Category: NHRA

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 5, 2024) – NHRA and Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today they have renewed their licensing agreement to develop collectible die-cast vehicles under the iconic Hot Wheels brand.

This licensing partnership will continue to expand die-cast versions of classic hot rods, including a 1976 Chevy Chevette and a 1971 Ford Mustang Funny Car. NHRA fans of all ages can tap into the history, power and speed at the heart of both brands with this seamless collaboration.

“The partnership between NHRA and Hot Wheels continues to be a perfect match,” said Jeffrey Young, NHRA Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “NHRA is committed to delivering exciting licensed products to race fans and through our collaboration with Mattel, we’ve been able to extend the excitement of NHRA racing well beyond the race track.”

The NHRA Licensing Program continues to expand focusing on lifestyle products such as apparel and accessories, toys and home décor, as well as items for the garage for the auto enthusiast like automotive accessories, automotive tools, appearance and other automotive related products.

For more information on NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.

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About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

NHRA playoffs set to feature stops in Reading, Charlotte, St. Louis, Dallas, Las Vegas and Pomona

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 4, 2024) – After an incredible regular season in the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the Countdown to the Championship playoffs is officially here.

Over the next six races, dreams will be realized, history will be made and excitement will be at a fever pitch as drivers across Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be focused on nothing but NHRA championship glory.

After the points reset, the championship journey starts at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals on Sept. 12-15 at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., kicking off an edge-of-your-seat Countdown to the Championship sure to be filled with unforgettable moments and electric atmospheres across the country.

The first stretch of the Countdown to the Championship opens with three straight race weekends, with drivers going from Reading to the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sept. 20-22 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte to the NHRA Midwest Nationals on Sept. 27-29 at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.

From there, the NHRA grabs the spotlight as the main event at the famed Texas Motorplex’s “Stampede of Speed” with the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals on Oct. 10-13 in Dallas. That opens the second half of the six-race playoffs, with the annual fall stop at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway coming Oct. 31-Nov. 3 as the penultimate race in the 2024 season.

Then, all eyes will shift to historic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, as dreams will come to fruition and celebrations will ensue at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals on Nov. 14-17 to finish off an epic 73rd season of NHRA racing.

Last year, Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) ended the season as world champions and this season’s championship chase will again be featured on FOX and FS1.

Championship battles are just getting started, but Kalitta has visions of a second straight world title. He got hot in the playoffs last year, winning three races, including the finale at Pomona to take the championship, but after not qualifying in Indy – the first time that happened to Kalitta in nearly 14 years – he’s ready for a quick rebound in Reading.

“It was unfortunate for sure, but my team is very resilient,” Kalitta said in a video on Wednesday. “We’re still leading the points and we’ve got six races to go. I think we’re in a great spot. We’ve just got to go out and make the next six count.”

He’ll enter the postseason with a 15-point lead over second-place Justin Ashley, whose 14 bonus points earned in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge helped close the gap to start the playoffs. Shawn Langdon is third, with four-time world champ Steve Torrence in fourth and Antron Brown in fifth. U.S. Nationals winner Clay Millican will open the postseason in sixth.

In Funny Car, Austin Prock begins the Countdown to the Championship with the biggest point lead in any class thanks to earning a whopping 23 bonus points in the Mission #2Fast2 Tasty Challenge. That helped net him a 39-point advantage (just shy of two rounds) over Bob Tasca III to open the playoffs. Prock has stayed red-hot all year, qualifying No. 1 10 times and winning five races, including the U.S. Nationals on Monday. In his mind, there is no slowing down as crunch time begins.

“It’s straight back to work. You’ve got to get on that grind you’ve got to take it one moment at a time,” Prock said. “Each one of us has to try and do the best work we’ve done all season long. We’ve got a good head of steam going into this Countdown and I truly believe we can make a championship run with this team.”

Following Tasca is Hagan, who is after a fifth world championship, something only the legendary John Force has achieved in the category. He’s 46 points behind Prock, while J.R. Todd and Ron Capps round out the top five. Jack Beckman, who is driving for Force, opens the playoffs in sixth.

For the second straight year, Dallas Glenn begins the Pro Stock Countdown to the Championship as the points leader. His playoffs didn’t go as planned last year, as the former NHRA Rookie of the Year finished a disappointing sixth, but Glenn counts it as lessons learned. He’s been a model of consistency in 2024, advancing to seven final rounds and Glenn starts the playoffs with a 25-point gap on U.S. Nationals winner Aaron Stanfield, earning five more points than Stanfield in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.

“Last year, we had an awesome car through the middle of the year and then everyone started catching up. It definitely made for a tough Countdown,” Glenn said. “It was tough racing there and everyone got really fast. That’s somewhat why we went to the new car (in Richmond in June). We’re getting a good handle on the car and I think we’re going to have something for them this year.”

Looking for his sixth world title, veteran Greg Anderson is 33 points behind Glenn in third, while reigning, back-to-back and six-time world champion Erica Enders is in fourth, 40 points behind Glenn. She’s looking for her first win since the season-opener in Gainesville and her next victory will also be her 50th national event win.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera remains the favorite in Pro Stock Motorcycle, entering as the points leader and with plenty of momentum after his first career victory at The Big Go on Monday. His points lead stands at 20 over rival Matt Smith and it’s shaping up to be a heated duel between the two talented riders. Smith is after an unprecedented seventh world title in the category, while Herrera is focused on a second straight world title in the midst of his historic two-year run.

“Going into the Countdown, I feel like Matt is stepping it up big-time and this year is going to be very interesting,” Herrera said. “Winning Indy gives me a lot of confidence. This team has put their head down and it reflected (in Indy). I’m glad it’s going to start cooling off.”

Herrera’s teammate, Richard Gadson, is third, 33 points back, while John Hall and Chase Van Sant are also in the top five.

To purchase tickets to any of the six races in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, please visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. For more information about NHRA, including the full television schedule for the 2024 playoffs, please visit www.NHRA.com.

COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

Top Fuel

1 Doug Kalitta 2109
2 Justin Ashley 2094
3 Shawn Langdon 2081
4 Steve Torrence 2068
5 Antron Brown 2062
6 Clay Millican 2046
7 Tony Stewart 2032
8 Tony Schumacher 2026
9 Brittany Force 2016
10 Billy Torrence 2000
11 Josh Hart 1992
12 Shawn Reed 1980

Funny Car

1 Austin Prock 2125
2 Bob Tasca III 2086
3 Matt Hagan 2079
4 J.R. Todd 2071
5 Ron Capps 2054
6 John Force 2049
7 Blake Alexander 2036
8 Daniel Wilkerson 2023
9 Chad Green 2012
10 Alexis DeJoria 2000
11 Cruz Pedregon 1990
12 Buddy Hull 1980
13 Dave Richards 1970

Pro Stock

1 Dallas Glenn 2114
2 Aaron Stanfield 2089
3 Greg Anderson 2081
4 Erica Enders 2074
5 Jeg Coughlin Jr 2059
6 Troy Coughlin Jr 2047
7 Jerry Tucker 2032
8 Cristian Cuadra 2020
9 Eric Latino 2010
10 Mason McGaha 2006
11 Deric Kramer 1980
12 Matthew Hartford 1970
13 Chris McGaha 1960

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1 Gaige Herrera 2113
2 Matt Smith 2093
3 Richard Gadson 2080
4 John Hall 2067
5 Chase Van Sant 2050
6 Angie Smith 2042
7 Jianna Evaristo 2031
8 Hector Arana Jr 2020
9 Steve Johnson 2010
10 Chris Bostick 2000

2024 NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Sept. 12-15: 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.

Sept. 20-22: 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte.

Sept. 27-29: 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis

Oct. 10-13: 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, Texas Motorplex, Dallas

Oct. 31-Nov. 3: 24th annual NHRA Nevada Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas

Nov. 14-17: 59th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, Pomona, Calif.

To purchase tickets, please visit www.nhra.com/tickets

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About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

All four drivers are first-time winners at The Big Go

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 2, 2024) – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock powered to his first career victory at the U.S. Nationals, defeating back-to-back winner Ron Capps in the final round of the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals on Monday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. All four drivers won the U.S. Nationals for the first time.

Prock went 3.885-seconds at 327.98 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS in the final round, leaving the starting line first and holding off Capps’ 3.935. It gives Prock his fifth victory this season, as he defeated Chris King, Alexis DeJoria and Blake Alexander to reach the finals, beating Capps to earn his ninth career victory. It continues to be a dream season for Prock, who will enter the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in the points lead and as a championship favorite. This weekend couldn’t have gone better for Prock, who was the No. 1 qualifier and followed it up with his first win at the world’s biggest drag race.

“We got our first U.S. Nationals win, super proud of the team. It was a great effort all weekend long,” Prock said. “Everyone talks about Indy, it’s the biggest race of the year, and it is. But all weekend long I treated it even less than a race, I kind of treated it as a test session and just tried to stay focused and race my own lane. That was good enough to get the job done this weekend. I’m very proud of the team. It still hasn’t hit me that we won the U.S. Nationals.

“So many people dream of winning this race and very few have. I’m very proud to add my name to that list with my dad (crew chief Jimmy), my brother Thomas turning the knobs with Nate Hildahl. It’s a pretty surreal moment. To cap off the regular season the way we did is very comforting. I don’t see us slowing down any time soon. People say when you’re hot, you’re hot and right now we’re hot and have been all year long.”

Capps, who just missed out on becoming the first Funny Car driver to win the U.S. Nationals three straight years, advanced to his 150th career final round and third this season on the strength of victories against J.R. Todd, Buddy Hull and Jack Beckman. He moved to fifth in points, while Prock opens the Countdown to the Championship in the points lead.

In Top Fuel, Clay Millican was also a first-time winner at the prestigious U.S. Nationals, defeating four-time world champion Steve Torrence in the final round with a run of 3.792 at 327.82 in his 11,000-horsepower Arby’s/Parts Plus dragster. Millican struggled in qualifying, entering raceday in the No. 13 spot, but made major improvements when it counted, including a 3.695 at 333.74 to defeat Antron Brown in the first round.

He followed with round wins against Josh Hart and Brittany Force to reach the final round, driving past Torrence with his third straight run in the 3.70s to reach Indy glory. It’s Millican’s first victory of the season and the seventh in his career, and the veteran will move to sixth in points to start the Countdown to the Championship. For now, though, Millican is only thinking about his incredible Monday on drag racing’s biggest stage.

“I’ve definitely been the underdog my entire life. I promise you that, but I have a lot of fight in me,” Millican said. “Nothing will ever top [my first win in] Bristol, including the U.S. Nationals, but this is like winning the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, the World Series. This is career-defining stuff.

“To win with [team owner] Rick Ware here was cool. I won three times last year and he wasn’t at any of them. He came on Friday, he has two NASCAR teams racing in Darlington, but he was here. It was cool to call him last year and say we won, but there is nothing like being here.”

Torrence advanced to his second final round of the year and 89th in his career on the strength of round wins against Billy Torrence, Ida Zetterstrom and Tony Stewart. Doug Kalitta, who didn’t qualify at the U.S. Nationals, will open the playoffs as the points leader, with Justin Ashley in second.

Aaron Stanfield made history by becoming the first driver in NHRA history to win two events in one weekend at the U.S. Nationals, following up his victory in Holley EFI Factory X on Monday with a win in Pro Stock, knocking off teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final round with a pass of 6.561 at 209.36 in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Janac Brothers car. It is Stanfield’s fourth Pro Stock victory of 2024 and this will certainly be the highlight after his historic double-up.

To reach the championship round, Stanfield knocked off Matt Hartford, Cory Reed and No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson, holding off Coughlin in the final round to pick up his first Pro Stock victory at the world’s biggest drag race. It’s also the 12th career victory for Stanfield, who enters the Countdown to the Championship second in points and with plenty of momentum as he seeks his first world championship coming off his incredible weekend at The Big Go.

“I’ve been close [to doubling] a couple of times, so I’m okay with the past races not to get it done, because this is the place to do it,” Stanfield said. “There’s so much history at this racetrack, and it’s special to me to not only win Indy Pro Stock and Factory X both in the same day and put my name down on the history books.

“Indy’s always a busy week for me. It’s a roller coaster of emotions the whole entire time, and I knew I had two good hot rods, and I knew I had a good chance to win, but this race has kicked my butt in the past, and it just feels great.”

Coughlin advanced to the finals for the fourth time this season and 119th time in his standout career, defeating Eric Latino, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Erica Enders in the process. Dallas Glenn will take the points leader into the postseason.

Winning the U.S. Nationals was the only thing Gaige Herrera didn’t accomplish last year, but the reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champ took care of business on Monday this year, posting a perfect .000 reaction time and then going 6.763 at 198.70 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki to defeat Angie Smith and enter Indy immortality. After not winning the past two races, Herrera, the dominant points leader, captured the biggest victory of the year – his seventh of the 2024 campaign.

To advance to the final round, Herrera, who qualified No. 1, dipped into the 6.70s in three rounds, including a weekend-best 6.722 at 199.35 in the opening round. He followed with a 6.755 against Chase Van Sant and then knocked off teammate Richard Gadson. After a perfect reaction time against Smith, Herrera rolled to the victory, which certainly ranks among the top of his 18 career wins.

“This race is very special for me. Two years ago, I made my debut here. Two years ago, Andrew Hines had COVID sitting on his couch and didn’t even know my name until I made my first pass here,” Herrera said. “This one is very special. For me to be able to get this win, I feel like this was the biggest monkey of all on my back. Last year, I had the simplest part fail, which cost me going past second round. To get the win here, even though I won the championship last year, I feel like this almost surpasses that.

“This ranks at the top, all the stuff that I’ve done as far as creating history or beating Bob Glidden’s record – throughout my years, I’m probably going to remember this over all of that. This is one everyone wants to win. It’s the Super Bowl of drag racing. To get this win, I feel like I’ve kind of accomplished what I wanted in Pro Stock Motorcycle. It’s crazy to say that a year and a half into my Pro Stock Motorcycle career, but I’m not stopping yet.”

Smith reached the final round for the first time this season and the eighth time in her career thanks to round wins against Steve Johnson, Marc Ingwersen and her husband, Matt. Herrera will be the points leader heading into the playoffs, with Smith in second.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Sept. 12-15 with the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa. It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Final finish order (1-16) at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The race is the 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

1. Clay Millican; 2. Steve Torrence; 3. Brittany Force; 4. Tony Stewart; 5. Tony Schumacher; 6. Ida Zetterstrom; 7. Josh Hart; 8. Justin Ashley; 9. Shawn Reed; 10. Shawn Langdon; 11. Doug Foley; 12. Dan Mercier; 13. Antron Brown; 14. Tripp Tatum; 15. T.J. Zizzo; 16. Billy Torrence.

FUNNY CAR:

1. Austin Prock; 2. Ron Capps; 3. Jack Beckman; 4. Blake Alexander; 5. Alexis DeJoria; 6. Cruz Pedregon; 7. Buddy Hull; 8. Bobby Bode; 9. Paul Lee; 10. Dale Creasy Jr.; 11. Bob Tasca III; 12. Matt Hagan; 13. Daniel Wilkerson; 14. J.R. Todd; 15. Chris King; 16. Chad Green.

PRO STOCK:

1. Aaron Stanfield; 2. Jeg Coughlin; 3. Erica Enders; 4. Greg Anderson; 5. Cristian Cuadra; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 7. David Cuadra; 8. Cory Reed; 9. Matt Hartford; 10. Jerry Tucker; 11. Dallas Glenn; 12. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 13. Camrie Caruso; 14. Sienna Wildgust; 15. Mason McGaha; 16. Eric Latino.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

1. Gaige Herrera; 2. Angie Smith; 3. Matt Smith; 4. Richard Gadson; 5. Chase Van Sant; 6. Hector Arana Jr; 7. Jianna Evaristo; 8. Marc Ingwersen; 9. Geno Scali; 10. Chris Bostick; 11. Kelly Clontz; 12. Ron Tornow; 13. Steve Johnson; 14. Ryan Oehler; 15. Wesley Wells; 16. John Hall.

INDIANAPOLIS — Monday’s final results from the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The race is the 14th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Clay Millican, 3.792 seconds, 327.82 mph def. Steve Torrence, 4.317 seconds, 192.30 mph.

Funny Car — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.885, 327.98 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.935, 331.45.

Pro Stock — Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.561, 209.36 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.562, 209.59.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.763, 198.70 def. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.829, 197.19.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Hunter Green, 5.231, 279.56 def. Angelle Sampey, Broke.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.438, 267.53 def. Stan Sipos, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

Competition Eliminator — Kayla Mozeris, Bantam Roadster, 7.418, 174.14 def. Joe Carnasciale, Chevy Cavalier, 8.933, 150.75.

Super Stock — Larry Hodge, Chevy Cobalt, 10.016, 116.49 def. Jacob Delaune, Dodge Challenger, Foul – Red Light.

Stock Eliminator — Joshua Decker, Chevy Corvette, 10.522, 116.40 def. Dan Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 11.268, 106.93.

Super Comp — Trene Cressonie, Dragster, 8.907, 170.75 def. Jason Kenny, Dragster, 8.908, 159.12.

Top Sportsman — Bill Yates, Chevy Camaro, 6.512, 206.54 def. Curt Fredrich, Camaro, 6.549, 211.43.

Top Dragster — Zach Sackman, Dragster, 6.180, 221.56 def. Darian Boesch, Dragster, 6.345, 216.86.

Super Gas — Bo Butner, Chevy Corvette, 9.901, 169.38 def. Dalton Deffenbaugh, Chevy Nova, 9.911, 146.83.

Pro Modified — Ken Quartuccio, Chevy Camaro, 5.766, 247.34 def. Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.937, 244.52.

Factory Stock Showdown — Kevin Skinner, Ford Mustang, 10.309, 81.58 def. Raymond Nash, Dodge Challenger, Broke – No Show.

Factory X — Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 7.094, 191.62 def. Lenny Lottig, Camaro, 7.122, 191.08.

INDIANAPOLIS — Final round-by-round results from the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Tony Schumacher, 3.732, 324.20 def. Shawn Reed, 3.724, 328.30; Steve Torrence, 3.702, 329.67 def. Billy Torrence, 11.766, 66.07; Brittany Force, 3.700, 333.49 def. Shawn Langdon, 3.726, 332.51; Ida Zetterstrom, 3.759, 328.62 def. T.J. Zizzo, 6.563, 103.27; Tony Stewart, 3.723, 331.53 def. Doug Foley, 3.754, 320.74; Clay Millican, 3.695, 333.74 def. Antron Brown, 4.181, 245.00; Josh Hart, 4.018, 249.49 def. Tripp Tatum, 5.643, 116.15; Justin Ashley, 3.735, 330.23 def. Dan Mercier, 3.759, 321.58;

QUARTERFINALS — Stewart, 3.747, 330.88 def. Ashley, 7.881, 90.17; S. Torrence, 3.742, 332.18 def. Zetterstrom, 3.797, 317.12; Force, 3.779, 331.36 def. Schumacher, 3.792, 329.10; Millican, 3.753, 332.18 def. Hart, 4.111, 229.90;

SEMIFINALS — Millican, 3.750, 332.18 def. Force, 8.988, 60.62; S. Torrence, 3.769, 331.12 def. Stewart, 9.625, 77.88;

FINAL — Millican, 3.792, 327.82 def. S. Torrence, 4.317, 192.30.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Bobby Bode, Ford Mustang, 3.934, 323.58 def. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.959, 142.66; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.850, 334.15 def. Chris King, Dodge Charger, 8.209, 86.79; Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.063, 286.86 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.209, 221.89; Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.842, 332.51 def. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 3.950, 325.92; Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.883, 327.74 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 10.116, 42.52; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.923, 323.58 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.918, 321.50; Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.946, 333.33 def. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 5.373, 133.54; Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.886, 327.98 def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.225, 229.31;

QUARTERFINALS — Capps, 3.943, 327.51 def. Hull, 4.028, 320.51; Prock, 3.879, 331.61 def. DeJoria, 3.876, 327.90; Beckman, 3.870, 330.15 def. Pedregon, 3.949, 328.62; Alexander, 3.915, 323.12 def. Bode, 4.537, 198.73;

SEMIFINALS — Prock, 3.887, 332.34 def. Alexander, 9.358, 70.12; Capps, 4.315, 252.52 def. Beckman, 7.691, 97.33;

FINAL — Prock, 3.885, 327.98 def. Capps, 3.935, 331.45.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.569, 209.65 def. Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.563, 208.17; David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.557, 208.68 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.611, 208.10; Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.569, 209.36 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.569, 207.91; Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.553, 208.62 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.553, 209.49; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.560, 209.36 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.537, 209.20; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.557, 208.88 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.622, 208.01; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.529, 210.37 def. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.579, 209.88; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.542, 208.75 def. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.570, 208.46;

QUARTERFINALS — Coughlin, 6.576, 208.75 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.600, 209.59; Stanfield, 6.555, 210.14 def. Reed, Broke; Anderson, 6.551, 208.46 def. C. Cuadra, 6.574, 208.01; Enders, 6.537, 210.47 def. D. Cuadra, 10.810, 82.60;

SEMIFINALS — Stanfield, 6.574, 209.62 def. Anderson, 31.292, 62.50; Coughlin, 6.580, 209.10 def. Enders, 7.020, 206.83;

FINAL — Stanfield, 6.561, 209.36 def. Coughlin, 6.562, 209.59.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE — Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.838, 196.39 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.894, 192.49; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.826, 198.88 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.955, 192.00; Hector Arana Jr, 6.846, 196.64 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.904, 194.66; Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.804, 200.41 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.877, 196.27; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.808, 198.06 def. Ryan Oehler, 6.967, 193.63; Marc Ingwersen, 6.969, 192.74 def. John Hall, 7.330, 145.16; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.787, 199.94 def. Ron Tornow, 6.943, 194.07; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.772, 199.35 def. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light;

QUARTERFINALS — A. Smith, 6.834, 198.76 def. Ingwersen, 6.927, 192.00; Gadson, 6.819, 196.99 def. Evaristo, 6.891, 199.14; M. Smith, 6.827, 198.32 def. Arana Jr, Foul – Red Light; Herrera, 6.755, 199.58 def. Van Sant, 6.806, 198.26;

SEMIFINALS — A. Smith, 6.820, 199.17 def. M. Smith, 6.843, 197.77; Herrera, 6.804, 197.91 def. Gadson, 6.879, 196.42;

FINAL — Herrera, 6.763, 198.70 def. A. Smith, 6.829, 197.19.

INDIANAPOLIS — Point standings (top 10) following the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

1. Doug Kalitta, 1,049; 2. Justin Ashley, 1,013; 3. Shawn Langdon, 999; 4. Steve Torrence, 994; 5. Antron Brown, 910; 6. Clay Millican, 851; 7. Tony Stewart, 784; 8. Tony Schumacher, 744; 9. Brittany Force, 697; 10. Billy Torrence, 692.

Funny Car

1. Austin Prock, 1,379; 2. Bob Tasca III, 1,031; 3. Matt Hagan, 1,017; 4. J.R. Todd, 941; 5. Ron Capps, 879; 6. John Force, 870; 7. Blake Alexander, 769; 8. Daniel Wilkerson, 692; 9. Chad Green, 654; 10. Alexis DeJoria, 641.

Pro Stock

1. Dallas Glenn, 1,204; 2. Aaron Stanfield, 1,120; 3. Greg Anderson, 1,104; 4. Erica Enders, 1,075; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 995; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 761; 7. Jerry Tucker, 703; 8. Cristian Cuadra, 592; 9. Eric Latino, 535; 10. Mason McGaha, 518.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Gaige Herrera, 1,090; 2. Matt Smith, 802; 3. Richard Gadson, 647; 4. John Hall, 616; 5. Chase Van Sant, 608; 6. Angie Smith, 571; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 497; 8. Hector Arana Jr, 490; 9. Steve Johnson, 334; 10. Chris Bostick, 303.

TORRENCE, CAPPS REACH FINALS IN TOYOTA U.S. NATIONALS
Toyota extends final round streak to 37 in a row

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 2, 2024) – Steve Torrence and his CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster came up just short of another Wally Trophy Monday afternoon at the Toyota U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. The four-time Top Fuel world champion was seeking his 56th career victory and third at “The Big Go,” but fell settled for second to Clay Millican. The finals appearance by Torrence was his second of the season, to go along with his win in Seattle. Justin Ashley was the other Toyota Top Fuel Dragster to advance out of the first round Monday.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps also reached the final round, his fourth consecutive final at the U.S. Nationals, the 150th finals in his legendary career, as he sought a historic threepeat in Indianapolis. He fell to Austin Prock in the finals by just 0.005 seconds at the stripe and ended the weekend runner-up. Alexis DeJoria made the second round, while J.R. Todd was eliminated by Capps in round one Monday morning.

The finals appearances by Torrence and Capps on Monday mark 37 consecutive NHRA event final rounds now for Toyota in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.

As the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads into its Countdown to the Championship, all six Toyota Top Fuel Dragsters and all three GR Supra Funny Cars will be a part of the six-race postseason, having a shot at the world championship. The Countdown to the Championship begins at Maple Grove Raceway in two weeks, with eliminations on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. EST on FOX.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Indianapolis Raceway Park
Toyota U.S. Nationals
Race 14 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Steve Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finalist	W (3.702) v. B. Torrence (11.766) W (3.742) v. I. Zetterstrom (3.797) W (3.769) v. T. Stewart (9.625) L (4.317) v. C. Millican (3.792)
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W (3.735) v. D. Mercier (3.759) L (7.881) v. T. Stewart (3.747)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (4.181) v. C. Millican (3.695)
Billy Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (3.702) v. S. Torrence (11.766)
Shawn Langdon	Applied Innovations Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (3.726) v. B. Force (3.700)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Army Tribute Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Finalist	W (3.946) v. J. Todd (5.373) W (3.943) v. B. Hull (4.028) W (4.315) v. J. Beckman (7.691) L (3.935 v. A. Prock (3.885)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero CaféToyota GR Supra Funny Car	Second Round	W (3.886) v. M. Hagan (4.225) L (3.876) v. A. Prock (3.879 – holeshot)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L (5.373) v. R. Capps (3.946)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

STEVE TORRENCE, CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

TF Final Result: Finalist

How was your day today, reaching the Top Fuel finals?

“Great day, great weekend for the CAPCO Contractors Toyota Dragster. Would’ve been our third win here (U.S. Nationals) and I think this was my fourth or fifth final, or maybe more. Congrats to Clay Millican and that whole team. They work really hard. We had a parts failure there in the final. I think if that didn’t happen, we would’ve won, but that’s just not the way it fell. I think we moved up a spot (in the points standings) going into the Countdown, which is very valuable for us. We have a good race car right now and I’m looking forward to going into the Countdown.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Army Tribute Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Final Result: Finalist

Take us through your day and weekend at the Toyota U.S. Nationals.

“You know, Indy is already so big. It just (pause), it’s already a lot and to do what we did, we did something similar last year with the Hot Wheels car. You know this race, right before I was staging for the finals, I was thinking about how big this race (is) and to me, it’s just as big as a world championship at Pomona in November staging the car to win a whole season’s championship. The weekend was a little up and down. But having Snake (Don Prudhomme) here, this car and to have the fans come over constantly saying how the great the car was. Having Toyota put the car on display and having the fans get a chance to get an autograph from Snake was really cool. We lost out on Sunday (in the Pep Boys All Star Callout), but remembered we did the same last year so we focused on Monday. We had some really tough rounds early on in the day and we knew Austin Prock and those guys would be tough in the finals. We had the right lane, which is a disadvantage in the Funny Cars for sure. Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) did such a great job tuning our Toyota GR Supra down the right lane, and we went 331mph which is a pretty big deal. I got a lot of text messages from corporate at NAPA and our people at Toyota, which is cool as it was live on FOX. We gave it a run for its money. Really proud right now but bummed as well. In a few hours here, that’ll wear off and we got to the final round.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships. 

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13^th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

B. Force, Prock, Anderson & Herrera also all qualify No. 1 at The Big Go

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 1, 2024) – Funny Car’s Paul Lee won a specialty race for the first time in his NHRA career on Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, defeating Bob Tasca in the final round of the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout as part of the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

In other racing action, Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Lee, who was seeded eighth in the eight-car field and appeared in a specialty race for the first time, went 4.243-seconds at 328.38 mph in his 11,000-horsepower McLeod Racing/FTI Performance Dodge Charger to slip past Tasca’s 4.255. Both cars drove into smoke near the finish line, but Lee had enough to coast to the victory, which nets the veteran the $80,000 prize. Lee beat Ron Capps and defending world champion Matt Hagan earlier on Sunday to reach the final round of the specialty race.

He left first on Tasca and held on for the win, which is certainly Lee’s biggest moment in the Funny Car ranks. Lee has made impressive strides this year with Jonnie Lindberg as his crew chief and John Medlen offering guidance as well.

“I couldn’t be prouder of my whole team. They really worked their butts off today, changed engines between first and second round and did a flawless job,” Lee said. “This is a team sport. I’m here representing my team, but it’s a true team sport and I just remember growing up watching all the specialty shootouts in the past and then growing up and getting to be in one and win it? I’m over the moon.

“I’m in it, I don’t care who I race. I didn’t really care because you have to beat everybody. Look at the cars you have to race, these are the top cars in the country. I don’t look at this as stress, I look at it as opportunity. This time, it was an opportunity to win $80,000. Tomorrow, I look at it the same way. I have the opportunity to win the U.S. Nationals.”

Top Fuel’s Brittany Force has enjoyed the weekend she has needed so far, securing the No. 1 qualifier when Saturday’s 3.693 at 333.08 in her 11,000-horsepower Chevrolet Accessories dragster. It’s the 48th top qualifier for the two-time world champ and Force needed every bit of it this weekend, entering the U.S. Nationals 10th in points. She’ll enter raceday with a 58-point advantage over 11th-place Josh Hart and Force will need to stay in the top 10 to earn a spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. That means plenty is on the line for Force on Monday as she opens eliminations against Shawn Langdon.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a weekend,” Force said. “We’ve done really well and we’re wearing a No. 1 qualifier hat. We ended up No. 1 and haven’t done that since the very beginning of the season. That’s a huge deal, but we are right now so focused on tomorrow and what it takes to stay in this thing. We’re sitting 10th and we can get bumped out. This team, we want to be in a hunt for a championship. We’ve done great so far and done everything that we can..

“If it wasn’t Langdon, it’d be somebody else and there is no easy team or driver out here. We’ve seen crazier things happen on raceday. We’re going to give it our all, we’re in a really good position, we have to focus on that and just stay in our lane – focus on what our team can do, what our goals are, what we want to accomplish.”

Points leader and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta did not qualify, going 3.793 during the final qualifying session. His teammate, Langdon, bumped him out on the next pass, going 3.784 to go to 16th. He’ll take on Force in the opening round, while Kalitta won’t qualify for the first time since 2010, an incredible span of 301 races.

Tony Stewart qualified in the second spot with his 3.707 at 331.04 and T.J. Zizzo is third with a 3.716 at 332.67.

In Funny Car, Austin Prock easily held on to the No. 1 spot, as Saturday’s stellar pass of 3.855 at 328.38 in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS handed the points leader a remarkable 10th No. 1 qualifier this season. It’s been nothing short of a spectacular season for Prock in his rookie season in the category and this was another major moment for the young standout who earned his first career U.S. Nationals No. 1 qualifier. Prock will try to turn that into his first U.S. Nationals victory on Monday, where he will open eliminations against Chris King.

“It’s pretty cool, I didn’t even think about it until today and not very many people get to qualify No. 1 here at the U.S. Nationals. It’s our biggest race of the year, and I’m definitely proud of this team,” Prock said. “They all work really hard and deserve results like this. I was proud to be able to get the car down the track in a nice, neat fashion all five runs, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

“Earlier this week I got a new attitude, and I’ve just been having fun. When you get punched in the face like I did (in Brainerd), that’ll change a man. I got a new attitude and it’s been working so far. I’m having fun and can’t wait for tomorrow. It’s going to be a great show for the fans, and that’s how the U.S. Nationals should be.”

Tasca took the second spot with a 3.871 at 336.23 and Jack Beckman, racing for John Force, qualified third thanks to a run of 3.877 at 329.10.

For a third straight day, Greg Anderson stayed atop the Pro Stock field and for the third straight day, the veteran improved on his performance, going 6.575 at 207.88 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Weather conditions should allow for Anderson to improve again on Monday during eliminations, where the five-time world champion will have a chance to win The Big Go for the eighth time. He’ll open raceday against Camrie Caruso, looking for his third win of 2024. It’s already been a rewarding weekend for the veteran, making the quickest run in all five qualifying sessions, but success on Monday is the biggest thing and Anderson feels confident his team is on track.

“The big day is Monday but it’s been near perfection for three days straight and that’s a helluva confidence builder,” Anderson said. “It certainly makes me feel good, the car feels great, engine is running great, crew is right on point making decisions. Hopefully, we can make that go for four more runs tomorrow and make some magic here at Indy. I feel great, a lot of confidence in the group, the team, and that helps as a driver and makes you get up on the wheel as a driver.

“I need to get it done. That’s not just me, it’s the entire race team. We need to race error free, like we qualified and get the job done, win the race. I’ve got the horse, I need to ride that sucker to the finish line and ride it proud. That’s what I plan on doing tomorrow. I love racing here at Indy. It would be tough to find a more special race than when I won my 100th race here. You never know when you’re going to get another one. The very next one I get, if I can get another one, will be the best one I ever had.”

Defending world champion Erica Enders remained in second with a 6.592 at 207.11, while Jeg Coughlin Jr. took third with a 6.598 at 207.50.

After two days of strong performances from Matt Smith Racing, Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Gaige Herrera had his day on Sunday, picking up the No. 1 qualifier with a standout run of 6.809 at 197.71 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines. It was a strong weekend turnaround for the defending world champion, who picks up his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season with the impressive run. He’ll open eliminations against Wesley Wells, trying to pick up his first victory at the world’s biggest drag race. It’s one of the few events Herrera didn’t win a year ago and he’ll get a chance for redemption on Monday.

“It’s good to get the No. 1 spot for Vance & Hines. This is big for us,” Herrera said. “I was happy to run 6.80 and I’ve got to credit Mother Nature because the [cool weather] helped us. I just didn’t think it would be good enough to stick. I was surprised that it did. It should be even cooler tomorrow, so I think you’ll see some 6.70s for sure.

“We tested here a couple of weeks ago and it helped quite a bit. The air was close to what we had this morning, so we got good data. We’re in a good spot for Monday. That goes for me and Richard [Gadson], Kelly [Clontz], and Geno [Scali]. I think we’ll also do well tomorrow.”

Matt Smith took the second spot with a 6.816 at 196.90 and John Hall qualified third after going 6.830 at 198.76.

Eliminations for the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Sunday’s Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout final results from the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. I

Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout — Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 4.243, 234.86 def. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 4.255, 222.69.

INDIANAPOLIS — Final Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout round-by-round results from the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout:

ROUND ONE — J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.955, 318.24 def. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 4.006, 311.70; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.931, 327.19 def. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 4.812, 166.66; Paul Lee, Charger, 4.014, 291.57 def. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 5.849, 126.10; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.933, 332.43 def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 5.203, 144.12;

SEMIFINALS — B. Tasca III, 3.974, 326.16 def. J. Todd, 4.632, 180.89; P. Lee, 3.968, 323.35 def. M. Hagan, 3.972, 326.00;

FINAL — P. Lee, 4.243, 234.86 def. B. Tasca III, 4.255, 222.69.

INDIANAPOLIS — Monday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Sunday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.693 seconds, 333.08 mph vs. 16. Shawn Langdon, 3.784, 320.36; 2. Tony Stewart, 3.707, 331.04 vs. 15. Doug Foley, 3.776, 313.80; 3. T.J. Zizzo, 3.716, 332.67 vs. 14. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.776, 327.51; 4. Antron Brown, 3.723, 331.94 vs. 13. Clay Millican, 3.774, 331.12; 5. Tripp Tatum, 3.729, 328.54 vs. 12. Josh Hart, 3.772, 326.63; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.736, 332.84 vs. 11. Billy Torrence, 3.764, 332.34; 7. Justin Ashley, 3.738, 332.84 vs. 10. Dan Mercier, 3.763, 319.75; 8. Tony Schumacher, 3.739, 326.32 vs. 9. Shawn Reed, 3.755, 325.53.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Doug Kalitta, 3.793, 329.10; 18. Jasmine Salinas, 3.814, 317.64; 19. Krista Baldwin, 3.863, 285.29; 20. Lex Joon, 3.927, 313.95.

Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.855, 328.38 vs. 16. Chris King, Dodge Charger, 4.079, 302.21; 2. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.871, 336.23 vs. 15. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.046, 303.30; 3. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.877, 329.10 vs. 14. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.008, 321.04; 4. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.890, 327.82 vs. 13. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.006, 311.70; 5. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.896, 331.28 vs. 12. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.986, 292.58; 6. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.901, 325.53 vs. 11. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.931, 315.49; 7. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.901, 313.37 vs. 10. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.918, 323.12; 8. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.908, 327.66 vs. 9. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.911, 323.50.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Dave Richards, 4.105, 297.94; 18. Justin Schriefer, 6.801, 99.59.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.575, 207.88 vs. 16. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.628, 205.72; 2. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.592, 207.11 vs. 15. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.625, 207.27; 3. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.598, 207.50 vs. 14. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.624, 205.82; 4. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.598, 206.70 vs. 13. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.623, 205.94; 5. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.600, 207.59 vs. 12. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.623, 206.54; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.601, 208.07 vs. 11. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.616, 205.51; 7. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.602, 207.62 vs. 10. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.616, 206.39; 8. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.603, 207.43 vs. 9. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.609, 206.92.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Deric Kramer, 6.640, 205.26; 18. Chris McGaha, 6.652, 207.24; 19. Derrick Reese, 6.668, 206.54; 20. Larry Morgan, 6.670, 206.67; 21. Kenny Delco, 6.705, 205.76.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.809, 197.71 vs. 16. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.326, 181.06; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.816, 196.90 vs. 15. Ron Tornow, Victory, 7.058, 190.46; 3. John Hall, Beull, 6.830, 198.76 vs. 14. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 7.012, 191.73; 4. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.834, 196.64 vs. 13. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 7.008, 191.59; 5. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.856, 199.29 vs. 12. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.998, 193.54; 6. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.859, 197.94 vs. 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.954, 192.55; 7. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.864, 196.64 vs. 10. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.935, 194.60; 8. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.887, 195.73 vs. 9. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.929, 193.52.

Ashley, Prock, Enders and Herrera claim season-long titles in bonus race

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 31, 2024) – Justin Ashley picked up his fourth victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, defeating Ida Zetterstrom in the Top Fuel final of the bonus race as part of this weekend’s 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round against Zetterstrom, Ashley went 4.085-seconds at 260.01 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster, also clinching the overall season title in the bonus race for a second straight year. Ashley has enjoyed a stellar 10 wins in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge over the past two seasons, earning 13 bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs this year.

“We feel good. We take the Mission Foods Challenge very seriously,” Ashley said. “It’s important for a number of reasons. Obviously, we want to run well because it’s a part of qualifying and help position ourselves well for raceday, but it’s also points that are going to be added on before the Countdown starts, which is super important to us.

“Anything that we could win, we want to see win lights whether it’s the Mission Challenge or even in qualifying then of course on raceday. I’m super happy for the team, happy for the guys and everybody at Scag Power Equipment. We’ll enjoy it, but then we have to shift our focus to tomorrow.”

Funny Car’s J.R. Todd made the first step in what he hopes is a huge weekend, getting his third Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the year after defeating Chad Green in the final round with a run of 3.953 at 325.22 in his 11,000-horsepower DHL Toyota GR Supra. Todd is also in the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday, giving the former world champion a rare opportunity to win three times in one weekend.

“We have to thank Mission Foods for allowing us to have the opportunity to race for those bonus points – they’ll come in handy when the Countdown comes around,” Todd said. “We’re already spotting (Austin) Prock over a full round with all the points that he’s racked up, so it’s nice to add to our reset, whatever that may be after Monday. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a good position to maybe finish second in the regular season going into the Countdown and see where we stack up.”

Prock was the dominant overall champion of the bonus race thanks to an incredible seven victories this year. In the two-year existence of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, it’s the most wins anyone has picked up in a single season, giving Prock a whopping 23 bonus points for the playoffs.

In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn claimed his second Mission #2Fast2Tasty victory of the year, going 6.621 at 206.83 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro, defeating a red-lighting Mason McGaha in the final round of the bonus race. Glenn has enjoyed a strong season in the bonus race and the points leader in the category will also take 12 bonus points into the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

“This feels good. I don’t have the greatest track record in these bonus races, so it was good to seal another #2Fast2Tasty win,” Glenn said. “I think we have good momentum going into raceday even though we have another day of qualifying ahead of us. It’s going to be pretty interesting.

“We’re figuring stuff out, we’re getting better, I’m getting the car figured out better and trying to cut better lights. I had a great light against Aaron first round, and If I was .017 on the tree I would have lost. We’re coming into a stride right at the right time.”

Erica Enders won the overall Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge championship in the category on the strength of three wins and two runner-up finishes in the bonus race. She’ll take 13 bonus points into the Countdown to the Championship.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s John Hall earned his first-ever win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, getting the victory when teammate Matt Smith went red in the final round of the bonus race. Hall, a former U.S. Nationals winner, has come on strong at the right time on his Denso Auto Parts Buell, making a pair of impressive runs on Saturday.

“Today was a great day. I honestly didn’t know what to expect because we didn’t get to make a run on Friday night,” Hall said. “Normally, missing the first run wouldn’t be a big deal but when you have to go right into the Mission Challenge, you don’t know what the bike will run or what kind of a light you’ll have. I did just fine in the first run with a .011 light and I’m not sure what happened in the second, but I have to thank Matt for going red because I was way off.”

Gaige Herrera claimed the overall title in the category, slipping past Matt Smith on a tiebreaker. Both standouts finished with 12 bonus points for the playoffs, but Herrera won the tiebreaker by virtue of his three overall Challenge wins to Smith’s two.

Final qualifying begins at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge final results from the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Top Fuel Challenge — Justin Ashley, 4.085 seconds, 260.01 mph def. Ida Zetterstrom, 4.541 seconds, 171.55 mph.

Funny Car Challenge — J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.953, 325.22 def. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 4.151, 301.87.

Pro Stock Challenge — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.621, 206.83 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Challenge — John Hall, Buell, 6.846, 198.09 def. Matt Smith, Buell, Foul – Red Light.

INDIANAPOLIS — Final Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge round-by-round results from the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Ida Zetterstrom, 3.776, 327.51 def. Shawn Langdon, 3.849, 284.87; Justin Ashley, 3.738, 332.84 def. Josh Hart, 4.482, 174.48;

FINAL — J. Ashley, 4.085, 260.01 def. I. Zetterstrom, 4.541, 171.55.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 4.090, 283.85 def. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.262, 212.36; J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.918, 323.12 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.918, 329.50;

FINAL — J. Todd, 3.953, 325.22 def. C. Green, 4.151, 301.87.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA PRO STOCK CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Mason McGaha, Chevy Camaro, 6.616, 206.39 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.616, 205.51; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.609, 206.92 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.601, 206.23;

FINAL — D. Glenn, 6.621, 206.83 def. M. McGaha, Foul – Red Light.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — John Hall, 6.830, 198.76 def. Hector Arana Jr, Foul – Red Light; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.836, 199.35 def. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.856, 199.29;

FINAL — J. Hall, 6.846, 198.09 def. M. Smith, Foul – Red Light.

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 31, 2024) – Funny Car’s Austin Prock moved into the No. 1 position on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, taking over the provisional top spot at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Prock made the quickest run in both qualifying sessions, including a weekend-best run of 3.855-seconds at 328.38 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. If that holds, Prock, who is looking to win for the first time at the U.S. Nationals, would pick up his 10th No. 1 qualifier of the season in the first 14 races of the 2024 season.

“It’s been an outstanding weekend so far,” Prock said. “Everybody has just been having fun in this Cornwell Tools pit this weekend and I feel like we have a good attitude about the U.S. Nationals and going into the playoffs. It’s been an exciting weekend so far, and to lock up that Mission #2Fast2Tasty Championship says a lot about this race team and how consistent this racecar is with the job that they’re doing.

“Through life you have your ups and downs, but after (Brainerd), I feel like I have a brand new attitude and new mindset that can’t be shook. I’ve been annihilating the Christmas Tree this weekend which makes me feel really good and the hard work that I’ve been putting in is paying off. It’s a great start to the weekend. I’m just so proud of my family and this whole Cornwell Tools team and all of John Force Racing. We’ve been outstanding all weekend, all three racecars are just flying and it’s a great time to be doing it.”

Bob Tasca took over the second spot with a 3.871 at 336.23 and Jack Beckman is in third after going 3.877 at 329.10.

Selections were also made for the opening round of the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout. Top seed Tasca selected Cruz Pedregon, while Ron Capps picked Paul Lee and Matt Hagan chose Alexis DeJoria, setting J.R. Todd and Chad Green as the final first-round matchup.

After a strong start to her weekend, Top Fuel’s Brittany Force enjoyed another standout day, improving on Friday’s time and staying as the provisional No. 1 qualifier with a run of 3.693 at 333.08 in her 11,000-horsepower Chevrolet Accessories dragster. Needing a big weekend after coming into Indy 10th in points, Force has done that so far, accumulating some much-needed qualifying bonus points in the process. She remains in prime position to pick up her second top qualifier of the season and the 48th in her career.

“There is a lot on the line this weekend, so to be able to improve and step up – our No. 1 spot was taken from us in Q2, and we knew we had to step it up. That was already David Grubnic’s plan, so to go from a .74 to a .69 was pretty awesome for this team,” Force said. “We’re very proud of that and very happy. We’re moving ahead, and we’re going to try to grasp as many points as we can get.

“The momentum is building for the entire team. We’re excited to be here, it’s the biggest race of the season. We’re sitting 10th and there is so much coming this weekend, so much pressure, but having three good runs down the racetrack really amps us up that much more. We’re excited to be here, but we’re waiting to get to Monday.”

Tony Stewart made a strong improvement as well, racing to the second spot with a pass of 3.707 at 331.04, while T.J. Zizzo is third with a 3.716 at 332.67.

Greg Anderson believed there was more in his car and that proved to be true on Saturday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, making a major improvement with a run of 6.588 at 206.20 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. He stays in the No. 1 spot for a second straight day and there was plenty for the five-time champion to like. Anderson, who has won the U.S. Nationals seven times, made the quickest run during both sessions on Saturday, putting him on a strong path to collect his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season.

“I knew if we didn’t do something like that, we wouldn’t be No. 1,” Anderson said. “The guys did a fantastic job. My car was No. 1 to 60-foot, I didn’t quite expect that, and that’s what got us the provisional pole. Everything has to go perfect for you to get a No. 1 spot and win rounds anymore. We did a great job but we’re only halfway through the weekend, still have another whole day of qualifying left and it looks like tomorrow is going to be a tick better again.

“The pole is not safe. You’ll have to find a way to do a better job again. They’re all nipping at my heels, without a doubt, and anybody can get that pole. There are a lot of people capable of taking it, so we’ll have to give it all we’ve got and try to be perfect. We’re three for three so far, it’ll be quite a feather in the cap if we can go five for five in qualifying and bring momentum into Monday.”

Erica Enders remained in second, improving to a 6.592 at 207.11, while Jerry Tucker nearly dipped into the 6.50s as well, moving to third with a 6.600 at 207.59.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith Racing continued to have a strong weekend at Indy, with John Hall making a big move to the No. 1 position with a run of 6.830 at 198.76 on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. Hall made the best run of both sessions on Saturday, putting him in a great position to earn his first career No. 1 qualifier. Hall is a previous U.S. Nationals winner and knows full well what success at this race means.

“In this weather, I think a 6.83 is pretty good,” Hall said. “Normally, the Friday run would have been the best, but it was hot yesterday, so we had an opportunity to pick up today. I was in a similar spot in 2013 but this time I have more confidence than ever and that’s the No. 1 thing you can have. This is the biggest race of the year and the one you really want. We want to win all of them, but this is the one that sticks with you for life. I was fortunate to win once but I’d love to have two.”

Matt Smith is currently second after going 6.836 at 199.35, while points leader Gaige Herrera moved up to third thanks to a 6.850 at 196.64.

Final qualifying begins at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Saturday’s results after the first three of five rounds of qualifying for the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Sunday for Monday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.693 seconds, 333.08 mph; 2. Tony Stewart, 3.707, 331.04; 3. T.J. Zizzo, 3.716, 332.67; 4. Antron Brown, 3.723, 331.94; 5. Tripp Tatum, 3.729, 328.54; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.736, 332.84; 7. Justin Ashley, 3.738, 332.84; 8. Tony Schumacher, 3.739, 326.32; 9. Shawn Reed, 3.755, 325.53; 10. Dan Mercier, 3.763, 319.75; 11. Billy Torrence, 3.764, 332.34; 12. Josh Hart, 3.772, 326.63; 13. Clay Millican, 3.774, 331.12; 14. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.776, 327.51; 15. Doug Foley, 3.776, 313.80; 16. Jasmine Salinas, 3.814, 317.64. Not Qualified: 17. Doug Kalitta, 3.823, 317.34; 18. Shawn Langdon, 3.849, 284.87; 19. Krista Baldwin, 3.863, 285.29; 20. Lex Joon, 3.927, 313.95.

Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.855, 328.38; 2. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.871, 336.23; 3. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.877, 329.10; 4. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.890, 327.82; 5. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 3.901, 325.53; 6. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.901, 313.37; 7. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.911, 323.50; 8. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.918, 329.50; 9. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.918, 323.12; 10. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.931, 315.49; 11. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.986, 292.58; 12. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.987, 324.75; 13. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.025, 300.00; 14. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.055, 315.27; 15. Chris King, Charger, 4.079, 302.21; 16. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.093, 313.51. Not Qualified: 17. Dave Richards, 4.105, 297.94; 18. Justin Schriefer, 6.801, 99.59.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.588, 206.20; 2. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.592, 207.11; 3. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.600, 207.59; 4. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.601, 206.23; 5. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.607, 207.24; 6. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.609, 206.92; 7. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.616, 206.39; 8. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.616, 205.51; 9. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.619, 207.56; 10. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.623, 205.94; 11. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.625, 205.88; 12. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.627, 205.91; 13. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.628, 205.72; 14. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.630, 205.76; 15. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.639, 207.40; 16. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.640, 205.13. Not Qualified: 17. Eric Latino, 6.652, 206.04; 18. Derrick Reese, 6.668, 206.54; 19. Larry Morgan, 6.670, 206.67; 20. Chris McGaha, 6.671, 206.32; 21. Kenny Delco, 6.705, 205.76.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. John Hall, Beull, 6.830, 198.76; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.836, 199.35; 3. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.850, 196.64; 4. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.856, 199.29; 5. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.859, 197.94; 6. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.878, 196.62; 7. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.887, 195.45; 8. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.912, 195.90; 9. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.935, 194.60; 10. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.944, 195.34; 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.963, 192.36; 12. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.998, 193.54; 13. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 7.008, 191.59; 14. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 7.012, 191.73; 15. Ron Tornow, Victory, 7.058, 190.46; 16. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.479, 178.90.

18 standouts competing for world title as “Road to the Championship” playoffs begin in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 31, 2024) – For competitors in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, the world’s biggest drag race has a little extra meaning. It’s also the first event in four-race the “Road to the Championship” playoffs, putting even more on the line for the standout competitors as part of this weekend’s Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

The playoffs for the thrilling Pro Mod category couldn’t come on a bigger stage and it’s already been a stellar show through two qualifying rounds at The Big Go. It’s the seventh of 10 races during the 2024 season and this weekend’s event is powered by Shaneda Machine, which is owned by Pro Mod competitor Mason Wright.

Wright is one of 18 drivers in the mix for the championship in Pro Mod and is currently sitting fifth in points. He won his first career race in the category in Epping and is thrilled to showcase his business at the world’s biggest drag race.

“Shaneda Machine is incredibly proud to be a sponsor of the NHRA Pro Mod Race in Indy. This event represents the pinnacle of performance and precision, values that align perfectly with our own. At Shaneda Machine, we’re dedicated to supporting the racing community and showcasing our commitment to quality through our pipeline equipment repair and sales,” said Mason Wright, Owner/Operations Manager.

Through two qualifying rounds at Indy, Justin Bond is leading the field with a run of 5.773-seconds at 247.93 mph. The first round of eliminations is slated for 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. Thorne is the defending winner in Indy.

Heading into the opening race in the “Road to the Championship,” here’s a look at the 18 standouts in the category competing for a title.

Points leader Kris Thorne

Thorne is a former world champ, who just missed out on back-to-back title last year. Thorne is out for redemption in 2024, winning in Bristol and taking runner-up finishes in Gainesville and Richmond.

2. Jose Gonzalez

Gonzalez is another former world champion, winning in 2021. He’s currently second in points, picking up victories in both Gainesville and Chicago, as Eric Dillard picked up the win at Route 66 Raceway as his replacement driver.

3. Ken Quartuccio

Quartuccio has become a strong threat in the class, taking a pair of No. 1 qualifiers this year and also advancing to the finals in Phoenix.

4. Kevin Rivenbark

A veteran in Pro Mod racing, Rivenbark is fourth in point, winning the race in Phoenix, which was the first time the NHRA Pro Mod category raced at the standout facility.

5. Mason Wright

Wright has enjoyed a strong season in his second year in the category, winning in Epping.

6. J.R. Gray

In his fourth season in NHRA Pro Mod, Gray has qualified for every race, including a season-best second in Bristol.

7. Justin Bond

Bond just missed out on a championship a year ago, as Mike Castellana claimed the championship. Bond also qualified No. 1 in Phoenix.

8. Mike Thielen

Thielen has qualified for every race this year, switching to a nitrous combination with legendary driver Rickie Smith making the tuning calls.

9. Billy Banaka

In his second season in NHRA Pro Mod, Banaka has had a promising 2024 campaign, qualifying third in Chicago.

10. Jordan Lazic

Lazic won his debut race in the category in 2023 at St. Louis and is currently 10th in points this season.

11. Lyle Barnett

Barnett is a fan-favorite, qualifying for every race this season. Barnett is also a former U.S. Nationals winner.

12. Khalid Al Balooshi

A former world champion, Al Balooshi is currently 12th in points, looking to make a late charge this season.

13. Dmitry Samorukov

In his second season, the Russia native has qualified for every race this season, picking up a pair of round wins.

14. Mike Castellana

Castellana is a veteran in the category, claiming the world championship in dramatic fashion a year ago.

15. Tony Wilson

Wilson is taking part in his debut season in the NHRA Pro Mod category.

16. Stan Shelton

Shelton is in his second season in the class, qualifying for the first three races of the year.

17. Mike Stavrinos

Stavrinos is making his debut in the category, qualifying a season-best 11th in Phoenix.

18. Nick Januik

As the only clutch car in the class, Januik is seeking his first victory of the year.

Featuring the world’s fastest doorslammer race cars, the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ offers something unique and exciting for every drag racing fan. The class continues to grow in popularity and is highlighted by historic muscle cars and a variety of late-model American muscle cars, as well as a number of different power adders.

To purchase tickets to the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

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About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 30, 2024) – Looking to stay in the top 10, Top Fuel’s Brittany Force made the quickest run of Friday at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, powering to the provisional No. 1 position at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Blake Alexander (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Force, who is currently an uncharacteristic 10th in points, went 3.740-seconds at 334.32 mph in her 11,000-horsepower Chevrolet Accessories dragster to kick off the race weekend. If it holds, the two-time world champion would pick up her second No. 1 this season and the 48th in her career. More importantly, Force needs to stay in the top 10 to secure a spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. A win at the world’s biggest drag race would clinch that for Force, who is after her first win since her 2022 championship season.

“I haven’t been in a position like this for a long time, especially coming from this David Grubnic-led championship team,” said Force, a two-time U.S. Nationals runner-up. “We never thought we’d be here, but we had a hard season last year, same as this season. We’re really going to fight all weekend long. That 3.74 run down the dragstrip on the first qualifying run, four bonus points, currently No. 1, that’s everything we could have asked for. Our first goal of the weekend is accomplished.

“This is such a special event and an historic race. It’s a big event, but that means a lot of pressure and a lot on the line. This is the race you want to win and our motivation hasn’t gone away.”

Antron Brown is right behind in second thanks to a 3.759 at 330.63. Brown has won the U.S. Nationals in back-to-back years. Billy Torrence sits in the third spot after a run of 3.792 at 331.45.

Coming off an impressive performance in Brainerd, Funny Car’s Blake Alexander continued his strong performance in Indy, racing to the No. 1 spot with a run of 3.890 at 327.82 in his 11,000-horsepower Pronto Auto Service Center Ford Mustang. Alexander won in Brainerd with a string of standout performances and now has a chance to earn his first career No. 1 qualifier. That was the case in Brainerd, too, when Alexander was the provisional top qualifier. He didn’t end up in the top spot there, but Alexander has another great opportunity in Indy, feeling confident about what the Head Racing team continues to deliver.

“We feel good about this,” Alexander said. “I think we thought it was going to be a little slower out there at first, and then we got up there and quite frankly I think we saw Cruz run 3.90 and then we opened it up a little bit. Every race team out here needed to do well today and the ones who excelled like we did will be in a much better position Monday morning, which is ultimately what we come here for.

“If you want to win Indy, you need to put yourself in a good position. This isn’t an easy drag race to win, it never has been and never will be. We’re in a good spot right now, that really doesn’t mean much because there are a lot of good race cars out here and people can eclipse you.”

Cruz Pedregon performed well on Friday, going to second with a 3.901 at 325.53 and Jack Beckman is right behind in third after a run of 3.903 at 322.81.

Greg Anderson is used to plenty success at The Big Go and he’s off to a good start at the 70th annual race, taking over the No. 1 spot after going 6.621 at 206.23 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. No current driver in Pro Stock has won in Indy as much as Anderson, with his seventh victory coming in 2022. It also happened to be his 100th career win and the five-time world champion continues to go strong, with Friday’s run putting him in line for a fifth No. 1 this season and the 129th in his career. Anderson, though, is well aware a lot can change between now and Monday.

“Normally when we come here, the Friday night run sets the field,” Anderson said. ‘You get your Friday night shot under the lights, the track cools down, everybody goes out there and throws down. Nine times out of 10 it ends up holding up throughout the weekend, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case. It’s going to cool down quite a bit the next couple of days, but we wanted to come here tonight and just get some data. This was a bonus. There’s a lot of room left, it wasn’t really a clean run, so I was shocked when they told me I got the No. 1 spot.

“I can’t wait to get here every year. I have a lot of favorite tracks, a lot of tracks I love to race at and feel good at, but this is still the one that means the most to me.”

Enders took second with a 6.621 at 206.13 and Aaron Stanfield is currently third on the strength of his 6.630 at 204.88.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Angie Smith made the biggest move to kick off qualifying at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, going 6.883 at 197.10 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell to grab the provisional No. 1 spot. Should that hold, Smith would pick up her first No. 1 qualifier of the season and third in her career and it would certainly come at the perfect time. Entering Indy sixth in points, Smith lost in the first round in back-to-back races leading into Indy. But after a strong test session, Smith feels good about where the bike is now at heading into a crucial part of the season – and at the world’s biggest drag race.

“We got rid of my other bike, that’s what happened,” Smith said. “I got a brand-new bike. Every single part of that motorcycle is brand new except for me. I was glad to get a new bike. Coming to Indy without a full run on a brand-new motorcycle is kind of nerve-wracking but it all worked out.

“My mindset coming into this race, I just wanted to do well and make good laps to prepare me for the Countdown. The middle of the season has not been a stellar performance for me and I have expected a lot better performance for myself and from the bike and we weren’t getting it. The boys have been working extremely hard back in the shop, and for me to get a No. 1, I feel like it kind of repays them a little bit for all the hard work.”

Her husband, Matt, who has won the last two races at The Big Go – and the most recent race in Sonoma – is currently second after going 6.895 at 197.74 and Gaige Herrera grabbed the third position on Friday thanks to a run of 6.929 at 195.90.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Friday’s results after the first one of five rounds of qualifying for the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Monday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.740 seconds, 334.32 mph; 2. Antron Brown, 3.759, 330.63; 3. Billy Torrence, 3.792, 331.45; 4. Shawn Reed, 3.795, 326.63; 5. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.801, 326.00; 6. Jasmine Salinas, 3.814, 317.64; 7. Clay Millican, 3.816, 293.54; 8. Tony Stewart, 3.839, 319.52; 9. Dan Mercier, 3.847, 309.27; 10. Krista Baldwin, 3.863, 285.29; 11. T.J. Zizzo, 3.902, 266.32; 12. Lex Joon, 4.026, 259.96; 13. Tripp Tatum, 4.473, 174.21; 14. Doug Kalitta, 4.609, 165.84; 15. Shawn Langdon, 4.773, 152.11; 16. Tony Schumacher, 4.896, 146.77. Not Qualified: 17. Josh Hart, 5.502, 120.20; 18. Doug Foley, 5.863, 108.32; 19. Steve Torrence, 5.984, 107.15; 20. Justin Ashley, 6.016, 103.77.

Funny Car — 1. Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 3.890, 327.82; 2. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 3.901, 325.53; 3. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.903, 322.81; 4. Austin Prock, Camaro, 3.926, 320.36; 5. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.969, 320.28; 6. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.986, 292.58; 7. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.987, 324.05; 8. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.997, 300.73; 9. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.004, 293.28; 10. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.025, 300.00; 11. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.026, 313.58; 12. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.055, 315.27; 13. Chris King, Charger, 4.079, 302.21; 14. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.140, 306.05; 15. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.171, 230.96; 16. Dave Richards, Toyota Camry, 4.502, 205.72. Not Qualified: 17. Matt Hagan, 4.837, 164.59; 18. Justin Schriefer, 6.801, 99.59.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.621, 206.23; 2. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.621, 206.13; 3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.630, 204.88; 4. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.639, 205.98; 5. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.647, 206.83; 6. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.654, 206.64; 7. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.657, 206.64; 8. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.657, 205.88; 9. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.663, 205.91; 10. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.665, 205.54; 11. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.678, 207.37; 12. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.685, 206.04; 13. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.685, 205.26; 14. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.689, 205.66; 15. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.710, 206.13; 16. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.710, 204.88. Not Qualified: 17. Kenny Delco, 6.724, 205.41; 18. Larry Morgan, 6.733, 205.85; 19. Derrick Reese, 6.738, 200.17; 20. Chris McGaha, 7.109, 168.62; 21. Matt Hartford, 7.342, 140.14.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.883, 197.10; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.895, 197.74; 3. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.929, 195.90; 4. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.939, 198.15; 5. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.964, 194.88; 6. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.970, 193.54; 7. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 7.001, 192.82; 8. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 7.032, 197.22; 9. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 7.055, 186.82; 10. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 7.097, 188.28; 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.123, 191.51; 12. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.134, 192.14; 13. Ron Tornow, Victory, 7.141, 188.33; 14. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.479, 178.90; 15. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 16.315, 40.68.

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 30, 2024) – When six-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith returns this weekend’s 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, he brings with him not only his success from last season, but also his last race.

Smith, rider of the DENSO Auto Parts Buell, made a statement in Sonoma when he swept the weekend by winning the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle NHRA All-Star Callout specialty event and earning the No. 1 qualifier position before going on to win the event on Sunday.

“We finally broke through for the win in Sonoma and that was the first time since Reading of last year,” said Smith. “Our DENSO Auto Parts Buell team has been working hard over the last year and I want to think we’re peaking at the right time and Indy is the perfect place to keep the momentum going.”

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all claimed Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals victories in 2023 and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FOX and FS1, including a special Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout broadcast on FOX at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday and eliminations coverage on FOX beginning at 2 p.m. on Monday.

It is the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 campaign and the final race in the regular season, and plenty is on the line at the prestigious race.

Last year in Indy, Smith advanced to the final round where he faced Hector Arana Jr. Arana went red, giving Smith his two consecutive Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals title.

In 2024, the class has seen the same dominance from reigning class champion Gaige Herrera, with only Smith and Chase Van Sant as other winners in the field. With sights set on the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, Smith is second in points and knows a seventh championship is still within reach.

“I’m getting older and there’s a lot of young guns shooting for us, but I can still do this. I can still win a championship, and I would love to get seven and that’s my goal right now,” Smith said.

In the Top Fuel ranks, Brown is aiming for his third straight Indianapolis win. With three wins so far this season, he is aiming for his fourth NHRA world title. Leading the points is reigning champion Doug Kalitta following by his Kalitta Motorsports teammate Shawn Langdon. Also in the hunt is Brainerd winner Justin Ashley and four-time champ Steve Torrence.

The stars of the Funny Car class will have an added layer of competition in Indy with the addition of the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday. Bob Tasca III will have his pick of the star-studded field of Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, Chad Green, J.R. Todd, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria and Paul Lee.

Hartford earned his 2023 Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals win when he defeated Fernando Cuadra Jr. in the final round. After a tough season in 2024, Hartford will be looking for a strong finish in Indy to make up for his early season struggles. Dallas Glenn leads the points and is the most recent winner on the circuit. Multi-time champs Greg Anderson and Erica Enders are in second and third with Aaron Stanfield and Jeg Coughlin Jr. round out the top five.

The 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals promises to be one of the biggest in the illustrious history of The Big Go. It features the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the year and the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout, as well as the special Sox & Martin Hemi Challenge presented by the McCandless Collection and the Rooftec Comp Cash Clash, along with racing in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ and NHRA Holley EFI Factory X, plus:

• A special 70th anniversary NHRA U.S. Nationals pennant for the first 8,000 fans in attendance for eliminations on Monday, Sept. 2.
• Free parking for all fans and children 12-under admitted free.
• An unforgettable Top Eliminator Club experience, including NHRA driver appearances, food and drink, TEC gift bag, starting line seats and much more.
• The biggest field in drag racing featuring more than 900 cars.

Fans will be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans at Indy can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Monday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Monday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners.

As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Indy. Fans get a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:45 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 30, two rounds at 12 and 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 31 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 12 and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 2.

The first round of the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 1, with the semifinals at 2:40 p.m. and the final round at 4:30 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout takes place on FOX at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 1 p.m. ET on Friday and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, and eliminations beginning at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.

To purchase tickets to the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).

Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 47 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.6 million cars and trucks (more than 2.2 million in the U.S.) in 2023, of which more than one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.