Category: Other Series Racing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOP FUEL:

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

FUNNY CAR:

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

PRO STOCK:

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

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOP FUEL:

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

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

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

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

FUNNY CAR:

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

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

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

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

PRO STOCK:

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

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

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

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

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

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

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

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

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

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

Top Fuel

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

Funny Car

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

Pro Stock

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

Pro Stock Motorcycle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

TF Final Result: Finalist

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

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

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

FC Final Result: Finalist

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

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

About Toyota

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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