Category: NHRA

Bob Tasca III is the top seed in loaded eight-car specialty race, which provides a memorable chance for big money and bragging rights at The Big Go

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 29, 2024) – For eight Funny Car drivers competing at the prestigious 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, the world’s biggest drag race provides a chance to do something incredibly special.

Eight standouts – Bob Tasca III, Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, Chad Green, J.R. Todd, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria and Paul Lee – are all part of the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout specialty race, which takes place on Sunday and offers a big purse and major bragging rights as part of the world’s biggest drag race.

It’s also a chance for drivers to double-up on drag racing’s biggest stage, something Ron Capps did two years ago when he won the Callout and then The Big Go for the first time. Capps has a chance to replicate that this weekend, while a trio of drivers – Hagan, Green and Todd – have the unique opportunity to win a remarkable three times in a single weekend.

All three are part of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, with the bonus race serving as another opportunity for Indy glory at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

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.

The winning driver who makes the quickest run in the opening round will select their semifinal opponent, with a big purse and major bragging rights on the line in the finals.

Tasca, driver of the 11,000-horsepower Ford Performance Mustang Dark Horse, will get the first chance to select his opponent, with the first-round picks taking place at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday in the Top Eliminator club.

“If I was trying to win one round, winner-take-all, I would put an awful lot of thought into it. But the whole spirit of the Callout, you want to win the Callout, not just one round,” Tasca said. “To win it, you’ve got to win three rounds and you’ve got to win against the best of the best.

“We’ll have some fun with it, but the whole point is to win the entire Callout, not just that first round. Indy is one of the most epic races of your whole career and I get chills just thinking about it. I’ve been coming here since I was 12 years old and I have so many memories there. I haven’t gotten that Indy trophy yet, but we’ll be laser-focused. But it’s going to be tough going against a field this close.”

Here’s what the other seven drivers competing in the Pep Boys All-Star Funny Car Callout had to say approaching the specialty race and the huge weekend in Indy:

Ron Capps, driver of the NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra: “It’s going to come down to having your act together, but it’s going to be fun. You’ve got to wait and see what happens – the last two years proved that. Right now, there’s so many cars running well, so if you call someone out, it could come back to haunt you. You’ve got to approach it like a race, but the Callout has brought in a whole new aspect. We (make the selection) as a team and I guess we’ll wait and see what Tasca does.”

Matt Hagan, driver of the Dodge Direct Connection//SRT Hellcat: “You’ve got to put yourself up against the wall and press. We seem to do well with that and it’s just one of those things where we’re supposed to do well here and we need to do well. Sometimes, you’ve just got to let it come to you. We’ve got the car and you’ve just got to try and make it happen. To think about trying to win all of it is overwhelming. You would be blessed to just win one time, so I think you just have to be realistic and let it happen.”

Chad Green, driver of the Bond-Coat Ford Mustang: “We feel a little behind the eight-ball, but hopefully we’ll come out at Indy and the car will be back where it’s been and we’ll make a good run at this. I think it just adds a lot of excitement to the weekend and what is already the biggest weekend of the year even more exciting. It’s awesome and I’m just so honored to be involved. It’s going to make the weekend that much more fun.”

J.R. Todd, driver of the DHL Toyota GR Supra: “The guys have been working hard the past week and it’s nice to have the group of guys I do. Hopefully, we can come out swinging and do well in qualifying so we can really be focused on racing in the Callout on Sunday. I’m just glad to be in it. You’ve just got to go out there and do your job, and I hope I’m the one racing for big money on Sunday and Monday.”

Cruz Pedregon, driver of the Snap-On Tools Dodge SRT Hellcat: “I feel like we’re ready, but we’re going to have to be. The car is starting to come around. I feel like we need to qualify in the top half and our car will be one to watch. I’m a competitor and also a fan, and I think the Callout is really cool when someone picks an opponent that’s right up there. I hope it continues this year and all the cars are really good.”

Alexis DeJoria, driver of the Bandero Cafe Toyota GR Supra: “We definitely need to make up some ground. It’s not for a lack of effort, but we’ve just been having some struggles. I hope now is the time we’re going to shine. I know I’m ready to go and my team is as well. The team that makes the less mistakes is going to come out on top.”

Paul Lee, driver of the McLeod Racing/FTI Performance Dodge Charger: “Since last year, we’ve been qualifying really well, so it’s well-deserved by the team. We wanted to be in this and being in this gave us a little more incentive to try and do well. It is exciting because we’ve never been involved in one. I remember watching those specialty races in Indy growing up, so it’s going to be cool to be a part of it this weekend.”

The specialty event promises to be a huge attraction at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, which will be one of the biggest in the illustrious history of The Big Go. It features the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the year, 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, with more than 900 cars competing at the event.

Last year, Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Capps (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won, with Brown, Capps and Smith winning at Indy for the second straight year. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FOX and FS1, including eliminations on FOX at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 2.

Kalitta currently leads the Top Fuel ranks, while Austin Prock’s debut season in Funny Car has been a huge success as he leads the way. Dallas Glenn is the Pro Stock points leader, while Gaige Herrera has six wins to his credit in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Other stars to watch include Top Fuel’s Ashley, Brittany Force, Shawn Langdon and racing legend Tony Stewart, who will make his Indy Top Fuel debut, Funny Car’s Jack Beckman, Pro Stock’s Erica Enders, Greg Anderson and Aaron Stanfield, and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Chase Van Sant and Jianna Evaristo.

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.

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations 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.

2024 Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout Final Standings

1. Bob Tasca III
2. Ron Capps
3. Matt Hagan
4. Chad Green
5. J.R. Todd
6. Cruz Pedregon
7. Alexis DeJoria
8. Paul Lee

(Note: Tasca will get the first selection for the opening round, followed by the next-highest seeded driver until matchups are set.)

PEP BOYS NHRA FUNNY CAR ALL-STAR CALLOUT SCHEDULE (ET):

Saturday, Aug. 31:

11:30 AM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout first-round selections in Top Eliminator Club (Get your TEC Tickets Today!)

Sunday, Sept. 1

10:00 AM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout autograph session at Pep Boys display

1:00 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout opening ceremonies

1:05 PM – First round for Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout

2:40 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout for round two. This will be conducted at the top end. The winning driver who makes the quickest run in the first round earns the right to select their semifinal opponent.

4:30 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout final round

5:00 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout show airs on FOX

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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.

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2024 TOYOTA NHRA U.S. NATIONALS
LUCAS OIL INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK
CLERMONT, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE | NOTES & STATS
AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 2, 2024

CHEVROLET LOOKS TO RACE TO THE HISTORIC NHRA U.S. NATIONALS WINNER’S CIRCLE WITH JOHN FORCE RACING AT INDIANAPOLIS

• Team Chevy looks to race to the Winner’s Circle this weekend at the crown jewel event of the year, the 2024 Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Aug. 29-Sept. 1.
• Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, enters the Indianapolis race weekend with a stronghold on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship standings, leading Bob Tasca, III by 218 points in second and Matt Hagan by 230 in third.
• The first to clinch a spot in the Countdown to the Championship in Seattle, Prock has already raced his way to the Winner’s Circle in his debut Funny Car season four times, and a fifth at the season-opening PRO Super Star Shootout event at Bradenton.
• Racing on behalf of John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, Jack Beckman, a two-time U.S. Nationals winner (2015, 2020).
• Beckman, who is a decorated 33-time event winner and 2003 Funny Car champion, returns to the seat after a hiatus since 2020 and will accumulate points on behalf of the 16-time champion and is seeking a 17th championship title for Force.
• While still seeking her first victory since Las Vegas 2 in 2022 and her first U.S. Nationals Wally trophy, Brittany Force, driver of the Chevrolet Accessories Top Fuel dragster, looks to turn around her season at the “Big Go” and shift momentum through the Countdown to the Championship. She currently sits 10th in the points standings heading into the U.S. Nationals.
• Appropriately, a special Chevrolet Accessories paint scheme will be featured on Brittany’s Top Fuel dragster with John Force Racing, competing in the biggest event of the year.
• Featured on Force’s Top Fuel dragster for the biggest event of the year, Chevrolet Accessories will adorn her John Force Racing ride for the Indianapolis event.
• KB Titan Racing holds steady to the first and second positions in the Pro Stock championship standings, with Dallas Glenn leading Greg Anderson by 184 points, while Elite Motorsports’ Erica Enders sits third behind Glenn by 206 points.
• Additionally in competition this weekend, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown COPO Camaros as well as the Factory X Team Chevy teams, will compete for the season’s biggest prize, the prestigious U.S. Nationals Wally trophy.

Quotes:

AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

“I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of my Cornwell Tools Chevy Camaro SS. It’s been good to reset after a tough weekend and ready to get back on track! We had a great test session and have been hard at it at JFR to make sure we’re prepared to win! We would love to put Team Chevy in the winner’s circle at our biggest event of the year.”

JACK BECKMAN, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

“The last year that I raced, (in 2020), the world as falling apart. There were four National events at Indy…but only one U.S. Nationals, and I left with the trophy. Fast Forward four years, and now I am strapped into a Chevy Camaro that I think is the baddest racecar in the pits, driving for the coolest car owner, at the biggest race of the year. We have a realistic shot at winning ‘The Big Go’ for PEAK.”

BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE CHEVROLET ACCESSORIES TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:

“We are at the final race before this countdown kicks off and the biggest of our season. It is going to be a fight for this Chevrolet Accessories team to stay in the top 10 and give ourselves the best shot at chasing down the title this season. We’ve been very successful over the last few seasons in Indy. We have been to the finals in recent years and hope to continue that tradition in 2024 and take home the Wally.

“The U.S. Nationals race is the event that everybody wants to win. It is our most prestigious race on the circuit and it is the home to our JFR race team. I feel this team has put in such a great effort over the last two years. Winning this week would be redemption.”

How to Watch:

The Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals from Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park airs first with qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. ET with FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Sunday additionally sees the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car Callout at 5 p.m. on FOX followed by additional qualifying coverage at 6:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Race day Monday sees Finals airing at 12 p.m. ET on FS1 followed by coverage shifting to FOX at 2 p.m. ET. Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS:

1,461: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time). (One round win was captured by Jack Beckman in Brainerd, 2024 while racing on behalf of Force who is currently recovering from an on-track incident in Richmond, 2024).

626: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 631.

167: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time).

165: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967.

84: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time). Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) is fifth with 88.

85: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro SS body.

47: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force.

28: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. This is the seventh-consecutive award and ninth in 11 seasons. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.

26: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car.

20: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA.

16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force.

7: Number of Funny Car driver championships.

2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Three-time world champ seeking third straight win at The Big Go and sixth in his standout career

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 26, 2024) – Five wins at the world’s biggest drag race has put Antron Brown on the path to becoming a Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals legend. He’s rolled to back-to-back wins at The Big Go and a third straight victory would continue to build an already impressive legacy at the prestigious event.

Brown gets that opportunity at this weekend’s 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, as the three-time world champion looks to become the first driver since Tony Schumacher (2007-2009) to pick up three consecutive victories on drag racing’s grandest stage.

His Toyota teammate, Funny Car driver Ron Capps, and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith will also try to do the same in Indy this year, but a sixth Indy victory would put Brown among the sport’s elite. Only six other drivers have won six times at Indy and it’s a class Brown could join with another victory this weekend at The Big Go in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools/Toyota dragster.

“I’m super excited for the Toyota U.S. Nationals. It’s so cool to be able to participate in the 70th running of this historic event, especially with it now being a Toyota race,” said Brown, who enjoyed two Indy wins in Pro Stock Motorcycle early in his career. “We’re really striving hard right now. Our team is peaking at the right time and we’d love to pull off the undeniable turkey here, so that’s what we’re going in to do. That’s our game plan.

“We’ve won here the last two years and we’re going to try and continue that streak. The points are really tight and we’re working hard to push to be into that top four going into the Countdown. We’re going to give it all we’ve got and see what we can do. Our Matco Tools Toyota team is ready to go.”

Brown (Top Fuel), Capps (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all claimed 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.

Along with the chance at Indy glory, it’s a points-and-a-half race, meaning Brown and the other standouts could make a big move in the standings. He’s currently fifth in points, but only 14 out of fourth and 82 out of third, and a considerable jump could be in place with a stellar weekend.

That’s the goal, but nothing comes in easy in Top Fuel, which features a wealth of talent and 20 overall dragsters in Indy, including points leader and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, Shawn Langdon, Brainerd winner Justin Ashley, four-time champ Steve Torrence, Clay Millican, motorsports legend and NHRA rookie Tony Stewart, Tony Schumacher, whose 10 Indy victories are the most in NHRA history, and Brittany Force.

But Brown has always performed well when it matters most, evidenced by his back-to-back Indy triumphs. He’s already won three times in 2024 (Chicago, Norwalk and Sonoma) and the 77-time event winner has no plans of slowing down at The Big Go.

“It’s always been a plan in motion to try and peak at the right time, and our car has been running exceptionally well,” Brown said. “That’s a tribute to our team. The U.S. Nationals is our last race to get in the position we need to get in heading into the Countdown.

“We’re trying to get back to that true form and I believe we’re there. What makes the class so different today is now you have 10-12 cars that are good every race and there’s at least 14 cars that can win a race.”

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.

Capps, a three-time Funny Car world champ, sported an iconic paint scheme last year with his Don Prudhomme Hot Wheels tribute car. He is after his first win of the year against the likes of points leader Austin Prock, three-time 2024 winner Bob Tasca III, reigning champion Matt Hagan, and Gainesville winner J.R. Todd. Jack Beckman, who will be racing for John Force in Indy, will also be making his Indy return.

Hartford won his first NHRA U.S. Nationals last season. The eight-time event winner is looking for his first win of 2024. Leading the Pro Stock points is standout Dallas Glenn followed by multi-time champs Greg Anderson and Erica Enders, with Aaron Stanfield and Jeg Coughlin Jr. also looking for Indy success.

Smith, a six-time NHRA champ, captured his third NHRA U.S. Nationals win last season. Smith won the most recent race in Sonoma and has his sights set on dethroning reigning world champ Gaige Herrera, who has won six of the eight events this season. Also in the mix is former NHRA U.S. Nationals winner John Hall, Richard Gadson, Jianna Evaristo, Angie Smith, Steve Johnson and Seattle winner Chase Van Sant.

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 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.

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 23, 2024) – Already the biggest event of the season in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ for a variety of reasons, SRI and Finish Line Consultants are pleased to announce the SRI Pro Mod Showdown will also be contested during qualifying as part of the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals on Aug. 28-Sept. 2 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The marquee event on the NHRA Pro Mod schedule, The Big Go also serves as the first race in the category’s four-race “Road to the Championship” playoffs and the special SRI Pro Mod Showdown adds even more to the weekend, which features a huge collection of Pro Mod standouts.

The SRI Pro Mod Showdown will take place during qualifying, with the driver who puts together the best E.T. average during qualifying receiving $7,500 from SRI, continuing the strong recent momentum in the NHRA Pro Mod category.

“SRI is thrilled to be a part of the Showdown at the 70th Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals. Pro Mod is so exciting for the fans to watch, and we love that the class will be at our home track. SRI is your go-to destination for all things racing and street performance, offering a wide range of products, including chassis, engines, suspensions, supplies, raw materials and more. Drag racing enables us to showcase our products and we look forward to being at Indy in 2024. We hope everyone stops by the Pro Mod pits to say hello,” said Chad Elliott, SRI Director of Technical Sales/Engine Components.

It adds another exciting element for the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, which is expected to have nearly 30 cars in attendance at The Big Go. Each of the drivers in the “Road to the Championship” will be profiled next week heading into the U.S. Nationals, where Kris Thorne won a year ago.

After taking the last two months off, the class returns to action in a major way, with all challengers looking to track down points leader and former world champion Thorne. He’ll open the playoffs with a 20-point advantage over Jose Gonzalez, another world champion in the class.

Two rounds of qualifying in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV take place on Friday at 2:30 PM and 4:45 p.m. ET, while the final qualifying rounds are at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. The first round of eliminations is slated for 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, with the SRI Pro Mod Showdown adding another major incentive for the class over the first two days at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

The 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals also promises to be one of the biggest in the illustrious history of The Big Go, featuring 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.

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 SRI Indy

SRI Indy, located in Brownsburg, Indiana, is your go-to supplier for everything the racing industry demands, making it your ultimate one-stop shop for all things racing. SRI Indy delivers the best customer service, with technical experts available for each racing series and product line, ensuring you get the exact support and knowledge you need.

SPA Technique: Founded in 1989 in the United Kingdom, SPA Technique has become a global leader in the supply of high-quality fire suppression systems. With over three decades of industry experience, SPA Technique is renowned for its expertise in delivering fire suppression system solutions to a diverse range of clients across all racing disciplines. From IndyCars to SCCA, WOO Sprint Cars to Dirt Late Models, Nitro Funny Cars to No Prep Drag Cars, and beyond, SPA Technique’s proficiency in fire suppression systems is unmatched worldwide.

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.

Racing and the chance to compete for a national championship starts in late August at NHRA Member Tracks across the United States and Canada

LAS VEGAS (Aug. 23, 2024) – Starting next weekend, the race is on for drivers in the NHRA Summit Racing Series to compete for a spot at the Summit E.T. Series National Championship.

With 75,000-plus participants competing at more than 100 NHRA Member Tracks this year, the spotlight now turns to the divisional championships set to take place across the United States and Canada in eight NHRA division events.

The Summit E.T. Finals in the seven NHRA divisions take place during late August, September and October, with the winners advancing to compete for a national championship. The first race takes place in Division 6 on 29-Sept. 2 at Pacific Raceways, continuing throughout September and finishing with the final Summit Racing Series E.T. Finals on Oct. 9-13, as the Division 7 race takes place at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The ”Road to Vegas” wraps up with 40 qualified finalists taking part in the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship on Oct. 31-Nov. 3 as part of the NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s the culmination of an impressive program that includes nearly $300,000 in annual series contingency postings up for grabs.

“This is such a terrific program and it’s a great way for racers to get involved at their member track, race their divisional Summit E.T. Finals and possibly qualify to race for a NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship,” NHRA Sportsman Racing Manager Sara Walker said. “The ‘Road to Vegas’ starts at every competitor’s hometown NHRA Member Track and we are thrilled Summit Racing Equipment continues to be so heavily-involved and supportive of this series and NHRA’s grassroots programs.”

Each division also presents unique items at their Summit E.T. Finals, including:

Division 1 – Lebanon Valley Dragway, West Lebanon, N.Y., Sept. 20-21 

• Two reigning champions come from this division and with a huge talent pool of competitors, this event will feature one of the biggest and toughest fields for the E.T. finals.

Division 2 – South Georgia Motorsports Park, Cecil, Ga., Sept. 12-14 

• More than $15,000 will be paid out daily on the Thursday/Friday gambler’s races and an all-new Race of Champions Appreciation Dinner and raffle will take place on Friday of the event.

Division 3 – Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio, Sept. 13-15 

• This marks a new track for the Summit E.T. Finals and the event includes a free test-and-tune, Thursday welcome party, a Friday bonus race with a guaranteed purse of more than $22,000, best appearing and spirit awards and fireworks.

Division 4 – Ardmore Dragway, Ardmore, Okla., Sept. 6-8 

• The Carrell family operates Ardmore Dragway, which is the longest continually run dragstrip in the United States. The racer-owned facility offers a special grassroots experience with plenty of stout competition.

Division 5 – Flying H Dragstrip, Odessa, Mo., Sept. 14-15 

• The new facility will host the E.T. Finals for the first time, offering increased payouts across every class in 2024 and more than $7,500 in giveaways/prizes during the Parade of Champions.

Division 6 – Pacific Raceways, Seattle, Aug. 29-Sept. 2 

• This race will include a reaction time challenge during the weekend, as well as a poker tournament and a “Best Performing Track” award

Division 7 – The Strip at Las Vegas Motorsport Speedway, Las Vegas, Oct. 9-13 

• This event will include a practice tree tournament, while the member track dinners offer a unique team-building opportunity between the track and track family.

An Eastern Canadian E.T. Finals takes place for the first time in NHRA history in 2024 as well, with the race taking place Sept. 6-8 at Napierville Dragway in Quebec. The E.T. Finals will be a championship-level event mirroring the seven NHRA Divisional E.T. Finals currently contested.

The intense racing action in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle and Street Legal EV categories will lead to Summit E.T. Finals champions, putting drivers and race teams on track for a truly memorable experience at the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship.

It starts with a welcome dinner on Thursday, Oct. 31, which will also feature a chip draw for the first four positions, who will call out the remaining drivers to set the first-round matchups.

Special prizes will also be raffled off between the 40 finalists, including NHRA suite passes for a day, experience a nitro car warmup in the pits and more. All finalists will have marquee access during Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying sessions, as well as a parade in front of the grandstands in Vegas and pre-race introductions during the official pre-race ceremonies at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, putting the racers in front of the fans before running for a championship.

Along with the purse, also up for grabs is a national championship Wally trophy, a championship jacket and much more.

For more information on the NHRA Summit Racing Series, visit https://www.nhra.com/sportsman.

2024 NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals Schedule 

Division 1 – Lebanon Valley Dragway, West Lebanon, N.Y., Sept. 20-21 

Division 2 – South Georgia Motorsports Park, Cecil, Ga., Sept. 12-14 

Division 3 – Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio, Sept. 13-15 

Division 4 – Ardmore Dragway, Ardmore, Okla., Sept. 6-8 

Division 5 – Flying H Dragstrip, Odessa, Mo., Sept. 14-15 

Division 6 – Pacific Raceways, Seattle, Aug. 29-Sept. 2 

Division 7 – The Strip at Las Vegas Motorsport Speedway, Las Vegas, Oct. 9-13 

Eastern Canadian E.T. Finals, Napierville Dragway, Quebec, Sept. 6-8 

NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship 

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Oct. 31-Nov. 3 

About Summit Racing Equipment

Summit Racing Equipment has been the World’s Speed Shop® for over 50 years! Summit Racing is the world’s largest e-commerce, mail order, and retailer of performance automotive parts and accessories. Summit Racing offers a huge selection of parts in stock from over 1,500 manufacturers for all forms of racing, street performance, off-roading, restoration, tools, and yes, diesel. It also offers fast ground service shipping to most areas of the country and same-day shipping on in-stock items. Summit Racing has the industry’s top-rated customer service and a full-time technical department to answer your questions. With headquarters in Tallmadge, Ohio, Summit operates distribution and retail stores in Tallmadge, Sparks, NV, McDonough, GA, and Arlington, TX.

Summit Racing Equipment
www.summitracing.com
1-800-230-3030

About NHRA 

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown™ and Top Fuel Harley Series. 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 120 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.

Current stars and champions like Capps, Kalitta, Torrence, Hagan, Todd and Enders enjoy first Indy victories and more

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 22, 2024) – It’s been said that no racer’s legacy is complete without a win at the prestigious Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals. Known as the world’s biggest drag race, a victory in Indy is the one that every competitor wants and that will be the case at this year’s 70-year celebration of The Big Go on Aug. 28-Sept. 2 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

For nearly 70 years, racers have chased the ultimate glory at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, including several marquee and star drivers who cashed in for the very first time during the 2010s and thus far in the 2020s.

Celebrating 70 years of The Big Go greatness brings us to the two most recent decades, which featured a flurry of first-time winners, many of whom waited a considerable time to taste success on drag racing’s grandest stage.

By 2015, many of the sport’s biggest current stars had not won in Indy, a list that included Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, Doug Kalitta, Erica Enders, J.R. Todd and Steve Torrence, an impressive group that now has more than 300 victories and 19 world championships combined. It took them time to find their Indy moment, but each has found the prestigious Indy winner’s circle in the past 10 years.

Enders, a six-time world champion and motorsports’ winningest female driver, broke though in the midst of her dominant 2015 campaign, following it up with Indy triumphs in 2020 and 2021.

Kalitta’s time came even later, as he could never find his footing at the U.S. Nationals. That all changed in 2019, as the veteran, who went on to claim his first career world championship in 2023, defeated Billy Torrence in the final round for his first Indy win. It came 25 years after his uncle and team owner, Connie Kalitta, picked up his lone Indy victory in 1994.

“I’m a real persistent guy, so I never give up,” Kalitta said in his post-race interview. “But it does make you wonder if you’re going to win it. After we got past the first round, I was thinking this was going to be a pretty good chance to win it.”

In 2017, both Todd and Torrence broke through, sharing the winner’s circle as first-time Indy winners in the professional ranks. Todd, who grew up not far from the facility, repeated the next year as well en route to his first world championship, while Torrence won again in 2021 as he finished the year with a fourth straight world championship.

Hagan, who claimed his fourth world championship last year, enjoyed his marquee Indy moment in 2016, while Capps had to stay (very) patient. After years of agonizing losses at The Big Go, Capps, who had done everything in his career but win Indy, finished the job on Labor Day Monday in 2022 in a spectacular moment he will always remember. The following year, though, was just as special, as Capps showcased a special paint scheme honoring Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. With Prudhomme in attendance, Capps went back-to-back in an Indy moment that will undoubtedly live forever.

In Top Fuel in the 2010s, Shawn Langdon won in 2013 for his first victory, adding another in 2020, while Antron Brown’s first Top Fuel win at Indy came in 2011, as well as back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023. Tony Schumacher’s 2016 victory gave him an incredible 10th victory at The Big Go, while Terry McMillen’s 2018 Indy victory serves as one of the biggest upset wins of the decade.

John Force Racing ran roughshod at Indy in the 2010s, winning for six straight years from 2008-2013. Ashley Force Hood won in 2010, defeating her father, John, in the final round, while Mike Neff took back-to-back wins and Robert Hight capped off the streak in 2013. Who broke it? It was Alexis DeJoria, who scored her biggest drag racing moment with her 2014 Indy victory. Jack Beckman, now driving for Force, claimed the Indy win in 2015, while Force’s fifth Funny Car win at The Big Go followed in 2019.

Other Indy highlights in the past decade-plus include Andrew Hines’ first Pro Stock Motorcycle win at the race (2012), Chris McGaha’s 2016 win in Pro Stock, Eddie Krawiec finishing the deal in 2014 in PSM, a pair of wins from Jerry Savoie in the 2010s and Greg Anderson getting his 100th career victory in 2022 at Indy.

Back to the present, what star will be next to pick up their first victory at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals? It’s not easy and standouts like Justin Ashley, Brittany Force, Bob Tasca III, Dallas Glenn and Gaige Herrera remain looking for their moment at the world’s biggest drag race.

This year would be an ideal one to win, as 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, with more than 900 cars in attendance.

Last year, Brown (Top Fuel), Capps (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won, with Brown, Capps and Smith winning at Indy for the second straight year. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FOX and FS1, including eliminations on FOX at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 2.

Kalitta currently leads the Top Fuel ranks, while Austin Prock’s debut season in Funny Car has been a huge success as he leads the way. Glenn is the Pro Stock points leader, while Herrera has six wins to his credit in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

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. and 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations 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 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.

READING, Pa. (Aug. 22, 2024) – At the beginning of every NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, drivers have their sights on a championship and the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway will kick off that playoff hunt to open the Countdown to the Championship.

The 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals takes place Sept. 12-15 and the historic, fan-favorite track is the first stop of the NHRA’s six-race playoff race. Setting the tone in Reading can make for celebration or heartbreak come the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona and drivers will be laser-focused as they take to the track at Maple Grove Raceway.

The tradition-rich facility is known for being one of the quickest on the NHRA tour, providing an epic backdrop for incredible runs and memorable action on a must-see weekend that includes two rounds of qualifying on both Friday and Saturday, leading into eliminations on Sunday.

Last season, Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all claimed wins in their respective categories and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1 and FOX, including elimination coverage on FOX on Sunday, Sept. 12 beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Overall, the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals is the 15th event during the 20-race season and it promises to deliver a weekend of thrilling action at a facility always packed with fans.

Kalitta, a veteran in the Top Fuel ranks, will always remember last year’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals win as the turning point in his 2023 campaign. Heading into the Countdown, Kalitta had yet to win last season and was forced to a backup car during eliminations in Reading. But he rolled to the win, defeating four-time champion Steve Torrence in the final round. Kalitta won two additional Countdown races, including a winner-take-all final round in Pomona, to win his first championship. This season, Kalitta is the Top Fuel points leader, with his teammate Shawn Langdon in second, along with Justin Ashley, Torrence and Antron Brown to round out the top five.

In 2023, Hight earned his third Pep Boys NHRA Nationals win over Chad Green. This season, Hight has stepped out of the driver’s seat and Austin Prock has taken over duties in impressive fashion. Prock currently leads the points with four event wins and seven Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge wins, putting together a remarkable campaign. Also in the mix this season is Bob Tasca III, who is after his first world championship, reigning champion Matt Hagan, Ron Capps and J.R. Todd. Funny Car veteran Jack Beckman has also returned to racing, stepping into the seat of 16-time champion John Force as Beckman aims to try and win another title for the iconic Force.

Pro Stock’s Hartford not only won the prestigious Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals last season, but he also went on to win the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, defeating Kyle Koretsky. Hartford hopes the Countdown will be the turning point of his season after a tough year with two quarterfinal finishes. But it won’t be easy against the likes of points leader Dallas Glenn, who has three wins this season including most recently in Brainerd, Greg Anderson, reigning champion Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield and veteran Jeg Coughlin Jr.

The six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Smith was thrilled to collect back-to-back wins in Indianapolis and Reading last season after Gaige Herrera dominated the majority of the year. Smith defeated Chip Ellis in the final round to earn his third Pep Boys NHRA Nationals win. This season, Smith won in Sonoma and 2023 Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant picked up the Seattle race victory. Reigning champ Herrera has won the other six Pro Stock Motorcycle races and was dominant in the playoffs a year ago, winning the final five races of the year.

The event also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock.

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 Maple Grove Raceway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday 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 Sunday 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 Reading. 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 two rounds at 2:30 and 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 13 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 15. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, as well as at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday and eliminations on FOX at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, fans can visit www.maplegroveraceway.com. All children 12 and under are admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information on the 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.

Bob Tasca III gets top seed in loaded eight-car specialty race, which provides bonus money and bragging rights at The Big Go

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 20, 2024) – The world’s biggest drag race includes a standout Funny Car showdown, as the field is now set for the eight-car Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday, Sept. 1 as part of this year’s 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

The Big Go takes place Aug. 28-Sept. 2 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and one of the major highlights of the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals is the Funny Car specialty race that offers up bragging rights and big money on drag racing’s grandest stage.

For the first time, Bob Tasca III earned the top seed in the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, with the rest of the eight-car field including, in order, 2022 Callout winner Ron Capps, defending world champion Matt Hagan, Chad Green, J.R. Todd, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria and Paul Lee. Both Green and Lee are making their first appearance in the specialty race, while Todd returns to the Callout this year after just missing out a season ago.

Lee was ninth in the Callout standings and moved into the final field with John Force unable to participate following his June crash in Richmond.

By earning the top seed – which is based on qualifying points for the last seven races of 2023 and the first 13 races of 2024 – Tasca will get the first chance to call out his first-round opponent. If Capps is not selected, the back-to-back Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals champion will get the next pick, going down the line until all first-round matchups are set. There is plenty on the line in the opening round as well, as the driver who makes the quickest winning run will get to select their semifinal opponent, adding more intrigue and excitement to the Callout.

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.

Now in its third year at The Big Go, the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout offers the chance for one driver to pull off something spectacular and win more than once at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals. Capps swept the weekend in 2022, while Robert Hight won the Callout last season. Tasca is currently second in points and enjoying another strong season, while Hagan has advanced to the Callout final both years and is coming off a final-round appearance in Brainerd. Pedregon and DeJoria have both advanced to the Callout the last two seasons.

The specialty event promises to be a huge attraction at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, which will be one of the biggest in the illustrious history of The Big Go. It features the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the year, 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.

Last year, Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Capps (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won, with Brown, Capps and Smith winning at Indy for the second straight year. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FOX and FS1, including eliminations on FOX at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 2.

Kalitta currently leads the Top Fuel ranks, while Austin Prock’s debut season in Funny Car has been a huge success as he leads the way. Dallas Glenn is the Pro Stock points leader, while Gaige Herrera has six wins to his credit in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Other stars to watch include Top Fuel’s Ashley, Brittany Force, Shawn Langdon and racing legend Tony Stewart, who will make his Indy Top Fuel debut, Funny Car’s Jack Beckman, Pro Stock’s Erica Enders, Greg Anderson and Aaron Stanfield, and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Chase Van Sant and Jianna Evaristo.

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.

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations 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.

2024 Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout Final Standings

1. Bob Tasca III
2. Ron Capps
3. Matt Hagan
4. Chad Green
5. J.R. Todd
6. Cruz Pedregon
7. Alexis DeJoria
8. Paul Lee

(Note: Tasca will get the first selection for the opening round, followed by the next-highest seeded driver until matchups are set.)

PEP BOYS NHRA FUNNY CAR ALL-STAR CALLOUT SCHEDULE (ET):

Saturday, Aug. 31:

11:30 AM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout first-round selections in Top Eliminator Club (Get your TEC Tickets Today!)

Sunday, Sept. 1

10:00 AM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout autograph session at Pep Boys display

1:00 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout opening ceremonies

1:05 PM – First round for Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout

2:40 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout for round two. This will be conducted at the top end. The winning driver who makes the quickest run in the first round earns the right to select their semifinal opponent.

4:30 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout final round

5:00 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout show airs on FOX

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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.

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 18, 2024) – Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley picked up his third win of the season on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, defeating Shawn Langdon in the final round of the 42nd Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

Blake Alexander (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the 13th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Ashley led wire-to-wire against Langdon, going 3.745-seconds at 329.34 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster to roll to his 14th career victory. Ashley defeated Billy Torrence, Tony Stewart and Josh Hart to reach the final round, earning his first career Top Fuel win at Brainerd and also getting his first victory since April.

He moved to third in points and showcased impressive consistency during eliminations, with all four runs between 3.74 and 3.76. That bodes well for a strong performance in Indy and the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

“Everything that we’ve done throughout the entire regular season so far has been done with intent and purpose,” Ashley said. “We want to win each and every race that we go to, but ultimately, it’s about positioning ourselves well for Indy and beyond. We broke out a new car this weekend and kudos to Mike (Green) and Tommy (DeLago), they did an amazing job. The car went up and down the track every time today. There’s just something about a new chassis that feels great. There’s going to be ups and downs, it’s about staying level-headed.

“This class is so difficult, it’s so tough. The margin of error is so small, so when you’re able to be consistent like that, it just increases your chances of winning. It’s one of those sports that any given Sunday, anything can happen. It’s so hard to run in such a tight window like that, but this team came through and got it done.”

Langdon went to the finals for the sixth time in 2024 and the 44th time in his career, getting past Shawn Reed, Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta and Ida Zetterstrom, who made her NHRA Top Fuel debut this weekend. Kalitta now holds an 84-point lead over Langdon.

In Funny Car, Blake Alexander enjoyed a terrific redemption weekend in Brainerd after the team battled back following an explosion in Sonoma. The turnaround was impressive and Alexander ended his weekend in the winner’s circle for the first time this season, picking up the win in his 11,000-horsepower Head Racing Ford Mustang when defending world champion Matt Hagan went red in the final round. Alexander would have been tough to beat, posting a 3.927 at 324.67 in the championship round after staying in the low 3.90s the entire day.

It’s the fourth career victory for Alexander – and his second in Funny Car – and he advanced to the final round on the strength of round wins against Dave Richards, Jack Beckman and Chad Green. Working with crew chief Jim Head, Alexander has turned into a legit contender and will head to the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals seventh in points, feeling fully capable his team can compete against anyone. Alexander proved that in Brainerd, taking another step forward in his career at a track that means a great deal to him.

“Sonoma was the hardest race I’ve ever had in my career and then to come here and have one of the best races I’ve ever had in my career, it means a lot,” Alexander said. “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I know that when I’m on, I’m one of the top guys out here. I know when I’m not on, just like anyone else, I can be a problem for my race team. So I’m trying to keep it tight, four straight runs every single time. Saying that is really easy to do, but doing that is really hard.

“I’m really proud of this team, they worked really hard on the combination and seeing them pull the strings on it in between runs. We’re making legit horsepower now and when it turns into a horsepower game we can play that game now and I’m pretty proud of that. It’s just a nice to place to come to and when you can feel that the people who own the track and the fans care, it just makes this big difference.”

After struggling in qualifying, Hagan reached the finals for the fourth time this year and 91st time in his career, getting past Ron Capps, Daniel Wilkerson and J.R. Todd. Austin Prock remains in the points lead, holding a 218-point advantage over Bob Tasca III heading to Indy.

Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn got back to his winning ways in impressive fashion, picking up a repeat win in Brainerd after defeating Mason McGaha in the final round, going 6.613 at 206.95 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. It’s the third season of the season for Glenn – and his first since Chicago in May – and the 11th in his career. Brainerd also continues to treat Glenn very well, defeating Eric Latino with a 6.598, defending world champion Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield, who had won three of the past four races, to reach the final round.

McGaha left first but ran into trouble as Glenn cruised to a victory. It opened up his lead over KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson to 184 points heading to the regular-season finale in Indy and gets Glenn back on track, also snapping the six-race winning streak of Elite Motorsports in the process.

“It feels really good,” Glenn said. “I went to three finals in that six-race streak where they kept winning. It was definitely good to finally seal the deal. We made a really nice run there in the final, even though I kind of got caught with my pants down on the tree. I kept flickering it all day and had really long trees, then all of a sudden I get a quick one and it caught me off guard.

“Everybody on the crew did an awesome job. You go up second round against Erica and you know she’s going to be tough, and then you follow it up with Aaron Stanfield, who’s won three out of the last four – yeah, it was a tough day. This is a big Pro Stock area, the Zoo is always a good time, and people around here definitely show up for this race. They support it, and it’s really great seeing the stands packed and everybody up against the fence cheering every run you go up and down.”

McGaha reached his first final round of the season and third in his career thanks to victories against No. 1 qualifier Jerry Tucker, David Cuadra and Fernando Cuadra Jr.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Aug. 28-Sept. 2 with the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

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BRAINERD, Minn. — Final finish order (1-16) at the 42nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. The race is the 13th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

1. Justin Ashley; 2. Shawn Langdon; 3. Ida Zetterstrom; 4. Josh Hart; 5. Clay Millican; 6. Doug Kalitta; 7. Tony Stewart; 8. Jasmine Salinas; 9. Steve Torrence; 10. Shawn Reed; 11. Brittany Force; 12. Tony Schumacher; 13. Antron Brown; 14. Billy Torrence.

FUNNY CAR:

1. Blake Alexander; 2. Matt Hagan; 3. J.R. Todd; 4. Chad Green; 5. Austin Prock; 6. Jack

Beckman; 7. Bob Tasca III; 8. Daniel Wilkerson; 9. Bobby Bode; 10. Ron Capps; 11. Paul Lee; 12. Dave Richards; 13. Alexis DeJoria; 14. Jim Campbell; 15. Jack Wyatt; 16. Cruz Pedregon.

PRO STOCK:

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

BRAINERD, Minn. — Sunday’s final results from the 42nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. The race is the 13th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Justin Ashley, 3.745 seconds, 329.34 mph def. Shawn Langdon, 4.020 seconds, 261.32 mph.

Funny Car — Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 3.927, 324.67 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, Foul – Red Light.

Pro Stock — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.613, 206.95 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 10.944, 82.27.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Hunter Green, 5.251, 271.90 def. Madison Payne, 5.264, 276.86.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Bob McCosh, Chevy Camaro, 5.515, 263.77 def. Sean Bellemeur, Camaro, 5.827, 261.07.

Competition Eliminator — Bruno Massel, Chevy Cobalt, 6.986, 187.23 def. Travis Gusso, Cobalt, 8.450, 160.31.

Stock Eliminator — Brian Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 10.330, 125.01 def. Johnny Diekema, Chevy Corvette, 10.055, 128.04.

Super Comp — Michael Cheney, Dragster, 8.907, 164.23 def. Kris Whitfield, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

Super Street — Wayde Samuel, Chevelle, 10.888, 139.95 def. Steve Stockton, Nova, Foul – Red Light.

Factory Stock Showdown — Scott Libersher, Chevy Camaro, 7.816, 172.04 def. David Janac, Ford Mustang, 7.909, 173.58.

Top Fuel Motorcycle — Larry McBride, Suzuki, 4.854, 239.91 def. Mitch Brown, Suzuki, 5.205, 212.90.

Mountain Motor Pro Stock — Brad Waddle, Ford Mustang, Foul – Red Light def. Dennis Firkus, Chevy Cobalt, Foul – Red Light.

BRAINERD, Minn. — Final round-by-round results from the 42nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 13th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Shawn Langdon, 3.774, 310.41 def. Shawn Reed, 3.755, 329.75; Doug Kalitta, 3.689, 331.20 def. Antron Brown, 5.720, 121.69; Clay Millican, 3.735, 332.51 def. Brittany Force, 3.756, 332.18; Tony Stewart, 3.724, 334.73 def. Tony Schumacher, 3.786, 327.11; Ida Zetterstrom, 3.773, 320.81 def. Steve Torrence, 3.750, 321.35; Josh Hart, 3.758, 331.04 def. Jasmine Salinas, 3.742, 330.96; Justin Ashley, 3.747, 331.69 def. Billy Torrence, 8.055, 116.88;

QUARTERFINALS — Zetterstrom, 4.395, 180.48 was unopposed; Hart, 3.772, 330.39 def. Millican, 3.787, 308.99; Ashley, 3.763, 328.30 def. Stewart, 9.435, 78.54; Langdon, 3.970, 284.87 def. Kalitta, 4.378, 250.92;

SEMIFINALS — Langdon, 16.584, 62.32 def. Zetterstrom, Foul – Red Light; Ashley, 3.754, 330.39 def. Hart, 4.135, 225.82;

FINAL — Ashley, 3.745, 329.34 def. Langdon, 4.020, 261.32.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.956, 320.28 def. Jack Wyatt, Dodge Charger, 24.584, 21.08; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.872, 334.65 def. Jim Campbell, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.634, 235.39; Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.921, 325.37 def. Dave Richards, Toyota Camry, 4.118, 263.46; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.937, 329.26 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.913, 331.20; Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.940, 327.11 def. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 4.254, 218.55; Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.885, 322.88 def.

Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.910, 330.39; Chad Green, Mustang, No Time Recorded def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, Foul – Centerline; J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.945, 328.70 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.015, 276.86;

QUARTERFINALS — Hagan, 3.969, 324.05 def. Wilkerson, 10.218, 88.82; Todd, 4.012, 323.97 def. Prock, 3.917, 323.89; Alexander, 3.943, 317.05 def. Beckman, 3.945, 321.65; Green, 4.044, 309.20 def. Tasca III, 4.343, 222.58;

SEMIFINALS — Alexander, 3.948, 320.51 def. Green, Foul – Red Light; Hagan, 3.965, 324.12 def. Todd, 4.075, 280.14;

FINAL — Alexander, 3.927, 324.67 def. Hagan, Foul – Red Light.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — David Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.645, 206.45 def. Deric Kramer, Chevy Camaro, 7.114, 194.72; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.598, 208.10 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.649, 206.20; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.611, 204.05 def. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.609, 205.91; Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.651, 206.01 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.636, 206.57; Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.610, 206.42 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.640, 206.29; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.618, 204.94 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro,

6.603, 208.30; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.597, 206.73 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.650, 207.34; Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.641, 207.37 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.610, 207.62;

QUARTERFINALS — M. McGaha, 6.655, 207.69 def. D. Cuadra, 6.652, 206.48; Stanfield, 6.629, 205.29 def. Coughlin, 6.691, 199.91; Cuadra Jr., 6.632, 206.42 def. C. Cuadra, 6.680, 198.03; Glenn, 6.623, 206.20 def. Enders, 6.622, 207.05;

SEMIFINALS — M. McGaha, 6.672, 206.51 def. Cuadra Jr., 6.849, 206.13; Glenn, 6.616, 206.76 def. Stanfield, 6.620, 207.37;

FINAL — Glenn, 6.613, 206.95 def. M. McGaha, 10.944, 82.27.

BRAINERD, Minn. — Point standings (top 10) following the 42nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 13th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

1. Doug Kalitta, 1,034; 2. Shawn Langdon, 950; 3. Justin Ashley, 929; 4. Steve Torrence, 861; 5. Antron Brown, 847; 6. Clay Millican, 683; 7. Tony Stewart, 677; 8. Tony Schumacher, 663; 9. Billy Torrence, 639; 10. Brittany Force, 583.

Funny Car

1. Austin Prock, 1,190; 2. Bob Tasca III, 972; 3. Matt Hagan, 960; 4. J.R. Todd, 891; 5. John Force, 749; 6. Ron Capps, 738; 7. Blake Alexander, 650; 8. Daniel Wilkerson, 637; 9. Chad Green, 606; 10. Paul Lee, 578.

Pro Stock

1. Dallas Glenn, 1,153; 2. Greg Anderson, 969; 3. Erica Enders, 947; 4. Aaron Stanfield, 941; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 849; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 680; 7. Jerry Tucker, 648; 8. Cristian Cuadra, 512; 9. Deric Kramer, 490; 10. Eric Latino, 487.

JUSTIN ASHLEY TRIUMPHANT AT BRAINERD FOR TOYOTA’S FIFTH CONSECUTIVE WIN
Toyota claims 13th Top Fuel win in the last 14 NHRA races

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 18, 2024) – Justin Ashley captured his third victory of the 2024 season and the 14th of his career by taking home the Wally Trophy at Brainerd International Raceway on Sunday. Ashley defeated his Toyota teammate, Shawn Langdon, in the final round to give Toyota its fifth consecutive Top Fuel victory and its 13th in the last 14 NHRA events. The victory also bumps Ashley up to third in the Top Fuel points standings heading to the Toyota U.S. Nationals in two weeks, the final race before the Countdown to the Championship.

The finals appearances by Ashley and Langdon now mark 36 consecutive NHRA event final rounds for Toyota in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.

In Funny Car, J.R. Todd reached the semifinals Sunday afternoon, but not without having to overcome some adversity. As he captured the win light in his second-round race, Todd suffered damage that seemed to be too much to repair before the semi-finals. However, Toyota teammate teams, Ron Capps Motorsports and DC Motorsports, chipped in to help Todd and the DHL team repair their GR Supra Funny Car in time, which included a spare body from Capps, who was eliminated in round one. It was a testament of tremendous teamwork across Team Toyota but ended in the penultimate round of Funny Car action.

Racing at the Toyota U.S Nationals for Team Toyota begins Friday, Aug. 30 with the final round taking place Monday, Sept. 2. Coverage across the weekend will be found on FOX, FS1 and FS2.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Brainerd International Raceway
Race 13 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Winner	W (3.747) v. B. Torrence (8.055) W (3.763) v. T. Stewart (9.435) W (3.754) v. J. Hart (4.135) W (3.745) v. S. Langdon (4.020)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finalist	W (3.774 – holeshot) v. S. Reed (3.755) W (3.970) v. D. Kalitta (4.378) W (15.584) v. I. Zetterstrom (3.840 – red light) L (4.020) v. J. Ashley. Langdon (3.745)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W (3.689) v. A. Brown (5.720) L (4.378) v. S. Langdon (3.970)
Steve Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First round	L (3.750) v. I. Zetterstrom (3.773 – holeshot)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (5.720) v. D. Kalitta (3.689)
Billy Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (8.055) v. J. Ashley (3.747)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Semi-finals	W (3.945) v. P. Lee (N/A) W (4.012 – holeshot) v. A. Prock (3.917) L (4.075) v. M. Hagan (3.965)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L (4.254) v. D. Wilkerson (3.940)
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L (3.913) v. M. Hagan (3.937 – holeshot)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, SCAG Racing

TF Final Result: Winner

Does it get any better than a win like this?

“No, it doesn’t. This is fantastic. What an incredible weekend. You know, the first burnout we did on this new chassis, new car, we had was Q1 here this weekend. I think right now, we’re hitting our stride and it’s all about the Countdown (to the Championship) and preparing for Indy (Toyota U.S. Nationals), which is the next one. This was an all-Team Toyota final and to be able to put this car, specifically, into the winner circle is just (pause), feels so good. Mike Green (crew chief), Tommy DeLago (co-crew chief) and the guys, this is because of them. They work incredibly hard, and they put this car together on short notice. Great job team and thank you to all the SCAG Power Equipment dealers and distributors out there this weekend. It was riding like a cheetah and turf tiger all weekend, so awesome job everybody.”

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

FC Final Result: Semifinalist

It wasn’t the result you wanted, but what an effort to get the car ready for that run.

“Yeah, I can’t thank everybody enough who was involved. First off, Ron Capps. It’s great being a part of Toyota – one big family. These GR Supras, they’re not interchangeable between the two chassis, so they had to hustle to fit that NAPA body to make it fit on our chassis. Del Worsham (DC Motorsports), his guys were over there helping us out. There were some other teams as well. The ‘Yellow Fellas’ (DHL GR Supra Funny Car team), I always give them props for working hard, but they’ve had one heck of a weekend. After that, we have a lot of work to get ready for Indy (Toyota U.S. Nationals). I thought we were dead after that. I was throwing my gloves and upset. Saw the win light come on and thought, ‘we’re screwed,’ right? Two bodies and didn’t know if there was any chassis damage. But those guys, they don’t quit until it’s over with and it was awesome to drag it back up there. It was like a victory in itself and once you see (Matt) Hagan out there drive away from you, you just shut it off. Don’t want to blow another body up. But hopefully we can go to Indy and redeem ourselves and start making a move when it counts.”

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

FC Final Result: First Round

What was the thought process going into helping JR and the Kalitta team to get their car prepared for the semifinals?

“It wasn’t even a decision, we’re all Toyotas. We actually looked into seeing if we could even bring our chassis down here, our backup in the trailer. There are a few things I have different, my brake handle, little things like that but J.R. (Todd) is a great driver and he can adapt. Unfortunately, things are just a bit different between Del Worsham’s (DC Motorsports) car, our car and the Kalitta car as far as the Toyota bodies on the chassis, specifically. Our guys, their guys and Del’s guys jumped on it and they’re getting it to fit. When you’re Team Toyota, you do anything it takes.”

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 13th 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.