NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Four days down and two to go at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, the largest and most prestigious drag race in the world. After three rounds of qualifying for Camping World NHRA series pro racers, the fields in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle are beginning to take shape and they are already extremely competitive.

The Top Fuel field is encroaching on record territory as 14 of the 16 qualifiers have run quicker than the 3.775-second record bump from the 2019 U.S. Nationals. The bump spot is already a 3.795 by Kyle Wurtzel and its likely to get quicker with two more rounds of qualifying on the docket today. Justin Ashley currently holds the top spot with a 3.671 and he’s joined in the 3.6s by world champ Steve Torrence, winner of yesterday’s Pep Boys Allstar Top Fuel Callout event. Mike Salinas, Brittany Force, Clay Millican, Billy Torrence, and Josh Hart round out the top half of the very quick field.

The possibility of an all three-second Funny Car field also looms as 14 of the current 16 qualifiers have already turned in sub-four second time slips. So far, no one has been quicker than championship leader Robert Hight, who drove the Auto Club Camaro to a 3.870. Hight is just eight thousandths of a second ahead of Bob Tasca III, who ran 3.878. John Force, Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, J.R. Todd, and Blake Alexander are also in the 3.8s.

Eight of the sport’s best Funny Car drivers will also be competing for big money in today’s Pep Boys All-star Funny Car Callout. The field will include Hight, Tasca, Hagan, Capps, Force, Alexis DeJoria, Cruz Pedregon, and Tim Wilkerson.

The Pro Stock field is not only quick, but it’s also very close with all 16 current qualifiers sandwiched between Greg Anderson’s 6.567 and the 6.661 of Fernando Cuadra Sr. The top half of the field also includes Dallas Glenn, Erica Enders, Matt Hartford, Cristian Cuadra, Aaron Stanfield, Deric Kramer, and Bo Butner.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle field is led by Angelle Sampey after the three-time world champ rode her Vance & Hines Suzuki to a 6.796 on Saturday. Sampey enjoys a slim advantage over current world champ Matt Smith, who posted a 6.800 and also has top speed of the event at 201.16 mph. Friday leader Eddie Krawiec remains in the No. 3 spot after a 6.826 and the bump spot after three runs is a 6.946 by rookie Malcolm Phillips.

In addition to pro qualifying and the Pep Boys Allstar Funny Car Callout, Sunday’s packed schedule at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals will also include final qualifying and elimination runs in Pro Mod, Factory Stock, Mountain Motor Pro Stock, and a host of Lucas Oil Drag Racing series sportsman categories.

You can catch the action all weekend on FOX TV, FOX Sports 1 and NHRA.tv.

You can follow NHRA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get a closer look at the action.

2021 EVENT WINNERS

Steve Torrence, Top Fuel; Tim Wilkerson, Funny Car; Erica Enders, Pro Stock, Eddie Krawiec, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

TRACK RECORDS:

TOP FUEL
3.645 seconds by Brittany Force, Sept. 2019; 334.57 mph by Brittany Force, Sept. 2021
FUNNY CAR
3.799 seconds by Matt Hagan, Sept. 2017; 338.77 mph by Hagan, Sept. 2017.
PRO STOCK
6.538 seconds by Jason Line, Sept. 2011; 211.13 by Mike Edwards, Sept. 2012.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
6.789 seconds by Scotty Pollacheck, Sept. 2020; 200.53 by Pollacheck, Sept. 2020.

SCHEDULE:

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds of qualifying Sunday, Sept. 4 at 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.  Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 5.

TV SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, Sept. 4, FS1 will televise 2 hours of qualifying and the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout at 1 p.m. (ET).
SUNDAY, Sept. 4, FSI will televise 90 minutes of the Pep Boys Funny Car Allstar Callout at 4 p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 4, FS1 will televise 90 minutes of pro qualifying at 5:30 p.m.
MONDAY, Sept. 5, FS1 will televise two hours of final round coverage at noon.
MONDAY, Sept. 5, FOX TV will televise three hours of final round coverage at 2 p.m.