Category: NHRA

POMONA, Calif. (Oct. 24, 2023) – As part of a weekend-long celebration of veterans, the NHRA announced a number of special Veteran’s Day promotions that will take place during the historic 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals on Nov. 9-12 at legendary In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

While supplies last, fans will be given a special limited edition NHRA Challenge Coin in Pomona that salutes our veterans and showcases NHRA’s longtime support of the armed forces. A one-off Veteran’s Day event t-shirt will also be available for purchase at the NHRA NitroMall in Pomona, with proceeds going to Veterans Ticket Foundation, a veterans support organization that purchases tickets for active military, veterans and their families.

Veterans will also be able to utilize a separate red-carpet box office window at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip to purchase tickets during the weekend, allowing for quick and convenient access during the memorable race. NHRA and race teams will host veteran VIPs throughout the event as well, including highly-decorated veterans, Gold Star Families and more.

“We’re extremely honored to celebrate our military on Veteran’s Day during our event and we also have a great fanbase that is always proud to support our veterans,” said Evan Jonat, NHRA Vice President of Live Events. “Working with our partners like Air Force, Vet Tix, GOVX, as well as our race teams, we’re excited to recognize our veterans and their families during the weekend, and it’s a wonderful chance to celebrate them with our fans as we close out the 2023 season in Pomona.”

Additional Veteran’s Day pageantry throughout the weekend will include a pre-race flyover on Championship Sunday from the Condor Squadron, which features three planes from World War II, and more at the famed finale in Southern California.

Since 1984, the NHRA Finals has been where champions are crowned, and the world will again be watching this year, as the famed facility plays host to intense championship battles, incredible action and unforgettable moments. The weekend includes two qualifying sessions on both Friday and Saturday leading into championship Sunday, along with the weekend-long celebration of veterans.

Austin Prock (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won last year’s event, while Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) claimed world championships. The race will be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 12.

Top Fuel points leader Leah Pruett is after her first world title competing against of Doug Kalitta and Steve Torrence. Matt Hagan is the Funny Car points leader and he’ll look to hold off stars like Bob Tasca III and Robert Hight. In Pro Stock, Enders will aim to get her fourth world title in five years taking on longtime rival Greg Anderson, and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera is on track to clinch his first world title.

Fans are also invited to the Nitro Alley Stage all weekend, as the entertainment hub hosts Nitro School, meet and greets, influencer interviews and much more. As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet and can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more.

Race fans at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the 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 and 2023 world champs.

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 12 and 3 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 10, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, Nov. 12. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, leading into eliminations at 4 p.m. ET.

To purchase tickets to the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, 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. Fans can get closer to the action with a Top Eliminator Club experience, offering the best seats in the house and a premium experience, as well as a members-only hospitality center, complimentary food and beverage, driver appearances, a premium view and more.

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About Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is the World’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy. Our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of employees serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 43 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destination for everything RV. For more information, visit www.CampingWorld.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 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, 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.

POMONA, Calif. (Oct. 17, 2023) – For the first time, In-N-Out Burger will be part of the final event of the NHRA Camping World Drag Series schedule, with the historic 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals set to take place Nov. 9-12 at legendary In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

With NHRA and In-N-Out Burger, the two Southern California staples will partner for the massive event on the hallowed grounds at the historic track in Pomona. Since 1984, the NHRA Finals has been where champions are crowned, and this year’s race will feature the likes of Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan of Tony Stewart Racing to defending world champs like Ron Capps and Erica Enders aiming for championship glory and legacy-defining moments at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

The world will again be watching this year, as the famed facility plays host to intense championship battles, incredible action and unforgettable moments. The weekend includes two qualifying sessions on both Friday and Saturday leading into championship Sunday, plus a weekend-long celebration of veterans. Fans can get closer to the action with a Top Eliminator Club experience, offering the best seats in the house and a premium experience, as well as a members-only hospitality center, complimentary food and beverage, driver appearances, a premium view and more.

Austin Prock (Top Fuel), Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won last year’s event, while Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Capps (Funny Car), Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) claimed world championships. The race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), including eliminations at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 12 as the season closes in style.

Southern California native Pruett jumped into the Top Fuel points lead and is looking to win her first world title. She leads by just four points over Doug Kalitta and is only 13 ahead of Steve Torrence. With Pruett and the veteran Kalitta both trying to win their first title, and Torrence after his fifth, this will come down to the wire and be the latest chapter in spectacular moments at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals.

Can Tony Stewart Racing make it a championship double-up in the nitro categories? Funny Car’s Matt Hagan hopes so. He’s won six times in 2023 and is back in the points lead, but Bob Tasca III, who is 36 points back, and Robert Hight, who trails Hagan by 69 points, both remain in championship contention, as does Capps, who is trying for a third consecutive title.

In Pro Stock, Enders is closing in on a sixth world title and her fourth in five years. She became the winningest female in motorsports in Dallas with her 47th win, opening up an 85-point lead against longtime rival Anderson. If it comes down to the two veterans, it will be another Pomona to remember. Anderson has been a Pomona legend over the years, winning an incredible 14 times at the track.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera has enjoyed a historic season and currently enjoys a big points lead against the likes of Eddie Krawiec and defending world champ Smith. He also has a chance to set the all-time wins mark in a single season in the class. Herrera is currently at nine and wins at the last two events would get him there.

It all adds up to a historic weekend that no fan should miss. If that isn’t enough, champions will also be crowned in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as action in the Jr. Dragster Shootout, the “Walking Tall” P.T. Cruiser Wheelstander driven by “NitroMike” and autograph sessions, including one with legend Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Capps.

Race fans at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the 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 and 2023 world champs.

Fans are also invited to the Nitro Alley Stage all weekend, as the entertainment hub hosts Nitro School, meet and greets, influencer interviews and much more. As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet and can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more.

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 12 and 3 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 10, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, Nov. 12. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, leading into eliminations at 4 p.m. ET.

To purchase tickets to the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, 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.

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About Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is the World’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy. Our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of employees serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 43 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destination for everything RV. For more information, visit www.campingworld.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 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, 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.

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS STAMPEDE OF SPEED
TEXAS MOTORPLEX
ENNIS, TEXAS
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
OCTOBER 15, 2023

ERICA ENDERS RACES TO THE DALLAS WIN AND BECOMES THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA HISTORY WHILE EARNING CHEVROLET THEIR 380TH VICTORY IN PRO STOCK

• In her 350th NHRA start, Erica Enders captured her 47th drag racing victory to further solidify herself in the history books and become the winningest female in NHRA history.
• Enders’ 47 NHRA wins came from behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, with 46 in Pro Stock and one in Super Gas.
• Enders’ Dallas win Sunday captured Chevrolet their 380th Pro Stock win and 261st in the Camaro for the Bowtie brand.
• Enders leaves the Texas NHRA FallNationals event the Pro Stock points leaders with two races, Las Vegas and Pomona, left in the Countdown to the Championship.
• 16-time champion and veteran driver John Force raced to the final round to finish runner-up after defeating Jeff Diehl in Round 1, Cruz Pedregon in Round 2, and JR Todd in the semifinals.
• Veteran driver Lottig, driver of the ITI Trailers and Truck Bodies Chevrolet COPO Camaro, captured his second career FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown No. 1 Qualifier Friday after three rounds of qualifying.
• Chevrolet also captured victories in both Stock Eliminator and Super Stock, with Jerry Emmons and Tyler Wudarczyk racing to their respective national event win for the Bowtie brand.
• Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, captured his second No. 1 Qualifier of the season and five bonus points toward the Countdown to the Championship with his run of 6.480 ET at 211.76 MPH.
• Deric Kramer raced his way to a $7,500 payday bonus after his career-best Friday night pass of 6.486 ET as part of Texas Motorplex’s Friday Night Live program. The driver with the fastest ET of the evening in each category wins prize money as well as a pair of custom Corral Boots.

ENNIS, Texas (October 15, 2023) – Capturing her 47th NHRA victory, her 46th in Pro Stock and one in Super Gas, Erica Enders, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock further solidified herself in the drag racing history books to become the winningest female in NHRA history.

Defeating KB Titan Racing’s Dallas Glenn in her 79th career final round with her pass of 6.469 ET at 211.55 MPH to Glenn’s 6.493 ET at 210.40 MPH, the native Texan leveraged her 350th race to capture her third win of the season and continue her strong march to a potential sixth championship.

With her 47 NHRA victories coming from behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, Enders said of her Wally trophies and wins, “We have a lot that mean an awful lot to us, but this one does a lot for self-confidence and for my team. As a little girl that eight years old with big dreams to be a professional driver one day in a junior dragster and working my way through the Lucas Oil Series, and now being here for 20 years, this one will sit proudly alongside some other ones. This has been quite the journey for us; it has not been easy. Way more valleys than peaks, but my team, man. Richard Freeman gave the opportunity ten years ago, and we’ve never looked back. This is quite the exciting weekend for us.”

“Congratulations to Erica Enders on becoming the winningest woman in NHRA history, said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President for Performance and Motorsports. “Erica’s preparation, hard work, determination and focus on teamwork has been instrumental to her success. We are proud that Erica’s 47 wins and five championships have been in a Chevrolet.”

John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, carried the Chevrolet nitro teams to the final round, defeating Jeff Diehl in Round 1, Cruz Pedregon in Round 2, and JR Todd in explosive fashion in semifinals, with the car facing a “blow up” towards the finish line and splitting the body. While Force walked away and readied for the final round, his John Force Racing team readied his Chevrolet to face Matt Hagan. While Force smoked the tires early in the run, and Hagan was able to capture the victory, it was still a strong day for the 16-time champion and drag racing legend.

“I had a race car this weekend that was back in the hunt,” said Force. “(Crew chiefs) Daniel Hood and Tim Fabrisi and Mac Savage and the whole team ran this hot rod into 3.80s every run. Then it got in trouble in the semifinals when we had that explosion after it spun the tires. We got it back together thanks to all the teams joining in to help. I was in my moment because that’s how I lived and grew up in racing and I love being a part of it. It gets my energy up! I just couldn’t get the job done with Hagan. We wanted to help Robert (Hight) and cut a few points but he’s still only three rounds behind with two to go.”

Facing a tough day at a critical time, the Top Fuel pairing of Brittany Force, driver of the Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster, and Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, along with teammate Robert Hight, driver of the AAA/Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, saw their race days end prematurely in Round 1 after being defeated by their competitors.

After securing his second career FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown No.1. Qualifier, Lenny Lottig faced off in his ITI Trailers and Truck Bodies Chevrolet COPO Camaro against Doug Hamp in the finals, with Hamp getting lane choice in the finals. Seeing an all-Chevrolet semifinal and final round, Lottig nabbed the win for the Bowtie brand in the category at the FallNationals after Hamp lost traction at the start and Lottig running of 7.628 ET at 172.42 MPH. With Aaron Stanfield leaving Dallas still leading the points and also representing Chevrolet, the Bowtie brand occupies the top two spots in the Championship with Stanfield leading and Stephen Bell in second.

In Stock Eliminator, Jerry Emmons raced to the FallNationals win in his Chevrolet SS 396, defeating Jimmy Hildago with his run of 10.514 ET at 113.36 MPH to Hildago’s 10.892 ET at 107.05 MPH. Additionally, in Super Stock, Tyler Wudarczyk picked up his sixth national event win in his Camaro, defeating Victor Penrod for the Wally trophy.

With two races to go in the 2023 NHRA Countdown to the Championship, the penultimate event sees Team Chevy drivers and teams heading to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NHRA Nevada Nationals October 26-29, 2023. In competition and representing the Bowtie brand, Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown take to the track that weekend to battle it out. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations air at 5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“It was a tough Sunday for this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team. We qualified well. We had three killer runs and went into the show from the number four position and got beat first round. It’s hard to pack up and leave on that note (but) we head to Vegas next and we are looking to surprise everyone and come out and win it. This team can win! We’ve done it before, and we have two more races to get it accomplished this year.”

Austin Prock, driver of the Rocky Mountain Twist/Montana Brand Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“Not the way we wanted to end our weekend. We had a strong race car all weekend and just missed the set-up first round. The track was technical and got the best of us, but we will come out swinging again in Las Vegas, a win there would be a dream come true.”

Robert Hight, driver of the AAA/Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“Not the weekend that we hoped for. “This would have been a great opportunity to gain some points (but) this championship is far from over and the AAA/Cornwell team will bounce back in Vegas!”

Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for KB Titan Racing:

“Every matchup is tough out here. These guys are bad to the bone, and I said that before. Anybody can beat anybody right now. Obviously, (Aaron Stanfield) did a better job. So, my hat is off to him. It’s an absolute dog fight out here. There are so many cars that can win, so many drivers that can go low or double-o lights on you. The price of poker right now is so high. Just disappointed I didn’t get it done. It’s been a good run lately, but I didn’t get it done there and that’s going to cost. Now, I need a miracle.”

Troy Coughlin, Jr., driver of the JEGS.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for Elite Motorsports:

“It’s racing. You sign the waiver at the gate, and it’s a danger. That’s just part of the game. It’s definitely unfortunate for everybody at Elite Motorsports, for all of our sponsors – JEGS.com, White Castle, really everybody on the car. I can tell you that everybody at Elite Motorsports is going to work extremely hard. We’re going to get it together for Vegas. The effort that goes into getting these things ready is second to none – the best. Everybody bands together and works so hard, so it’s really exciting. It’s definitely my driving force to becoming a better driver. Really, I could’ve done a better job keeping it off the wall. I knew (Erica Enders) was probably around me where the motor started to expire. I probably should’ve steered a little bit more to the inside. Things happen so fast and in the moment. The cockpit was full of smoke, my helmet full of smoke. You’re struggling to breathe, you’re not breathing your normal air. A lot of things aren’t like they are. You get into a routine. A lot of things are so different, but we’ll be back in Vegas.

Have you had a chance to assess (the car)? Obviously, the motor expired and there’s some body damage, but do you have a lot of work to do?

“I would say there’s going to be some hours involved. I would say I’ll be getting a couple of pizzas and a few things for the fellas.”

ERICA ENDERS, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for Elite Motorsports – Texas NHRA FallNationals Winner’s Press Conference:

YOUR FIRST RACE AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX WAS IN A JUNIOR DRAGSTER, AND NOW YOU’RE LEAVING BOTH A PRO STOCK WINNER AND THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA HISTORY. YOU ALSO HAVE THE POINT LEAD. THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT YOU BEING IN TEXAS…

“We definitely came in here on a mission. Greg (Anderson) was just a little bit over around behind me, Matt (Hartford) was on his heels. It’s just such a tight field, and then you see everybody qualify on Friday and Saturday, and the top half is separated by just a few thousandths of a second. It’s absolutely crazy, cutthroat competition. I love racing at the Motorplex. Great day. I’m super stoked. My guys are amazing. We didn’t feel like we performed super well in qualifying. Yes, we ran in the top of the pack and qualified No. 3, but we were just missing it. I’m really grateful.”

DID YOU EVER IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS IMAGINE DOING WHAT YOU JUST DID TODAY (RACING FROM JUNIOR DRAGSTERS TO BECOMING THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA HISTORY)?

“I don’t think so, but I say this a lot – ‘The magic of being a kid is actually believing what you think to happen will happen,’ and it did just that. As little kids, my sister and I grew up watching our dad race in the Sportsman series, and we just wanted to follow in his footsteps. NHRA came out with the Junior Drag Racing League when I was eight years old, and I drove those cars for nine years. I raced in the Lucas Oil Series for five, and now I’ve been racing Pro Stock for 20. I kind of have to pinch myself, and check myself when I get mad about things that happen when they do because I’m so blessed to do what I get to do for a living with the people that matter the most to me.”

YOU BROKE A TIE TODAY WITH ANGELLE (SAMPEY). YOU ARE THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA HISTORY WITH 47 NATIONAL EVENT TROPHIES. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

“That’s pretty cool, and in all of motorsports. I’m pretty stoked for that. When I first started racing Pro Stock, Shirley Muldowney had 18 wins, and Angelle (Sampey) had so many. It just seemed so far away and I felt I’m never going to race that long to be able to accomplish that many wins. To have Angelle (Sampey) here this weekend while we do it is pretty awesome. She had a great showing in her first outing in Top Alcohol Dragster, so I’m really proud of her.”

WHAT A RACE DAY YOU HAD. IT’S TREMENDOUS. WALK US THROUGH YOUR RACE DAY…

“It was an awesome day. Epic, really. In qualifying, we felt like we missed it a little bit. Even though we were running at the top of the field, we just weren’t hitting on what we wanted to and felt like there was so much more out of that car. Going up for first round, of course there’s those Sunday nerves, but it’s also the Countdown. Greg (Anderson) and Matt (Hartford) were right behind me. There’s just so much on the line, it’s hard to control your emotions up there. We went out there and went a 46 first round. The guys were excited that everything looked great on the graph when we got back, and we knew that we had a racecar. Then it was my turn to dig myself out of a ditch and get my reaction times back to normal. Progressively all day long, I got better. We had a tremendous racecar. My guys worked really hard.

“Again, when our backs are against a wall, we perform. When Aaron (Stanfield) beat Greg (Anderson), and (Troy Coughlin, Jr.) beat Matt (Hartford), I was the third pair behind them, and I was just so excited in the car just because of how everything was going. To have three Elite (Motorsports) cars in the final four is pretty substantial. Just thrilled for our entire performance today, and we parked it in the winner’s circle.”

YOU STARTED A LONG WAY BEHIND ANGELLE (SAMPEY), AND TO BECOME THE WINNINGEST FEMALE IN NHRA, YOU HAD A BIT OF CATCH UP THERE. TELL US ABOUT THAT JOURNEY…

“I guess I didn’t really realize how close we were until (NHRA) called me in the middle of the summer and said this is approaching, and these are the things we want to do when it happens. Jokingly, I was like ‘Man, I don’t want to talk about it because when we started talking about Greg’s (Anderson) 100th win, it took him a while to get there. Don’t talk about it. I don’t want jinx it. I just want it to come naturally.’

“As a little kid growing up, Angelle (Sampey) was one of my idols, one of my heroes. We had her t-shirts and her autographs and whatnot. For it to come full circle, and when we turned pro in 2004, making our pro debut in ’05, I only had one national event Wally, which was Super Gas. The first seven seasons of my pro career went winless. So, it took us a long time. I remember like it was yesterday tying Shirley Muldowney with 18 (wins), when we won the U.S. Nationals in 2015. Here we are at 47. It’s pretty crazy. To not have it for just drag racing, but for motorsports worldwide is, it’s pretty substantial. While, yes, I just want to be viewed as a driver, it is totally badass and I’m super thankful for the opportunity.

“I always thought, ‘I’m not going to race that long, to get that many wins.’ Here we are, and we’re not done yet. It’s been a long journey but it’s been really fun. It goes to show you, if you don’t ever give up, great things can happen.”

DALLAS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU COULD LOSE A CHAMPIONSHIP, NOT WIN IT, BUT LOSE IT. HEADING TO VEGAS NEXT WHERE YOU ARE KNOWN TO DO WELL, HOW IMPORTANT WAS THIS?

“To have things go right well here for us is huge. To spread the lead just a little (in the Countdown to the Championship), and as you mentioned going to Vegas, we’ve won nine or 10 nationals there. It’s no secret it’s my favorite place to race because it’s just so good to us. Coming off of a win here, and obviously we hope to carry the momentum through to Las Vegas, but then you have Pomona that’s points and a half, and it can throw a wrench in your spoke. You just have to put your head down and go to work. Again, I love racing here (in Dallas). They closed Houston, which was my home track, so this is my new home. I’ve raced here since the early ‘90’s with my family, so another huge thank you to the Meyer family for what they do for our sport, for loving it as much as we do, and making this so fun to win here.”

LAST YEAR WAS A BIT OF A DIFFERENT STORY THIS TIME THEN, AND YOU HAVE QUITE HAD THE SEASON LIKE THAT THIS YEAR…

“Lots of valleys and the start of the season was really not great at all. I don’t think we won a round for six races, which was just terrible and really painful, but it also makes me value my team that much more. We don’t get mad, we don’t have any less fun. Losing sucks, but winning is great. They put their heads down, and they went to work, and we figured out our problem even though week after week after week we were having the same issues. Being in June we were 15th in points, and we’re sitting here in the lead in points is absolutely unbelievable to me. Thankful for that, and yes, three semifinals in our first three Countdown races, and while we were slightly discouraged, my team owner was just like ‘We’ve got to semi out.’ Don’t lose before the (semifinals) and we’ll count it as a good day. So we keep our heads up and we keep going, and then we finally parked it in the winner’s circle here. But, it’s not over. It’s going to be a dog fight. I know that. These guys are really tough. We’re just going to do our best.”

Round 1 Recap:

Top Fuel:

No. 8 Austin Prock fell to No. 9 Antron Brown after losing traction on the start to Brown’s 3.682 ET at 329.0 MPH.
No. 4 Brittany Force fell to No. 13 Spencer Massey after she lost traction mid-track to Massey’s run of 3.719 ET at 327.58 MPH.

Funny Car:

No. 2 John Force defeated No. 15 Jeff Diehl on a blistering run of 3.839 ET at 331.74 MPH to Diehl losing traction mid-track.
No. 3 Robert Hight fell to No. 14 Terry Haddock after losing traction mid-track to Haddock’s 4.266 ET at 298.73 MPH.

Pro Stock:

No. 1 Greg Anderson defeated No. 16 Chris McGaha with Anderson running 6.481 ET at 211.83 MPH to McGaha’s 6.533 ET at 211.53 MPH.
No. 8 Kyle Koretsky falls to No. 9 Aaron Stanfield after smoking the tires mid-track as Stanfield ran 6.503 ET at 210.72 MPH.
No. 4 Jerry Tucker fell to No. 13 Camrie Caruso after Caruso ran 6.526 ET at 210.65 MPH to Tucker red-lighting on the start.
No. 5 Dallas Glenn defeated No. 12 Bo Butner, III after Butner took off to the left at the start of his run to Glenn getting a solid, straight run at 6.492 ET at 210.84 MPH.
No. 2 Troy Coughlin, Jr. defeated No. 15 Mason McGaha with his run of 6.476 ET at 212.56 MPH to McGaha’s 6.530 ET at 210.85 MPH.
No. 7 Matt Hartford defeated No. 10 Fernando Cuadra, Jr. with his 6.509 ET pass at 212.11 MPH to Cuadra, Jr.’s 6.518 ET at 211.56 MPH.
No. 3 Erica Enders defeated No. 14 Eric Latino in a close race with Enders running 6.467 ET at 212.23 MPH to Latino’s 6.530 ET at 210.95 MPH.
No. 6 Deric Kramer fell to No. 11 Christian Cuadra after Cuadra ran 6.508 ET at 211.34 MPH to Kramer smoking the tires and facing issues on the run.

Round 2:

Funny Car:

Force defeated Pedregon with a 3.845 ET at 327.68 MPH to Pedregon’s 3.889 ET at 328.59 MPH.

Pro Stock:

Anderson fell to Stanfield with his run of 6.488 ET at 210.69 MPH to Stanfield’s 6.498 ET at 210.50 MPH.
Caruso fell to Glenn with her run of 6.536 ET at 211.03 MPH to Glenn’s 6.515 ET at 209.29 MPH.
Coughlin, Jr. defeated Hartford with his run of 6.501 ET at 211.84 MPH to Hartford’s 6.509 ET at 210.74 MPH.
Enders defeated Cuadra with her run of 6.473 ET at 211.74 MPH to Cuadra’s 6.511 ET at 211.33 MPH.

Semifinals:

Funny Car:

Force defeated JR Todd, with Todd smoking the tires mid-track and Force facing an explosion and body split towards the end of the run. With Force okay and getting to the finish line first, he moves on the final round. Force took the winlight with a run of

Pro Stock:

Stanfield fell to Glenn after facing issues on the starting line, with Glenn running 6.500 ET at 210.40 MPH.
Enders defeated Coughlin, Jr. with her run of 6.476 ET at 211.88 MPH to Coughlin, Jr.’s 6.843 ET at 164.08 MPH.

Finals:

Pro Stock:

Enders defeated Glenn with her pass of 6.469 ET at 211.55 MPH to Glenn’s 6.493 ET at 210.40 MPH.

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.

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 15, 2023) – Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan gave Tony Stewart Racing its first-ever nitro sweep in Top Fuel and Funny Car on Sunday at the Texas Motorplex, while Pro Stock’s Erica Enders became the winningest female in NHRA history with her 47th career national event victory to close out a historic and record-breaking 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera also won at the 19th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Enders, the reigning and five-time world champion, won in her home state for the second straight year to set the new all-time mark for NHRA national event wins by a female, going 6.469-seconds at 211.15 mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro to get past Dallas Glenn’s 6.493 at 210.40. Enders’ third victory this year also helped extend her lead to an impressive 85 points over Greg Anderson with two races remaining, also picking up her first playoff win of 2023.

After qualifying third as part of the quickest field in Pro Stock history, Enders delivered four straight runs in the 6.40s, knocking off Eric Latino, Cristian Cuadra and Troy Coughlin Jr. to reach the finals. Enders led wire-to-wire against Glenn, surpassing Angelle Sampey for most wins by a female and adding another legacy-defining victory to remarkable career.

“We have a lot of wins that mean an awful lot to us, but as a little girl with big dreams to be a professional driver one day, this one will sit proudly alongside some other ones,” Enders said. “This has been quite the journey and it hasn’t been easy. (Team owner) Richard Freeman gave me this opportunity 10 years ago and I’ll always be grateful. My team has been awesome and we’ve never looked back. This was quite the weekend.

“We came in here on a mission. It’s such a tight field and you see how everyone qualified, and it’s absolutely crazy. It’s cutthroat competition, but I love racing at the (Texas) Motorplex. I’m so thankful for the Meyer family and we’re so blessed to race in Texas. It was a great day and my guys are amazing. I’m really grateful for this group. I’m so thrilled to be here and we’ve got the points lead going to Vegas.”

Glenn took down Bo Butner, Camrie Caruso and Aaron Stanfield to reach the finals for the ninth time in 2023.

In Top Fuel, Pruett finished off the sweep for Tony Stewart Racing, closing out the weekend in style with a holeshot victory, going 3.684 at 330.47 in her 11,000-horsepower Mobil 1 dragster to defeat Steve Torrence in the championship round. It gave Pruett the points lead in the Countdown to the Championship for the first time in her career as she rolled to her second victory this season and 12th in her career.

She defeated Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, who entered the weekend with the points lead, and Clay Millican to reach the finals, making a trio of runs in the 3.60s. In the final, Pruett posted a .055 reaction time, which proved to be the difference in holding off Torrence’s run of 3.662 at 333.05. It led to a memorable celebration for the entire Tony Stewart Racing team, which enjoyed its first nitro sweep as Pruett now leads Kalitta by just four points with two races left in the season.

“We’re going to take this momentum on and keep trying to do the best we can,” Pruett said. “Beating Doug was huge. You can’t win a championship here, but you can lose one and we made sure we are deep in the hunt, and I couldn’t be prouder. I think we showed (today) what we can do in the Countdown.

“Matt and I had some time in the staging lanes (before the final round) and we just talked about what it takes to be there. He said the key is just focus. I just made sure I was focused on what I could do to get the best performance out of my car. (Now) we’re going to try to do what Tony Stewart Racing does best and that’s to keep winning.”

Torrence took down Buddy Hull, Antron Brown and his father, Billy, to pick up his sixth finals appearance this year and 87th in his career. He also remains in the thick of the championship hunt, trailing Pruett by only 13 points.

Hagan took command of the Funny Car class in impressive fashion over the past two races, winning his second straight event, this time defeating John Force in the final round on Sunday in Dallas with a run of 3.883 at 332.25 in his 11,000-horsepower American Rebel Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It’s the sixth win this season and the 49th career victory for Hagan, who jumped from third to first in the points standings this weekend. He leads Bob Tasca III by 36 points and Robert Hight by 69 points after putting together a spectacular string of runs on Sunday at the Texas Motorplex.

While Ron Capps and Hight both lost in the first round, and Tasca fell a round later, Hagan knocked off Paul Lee, Terry Haddock and Tim Wilkerson to reach the finals, staying in the 3.80s throughout the day. Force smoked the tires early in the run as Hagan made another clean pass, sending him into the points lead and setting the stage for Pruett to deliver the nitro sweep for Tony Stewart Racing just a few minutes later.

“It’s a dogfight in Funny Car,” said Hagan, who is seeking his fourth career world championship. “It’s just that tough out there. My team put a great car under me and I’m just super proud of them. It takes tons of support to do what we’re doing and to win six races in a year, it’s incredible. It’s just so hard to do and it says a lot about what our team is doing and how great Tony Stewart is as a team owner.

“This was our opportunity to rise to the occasion and our team did that. The chances for Robert, Ron and Tasca going out early is pretty rare, so it was an unreal day for us. We did what we needed to do to turn on win lights. To double-up with this team at TSR, it’s just incredible. I’m really proud of the organization I drive for and there’s only more great things to come, I’m sure.”

Force advanced to the championship round for the second time this season and the 266th time overall thanks to victories against Jeff Diehl, Cruz Pedregon and J.R. Todd.

After a record-breaking weekend, it was only fitting that Gaige Herrera capped off his special weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a victory, knocking off teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round with a run of 6.644 at 203.30 on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It was Herrera’s seventh straight run in the 6.60s this weekend at the Texas Motorplex, a streak that included Saturday’s record-breaking blast of 6.627 at 204.16. He followed with his ninth win of his magnificent 2023 season on Sunday, strengthening his points lead in the process.

He knocked off Blaine Hale, Chris Bostick and Hector Arana Jr. to reach the final round and then put together his quickest run of the day in the final round to beat Krawiec for a second straight race, again denying the multi-time world champ his 50th career win. Herrera now holds a 156-point lead over Krawiec and will have a chance to clinch his first career world championship in Las Vegas.

“A year can make a world of difference. I’m just here living the dream,” Herrera said. “This bike has been flying all weekend and this whole weekend has been cool. This is a special one right here and one I’ll never forget. It’s been this incredible what this Vance & Hines team has given me. My bike has been flying and it’s crazy how fast it is and how easy it has been to ride. It’s on a string right now.

“It’s been an incredible experience this weekend in Dallas. Getting the national record (on Saturday) and then the win, and doing it in front of all these great fans all weekend, it’s been amazing.”

Krawiec advanced to his third final round this year and 84th in his career by getting past Cory Reed, Matt Smith and Joey Gladstone.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 26-29 with the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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ENNIS, Texas — Final finish order (1-16) at the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 19th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

1. Leah Pruett; 2. Steve Torrence; 3. Billy Torrence; 4. Clay Millican; 5. Mike Salinas; 6.

Antron Brown; 7. Spencer Massey; 8. Doug Kalitta; 9. Buddy Hull; 10. Doug Foley; 11. Justin Ashley; 12. Brittany Force; 13. Tony Schumacher; 14. Austin Prock; 15. Shawn Langdon; 16. Josh Hart.

FUNNY CAR:

1. Matt Hagan; 2. John Force; 3. Tim Wilkerson; 4. J.R. Todd; 5. Cruz Pedregon; 6. Bob Tasca III; 7. Alex Laughlin; 8. Terry Haddock; 9. Chad Green; 10. Blake Alexander; 11. Robert Hight; 12. Jack Wyatt; 13. Paul Lee; 14. Alexis DeJoria; 15. Ron Capps; 16. Jeff Diehl.

PRO STOCK:

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

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

1. Gaige Herrera; 2. Eddie Krawiec; 3. Hector Arana Jr; 4. Joey Gladstone; 5. John Hall; 6.

Matt Smith; 7. Marc Ingwersen; 8. Chris Bostick; 9. Kelly Clontz; 10. Ryan Oehler; 11. Jianna Evaristo; 12. Malcolm Phillips Jr.; 13. Steve Johnson; 14. Cory Reed; 15. Blaine Hale; 16. Chase Van Sant.

ENNIS, Texas — Sunday’s final results from the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 19th of 21 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Leah Pruett, 3.684 seconds, 330.47 mph def. Steve Torrence, 3.662 seconds, 333.09 mph.

Funny Car — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.883, 332.25 def. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 6.818, 94.02.

Pro Stock — Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.469, 211.55 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.493, 210.40.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.644, 203.30 def. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.706, 202.56.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Julie Nataas, 5.129, 279.76 def. Kirk Wolf, 9.048, 88.36.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Doug Gordon, Chevy Camaro, 5.414, 271.12 def. Jim Whiteley, Camaro, 6.226, 163.75.

Competition Eliminator — Jim Greenheck, Chevy Camaro, 7.163, 188.39 def. Shaun Vincent, Chevy S-10, 8.748, 118.66.

Super Stock — Tyler Wudarczyk, Chevy Camaro, 10.367, 126.89 def. Victor Penrod, Chevy Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

Stock Eliminator — Jerry Emmons, Chevy Camaro, 10.514, 113.36 def. Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Pontiac GTO, 10.892, 107.05.

Super Comp — Michael Holcombe, Dragster, 8.915, 173.22 def. Dave Long, Dragster, 8.924, 167.62.

Super Gas — Trevor Larson, Chevy Corvette, 9.928, 161.38 def. Steve Collier, Chevy Vega, 9.941, 160.59.

Super Street — Donnie Durenberger, Chevy Nova, 10.920, 146.44 def. Mark McCall, Pontiac Trans Am, 10.903, 144.76.

Top Sportsman — Curt Fredrich, Chevy Camaro, 6.523, 211.08 def. David Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.113, 232.20.

Top Dragster — Holden Laris, Dragster, 6.103, 205.62 def. Dane Ward, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

Factory Stock Showdown — Lenny Lottig, Chevy Camaro, 7.628, 172.42 def. Doug Hamp, Camaro, 13.736, 77.99.

ENNIS, Texas — Final round-by-round results from the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 19th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Antron Brown, 3.682, 329.00 def. Austin Prock, 5.861, 132.99; Leah Pruett, 3.678, 333.90 def. Shawn Langdon, 9.241, 94.23; Billy Torrence, 3.664, 335.42 def. Tony Schumacher, 5.326, 133.84; Spencer Massey, 3.719, 327.58 def. Brittany Force, 4.676, 156.30; Doug Kalitta, 3.689, 329.74 def. Josh Hart, 9.918, 58.18; Steve Torrence, 3.664, 333.21 def. Buddy Hull, 3.739, 324.42; Mike Salinas, 3.689, 335.77 def. Doug Foley, 3.773, 293.16; Clay Millican, 3.789, 269.53 def. Justin Ashley, 4.356, 197.29; QUARTERFINALS — Millican, 3.709, 333.43 def. Salinas, 3.669, 331.30; Pruett, 3.697, 331.52 def. Kalitta, 4.319, 174.45; B. Torrence, 3.713, 332.94 def. Massey, 3.752, 327.44; S. Torrence, 3.684, 333.19 def. Brown, 3.736, 311.76;

SEMIFINALS — Pruett, 3.681, 329.82 def. Millican, 5.325, 122.55; S. Torrence, 3.697, 333.88 def. B. Torrence, 3.715, 332.77;

FINAL — Pruett, 3.684, 330.47 def. S. Torrence, 3.662, 333.09.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 4.248, 239.34 def. Jack Wyatt, Dodge Charger, 4.840, 167.70; Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.266, 298.73 def. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 4.273, 288.68; John Force, Camaro, 3.839, 331.74 def. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 10.318, 89.19; Alex Laughlin, Charger, 4.237, 275.21 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 8.428, 85.81; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.895, 318.88 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 5.014, 148.91; J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.882, 327.11 def. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.164, 237.60; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.935, 332.10 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.939, 326.87; Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.416, 202.42 def. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 5.238, 209.17; QUARTERFINALS — Wilkerson, 3.866, 327.58 def. Tasca III, 3.921, 328.25; Force, 3.845, 327.68 def. Pedregon, 3.889, 328.59; Todd, 3.928, 327.03 def. Haddock, 5.920, 112.88; Hagan, 3.868, 331.30 def. Laughlin, 4.344, 255.77;

SEMIFINALS — Hagan, 3.875, 328.85 def. Wilkerson, 3.897, 328.95; Force, 4.711, 288.31 def. Todd, 6.830, 106.21;

FINAL — Hagan, 3.883, 332.25 def. Force, 6.818, 94.02.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.503, 210.72 def. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 7.191, 209.24; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.509, 212.11 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Ford Mustang, 6.518, 211.56; Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.508, 211.34 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 16.153, 51.88; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.492, 210.84 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, 8.331, 111.99; Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.526, 210.65 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.467, 212.23 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.530, 210.95; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.481, 211.83 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.522, 211.53; Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.476, 212.56 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.530, 210.85; QUARTERFINALS — Glenn, 6.515, 209.29 def. Caruso, 6.536, 211.03; Stanfield, 6.498, 210.50 def. Anderson, 6.488, 210.69; Coughlin Jr., 6.501, 211.84 def. Hartford, 6.509, 210.74; Enders, 6.473, 211.74 def. C. Cuadra, 6.511, 211.33;

SEMIFINALS — Glenn, 6.500, 210.40 def. Stanfield, Broke; Enders, 6.476, 211.88 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.843, 164.08;

FINAL — Enders, 6.469, 211.55 def. Glenn, 6.493, 210.40.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE — Chris Bostick, 6.851, 194.95 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.051, 166.45; Marc Ingwersen, 6.800, 197.74 def. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.972, 163.86; Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.845, 198.55 def. Ryan Oehler, 6.868, 187.60; Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.725, 203.48 def. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 7.008, 186.76; John Hall, 6.804, 199.06 def. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, Broke – No Show; Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.738, 197.50 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.763, 199.12; Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.853, 201.67 def. Cory Reed, Suzuki, 7.138, 167.81; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.657, 202.65 def. Blaine Hale, Suzuki,

7.262, 186.57;

QUARTERFINALS — Gladstone, 6.766, 200.30 def. Ingwersen, Foul – Red Light; Krawiec,

6.731, 201.05 def. Smith, 6.857, 197.75; Arana Jr, 6.779, 199.99 def. Hall, Foul – Red Light; Herrera, 6.656, 204.01 def. Bostick, Foul – Red Light;

SEMIFINALS — Krawiec, 6.692, 203.88 def. Gladstone, 6.814, 195.10; Herrera, 6.661, 203.49 def. Arana Jr, 6.734, 199.40;

FINAL — Herrera, 6.644, 203.30 def. Krawiec, 6.706, 202.56.

ENNIS, Texas — Point standings (top 10) following the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 19th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

1. Leah Pruett, 2,414; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,410; 3. Steve Torrence, 2,401; 4. Justin Ashley, 2,306; 5. Antron Brown, 2,304; 6. Mike Salinas, 2,283; 7. Clay Millican, 2,270; 8. Brittany Force, 2,249; 9. (tie) Austin Prock, 2,195; Tony Schumacher, 2,195.

Funny Car

1. Matt Hagan, 2,461; 2. Bob Tasca III, 2,425; 3. Robert Hight, 2,392; 4. Ron Capps, 2,362; 5. John Force, 2,263; 6. J.R. Todd, 2,249; 7. Chad Green, 2,240; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 2,236; 9. Alexis DeJoria, 2,196; 10. Alex Laughlin, 2,194.

Pro Stock

1. Erica Enders, 2,454; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,369; 3. Dallas Glenn, 2,361; 4. Matt Hartford, 2,346; 5. Aaron Stanfield, 2,331; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,309; 7. Deric Kramer, 2,252; 8. Kyle Koretsky, 2,219; 9. Camrie Caruso, 2,205; 10. Cristian Cuadra, 2,188.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Gaige Herrera, 2,560; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2,404; 3. Matt Smith, 2,386; 4. Hector Arana Jr,

2,381; 5. Chase Van Sant, 2,254; 6. Angie Smith, 2,203; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 2,202; 8. Marc

Ingwersen, 2,190; 9. Steve Johnson, 2,171; 10. Kelly Clontz, 2,156.

STEVE TORRENCE FINISHES SECOND IN HOME RACE
Father Billy reaches semifinals in Top Fuel; J.R. Todd semifinalist in Funny Car

ENNIS, Texas (October 15, 2023) – Steve Torrence came up just short of a third Texas FallNationals victory this afternoon at Texas Motorplex, his home race. The Texas native lost on a holeshot run by Leah Pruett in the Top Fuel finals Sunday afternoon. Torrence’s run to the finals included defeating his father, Billy, in the semifinals by a mere 0.018 seconds. Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta were the other Toyota Top Fuel racers to advance past the first round.

In Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsport’s J.R. Todd led the charge for Toyota by taking his DHL GR Supra to the semifinals. This was Todd’s fifth semifinals appearance of the season and his first since Indianapolis last month where he reached the Funny Car finals. His Team Toyota teammates, Ron Capps and Alexis DeJoria, were eliminated in the first round.

With two races remaining in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, Kalitta is now second in the Top Fuel standings, followed by Torrence (third), Justin Ashley (fourth) and Brown (fifth). In Funny Car, Capps sits in fourth, Todd is sixth and DeJoria is ninth as the series shifts to the Nevada Nationals at Las Vegas in two weeks.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Texas NHRA Fall Nationals
Texas Motorplex
Race 19 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finalist	W 3.664 vs. B. Hull (3.739) W 3.684 vs. A. Brown (3.736) W 3.697 vs. B. Torrence (3.715) L 3.662 vs. L. Pruett (3.684- Holeshot win)
Billy Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-finals	W 3.664 vs. T. Schumacher (5.326) W 3.713 vs. S. Massey (3.752) L 3.715 vs. S. Torrence (3.697)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W 3.682 vs. A. Prock (5.861) L 3.736 vs. S. Torrence (3.684)
Doug Kalitta	Mobil 1 Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W 3.689 vs. J. Hart (9.918) L 4.319 vs. L Pruett (3.697)
Justin Ashley	Leatherwood Distillery Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L 4.356 vs. C. Millican (3,789)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L No Run vs. L. Pruett (3.678)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Semi-finals	W 3.882 vs. B. Alexander (4.164) W 3.928v s. T. Haddock (5.920) L 6.830 vs. J. Force (4.711)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L 5.238 vs. T. Wilkerson (4.416)
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L 8.428 vs. A. Laughlin (4.237)

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

TF Final Result: Finalist

How would you describe your day and weekend overall?

“Well, bottom line is we wound up on the wrong end of a really good drag race. That’s the bad news. The good news is, we’re taking a bad ass race car to Las Vegas and Pomona for these last two races of the Countdown. I think we’re peaking at the very best time to win a championship. We know the game, it’s all about the last six races. Now, it’s about the last two. So, we’ll polish everything up and head out west. One round separates the three of us – me, Leah (Pruett) and Doug (Kalitta), so it all comes down to a two-race shootout and I wouldn’t want to go into it with anybody but these bad-to-the-bone Capco Contractors boys.”

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

FC Final Result: Semi-finals

Take us through your day and run there in the semi-finals.

“It was a good day overall going rounds and getting to the later rounds – that’s always the key. We were pretty tuned up there for the semifinals against (John) Force because that car’s been really good all weekend. We figured we had to make a really strong run against them, and we both went up there and threw up. I just hate it when I feel like I could have done a better job pedaling the car. I just hate to give those away. This is definitely the best race we’ve had in a long time. We qualified really well and made our best run there in the fourth qualifying session – it was the best run we’d made in a really long time. That definitely shows some promise going into the last two races of the year. The guys are working really hard for DHL, Revchem, SealMaster and Toyota and not giving up. We’re doing all we can to go out here, run hard and finish strong.” 

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).

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 14, 2023) – Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Gaige Herrera made the quickest run in class history on Saturday at the Texas Motorplex, setting the national record and also breaking the category mark for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season in front of a near-capacity crowd at the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals.

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 at the 19th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Herrera rocketed to a run of 6.627-seconds at 204.16 mph on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, shattering the previous national record. It was also the second-fastest run in Pro Stock Motorcycle history. Herrera, who has eight wins this year, earned his 12th No. 1 spot, setting the class record for the most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season. He’ll open eliminations against Blaine Hale, looking to close out yet another magical weekend this season.

“We didn’t think it would be possible, but it was a picture-perfect run,” Herrera said. “It was so smooth it felt slow. We’re definitely happy about that and I was actually almost more excited about that than winning a race. It’s just a big accomplishment. I’ve got a fast motorcycle, and I feel if something doesn’t break and I don’t mess up, it’s going to be hard to beat us.

“There has been a lot to take in this season and I really don’t think it’s all set in. I can’t really put into words. A year ago today I would not have thought I’d be in the position I’m in, especially accomplishing so much that we have so far this season.”

Kelly Clontz made the best run of her career, going 6.705 at 201.99 to make a massive jump to second. Eddie Krawiec took third on the strength of his 6.714 at 203.92.

Steve Torrence hung on to the No. 1 position in a loaded Top Fuel field, as his track-record run of 3.636 at 336.62 in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster was good enough to hold off an epic number of qualifying runs on Saturday. It’s the third No. 1 qualifier for the Texan and four-time world champion, and he’ll open eliminations against Buddy Hull on Sunday. He entered the weekend third in points behind Leah Pruett and leader Doug Kalitta and gathered plenty of momentum with three straight runs in the 3.60s over the final three qualifying sessions. He’ll try to finish off a special weekend with a third win at his home track in front of what’s expected to be another huge crowd.

“It’s definitely morale boosting to go out and go low ET. But more importantly, today we went out and ran (3.66) on the first lap, (3.67) on the second lap,” Torrence said. “When you have a car that’s consistent, it’s always a confidence booster but especially when it’s consistently quick and you’re picking up points and something that very potentially could be the deciding factor in winning or losing a championship.

“At this point I’m probably more confident in my car than any other time in the season. We’re making really good strides at the right time, and I’m very confident going into tomorrow. It doesn’t hurt that it’s a hometown crowd.”

Torrence kept all the stars at bay, but nearly everyone put up a challenge, as 12 cars dipped into the 3.60s in the second-quickest qualifying field in Top Fuel history. Points leader Kalitta held on to second thanks to his 3.642 at 334.70 on Friday and Mike Salinas jumped to third Saturday evening with a 3.655 at 333.73.

In Funny Car, Bob Tasca III closed out qualifying with a massive blast of 338.57 mph, giving him plenty of confidence heading into eliminations, but it was his track-record pass of 3.822 at 335.55 on Friday in his 11,000-horsepower Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang that handed the points leader his seventh No. 1 spot this season. Tasca will open eliminations against Jack Wyatt and he’s got plenty of momentum, making the quickest run in three of the four sessions, which helped add to his points lead. With ideal conditions expected for eliminations, Tasca is ready for an unbelievable championship Sunday in Dallas.

“We have one of the best cars on the planet right now, so you’ve got a lot of confidence,” Tasca said. “Anyone out there can take out one of these cars easily. But we’ve got a really good car, the guys have a great handle on it. That 338 mph speed was pretty remarkable actually. I got No. 1 and the (personal-best) speed record. That was pretty cool. That was the fastest I’ve ever been in a car and I tell you one thing, when those parachutes come out four runs in a row at well over 330 mph, I’m a little sore to be honest with you.

“I could really hear the motor rev up in the lights and that’s when you think it’s on a big run. The fans got their money’s worth, and they’ll get their money’s worth tomorrow because you’re going to see a lot of those same conditions. Our side of the ladder is pretty stacked. That’s what we want. If you want to win the championship, you want to beat some of the top cars early and try to get ourselves into a position to win this race.”

John Force made a career-best pass to close out qualifying, taking the second spot with a 3.823 at 328.56. Robert Hight, who was second in points entering the weekend, took third with a 3.832 at 327.75, with Ron Capps and Matt Hagan right behind with runs of 3.844 and 3.848, respectively.

On a historic day in Pro Stock, five-time world champion Greg Anderson jumped to the top on Saturday, claiming the No. 1 qualifier with a standout run of 6.480 at 211.76 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It gives Anderson his second No. 1 spot this season and the 123rd in his career, doing so in Dallas against the quickest qualifying field in Pro Stock history. A total of nine cars ran in the 6.40s, with Chris McGaha taking the No. 16 spot with a 6.536. That will be Anderson’s first-round matchup on Sunday, as the veteran looks to win his third straight race in the Countdown to the Championship. Anderson enjoyed every bit of Saturday’s performance, making a pair of runs in the 6.40s and taking the top spot in an unbelievably quick field.

“Momentum is obviously worth a lot. You can’t quantify it, but it’s worth a lot,” Anderson said. “To get the No. 1 spot this weekend, this has probably been the toughest four rounds of qualifying that I can remember in my career. There has never been as many cars capable of driving the pole and being No. 1 through No. 10 in any order. Every thousandth meant everything, and that means to us, not only does that car have to be perfect every time down the racetrack, but you have to shift it perfectly.

“It’s that tough out there right now. The bar has been raised in this class and I’m proud to be one of the guys in the mix fighting for a championship and having a chance to fight for the pole like we did this weekend. It’s a lot of fun when you have conditions like this. This is what we live for. It was a great weekend so far in qualifying and tomorrow will be even better yet, I think you’ll see even faster times and it’s crazy. There are just so many capable of doing it.”

Troy Coughlin Jr. took the second spot with a 6.482 at 212.05 and points leader Erica Enders is right behind in third after a 6.483 at 211.82. Jerry Tucker, Dallas Glenn, Deric Kramer, Matt Hartford, Kyle Koretsky and Aaron Stanfield all ran in the 6.40s as well.

Eliminations for the Texas NHRA FallNationals begin at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday at the Texas Motorplex.

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ENNIS, Texas — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 19th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Steve Torrence, 3.636 seconds, 336.62 mph vs. 16. Buddy Hull, 3.780, 321.11; 2. Doug Kalitta, 3.642, 334.70 vs. 15. Josh Hart, 3.738, 326.87; 3. Mike Salinas, 3.655, 333.73 vs. 14. Doug Foley, 3.737, 322.51; 4. Brittany Force, 3.657, 335.72 vs. 13. Spencer Massey, 3.723, 327.49; 5. Billy Torrence, 3.660, 334.57 vs. 12. Tony Schumacher, 3.690, 333.46; 6. Justin Ashley, 3.661, 336.20 vs. 11. Clay Millican, 3.687, 334.52; 7. Leah Pruett, 3.665, 333.63 vs. 10. Shawn Langdon, 3.683, 335.87; 8. Austin Prock, 3.669, 327.89 vs. 9. Antron Brown, 3.679, 335.62.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Jacob McNeal, 3.848, 304.01; 18. Krista Baldwin, 3.888, 308.56; 19. Mitch King, 4.170, 228.75.

Funny Car — 1. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.822, 335.55 vs. 16. Jack Wyatt, Dodge Charger, 4.233, 261.02; 2. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.823, 328.56 vs. 15. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.015, 309.32; 3. Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.832, 327.75 vs. 14. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.012, 311.66; 4. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.844, 330.91 vs. 13. Alex Laughlin, Charger, 3.988, 315.10; 5. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.848, 319.24 vs. 12. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.931, 321.75; 6. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.857, 330.32 vs. 11. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.912, 321.13; 7. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.861, 332.37 vs. 10. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.881, 327.61; 8. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.876, 330.03 vs. 9. Tim

Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.879, 324.25.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Dave Richards, 4.442, 207.58; 18. Dale Creasy Jr., broke.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.480, 211.76 vs. 16. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.536, 211.41; 2. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.482, 212.05 vs. 15. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.528, 211.63; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.483, 211.82 vs. 14. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.519, 210.98; 4. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.486, 213.09 vs. 13. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.506, 211.14; 5. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.486, 210.30 vs. 12. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.504, 211.33; 6. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.486, 209.50 vs. 11. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.500, 210.20; 7. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.487, 212.14 vs. 10.

Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 6.500, 210.59; 8. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.490, 212.11 vs. 9. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.495, 211.86.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Kenny Delco, 6.551, 212.45; 18. Val Smeland, 6.568, 210.61; 19. Joey Grose, 6.589, 209.41; 20. Fernando Cuadra, 6.593, 209.79; 21. Steve Graham, 6.617, 209.81; 22. Alan Prusiensky, 6.656, 207.90.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.627, 204.16 vs. 16. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, 7.196, 171.80; 2. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.705, 201.99 vs. 15. Joey Gladstone, Buell, 7.143, 149.34; 3. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.714, 203.92 vs. 14. Cory Reed, Suzuki, 6.962, 193.75; 4. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.736, 198.42 vs. 13. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 6.923, 191.39; 5. John Hall, EBR, 6.788, 198.80 vs. 12. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.912, 195.08; 6. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.804, 199.03 vs. 11. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.890, 196.76; 7. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.814, 197.60 vs. 10. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.857, 196.82; 8. Chris Bostick, EBR, 6.818, 194.86 vs. 9. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.828, 197.52.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Richard Gadson, broke.

TORRENCE DELIVERS CAREER-BEST NUMBERS TO START NUMBER ONE IN TEXAS
All nine Toyota entries start inside the top-10 qualifiers

ENNIS, Texas (October 14, 2023) – It was a stellar qualifying session for Toyota’s Top Fuel teams at Texas Motorplex, just outside of Dallas. Four-time Top Fuel champions Steve Torrence delivered a career-best 3.632 elapsed time to earn his third No. 1 qualifier of the season. Points leader Doug Kalitta starts second with Billy Torrence, in his first start of the season, seeded fifth. All six Toyota-backed entries start inside the top-10 in the first round with Justin Ashley in sixth, Antron Brown qualified ninth and Shawn Langdon in the 10th spot.

In Funny Car, reigning Texas Motorplex winner Ron Capps leads the three Toyota GR Supra Funny Cars in fourth with a 3.844 second pass. Former Funny Car champion J.R. Todd moved inside the top-half of the field with his last pass and is seed in sixth with Alexis DeJoria in eighth.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
Texas NHRA Fall Nationals
Texas Motorplex
Race 19 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	1st (3.636)	B. Hull
Doug Kalitta	Mobil 1 Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	2nd (3.642)	J. Hart
Billy Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	5th (3.660)	T. Schumacher
Justin Ashley	Leatherwood Distillery Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	6th (3.661)	C. Millican
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	9th (3.679)	A. Prock
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	10th (3.683)	L. Pruett

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Bob Tasca*	Motorcraft Ford Mustang Funny Car	1st (3.822)	J. Wyatt
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	4th (3.844)	A. Laughlin
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	6th (3.857)	B. Alexander
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	8th (3.876)	T. Wilkerson

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

TF Qualifying Result: 1st

Can you talk about what the no. 1 qualifier means to you?

“It is definitely morale boosting to go out and go low ET. It was great to do it in the session that you can go out, sit on the saddle, get the check and do that. But more importantly today, we ran .66 on the first lap, .67 on the second lap. When you can be disappointed in a .67, it kind of gives you confidence. We went .72 in the first run, kind of as a layup, to go out there last night and try to run really hard and get low ET, and then today was about getting bonus points. When you have a race car that is consistent, it is always a confidence booster, especially when you are picking up points and pick up things that could be the deciding factor in winning or losing a championship. At this point, I’m probably more confident in my race car than any other time in the season. We are making really good strides at the right time. I’m looking forward to it. I’m very confident going into tomorrow, and it doesn’t hurt that it is a hometown crowd.”

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).

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 11, 2023) – Leading the points in the Countdown to the Championship for the first time in his career, Funny Car standout Bob Tasca III has already enjoyed an incredible season in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

Heading into this weekend’s 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex, which is the main event of the legendary track’s Stampede of Speed, Tasca and his team, led by crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Aaron Brooks, also don’t plan on changing an approach that sent them into the lead with three races remaining in the season.

An aggressive mindset has been a rewarding one for the team, as Tasca has picked up three victories and six No. 1 qualifiers in his 11,000-horsepower Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. But in an extremely tight Funny Car field where the top four drivers are separated by just 33 points, Tasca will aim to continue his standout pace in Dallas, where ideal racer and fan conditions could make for a spectacular weekend.

“We feel confident that if we can run our race that we’ve got as good a chance as anyone to win this championship,” Tasca said. “These guys only know how to run hard and run fast, and that’s just fine with me. I saw the forecast (for Dallas) and I had a big smile on my face. These are good conditions for our car and Dallas is a great surface. It’s going to be a throwdown and I love racing there. We’re going to come out swinging and leave it all out on the field, and that’s all you can do.”

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took home victories last season. This year’s race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), including eliminations on Sunday, and marks the third of six events in the Countdown to the Championship, and the 19th of 21 races in 2023. The weekend opens with “Friday Night Live,” as the quickest pass under the lights on Friday at the famed Texas Motorplex will net Top Fuel and Funny Car stars $15,000 each in bonus money, with $7,500 going to the top Friday qualifier in Pro Stock and $5,000 in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Tasca’s 2023 track record indicates he’ll definitely be in that mix on Friday, where he’ll look to put down a stellar blast to open the weekend. But finishing the job is never easy in the loaded Funny Car ranks, especially with the likes of Robert Hight, Matt Hagan and Capps right behind Tasca.

Hight is only six points back, while Hagan’s St. Louis win brought him within 13 points of Tasca. Capps, the defending event winner and reigning back-to-back world champ, is just 33 points out of the lead, setting the stage for an epic final three races. Throw in the likes of J.R. Todd, Tim Wilkerson, John Force and Chad Green and it will be a wild finish in Funny Car, starting this weekend in Dallas.

Tasca, though, believes his team is up for the task, no matter what type of conditions are thrown their way.

“We’ve got a car that can run with the best of the best in any condition and to win a championship, that’s what you need to have,” Tasca said. “I think that’s what makes us a dangerous team in the Countdown. We can run low E.T. no matter what conditions we’re in. When you have that in your repertoire, it puts you in a great position to contend for this championship. We’ve got a veteran group of guys and I’m fortunate to pair up with Todd Okuhara and Aaron Brooks. It’s incredible chemistry and you can see it in our performance all year long.”

Kalitta is after his first Top Fuel world championship, but Leah Pruett is only 47 points back. Texan Steve Torrence is just 51 points out of the lead, while defending event winner Ashley remains in title contention as well. Other top names include defending world champ Brittany Force, Antron Brown, Mike Salinas and Clay Millican.

Enders, a Texas native, wowed fans all throughout 2022 by collecting 10 NHRA titles en route to her fifth Pro Stock world championship. One of those 10 victories was her 2022 Texas NHRA FallNationals win, helping her clinch a championship a race later. She’s the current points leader, but has plenty of competition, including Greg Anderson, who is 25 points behind, and Matt Hartford, who trails Enders by 38 points.

Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran Arana Jr. picked up his first win from Dallas last year, but everyone is chasing points leader Gaige Herrera, who has an incredible eight wins in 2023. He holds a 99-point lead over reigning world champ Matt Smith, with Arana Jr. in third and Eddie Krawiec in fourth, 129 points back of his teammate.

The Texas NHRA FallNationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers, as well as the penultimate race of the season in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown. The weekend will also include the Jr. Dragster Shootout, as well as a jet dragster and wheelstander exhibition after nitro qualifying on Friday.

Fans will also be treated to the JEG’s Allstars event, which pits sportsman racers from across the country against each other for the ultimate drag racing battle. The popular competition will take place at the famed Texas Motorplex for the first time and the unique specialty race is one of most highly-anticipated events of the year.

Race fans at Texas Motorplex 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 Texas NHRA FallNationals event winners.

Leading into the race, fans can take part in the NHRA FanFest in downtown Waxahachie (October 12), where fans can meet and get autographs from all the top stars in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

Fans are invited to the Nitro Alley Stage all weekend, which will help create a festive atmosphere leading into Nitro Alley. The Nitro Alley Stage will be the main entertainment hub in the pits when the Camping World Drag Racing Series competitors are not on the track, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets and much more. As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food, and fun.

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 13, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 16. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday and as well as action from eliminations at 3 p.m.

To purchase tickets to the Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex, call 800-668-6775 or visit tickets.texasmotorplex.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admissions areas with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.

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About Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is the World’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy. Our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of employees serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 43 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destination for everything RV. For more information, visit www.campingworld.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 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, 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.

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS STAMPEDE OF SPEED
TEXAS MOTORPLEX
ENNIS, TEXAS
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
OCTOBER 13-15, 2023

THREE RACES REMAIN FOR CHEVROLET NHRA TEAMS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT

DETROIT (October 11, 2023) – With three races remaining in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, the Chevrolet drivers and teams competing in the Countdown to the Championship have their sights set on the Texas NHRA FallNationals Stampede of Speed this weekend at Texas Motorplex to gain critical wins and points at a crucial time.

As the Bowtie brand approaches locking in a 28th Manufacturers Cup since 1966, John Force Racing’s Robert Hight, driver of the AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, heads into the FallNationals six key points behind Bob Tasca, III in second. Hight knows the time is now, and not only seeks victory this weekend to gain that competitive advantage for him, his team, and Chevrolet, in addition to his three wins this year, but to also surpass Tasca, III in the standings.

“This Funny Car field is so competitive. These top cars, all of them are championship caliber. It’s really going to take the right combination of driver, crew chiefs, crews and a little luck to get the job done,” Hight said. “This AAA Chevy has been coming around and at just the right time. I’m really proud of what Jimmy and Thomas Prock and Nate Hildahl have been able to do, the whole team has been working really hard, and we all had confidence that we’d be right in the championship hunt. This weekend in Texas will be important. It’s a great event with the Stampede of Speed all week long. But it’s all about getting those cowboy hats at the end of it all on Sunday.”

In Pro Stock, the battle for first is heating up between KB Titan Racing’s Greg Anderson and Elite Motorsports’ Erica Enders, with only 25 points separating the two Chevrolet drivers. Anderson, the most recent winner in St. Louis and going back-to-back the race prior in Charlotte, gaining needed ground with key timing during the Countdown to the Championship.

“It means the world to peak at the right time, and this is the right time”, said Anderson of his recent wins coming during the Countdown. “The year has been a little less than stellar, but we’ve been working towards this goal and did a lot of experimenting through this season, and come playoff time, we were able to ratchet it up a notch. It’s all about the playoffs and being hot at the right time, and our team came together and peaked at the right time. We’ve shown we are still here. That’s a good sign, and with three more to go, we’re going to continue to ride this wave.”

Enders, who leads Anderson, not only seeks to continue to hold the top spot in the points standings, but also is looking to her next win to surpass Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Alcohol Dragster) as the winningest woman in NHRA history. Currently at 45 Pro Stock wins and one in Super Gas, Enders’ 47th win, her next, will further solidify the five-time champion in the record books. All of Enders’ wins have come while in the cockpit of a Chevrolet car.

For John Force Racing’s Top Fuel teams of Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, and Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster, they look to shift momentum and round out the season on a high note. Prock, who captured the pairs only win of the year so far at zMAX Dragway in the spring at the annual four-wide event, looks to return to the winner’s circle this weekend. For Force, 2023 has been a departure of a season compared to the previous and enters the Lone Star State looking for her first victory of the year.

This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team had a successful event in Dallas last year and we are hoping for that again. This is a big one, everyone wants to leave with a truck full of cowboy hats,” said Prock. “We tested last week to get dialed in to go for a strong last three-race stretch. We made three nice passes, progressively getting quicker. I feel very confident heading to Dallas. The conditions should be similar to the test session so I’m hoping to drop the door strong. We may be out of the championship hunt but we’re not out of the Wally hunt.”

In action this weekend, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown could see Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro, extend his points lead further on his march towards a third category championship. Currently leading with 112 points over the competition, Stanfield has two events remaining to make it happen.

“I am not thinking about the championship right now,” said Stanfield. “We want to come to the Texas Motorplex and make good runs. The weather will be really good and the competition will be tough. I know a lot of people will be testing before the race. We just have to take it one round at a time and see where we wind up at the end of the day.”

The 2023 NHRA Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex kicks off Friday, Oct. 13 in Ennis, Texas, with qualifying airing at 1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), Sunday, Oct. 15. Eliminations will follow, also airing on FS1, at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“We head to the Stampede of Speed next in Ennis, Texas and this entire Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is excited to get there. It’s a fun event; it’s filled from the start of the week to the end of the weekend with a fanfest, fifteen thousand dollars is on the line for being low of Friday and then race day on Sunday. We are looking forward to getting this team back out there, making some good runs, chasing down some money, making up some ground to move up in the standings and having some fun while we’re doing it.”

John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“Everything is bigger in Texas, so they say. Makes sense they have this Stampeded of Speed. I know fans have been out enjoying all the activities, gearing up for the race this weekend. Hopefully we can put on a good show for them. I know we need to. This PEAK team has been struggling, but we’re still competitive, still getting down the track, we can still win rounds and qualify well. It will come together. Three races left, still a lot of racing and a lot can happen.”

Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for KB Titan Racing:

How do you feel racing with three to go?

“It’s great, the way I look at it is, this a brand-new start. It’s like the season is going to start right now, and you have three races to run to win a championship. The score is about damn-near even between the top six cars; you can throw them all in there and not pick out a favorite. There are also four or five long shots that could still go on a roll, but the good news is, we’re one of those six favorites, and if we can continue the pace we’ve set the last couple of races, we have a great shot at it. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be great; it’s like going into overtime with three races left. You just have to make the most of it.”

On the FallNationals this weekend in Dallas:

“This race has been very good to us in the past, and it’s one I’m proud to have won six times. There is a lot on the line, and everyone at Texas Motorplex, from Billy and Christy Meyer on down, makes this a really special event. This is a big one, so to do well here would mean a lot. It would set you up for those last two races, and that’s what we’ve been striving for and working so hard for. Our whole goal is to finish the year on top for KB Titan Racing and HendrickCars.com. We have a chance to do that.”

Camrie Caruso, driver of the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for KB Titan Racing:

“The Pro Stock class is stacked with talent and we just need to get on a roll and see what we can do over these last three Countdown races. Last year was our first Countdown experience and we are already having more success. These cars are all about seat time and getting laps under your belt. I am so thankful we have won as many rounds as we have this season. My Tequila Comisario team has been awesome and I am really looking forward to the Stampede of Speed and Texas Fall Nationals. Getting the win in the first Pro Stock Allstar Callout gave our team a lot of confidence for the rest of the season. Every race you are racing drivers and teams that have more experience than our Tequila Comisario team. We never give up and we don’t back down. I am so happy to be part of KB Titan Racing and seeing the success we have had this season is very encouraging for the rest of this season and the future.”

“We have a race car that can compete with anyone and I have been working on my driving. In Reading we were on our way to a win that would have put us into the semifinals, but the car started drifting to the center line and I had to lift. It was the smart move but a tough way to lose. We have had some good luck in Texas in the past so I want to get to the Texas Motorplex and see if I can turn on four win lights on Sunday.”

Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro in FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown:

“Last year getting the win at the Texas Fall Nationals was big for us to head into the offseason,” said Stanfield. “We didn’t have the season we were hoping for but when you win the last race of the year you have a good feeling going into the winter.”

Stephen Bell, driver of the Stanfield Racing Chevrolet COPO Camaro in FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown:

“The fun part is Aaron (Stanfield) and I are best friends. I gauge every season on a couple things, if I get a win and if we are competitive at most races. We’ve had a good year this season. I have finished up in the points for a couple years and we are chasing that first championship. I am appreciative of Greg and Aaron Stanfield for giving a customer like me a car that can compete for the championship. This weekend – if it is in the cards – we can try and close the gap on Aaron (Stanfield).

“We will need some good fortune. Aaron (Stanfield) is the class of the field and we have an outside chance, but regardless of the outcome we have had a great season. I love the mental challenge of leaving my normal world and competing in these Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown races.”

TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS:

1,438: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time).

621: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 624.

379: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 260 won in the Chevrolet Camaro body.

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

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

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

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

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

27: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.

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

18: Number of Pro Stock championships.

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.

UPCOMING NHRA MILESTONES:

950: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) is second all-time with 933 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule.

624: Robert Hight achieved 621 Funny Car elimination wins in Chicago to rank 13th on the all-time NHRA list; Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) sits 12th with 624.

451: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record from 450 to 451 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2002 at Pomona 2, and he holds the longest career qualifying streak in NHRA.

138: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) ranks third on the NHRA all-time list with 122 No. 1 qualifiers. He will tie Warren Johnson (Pro Stock, 138) for second to John Force (Funny Car, 166) on the list.

277: By qualifying for his next race, Robert Hight will extend his NHRA record to 277 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2010 at Pomona 2, and he currently sits seventh in career qualifying streaks in NHRA (Doug Kalitta is sixth at 285).

65: Robert Hight moved into the top-10 in 10th on the all-time NHRA victory list with his win in Reading with 64. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock, retired) is next ninth on list with 65.

47: Erica Enders has 46 career NHRA victories (45 Pro Stock, one Super Gas; all with Chevrolet). Her first win in Pro Stock came at Chicago, 2012, and her last win at Topeka, 2023 in Pro Stock. Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Alcohol Dragster) and Enders are tied as the all-time NHRA female leader with 46.

18: Brittany Force (16 Top Fuel career wins) will move past Shirley Muldowney (18 wins) into third on the NHRA all-time victory list for females. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 46) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, 46) are ahead.

6: Erica Enders (Pro Stock) could tie Warren Johnson (6 Pro Stock championships) for second on the class list. The same holds for Greg Anderson. Bob Glidden is the leader with 10. Enders currently holds five Pro Stock championships, the most of any female in NHRA.

3: Brittany Force (Top Fuel, two championships) would tie Shirley Muldowney (Top Fuel) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) for second on the NHRA all-time championship list by females with another title in 2023. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, five) is the leader.

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.

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 10, 2023) – With three races left during the 2023 season in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, Steve Torrence is still very much alive in the Top Fuel championship chase. The four-time world champion trails Doug Kalitta by just 51 points heading into the final stretch of the Countdown to the Championship.

That final three-race span starts at this weekend’s 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex, which is the main event of the legendary track’s Stampede of Speed. It’s also a key race for Torrence for a multitude of reasons. It’s the home race for the Texas native and it’s been a race filled with family and friends for the last several years.

Torrence has won in Dallas twice in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster and knowing the magnitude of the event as it fits into the NHRA playoff picture, the veteran knows how big a win would be. Doing it in front of a massive amount of family and friends has always made it that much sweeter for Torrence, but it would also go a long way in helping him try to secure a fifth world championship.

“There’s always are pros and cons to racing at home,” Torrence said. “The good thing is we’ll have a lot of friends, a lot of fans and a lot of members of our CAPCO family out there supporting us. The downside is the distractions that come with all that. You can’t let all the extra attention keep you from doing what needs to be done. You have to prioritize, manage your time and keep things in perspective and that’s not always easy to do. That’s where these CAPCO boys give us the advantage. We’ve been down this road together a lot of times and we know what it takes to win. We just have to focus and do what we do.”

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took home victories last season to close out the Stampe of Speed. This year’s race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and marks the third of six events in the Countdown to the Championship, and the 19th of 21 races in 2023.

The action kicks off in a major way with “Friday Night Live,” as the quickest pass under the lights on Friday at the famed Texas Motorplex will net Top Fuel and Funny Car stars $15,000 each in bonus money, with $7,500 going to the top Friday qualifier in Pro Stock and $5,000 in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Torrence would love to pick that up and then end the weekend with his second victory this season.

To do so won’t be easy as faces off with the likes of Kalitta, Leah Pruett, who is 47 points out of first, Ashley, a six-time winner in 2023, Antron Brown, Mike Salinas and defending world champion Brittany Force. Torrence, though, knows all about rising to the occasion in these moments as he looks to pick up a third win at the Texas NHRA FallNationals.

“Like I’ve said so many times, it’s going to go right down to the wire,” Torrence said. “We’re halfway through (the playoffs) and there are five drivers who still have a legit shot. My guys did a great job of getting us back in the hunt on race day (in St. Louis). I like where I’m sitting with these CAPCO boys behind me and the Countdown coming home to Texas.”

Reigning Funny Car world champion Capps defeated Matt Hagan in the 2022 Dallas final, giving Capps his second consecutive Dallas win and third from the facility. In a tight four-car race, Capps trails points leader Bob Tasca III by 33 points. Robert Hight is just six points back, while Matt Hagan is third and is a mere 13 points behind.

Enders, a Texas native, wowed fans all throughout 2022 by collecting 10 NHRA titles en route to her fifth Pro Stock world championship. One of those 10 victories was her 2022 Texas NHRA FallNationals win, helping her clinch a championship a race later. She’s the current points leader, but has plenty of competition, including Greg Anderson, who is 25 points behind, and Matt Hartford, who trails Enders by 38 points.

Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran Arana Jr. picked up his first win from Dallas last year, but everyone is chasing points leader Gaige Herrera, who has an incredible eight wins in 2023. He holds a 99-point lead over reigning world champ Matt Smith, with Arana Jr. in third and Eddie Krawiec in fourth, 129 points back of his teammate.

The Texas NHRA FallNationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers, as well as the penultimate race of the season in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown. The weekend will also include the Jr. Dragster Shootout, as well as a jet dragster and wheelstander exhibition after nitro qualifying on Friday.

Fans will also be treated to the JEG’s Allstar event, which pits sportsman racers from across the country against each other for the ultimate drag racing battle. The popular competition will take place at the famed Texas Motorplex for the first time and the unique specialty race is one of most highly-anticipated events of the year.

Race fans at Texas Motorplex 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 Texas NHRA FallNationals event winners.

Leading into the race, fans can take part in several events as part of the Stampede for Speed, including NHRA Fall Nationals professional testing (October 11), Champions’ Dinner (October 11, 6pm) and the NHRA FanFest in downtown Waxahachie (October 12), where fans can meet and get autographs from all the top stars in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

Fans are invited to the Nitro Alley Stage all weekend, which will help create a festive atmosphere leading into Nitro Alley. The Nitro Alley Stage will be the main entertainment hub in the pits when the Camping World Drag Racing Series competitors are not on the track, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets and much more. As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food, and fun.

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 13, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 16. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday and as well as action from eliminations at 3 p.m.

To purchase tickets to the Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex, call 800-668-6775 or visit tickets.texasmotorplex.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admissions areas with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.

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About Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is the World’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy. Our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of employees serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 43 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destination for everything RV. For more information, visit www.campingworld.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 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, 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.