Category: NHRA

CONCORD, N.C. (April 22, 2024) – Doug Kalitta had always enjoyed four-wide racing, even if the results didn’t show ultimate success. But the reigning Top Fuel world champion checked off another milestone victory earlier this month, winning his first career four-wide race.

The standout veteran now has a chance to sweep the pair of unique races for the first time in his stellar career at this weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. It’s the “Bellagio of Dragstrips” and the originator of four-wide racing, which has long been considered one of the wildest spectacles in motorsports.

Kalitta has enjoyed the special spotlight the distinctive four-wide racing has created but had never won a four-wide event until doing so less than two weeks ago at Las Vegas in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster. Riding high off that victory, where Kalitta ran low E.T. of each of the three eliminations rounds, the defending world champion is eager to quickly try and get a second victory in as many races in the four-wide format.

“We’re going to try to sweep (the four-wide races),” Kalitta said. “We’ve got some hungry guys on this team and I’m just as hungry as they are, so we’ll see what happens. Charlotte is an incredible facility and we’re looking forward to getting there. Bruton and Marcus (Smith) have put together some great facilities and we’re just fortunate enough to get a chance to race there.”

Austin Prock (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Deric Kramer (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) claimed victories in 2023 and this event will again be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. It is the fifth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and Kalitta Motorsports couldn’t have asked for a much better start.

Coming off of Kalitta’s first world championship to close out 2023, the team has enjoyed a spectacular 2024 thus far. Top Fuel’s Shawn Langdon and Funny Car’s J.R. Todd both won in Gainesville, giving the team its first-ever double-up, while Kalitta’s victory in Las Vegas gave the team its fourth win already this year. All three drivers are in the top four in points in their respective classes, with Kalitta also earning the No. 1 qualifier spot in Vegas.

His success also ensures he’ll be part of Charlotte’s first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge event. The specialty race brings competitive racing to Saturday qualifying, putting championship points and a bonus purse on the line.

It gets even more unique in the four-wide format, with eight drivers competing for the bonus race title at zMAX Dragway. One quad includes Tony Stewart, Justin Ashley, Clay Millican and Antron Brown, with Kalitta, Steve Torrence, Brittany Force and Josh Hart making up the other foursome. The two top finishers in each quad will advance to the finals and the final Challenge round will feature a quad of racers running for the bonus purse and championship points.

“We’ve been really hungry to try and pull one of these four-wide wins off and I’ve got to admit, my guys really had my car running well (in Las Vegas),” Kalitta said. “None of this is easy, but Connie has given us some great cars and we’ve put together a heck of a team. We’re real fortunate to have had this success so far this year with all our cars. We’ll try to keep running strong and just trying to make Connie real proud of all of us.”

Last season, Prock collected his first win from zMAX in Top Fuel, but this season he has hopped into the Funny Car field and is the current points leader against a group that includes reigning champion Matt Hagan, three-time champ Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III, Chad Green, Cruz Pedregon, Gainesville winner J.R. Todd and teammate John Force.

Kramer’s win last season gave him his second Charlotte victory. If he wants to make it three, he’ll need to get past the four-time and reigning Pro Stock champion Erica Enders as well as Dallas Glenn, Cristian Cuadra, and five-time champs Jeg Coughlin and Greg Anderson, who picked up a win at the Charlotte fall race.

Pro Stock Motorcycle phenom Herrera dominated the category last season. His 2023 campaign featured 11 wins, including both Charlotte races. He is already off to a hot start in 2024 with a win at Gainesville, taking on six-time champion Matt Smith, three-time Charlotte winner Steve Johnson, Angie Smith and Hector Arana Jr.

In the Funny Car Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, one quad includes Capps, Hagan, Todd and Paul Lee, while the other has Prock, Tasca, Alexis DeJoria and Chad Green. The Pro Stock Challenge features Jerry Tucker, Brandon Foster, Glenn and Erica Latino in one group and Enders, J. Coughlin, Anderson and David Cuadra in the other. In PSM, one Challenge quad includes Herrera, John Hall, Johnson and A. Smith, with Marc Ingwersen, M. Smith, Richard Gadson and LE Tonglet making up the other quad.

The NHRA 4-Wide Nationals will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which features some of the sport’s top drivers, as well as the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock and the new Holley EFI Factory X category. The Summit Racing Equipment Jr. Drag Racing League Shootout will also take place in Charlotte. Fans can also look forward to the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Autograph Session at the Mission Foods Display and the Toyota Autograph Display, both of which take place on Saturday morning.

All weekend long, fans are invited to the Nitro Alley Stage at zMAX Dragway. The Nitro Alley Stage will be the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans 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 SealMaster Track Walk. The final 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 of the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

As always, fans also get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity gives fans a chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create 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 4:30 and 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday, April 26 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 27 at 12 and 2:15 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 28. Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday and then eliminations action at 6 p.m. ET to follow.

To purchase tickets to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, please visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or call 800-455-3267. 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

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., 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 NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP | NOTES & QUOTES
APRIL 14, 2024

CHEVROLET CAPTURES FACTORY X AND FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS VICTORIES; RACES TO RUNNER-UP FINISH IN THE FUNNY CAR FINAL ROUND IN LAS VEGAS

Notes:

• Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car raced to his third final round of the 2024 season, his first year in Funny Car, finishing runner-up to Bob Tasca II by 0.01 seconds with his run of 3.904 seconds E.T. at 318.77 mph to Tasca’s 3.915 seconds E.T. at 329.75 mph.
• Prock qualified No. 1 for the third time in four races this season in his Funny Car debut year, capturing his sixth career No. 1 qualifier in NHRA and third in Funny Car.
• Prock also raced his way to the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty victory, which includes a cash prize and bonus points, after defeating Paul Lee, Blake Alexander, and Daniel Wilkerson.
• Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, raced her way to the four-wide semifinals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, fell in the first round at Las Vegas to Matt Hagan and Jason Rupert.
• Jeg Coughlin, Jr., driver of the SCAG Power Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, raced to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals victory in Pro Stock and his 66th career win in the category, with his run of 6.616 seconds E.T at 207.18 mph defeated Erica Enders, Jerry Tucker, and Brandon Foster.
• Jerry Tucker, driving the Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, qualified No. 1 for the four-wide event in Las Vegas with his run of 6.612 seconds E.T. at 206.61 mph.
• After the NHRA Winternationals were postponed due to weather in Pomona, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown finally crowned a champion with the Wally trophy and special media, with Stephen Bell outrunning David Davies II in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro.
• On Sunday, Ricky Hord raced to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Wally over Scott Liebersher, David Janac, and Mark Pawuk in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro, his third victory in FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown.
• Greg Stanfield, with his run of 7.121 seconds E.T. at 192.77 mph in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro, defeated Alex Laughlin for the Factory X victory at Las Vegas.
• Earning the provisional No. 2 position in qualifying with his run of 3.947 seconds E.T. at 321.42 mph in Q2, Prock led the John Force Racing trio at the conclusion of Friday’s qualifying.

Quotes:

BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:

“Overall, it was a good weekend for our Monster Energy team. We made big improvements in performance on the racetrack. Our car was running with everyone else. We qualified fifth and in first round we came out and ran a 3.75, which was outstanding. I was slow on the tree, and it cost us in Round 2. It’s tough, I’m beating myself up over it, but this whole team, we take our wins together and our losses together. We will pack up, put it behind us and try and figure out what I did wrong and fix it before I go to the Charlotte 4-Wide. I feel like our race car is definitely coming around. We struggled last year with it and the beginning of this season but now it’s starting to run consistent and starting to put good ETs on the board.”

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

“It was almost a perfect weekend. We got No. 1 qualifier, won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty deal and runner-up’d at this deal. We were out front and the engine nosed over, shot a spark plug out down track at about 650 or 700 feet and the thing just nosed over. We were still good enough to run second. (Bob) Tasca made a great run, great job by that team. We knew they were going to be tough this year, but I think everybody in these pits knows we’re going to be tough this weekend, as well.”

JOHN FORCE, DRIVER OF THE PEAK CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

“Brittany (Force) went some rounds, I didn’t, but (Austin) Prock, being No. 1 runner-up, John Force Racing is strong. We qualified good and now we just move on to the next one. My car moved around a little bit, I may have corrected it too hard. I got a tire out of the groove, blew a tire off, dropped a hole because it spun and I had my hands full at the other end, but I’m just trying to win.”

How more successful can (Austin) Prock become?

“If you win a championship then you’re successful. He’s got a good car but you’ve got to watch the championship. Robert (Hight) was there the last two years in a row and then they took away all the points (when the points reset for the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs) and then he wound up losing by three points or whatever it was. But stuff happens, it’s the same for everybody. I just hope (Prock) can continue as he’s going. He’s got his head on right, driving the car real good, has a great team with his dad, so we’ll see where it goes.”

Up Next:

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series next heads to zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C. for the second of two NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 26-28, 2024. Friday and Saturday qualifying airs on Sunday, April 28, at 11 a.m. ET. Sunday’s eliminations broadcast at 6 p.m. ET. All sessions from near Charlotte air with NHRA on FOX on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

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.

LAS VEGAS (April 14, 2024) – Bob Tasca III recorded just the third triple holeshot win in NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series history on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, picking up his second career four-wide victory at the 24th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also won at the fourth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Funny Car’s Tasca went 3.915-seconds at 329.75 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Ford Mustang in a final quad that featured Austin Prock, reigning world champ Matt Hagan and Ron Capps. Tasca’s time was the slowest of the foursome, but his .034 reaction time made the difference, as he slipped past all three by a razon-thin margin to claim his first win of 2024 and the 16th in his career.

It was the first triple holeshot win in Funny Car history and Tasca needed every bit of his starting-line advantage to pick up a memorable victory in an incredible final round that is certainly one of the most thrilling in four-wide history.

“When I’m sitting here in lane one and looking at those grandstands full of people, it gives you butterflies because that’s why we do it,” Tasca said. “I knew I hit it good. I didn’t know how good but it was a great light, great car, great setup, and it’s exactly what we needed to do this weekend.

“When you put together a final round where there’s one Ford, one Dodge, one Toyota, one Chevy, that why we do it. It’s the only reason we come out here to win for all our Ford fans all around the world. That’s going to go down as one of the best final rounds in Funny Car history. We’ve got a team that can compete for the championship and I promise you we will.”

No. 1 qualifier Prock, who is also now the points leader, finished as the runner-up in his third trip to the finals this season, while Capps was third. Hagan, who posted the quickest run of the weekend in the category with a 3.895 at 328.54, was fourth.

In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta was dominant on Sunday en route to his career four-wide win, going 3.715 at 333.58 in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster to roll past Tony Stewart, Justin Ashley and Steve Torrence. Kalitta put together the quickest run in each of the three rounds, following up his No. 1 qualifier with a trio of spectacular runs on Sunday. It gives Kalitta 53 career victories and plenty of early-season momentum following his first championship. He picked up wins in each of the first two quads to advance to the loaded final round and, staying in the first lane all day, put together another great run to pick up another milestone first in his impressive career.

“That was a hell of a run and I was really happy to see that win light come on,” Kalitta said. “Obviously, those other three teams are all hungry and all running pretty strong. It was a super close race for all our cars and the fans got their money’s worth, and we came out with a win.

“Getting the first four-wide was really special for me, because I’ve been really hungry to try to pull one of these off. My guys really had my car running strong. We qualified low and I think we have low [ET] of each of the sessions and it would have been a great shame to miss this opportunity.”

Ashley finished as the runner-up with his run of 3.745 at 333.82, Torrence took third and Stewart was fourth in his first career final round. Ashley also moved into the points lead in the category.

It was a thrilling weekend sweep for Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Pro Stock, as the five-time world champion followed up Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory with his first win nearly four years, going 6.616 at 207.18 in his Scag Power Equipment car in the final quad. The standout veteran had a stellar .013 reaction time against a foursome that included Erica Enders, Jerry Tucker and Brandon Foster, and never trailed to earn his 66th career victory, with his most recent coming in 2020. It was also his first four-wide victory in his terrific career, winning the first quad and finishing second to Enders to advance to the final round.

Coughlin, who qualified No. 1 in Phoenix, was stellar on the tree all weekend, going .014 in the opening round and .007 in the second quad as things came together in a special way for the entire Elite Motorsports team on Sunday.

“This was epic, the whole weekend,” Coughlin said. “Our car was great from Q1 where we had low E.T. and we almost maintained that pace throughout the rest of the event. Fast forward to today and we had three good quads to traverse our way through. In all seven runs I was in a groove as far as driving and getting the clutch out. After three years away it was fantastic to see that blinking [win] light in the final.

“I’ve been to some finals in the four-wide, but I’ve never been able to close the deal, so this feels really good to get it done.”

Tucker, who picked up his first career No. 1 qualifier this weekend, was second to the finish line in the final quad, going 6.617 at 206.35, picking up his first Pro Stock runner-up in the process. Enders leaves the event as the points leader.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action with the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on April 26-28 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

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LAS VEGAS — Final finish order (1-16) for professional categories at the 24th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is the fourth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

1. Doug Kalitta; 2. Justin Ashley; 3. Steve Torrence; 4. Tony Stewart; 5. Brittany Force; 6. Clay Millican; 7. Josh Hart; 8. Terry Totten; 9. Antron Brown; 10. Shawn Langdon; 11. Billy Torrence; 12. Tony Schumacher; 13. Shawn Reed; 14. Jasmine Salinas; 15. Krista Baldwin.

FUNNY CAR:

1. Bob Tasca III; 2. Austin Prock; 3. Ron Capps; 4. Matt Hagan; 5. Alexis DeJoria; 6. Alexis DeJoria; 7. J.R. Todd; 8. Chad Green; 9. Jeff Diehl; 10. Steven Densham; 11. John Force; 12. Dave Richards; 13. Paul Lee; 14. Blake Alexander; 15. Cruz Pedregon; 16. Daniel Wilkerson.

PRO STOCK:

1. Jeg Coughlin; 2. Jerry Tucker; 3. Erica Enders; 4. Brandon Foster; 5. Greg Anderson; 6. Dallas Glenn; 7. David Cuadra; 8. Eric Latino; 9. Deric Kramer; 10. Cristian Cuadra; 11. Aaron Stanfield; 12. Chris McGaha; 13. Sienna Wildgust; 14. Kenny Delco; 15. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 16. Troy Coughlin Jr..

LAS VEGAS — Sunday’s final results from the 24th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is the fourth of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Doug Kalitta, 3.715 seconds, 333.58 mph def. Justin Ashley, 3.745 seconds, 333.82 mph and Steve Torrence, 3.745 seconds, 334.40 mph and Tony Stewart, 3.769 seconds, 324.51 mph;

Funny Car — Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.915, 329.75 def. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.904, 318.77 and Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.902, 333.00 and Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.895, 328.54;

Pro Stock — Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.616, 207.18 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.617, 206.35 and Erica Enders, Camaro, 7.045, 205.94 and Brandon Foster, Camaro, foul;

Top Alcohol Dragster — Shawn Cowie, 5.200, 279.67 def. Prescott Dean, 5.291, 274.61 and Jackie Fricke, 5.425, 257.58 and Mike Coughlin, 5.314, 271.84;

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.486, 266.69 def. Madison Gordon, Camaro, 5.477, 267.96 and Brian Hough, Camaro, 5.525, 263.87 and Hunter Jones, Camaro, 5.553, 262.59;

Competition Eliminator — Cody Lane, chevy Cavalier, 8.436, 154.90 def. Ryan Priddy, Chevy Camaro, 6.579, 210.83.

Super Stock — Grant Singer, Chevy Camaro, 9.063, 148.25 def. Don Keen, Ford Mustang, 10.513, 125.65.

Stock Eliminator — Kyle Rizzoli, Chevy Camaro, 10.375, 120.74 def. Joe Sorensen, Camaro, 11.256, 114.18.

Super Comp — Phil Unruh, Dragster, 9.089, 176.81 def. Bill Dennis, Dragster, 9.078, 185.82.

Super Gas — Michael Boner, Ford Thunderbird, 10.055, 167.47 def. Steve Parsons, Chevy Camaro, 10.036, 164.45.

Top Sportsman — Aaron Steinkey, Chevy Camaro, 6.659, 195.34 def. Richard Okerman, Chevy Beretta, 7.188, 191.95.

Top Dragster — Cody Webber, Dragster, 6.524, 211.63 def. Stan Essery, Dragster, 6.094, 229.82.

Factory Stock Showdown — Ricky Hord, Chevy Camaro, 7.890, 174.03 def. David Janac, Camaro, 7.986, 172.67 and Scott Libersher, Camaro, 10.926, 100.92 and Mark Pawuk, Dodge Challenger, 12.315, 80.85;

Factory X — Greg Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 7.121, 192.77 def. Alex Laughlin, Dodge Challenger, 7.370, 191.16.

LAS VEGAS — Final round-by-round results from the 24th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the fourth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Brittany Force, 3.750, 335.90 and Josh Hart, 3.957, 275.96 def. Billy Torrence, 4.094, 219.44 and Jasmine Salinas, 4.666, 162.33; Clay Millican, 3.773, 335.57 and Tony Stewart, 3.773, 319.29 def. Antron Brown, 3.807, 315.42 and Krista Baldwin, DQ; Justin Ashley, 3.777, 329.18 and Terry Totten, 3.911, 284.39 def. Tony Schumacher, 4.109, 260.06 and Shawn Reed, 4.197, 252.10; Doug Kalitta, 3.728, 335.32 and Steve Torrence, 3.766, 332.26 def. Shawn Langdon, 3.945, 282.30.

SEMIFINALS — Stewart, 3.754, 322.42 and Ashley, 3.798, 298.01 def. Millican, 3.789, 336.23 and Totten, 4.052, 248.16; Kalitta, 3.751, 336.65 and S. Torrence, 3.777, 333.00 def. Force, 3.776, 331.94 and Hart, 3.796, 328.78;

FINAL — Kalitta, 3.715, 333.58 def. Ashley, 3.745, 333.82, S. Torrence, 3.745, 334.40 and Stewart, 3.769, 324.51.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.289, 222.88 and J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 4.356, 257.43 def. Dave Richards, Ford Mustang, 4.637, 216.27 and Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 7.286, 118.58; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.922, 329.91 and Jason Rupert, Mustang, 4.056, 316.90 def. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.165, 257.63 and Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 6.059, 112.15; Austin Prock, Camaro, 3.916, 322.58 and Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.945, 326.71 def. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 3.995, 316.67 and Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.178, 237.30; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.920, 333.08 and Chad Green, Mustang, 3.972, 305.22 def. Steven Densham, Mustang, 4.064, 309.49 and Paul Lee, Charger, 4.137, 265.90;

SEMIFINALS — Capps, 3.932, 331.04 and Hagan, 3.938, 327.19 def. Todd, 3.951, 321.81 and Rupert, 4.055, 317.64; Prock, 3.907, 324.75 and Tasca III, 3.922, 333.91 def. DeJoria, 3.932, 328.54 and Green, 3.954, 329.91; Prock, 3.907, 324.75 and Tasca III, 3.922, 333.91 def. DeJoria, 3.932, 328.54 and Green, 3.954, 329.91;

FINAL — Tasca III, 3.915, 329.75 def. Prock, 3.904, 318.77, Capps, 3.902, 333.00 and Hagan, 3.895, 328.54.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Eric Latino, Chevy Camaro, 6.678, 204.70 and Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.664, 205.44 def. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.631, 206.13 and Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.769, 206.13; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.616, 206.83 and Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.597, 206.23 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.635, 206.73 and Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.648, 205.35; David Cuadra, Mustang, 6.645, 205.26 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.615, 205.98 and Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.679, 206.99; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.613, 205.32 and Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.617, 207.82 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.658, 207.66 and Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 12.340, 70.44;

SEMIFINALS — Tucker, 6.654, 208.04 and Foster, 6.684, 204.85 def. Glenn, 7.568, 203.31 and Latino, 17.052, 89.75; Enders, 6.600, 207.46 and Coughlin, 6.605, 207.18 def. Anderson, 6.602, 206.29 and D. Cuadra, 6.644, 205.22;

FINAL — Coughlin, 6.616, 207.18 def. Tucker, 6.617, 206.35, Enders, 7.045, 205.94 and Foster, foul.

LAS VEGAS — Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 24th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the fourth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

1. Justin Ashley, 351; 2. Shawn Langdon, 328; 3. Steve Torrence, 300; 4. Doug Kalitta, 290; 5. Billy Torrence, 249; 6. Tony Stewart, 206; 7. Tony Schumacher, 204; 8. (tie) Antron Brown, 203; Brittany Force, 203; 10. Josh Hart, 163.

Funny Car

1. Austin Prock, 367; 2. J.R. Todd, 319; 3. Bob Tasca III, 277; 4. Matt Hagan, 261; 5. John Force, 254; 6. Ron Capps, 242; 7. Alexis DeJoria, 196; 8. Chad Green, 192; 9. Paul Lee, 180; 10. Daniel Wilkerson, 149.

Pro Stock

1. Erica Enders, 366; 2. Dallas Glenn, 348; 3. Greg Anderson, 328; 4. Jeg Coughlin, 301; 5. Brandon Foster, 203; 6. (tie) Cristian Cuadra, 199; Jerry Tucker, 199; 8. Aaron Stanfield, 191; 9. David Cuadra, 189; 10. Troy Coughlin Jr., 155.

KALITTA CLAIMS WEEKEND SWEEP WITH WIN IN LAS VEGAS FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
Toyota earns fifth consecutive Top Fuel win

LAS VEGAS (April 14, 2024) – No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta took home his first Wally Trophy of the season at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas Sunday afternoon, the 53rd win of his career and his first in a Four-Wide Nationals event. Kalitta’s 3.715 elapsed time was enough to capture victory against a stout Top Fuel final lineup with Justin Ashley, Steve Torrence and Tony Stewart. The triumph is also Toyota’s fifth consecutive Top Fuel win and gives Kalitta Motorsports three of the first four category wins to begin the season.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps reached the final round, but came up short in star-studded finals that featured Austin Prock, Matt Hagan and event winner, Bob Tasca III. This was the 148th final round appearance of Capps’ historic career. J.R. Todd and Alexis DeJoria both reached the second round on Sunday.

The triple final round appearance in Top Fuel and Capps’ finals feature in Funny Car now makes 27 straight NHRA events where Toyota has reached the finals in its competing categories.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 4 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Winner	W (3.728) v. S. Torrence (3.766) & S. Langdon (3.945) W (3.751) v. S. Torrence (3.777), B. Force (3.776 – holeshot) & J. Hart (3.796) W (3.715) v. J. Ashley (3.745), S. Torrence (3.745) & T. Stewart (3.769)
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Runner-up	W (3.777) v. T. Totten (3.911), T. Schumacher (4.109) & S. Reed (4.197) Adv. (3.798 – holeshot) v. T. Stewart (3.754) C. Millican (3.789) & T. Totten (4.052) L (3.745) v. D. Kalitta (3.715), S. Torrence (3.745) & T. Stewart (3.769)
Steve Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finalist	Adv. (3.766) v. D. Kalitta (3.728) & S. Langdon (3.945) Adv. (3.776 – holeshot) v. D. Kalitta (3.751), B. Force (3.776) & J. Hart (3.796) L (3.745) v. D. Kalitta (3.715), J. Ashley (3.745) & T. Stewart (3.769)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (3.945) v. D. Kalitta (3.728) & S. Torrence (3.766)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (3.807) v. C. Millican (3.773), T. Stewart (3.773), & K. Baldwin (No Time)
Billy Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (4.094) v. B. Force (3.750), J. Hart (3.957) & J. Salinas (4.666)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Finalist	W (4.289) v. J. Todd (4.356), D. Richards (4.637) & D. Wilkerson (7.286) W (3.932) v. M. Hagan (3.938), J. Todd (3.951) & J. Rupert (4.055) L (3.902) v. B. Tasca III (3.915 – triple holeshot), A. Prock (3.904) & M. Hagan (3.895)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Second Round	Adv. (3.946) v. A. Prock (3.916), J. Diehl (3.995) & B. Alexander (4.178) L (3.932) v. A. Prock (3.907), B. Tasca III (3.922) & C. Green (3.954)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Second Round	Adv. (4.356) v. R. Capps (4.289), D. Richards (4.637) & D. Wilkerson (7.286) L (3.951) v. R. Capps (3.932), M. Hagan (3.938) & J. Rupert (4.055)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Final Result: Winner

How much fun are you having driving this car right now after today’s victory?

“Yeah, Alan Johnson (crew chief), Mac (Savage, assistant crew chief) and all of these Mac Tools Toyota Revchem guys really got this thing running. Each round, we were running quick times. Yeah, it’s great to do it in (Las) Vegas and my first Four-Wide win. It’s pretty special!”

Walk us through the experience of that final round.

“Yeah, that was a hell of a run there. I was really happy to see a win light come on. Obviously, those other three teams are hungry and running strong there. Yeah, that was as exciting as it gets there. It was super close for all four cars and the fans got their money’s worth. We came out with the win there and getting my first Four-Wide win was pretty special as I’ve been really hungry to pull one of these off. My guys really had my car running strong this weekend. We qualified with a low elapsed time, and I think we had the lowest times in each session. Yeah, it would’ve been a crying shame to miss this opportunity and fortunately, we got it done.”

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

FC Final Result: Finalist

How would you describe your day and that final round?

“I mean, what a drag race there at the end! It was interesting, we had all of the manufacturers represented there and we sure wanted to get that win in that quad for Toyota. But I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am with our NAPA team. What they’ve done with a new car and a lot of new parts, they’ve had to get used to and it usually takes a lot longer than this. I’m pretty bummed that we couldn’t win that round. The car got out there, and I’m not sure if the wind or what it was, but it made a jump on me and I think if I could’ve caught it quicker and kept it straighter, we wouldn’t have lost a lot of elapsed time there and might have gotten the win there. I also need to get better on the tree. But look at (Matt) Hagan. Hagan was the quickest elapsed time and last. So that was a crazy, crazy race. But so happy we have our race car back. Now, head to Charlotte and get on the swing here where we’re getting comfortable. I’m so happy with the car but bummed at the same time.”

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 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th 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 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

INDIANAPOLIS (April 14, 2024) – NHRA’s most iconic race turns 70 in 2024.

The NHRA U.S. Nationals, the world’s biggest drag race, will celebrate its 70th anniversary this year, as The Big Go will put all the stars of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series on the sport’s biggest stage from Aug. 28-Sept. 2 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The highly-anticipated 70th anniversary event will include a host of special events and celebrations to be announced in the coming weeks, with the 70th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals logo released on Friday.

Loaded with special events, a massive event payout and an illustrious history that spans seven decades, the NHRA U.S. Nationals will be an event that can’t be missed in 2024. Commemorating the 70th anniversary in 2024 will make for an even more spectacular weekend, with plenty of extraordinary events in store to close out the regular season in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

The weekend is already loaded with amazing action, starting with qualifying under the lights with all the superstars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The world’s biggest drag race also includes the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge race of the season and the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, as well as the special Dodge Hemi Challenge and racing action 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.

It’s the very best drag racing has to offer and all of it will be celebrated in 2024, including all the amazing history that’s taken place at The Big Go for 70 years.

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock), and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won the 2023 race, with Brown, Capps and Smith winning at Indy for the second straight year.

Brown now has five Indy wins across his Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle career, while Hartford picked up his first-ever win at the world’s biggest drag race. The race will again be broadcast on FOX and Fox Sports 1 and include extensive television coverage throughout the event.

The NHRA U.S. Nationals has been synonymous with some of the biggest moments in NHRA history. A win in Indy has helped carve out the legacies of the sport’s biggest legends and the NHRA U.S. Nationals has long been a proving ground in the sport.

From Don Garlits to Tony Schumacher, who has an incredible 10 wins at Indy, to Capps to Don Prudhomme to John Force to Greg Anderson and Erica Enders, NHRA’s biggest names have enjoyed special moments at Indy. Capps’ car last year featured a tribute to Prudhomme and with the legend watching from the starting line, Capps picked up one of the most meaningful wins in his career.

Force’s five Funny Car wins are the most in class history, while Greg Anderson’s seven Pro Stock victories at The Big Go leads the way among active drivers in the category. He’ll try to move a step closer to Bob Glidden’s nine Pro Stock wins at Indy in 2024.

To purchase tickets to the 70th annual Dodge Power Brokers 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, including the full 2024 schedule, 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

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., 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.

KALITTA CLAIMS NO. 1 QUALIFIER SPOT AT LAS VEGAS FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
Antron Brown wins Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Top Fuel

LAS VEGAS (April 13, 2024) – Through sunny skies at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, reigning Top Fuel champion, Doug Kalitta, captured the No. 1 qualifying spot for tomorrow’s eliminations in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. The Michigan native laid down a blistering 3.738 elapsed time, a 336-mph top speed, in the first qualifying session Saturday afternoon – earning his 54th career No. 1 qualifier position.

Defending Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals winner, Antron Brown was victorious in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge Saturday afternoon by defeating Kalitta, Shawn Langdon and Tony Stewart. Brown’s 3.792 elapsed time in the final qualifying session put him No. 6 for tomorrow. This is the second time Brown has won the challenge, and he couples this victory with the Pep Boys All Star Callout win at Gainesville to start the season.

In Funny Car, points leader, J.R. Todd put down his best run of the weekend, a 3.930 elapsed time, late Saturday afternoon to propel him to the No. 3 spot going into Sunday. Alexis DeJoria will be ninth when tomorrow’s eliminations begin and Ron Capps is 11th.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 4 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponents
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	1st	S. LangdonS. Torrence
Billy Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	4th	B. ForceJ. HartJ. Salinas
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	6th	C. MillicanT. StewartK. Baldwin
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	8th	D. KalittaS. Torrence
Steve Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	9th	D. KalittaS. Langdon
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	10th	T. SchumacherS. ReedT. Totten

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponents
Austin Prock	Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car	1st*	B. AlexanderA. DeJoriaJ. Diehl
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	3rd	D. WilkersonR. CappsD. Richards
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	9th	A. ProckB. AlexanderJ. Diehl
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	11th	J. ToddD. WilkersonD. Richards

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DOUG KALITTA,

TF Qualifying Result: 1st

How does this No. 1 qualifying position feel going into race day tomorrow?

“We definitely feel good heading into race day. My guys stepped it up with the 3.738 in that first session today which was plenty strong for the conditions, and I’m feeling really confident with what we have going on. I think on our last run, we pushed it a little too much to see what we could do. The track feels plenty good in all the lanes so it should be a good day for tomorrow. So much for the advantage of being the low qualifier, but I’ll definitely be up for those three guys – it should be a fun deal. Alan (Johnson, crew chief), Mac (Savage, assistant crew chief) and all my guys will take a look at that ladder and realize we definitely have to get down the track and be on our A Game so it should be fun. It was a little cooler today, but in general, it didn’t really feel like it was. I’m sure it was, but it’ll be a little cooler tomorrow which should play into our hand performance wise. This is always an interesting place to race; there’s always a lot of challenges here, but it’s one of my favorite tracks. I haven’t won here a lot, but it’s a beautiful facility.”

ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, AB Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 6th

Can you talk about the win in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge today and the momentum it brings?

“For sure, a lot of momentum. I think we’re going in the right direction, just need to keep building and get quicker and quicker. When we go out there, I mean, that track, is getting better and better even though the sun is coming out. We thought we needed to run a 3.750 time there, but we just didn’t want to kick ourselves in the foot. So, we stepped it up and did a little bit. Expected like a 3.780 time there. Tomorrow is going to be a whole different ballgame. Our fellas out there, I felt like we were in a good position. Felt Shawn (Langdon) right on the side of us. Something happened to him right around the end of the track, inching and inching, and just drown a little bit around him at the end. It’s so incredible how tight this class is and the way the Kalitta Motorsports cars are running. But yeah, when you have Doug Kalitta, the champion, Shawn Langdon, a previous champion and then you have Tony Stewart, ‘Smoke,’ make it to the final round. I mean, the top eight cars in this Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, they’re all cars that can win on any given day. Going into tomorrow, this gives us a little more confidence, but you know, we have to keep working forward to go forward to be competitive to win this race as it’s going to be triple-A throwdown with the cooler conditions. The track is going to get better, and when it does that, someone is going to run a 3.680 to 3.700 flat and that’s the range you’re going to have to be in to go out there, be competitive and get the job done.”

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

FC Qualifying Result: 3rd

Moving up each session and making your best run at the end of the day, the team seems to be working hard and the results are coming.

“Yeah, the guys are working hard and have been doing that all season long. There’s no quit in these guys. Yeah, that’s nice, a 3.930 was something we were shooting for earlier in the weekend, but it’s nice to see that show up on the scoreboard to move us up in the standings. The Four-Wides are such an unknown, it really doesn’t matter where you qualify when you’re racing three other cars out there. But it is nice to have lane choice going into tomorrow and hopefully we can turn on four win lights for everyone out here supporting us with DHL, Revchem, Sealmaster. Want to thank everybody for sticking with us.”

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 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th 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 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

LAS VEGAS (April 12, 2024) – Austin Prock stayed nearly perfect in qualifying, taking his third Funny Car No. 1 qualifier in four races on Saturday during the 24th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jerry Tucker (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 at the fourth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Prock, who also won his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, rolled to the top spot in Funny Car on Saturday, going 3.904-seconds at 321.42 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to claim his second straight top spot and third in four races. The team continues to roll, as Prock made three consecutive standout runs to slip past John Force, J.R. Todd and Bob Tasca III to get to the top. He’ll be in an opening-round quad that features Jeff Diehl, Blake Alexander and Alexis DeJoria a week after picking up his first Funny Car victory.

“That Tasca team, they do a great job. We’ve been duking it out all year, and he made a nice run in front of me today right before that last qualifying session,” Prock said. “I’m like, ‘Alright, well, the track’s pretty good,’ and along with my boss, John Force running [3.]90, it showed there was some potential out there to make a really good run.

“My team has done a great job in these hot conditions. We’re really getting a handle on these hot weather conditions, and that was kind of our goal this year, to really dial that in because it’s typically really fast when it’s cool out. It’s going to cool down tomorrow so it’s definitely going to be the quickest runs you’ll see all weekend.”

Force took the second spot with a 3.908 at 326.79, while points leader J.R. Todd moved up to third in the final session with a 3.930 at 322.19.

In Top Fuel, Kalitta improved on his Friday performance, staying in the No. 1 position with stellar pass of 3.738 at 336.82 in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster. It’s the first No. 1 spot this year for the defending world champ and the 54th in his career. He’ll open up raceday in a quad that includes teammate and points leader Shawn Langdon and four-time world champion Steve Torrence. It makes for a tough start to Sunday, but Kalitta also knows the importance of an early-season win.

“The team it stepped it up to that 3.73 in that first session, so that was plenty strong for the conditions. I’m feeling really confident with what we got going on,” Kalitta said. “I think on that last run, we were maybe just pushing it a little, much just to see what we could do. But the track seems plenty good in all the lanes and it should be a good day tomorrow. It’s going to be a little cooler, which should play into our hand performance-wise.”

Tony Schumacher qualified second with a 3.768 at 325.53 and Clay Millican’s 3.773 at 332.34 has him third.

In his second season in the Pro Stock ranks, Jerry Tucker picked up his first career No. 1 qualifier, going 6.612 at 206.61 in his Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer/SCAG Power Equipment car. It was a major moment for Tucker, who ran well right off the trailer in Las Vegas. He was the quickest of the opening session on Friday and then stepped up again to start the day on Saturday, clinching his first top qualifier in the loaded Pro Stock ranks. He’ll open eliminations in a quad featuring Chris McGaha, defending event winner Dallas Glenn and Elite Motorsports teammate Troy Coughlin Jr.

“I’m just trying to get my driving together and I think it’s finally coming together. This is the car that Erica [Enders] drove last year and I managed to make three solid runs,” Tucker said. “It takes a year or so to learn how to drive [a Pro Stock car] properly. For the first five or six races you’re just riding along. Then you start to get a feel for it, but it takes a while to really figure it out.

From 1 to 16, they are all tough. I really don’t see any difference between anyone in the field. It won’t be easy tomorrow.”

Jeg Coughlin Jr., who won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Pro Stock, qualified second after going 6.625 at 206.64 and Greg Anderson is third thanks to his 6.625 at 206.32.

Eliminations for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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LAS VEGAS — First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 24th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the fourth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.738 seconds, 336.82 mph vs. Bye vs. vs. 8. Shawn Langdon, 3.798, 319.29 vs. 9. Steve Torrence, 3.800, 332.75; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.768, 325.53 vs. 15. Terry Totten, 4.092, 287.78 vs. 7. Shawn Reed, 3.793, 323.12 vs. 10. Justin Ashley, 3.800, 331.53; 3. Clay Millican, 3.773, 332.34 vs. 14. Krista Baldwin, 3.903, 316.38 vs. 6. Antron Brown, 3.792, 330.72 vs. 11. Tony Stewart, 3.807, 325.30; 4. Billy Torrence, 3.784, 332.26 vs. 13. Jasmine Salinas, 3.848, 326.32 vs. 5. Brittany Force, 3.787, 333.66 vs. 12. Josh Hart, 3.828, 324.59.

Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.904, 326.95 vs. 16. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.117, 275.73 vs. 8. Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 3.963, 321.50 vs. 9. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 3.967, 319.98; 2. John Force, Camaro, 3.908, 327.74 vs. 15. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 4.056, 316.01 vs. 7. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 3.957, 319.14 vs. 10. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.972, 324.20; 3. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.930, 322.19 vs. 14. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.051, 312.64 vs. 6. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.943, 328.06 vs. 11. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.980, 324.67; 4. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.931, 332.02 vs. 13. Steven Densham, Mustang, 4.020, 308.78 vs. 5. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.939, 328.22 vs. 12. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.018, 323.50.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Terry Haddock, 4.150, 299.60; 18. Jim Campbell, 4.215, 284.27; 19. Buddy Hull, 4.236, 294.31; 20. Alex Miladinovich, 4.268, 285.17.

Pro Stock — 1. Jerry Tucker, Chevy Camaro, 6.612, 206.61 vs. 16. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.683, 206.04 vs. 8. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.636, 205.57 vs. 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.640, 207.46; 2. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.625, 207.62 vs. 15. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.676, 206.76 vs. 7. David Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.636, 205.91 vs. 10. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.645, 205.16; 3. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.625, 206.32 vs. 14. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.675, 204.88 vs. 6. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.635, 206.39 vs. 11. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.648, 207.37; 4. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.627, 206.16 vs. 13. Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.660, 206.13 vs. 5. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.634, 205.19 vs. 12. Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.657, 205.85.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Mason McGaha, 6.704, 207.08; 18. Matt Hartford, 6.719, 204.98; 19. Steve Graham, 6.727, 204.63; 20. Joey Grose, 6.791, 203.89.

LAS VEGAS (April 12, 2024) – Defending event winner Antron Brown picked up a victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, holding off Tony Stewart, Shawn Langdon and Doug Kalitta to win the specialty race as part of the 24th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also won the specialty race at the fourth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the Top Fuel Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, Brown was the quickest in the talent-filled quad, going 3.792-seconds at 330.72 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster. It’s the second win in the specialty race for Brown, who won the 4-Wide Nationals a year ago in Las Vegas. In a quad that also included Stewart, Langdon and Kalitta, Brown drove around Kalitta and then held off Langdon, who went 3.798, to win as part of what the three-time world champ hopes is a double-up weekend.

“I felt Shawn around the side of us and then something happened to him right around half track and I felt us inching and inching and we drove just a little bit around them,” Brown said. “It’s so incredible how tight this class is. When you have Doug Kalitta, the world champion, Shawn Langdon, a previous Top Fuel champion, then you got Tony Stewart in the final round, they’re all cars that can win on any given Sunday.”

Funny Car’s Austin Prock enjoyed another impressive first in his new class, winning his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, going 3.915 at 326.95 in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. He swept both the specialty race and qualifying, getting the Mission #2Fast2Tasty win by defeating Paul Lee, Blake Alexander and Daniel Wilkerson. A week after picking up his first Funny Car win, Prock added another big moment in his Funny Car career in the first four-wide Mission #2Fast2Tasty race.

“To get the first four-wide win, that’s pretty special,” Prock said. “I’ve been in a handful of these things [in Top Fuel] and never been able to get it done, but we did the job today. Yesterday wasn’t terrible on the tree but wasn’t really what I want it to be and today I just have a new aim, new focus and it worked and I had two pretty stellar lights today.”

Returning to full-time racing in the Pro Stock ranks, Jeg Coughlin Jr. enjoyed a strong showing on Saturday, winning for the first time in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a run of 6.628 at 207.62 in his SCAG Power Equipment car. Coughlin posted an impressive .022 reaction time and followed with a strong run to hold off a talented quad that also included Troy Coughlin Jr., Aaron Stanfield and Dallas Glenn. J. Coughlin was the lone veteran of the group but powered past the trio to claim the specialty event win.

“Any win is very special. But being out of the car for a couple years and getting one here in qualifying at Las Vegas feels great,” Coughlin said. “Mission Foods has done so much for NHRA Drag Racing, starting the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge last year and now the Mission Foods Drag Racing series.

“We had a pretty mean quad between Aaron Stanfield, myself, Dallas Glenn and Troy Jr. We needed all the Elite Performance that I had under the hood to turn on the win light. We’ve been building some momentum the last couple of weeks. I think a lot of great things are going on and we’re just looking to game day now.”

Eliminations for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.