NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Brittany Force ran a 3.790-second pass at 325.45 mph to take the lead in qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. She captured three bonus points and is chasing her fourth No. 1 qualifier after entering the season with 10. The team, which now features David Grubnic as the crew chief, bagged its first victory in Houston. 

RELATED: Top Fuel Q1 Detailed Results

Antron Brown is the No. 2 qualifier and earned a pair of bonus points with his 3.81-second pass. He’s two-hundredths of a second behind Force and his Matco Tools squad is looking for its first No. 1 qualifier of the season and first victory since winning in Seattle in August of 2018. He reached a final three races ago, at the Virginia NHRA Nationals, and fell to defending Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence. 

Torrence is one of only a handful of Top Fuel dragsters to fail to make it down the track under power. He ran a 4.081, a couple hundredths off the pace, and is qualified ninth of the 12 cars that made passes. Terry McMillen, Richie Crampton and Cameron Ferre also failed to make complete runs. 

Mike Salinas, who did not race at the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals, made his return in a big way by making the third-quickest run of the session. His 3.822-second pass earned him a bonus point and got the Las Vegas event winner off to a hot start entering the second session, which will be aired live on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.