run of 6.869 at 195.11 on his USA Electric Mac Rak Suzuki in his final round against Karen Stoffer, who left too early. After a miserable first-round loss at the most recent race in Bristol, Johnson bounced back in a major way, reaching the final round after defeating Charles Poskey, Angie Smith and Angelle Sampey. He then pulled off the win in the finals, picking up his third victory this season and ninth in the veteran’s career.
Mike Salinas picked up his second straight victory at Bristol Dragway, once again beating points leader Steve Torrence in the final round. Torrence ran into issues right off the starting line and Salinas’ run of 3.845 at 245.05 in his 11,000-horsepower Scrappers Racing dragster was enough to give Salinas his third career victory. He knocked off Antron Brown, Clay Millican and championship hopeful Brittany Force to reach the final round for the third straight time at Bristol. For the second straight time, he took care of business in Thunder Valley, staying fourth in Top Fuel points.
Alexis DeJoria powered to her first win in more than four years, rolling to the victory in Funny Car on Sunday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. DeJoria, who also qualified No. 1 for the first time since 2016, was impressive from start to finish this weekend in her 11,000-horsepower Bandero Premium Tequila ROKiT Toyota Camry and went 3.921-seconds at 327.66 mph in the final round to beat J.R. Todd, who went 3.939 at 326.22 in an all-Toyota Camry championship round. DeJoria knocked off Paul Lee and Robert Hight to reach the final round, making a weekend-best pass of 3.904 at 327.74 in the semifinals, rolling to her sixth career victory a round later.
Angelle Sampey finished off a fantastic day in Pro Stock Motorcycle with her second victory in the Countdown to the Championship. In an all-female final round, Sampey beat Karen Stoffer on a holeshot on her Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, as her run of 6.773-seconds at 196.85 held up. It gave Sampey her 45th career victory and second this season, as she pulled within 25 points of Matt Smith. That was a big moment, as was collecting the first Wally trophy for the class at Bristol. The category competed in exhibition races at the track in 1999 and 2000, but Sampey’s win marked the first points race for Pro Stock Motorcycle in Thunder Valley.
In Top Fuel, Justin Ashley beat points leader and three-time defending world champ Steve Torrence on his home turf, as Ashley went 3.759 at 326.40 in his 11,000-horsepower Smart Sanitizer dragster powered by Vita C Shot to slip past Torrence’s 3.764 at 321.81. After advancing to a pair of final rounds this season, Ashley finished the job with a clutch performance against the most dominant driver in the class.
Ron Capps strengthened his Funny Car championship chances with a standout performance in the final round against Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan, picking up the holeshot victory with his run of 3.930 at 326.87 in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye.
Greg Anderson made history on Sunday at Texas Motorplex, picking up his 98th career win to become the all-time wins leader in Pro Stock history at the 36th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals. Anderson capped off another brilliant weekend in Dallas, earning his sixth victory at Texas Motorplex when Chris McGaha went red in the Pro Stock final round. For his part, Anderson went 6.624-seconds at 206.32 mph in HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro to cap off his historic day and weekend. The victory also gave him the most Pro Stock wins in Texas Motorplex history and extended his points lead in the process. “It’s been a big build-up and I’ve had such a fantastic race car all year, it was almost impossible for it not to happen, but at the same time there’s so many great drivers that can whip you,” Anderson said. “There’s no guarantees it would happen, so I knew now was the time. I certainly expected myself to step up and get it done. I’m honored to be part of this and thank goodness we got it done.”
Matt Smith moved into the points lead to finish off a dominating weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle, beating Hector Arana Jr. in the final round. Arana left too soon on the starting line, while Smith put together a run of 6.839 at 199.08 on his Denso Auto Parts/Stockseth/Matt Smith Racing EBR.
Steve Torrence, the three-time Top Fuel defending champ, powered back into the points lead in the class, going 3.736-seconds at 328.78 mph in the final round in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster to defeat Mike Salinas. After a dominant regular season, Torrence went winless in the first two playoff races as Brittany Force jumped into the points lead.
Matt Hagan, the defending Funny Car world champ, capped off an incredible weekend by going 3.933 at 333.49 in the final round in his 11,000-horsepower New Holland Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye to knock off Bob Tasca III, who went 3.967 at 329.99. It sent Hagan into the points lead, making the eighth straight race where the Funny Car points lead changed hands.
Erica Enders, the reigning and back-to-back Pro Stock world champ, rose to the occasion once again in St. Louis, slipping past rookie Dallas Glenn in a thriller of a final round with a run of 6.572 at 207.24 in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Enders also had a stellar .010 reaction time, which proved to be just enough to defeat Glenn, who was a near-perfect .001 on the starting line and ran 6.583 at 208.85. It gave Enders the victory by just .002, closing the gap to just 17 points between her and points leader Greg Anderson, with both drivers seeking their fifth world title.
In Top Fuel, Josh Hart continues to impress in his standout rookie season. He picked up the second victory in his career in just his eighth start, beating points leader Brittany Force on a holeshot in the final round.
Taking on Cruz Pedregon in the final round, Tim Wilkerson powered to a run of 3.927-seconds at 331.36 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Levin, Ray & Shoup Ford Shelby Mustang, picking up his second victory this month and the 22nd in his career.
Kyle Koretsky denied Greg Anderson a chance at history in Pro Stock and in the process picked up his first career win, going 6.629 at 207.27 in his Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro to beat Anderson’s 6.639 at 208.20 in a battle of KB Racing teammates.
After coming close on a couple recent occasions, Angelle Sampey broke through with the victory in the final round in Pro Stock Motorcycle, chasing down Joey Gladstone with a run of 6.861 at 196.62 on her Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
Billy Torrence delivered one consistent performance after another, turning in a 3.720 at 326.08 in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster in the final round to knock off Justin Ashley. Torrence made a huge jump in points, moving from eighth to third on the strength of his second win this season and eighth in his career. He beat Josh Hart, Shawn Langdon and No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force to reach the final round, running 3.71 or 3.72 on all four passes in eliminations, including his run against Ashley in the championship round.
It’s been nearly a year since Tommy Johnson Jr. powered a Funny Car down the racetrack but on Sunday at the 36th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals Presented By Pennzoil, he suited up for his former Don Schumacher Racing teammate Matt Hagan and took home the win from Maple Grove Raceway. With Hagan recovering from COVID-19, Johnson stepped in for his Don Schumacher Racing teammate at last week’s U.S. Nationals and this weekend’s playoff stop at Maple Grove Raceway, and he took full advantage of the opportunity. He went 3.926-seconds at 330.23 mph in the 11,000-horsepower Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, taking out John Force’s 3.946 in a thrilling side-by-side duel in the final round. Racing at the site of his first career Funny Car win, which came in 1999, Johnson took down Jim Campbell, Ron Capps and J.R. Todd to reach the final round. All the points Johnson gained this weekend went to Hagan per the NHRA’s replacement policy for medical reasons, but the veteran was thrilled to race.
It was a huge day for Greg Anderson in Pro Stock, as the veteran tied NHRA legend Warren Johnson for the most wins in class history, picking up his 97th career win with a victory over defending world champ Erica Enders in the final round. Anderson went 6.578 at 208.30 in the finals to beat Enders and earn his third victory of the season. Tying W. Johnson was something Anderson has been trying to do since early May and he took care of business to open the playoffs, beating John Gaydosh, Matt Hartford and Troy Coughlin Jr. to reach the finals. There, he left first on Enders before soaking in the memorable moment.
Steve Johnson finds himself in the points lead for the first time in seven years after beating Eddie Krawiec in the final round on his Mac Rak/Slick 50 Suzuki with a run of 6.775 at 196.87. It was the quickest run of eliminations in the class and Johnson earned his second win this season and eighth in his career. It’s also the first time Johnson has won two races in a season since 2008. To get there, he knocked off Jim Underdahl, Scotty Pollacheck and No. 1 qualifier Angelle Sampey, quickly turning things around this weekend after a slow start.
Steve Torrence’s incredible 2021 campaign continued at Indy, as rocketed past Brittany Force in the final round with an impressive run of 3.749 at 324.44 in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster. That gives the points leader and three-time defending world champ his eighth victory in 13 races this season and 48th in his career, as well as his second U.S. Nationals win.
Tim Wilkerson, who last won in 2016, powered his 11,000-horsepower Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Shelby Mustang to a run of 3.912-seconds at 320.36 mph in the final round, denying Ron Capps his first U.S. Nationals victory. Wilkerson picked up his second win at Indy and 21st career victory as well, also earning a trip to the winner’s circle for the first time in 114 races.
Erica Enders’ Indy dominance continued in impressive fashion on Sunday, as she won at the Big Go for the second straight year by slipping past Kyle Koretsky on a holeshot in the final round in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Enders went 6.626 at 206.01 in the final round, with her .024 reaction time making the difference to beat Koretsky’s 6.613 at 206.35.
Eddie Krawiec had an impressive weekend at the ideal time, picking up his first victory of the season by taking out Vance & Hines teammate Angelle Sampey in the final round with a run of 6.844 at 198.58 on his Buell. Krawiec qualified No. 1 for the first time this season and then rode that momentum to the winner’s circle for the 49th time in his standout career.
Steve Torrence has now won at every track on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series circuit, finally solving Brainerd International Raceway on Sunday and picking up a memorable Top Fuel victory at the 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
Matt Hagan won at the 12th race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season after going 3.923 at 327.98 in his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the final round. Hagan, the defending world champ, picked up his second win this season and 38th in his career.
There appears to be no stopping Jose Gonzalez in the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, as the points leader drove to his third straight win by knocking off Brandon Snider in the final round at Brainerd International Raceway. The race, which was presented by Stinar, was the sixth of 11 events during the 2021 E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service season, and Gonzalez strengthened his points lead and championship hopes by picking up his fourth win this year. Gonzalez put on a show in NHRA Pro Mod’s first trip to Brainerd, finishing off his weekend with a run of 5.790-seconds at 246.03 mph in his ProCharger-powered Q80 Camaro to slip past Snider’s 5.812 at 247.29. Gonzalez was also a stellar .003 on the starting line as he earned his sixth career victory in the class.
For the first time in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series history a father and child duo shared the winner’s circle, as Funny Car legend John Force and his daughter, Top Fuel star Brittany Force, picked up wins on Sunday at the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park. The two Forces have shared No. 1 qualifying positions before but never a win, though that changed on Sunday. B. Force claimed the Top Fuel victory by capping off a standout weekend with a run of 3.783-seconds at 324.75 mph in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster in the final round against Clay Millican. She qualified No. 1 and then beat Scott Palmer and points leader Steve Torrence to reach the final round. After qualifying No. 1 six times this year, including a current string of four straight races, B. Force earned her first win since 2019 and was thrilled to share it with her father.
John Force was consistent all weekend and capped it off by going 4.019 at 321.04 in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Blue DEF Chevrolet Camaro SS to beat No. 1 qualifier J.R. Todd in the final round. The victory gave him the points lead in Funny Car for the first time since 2014 and he became the first driver in the class to reach three wins this season. He defeated Paul Lee, teammate Robert Hight and Cruz Pedregon to reach his 260th final round and Force tracked down Todd to pick up his 154th career win.
Dallas Glenn had a perfect .000 reaction time in the final round, allowing his run of 6.681 at 205.01 in his RAD Torque Systems/KB Racing Chevrolet Camaro to hold up in the final round against Kyle Koretsky. It was just the sixth perfect reaction time in a final round in Pro Stock, as Glenn earned his second victory in what’s become a standout rookie season. He advanced to the final by beating Deric Kramer, Matt Hartford, and No. 1 qualifier Troy Coughlin Jr. and was lights out on the starting line in the championship round.
Leah Pruett capped off the Western Swing with her first win since 2019, going 4.021 at 247.61 in the final round in her 11,000-horsepower Sparkling Ice Spiked dragster. She was set to take on Justin Ashley in the final round, but Ashley wasn’t able to make the run. After advancing to the final round in Sonoma, Pruett finished the job a week later at her home track, picking up her ninth career win in the process. Pruett qualified second and made a trio of consistent runs in qualifying before knocking off Steve Chrisman and Mike Salinas to reach the final round. It puts Pruett on an impressive path heading into the second half of the 2021 NHRA season.
Ron Capps, who also qualified No. 1 this weekend, grabbed his first win of the year by going 4.151-seconds at 297.75 mph in the final round against J.R. Todd in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It is the 67th career win for the former Funny Car world champ and also gave him the points lead. Capps conquered the rigorous conditions at Pomona on Sunday, knocking off Bobby Bode, Bob Tasca III, who held the points lead going into Sunday, and longtime rival John Force to reach the final round. He quickly tracked down Todd in the finals, celebrating a meaningful win at his home track.
Aaron Stanfield stayed red-hot in Pro Stock, picking up his second straight win and third in four races by knocking off points leader Greg Anderson in the final round with a run of 6.652 at 207.69 in his Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro. It’s the second time in this recent stretch that the young standout got the better of the veteran and four-time champ in the final round, also denying Anderson the chance to pick up his 97th career win and tie Warren Johnson for the most in Pro Stock history.
Matt Smith continued to stay a step ahead of everyone in Pro Stock Motorcycle, picking up his fourth win this season on his Denso Auto Parts/Stockseth/Matt Smith Racing EBR after a pass of 6.828 at 199.52 in the final round against Angelle Sampey. Smith was the No. 1 qualifier by a wide margin and rolled through the field on Sunday, earning round wins against his wife, Angie, and teammate Scotty Pollacheck before cruising to the win against Sampey. He maintained his healthy lead in the points standings and picked up his second win on the Western Swing as well.
Steve Torrence kept his hopes alive to sweep the NHRA’s famed three-race Western Swing on Sunday, powering to the Top Fuel win at the 33rd annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.
Robert Hight’s dominance at Sonoma Raceway continued on Sunday, as he won at the fan-favorite facility for a third straight time, delivering a run of 3.971 at 322.50 in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS to beat defending world champ Matt Hagan in the final round. The win furthered Hight’s incredible run at Sonoma, gave him two victories this season and 53 in his career, and ended Hagan’s chances to sweep the Western Swing. Hagan was quicker off the starting line, but Hight, who beat Steven Densham, J.R. Todd and No. 1 qualifier Ron Capps to reach the final round, chased him down at the finish line, winning by a mere 15 inches.
Aaron Stanfield won a thrilling duel of young standouts in the Pro Stock final round, slipping past rookie Dallas Glenn with a run of 6.557 at 209.56 in his Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro. The close win gave Stanfield his second victory in the past three Pro Stock races and three in his career. To reach the final round, Stanfield raced past Chris McGaha, Matt Hartford, and No. 1 qualifier and points leader Greg Anderson to reach the final round. In the championship round, Glenn posted a .016 reaction time to Stanfield’s .020, but the Elite Motorsports driver had enough power to track him down.
Karen Stoffer capped off a resurgent weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle, winning for the first time since 2019 by taking out Andrew Hines in the final round with a run of 6.798 at 197.36 on her Ray Skillman/Big St. Charles Suzuki. It also marked Stoffer’s 10th career win, as she was able to hold off a hard-charging Hines at the finish line. Stoffer, who impressed on Saturday and qualified No. 2, beat Scott Bottorff, Joey Gladstone and her White Alligator Racing (WAR) teammate Jerry Savoie to advance to the final round, and finished the job at a track that holds a lot of memories for the veteran.
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