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Sunday News and Notes from the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor

News, notes, quotes, photos, and videos from final eliminations at the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka. Updated throughout the day.
14 Aug 2022
David Kennedy
Race coverage
Sunday News and Notes from the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor

UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Top Fuel Rd. 1

Number 11 qualifier Antron Brown advanced over Brittany Force in round one when both cars lost a cylinder, but Brown was able to hold on longer. 

 

Mr. 300 MPH, Jim Epler,  talks about the day he ran 300 mph in a Funny Car here in Topeka. 

Steve Torrence sets low-e.t. of race day so far and will take lane choice going into round two. 

Funny Car Rd. 1

See one of the strangest wins in Funny Car all season as John Force lined up against Cruz Pedregon in round one.

J.R. Todd matched up against Alexis DeJoria, DeJoria went red and J.R. Todd sets low e.t. of the event. 

Pro Stock Rd. 1

Coming into race day, seven-hundredths of a second separated the top 13 cars. That's tight competition.

The race track temperature rose 12 degrees since the start of the day and is now at 123 degrees. 

Bo Butner was in an all-new car that was originally built for Erica Enders, but her car is working so well for her there is no need to change. Butner defeated Matt Hartford.

The Cuadra brothers, Fernando Cuadra Jr and Cristian Cuadra lined up against each other, and the older brother Fernando Jr sent the younger brother back to the trailer.

Red lights in round one took down two Pro Stock racers. Mason McGaha red-lit against Kyle Koretsky and Camrie Caruso re-lit against Aaron Stanfield.

Greg Anderson made a competition solo and went into wheel hop right at the top of first gear. Was he testing something? 

The unstoppable Erica Enders lined up against Fernando Cuadra and Cuadra went red with a -.083

Troy Coughlin Jr ran low-e.t. of race day against Chris McGaha

Pro Stock Motorcycle Rd. 1

Chris Bostick was supposed to be lined up next to Angie Smith but his bike had engine issues and he was not able to make the call. He announced in the booth with Alan Reinhart .

Smith made her best run of the weekend with a 6.908  at 197.86

 Jerry Savoie defeated Karen Stoffer who red lit

Matt Smith switched to his V-twin bike on race day because the transmission broke in his Suzuki. He defeated Steve Johnson with a better reaction time and a better run. 

Joey Gladstone made a solid clean run, and Bostick said that Gladstone was one of the best riders he's ever seen. 

Top Fuel Rd. 2

Justin Ashley took down Leah Pruett in round one after Pruett's dragster seemed to have a throttle issue. 

Antron Brown moved past Josh Hart with a slower reaction time but a quicker car 3.812  at 312.42 to Hart's 3.940  at 279.15

Mike Salinas blasted by Shawn Langdon with a .009 reaction time 3.802    324.83 to Langdon's 4.544   at 171.51

Tony Schumacher was defeated by Steve Torrence when a cylinder went out in the Schumacher car and Torrence's car was running like a freight train to the finish line. 

Funny Car Rd. 2

J.R. Todd was disqualified after a post-race technical inspection infraction. Alexis DeJoria paired off against Robert Hight and was defeated by a 3.987    320.05 to her 4.580 at 184.45 run. Perhaps the team DeJoria team didn't have enough time to turn the car properly?

Bob Tasca III made a competition solo. 

 

defeated Paul Lee, but not by enough to get lane choice. Dickie Venables said that lane choice was not their goal. 

John Force and Ron Capps paired, and Force advanced in a close race that saw  great power, but weak reaction times (.107 for Force and .093 for Capps).

Pro Stock Rd. 2

Bo Butner lost to Greg Anderson on a red light (-.010). 

Dallas Glenn, the reigning rookie of the year, and  Erica Enders, the current points leader, went up against each other, and Enders won by .0013 of a second. 

Kyle Koretsky beat Aaron Stanfield by 0.0141 second with a .028 to a  .045 reaction time. 

Pro Stock Motorcycle Rd. 2

There's no question that Joey Gladstone had the best motorcycle this weekend. He made the five best runs in the class this weekend. 

Angie Smith beat  LE Tonglet on a holeshot 6.945 at 197.10 to  6.939 at 194.69    

Eddie Krawiec beat Matt Smith  with a  6.874   at 196.36 (.037 reaction time) to a  6.896  at 198.52  with a  (.020 reaction time)

Angelle Sampey will not repeat her 1997 win after being beat by Jerry Savoie when her bike wouldn't shift. 

Savoie will race Krawiec, Angie Smith will race Gladstone. 

Top Fuel Semi's

Antron Brown and Justing Ashley matched up, Ashley had issues in the first hundred feet, and Brown's engine lost power at half-track. Ashley attempted to run down Brown, but there wasn't enough room. Brown goes to his first final as a team owner and the first since 2021 Pomona Final.

Steve Torrence and Mike Salinas had identical reaction times but by the 60-foot mark, Torrence was pulling ahead and by the 660-foot mark Salinas was out of the groove and Torrence got the win. 

Funny Car Semi's

John Force beat Robert Hight to go to the final round against Bob Tasca III who defeated Matt Hagan. 

Pro Stock Semi's

Greg Anderson and Kyle Koretsky  and Anderson got away first and never gave up a single metric to Koretsky and won with a 0.0433 second margin of victory,

Teammates Erica Enders and Troy Coughlin Jr. came to the line, and Enders had the reaction time advantage, but Coughlin was gaining on her by the 60-foot mark and passed Enders at the top end to win by 0.0055 second.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Semi's

Jerry Savoie's and Eddie Krawiec's semi-final battle came down to putting the power built by Tim Kulungian and Andrew Hines. The Vance& Hines power proved more that Savoie could hold off. 

With the best bike on the property and a team that is building momentum, Joey Gladstone cut a better light than Angie Smith (.020 to .025) and never gave up the lead, winning with a margin of victory of 0.2137.

Final-Round Matchups 

Top Fuel

Steve Torrence vs. Antron Brown

Funny Car

John Force vs. Bob Tasca III

Pro Stock

Greg Anderson vs. Troy Coughlin Jr. 

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Eddie Krawiec vs. Joey Gladstone

CAMPING WORLD SERIES FINAL RESULTS:

Joey Gladstone, Troy Coughlin Jr., Bob Tasca III, and Antron Brown

LUCAS OIL SERIES FINAL-ROUND RESULTS:

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Julie Nataas, 5.343, 274.61 def. Mike Coughlin, 5.326, 268.76.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Shane Westerfield, Chevy Camaro, 5.600, 261.47 def. Sean Bellemeur, Camaro, 5.857, 258.22.

Competition Eliminator -- Doug Engels, Dragster, 7.428, 178.73 def. Bruno Massel, Chevy Cobalt, 7.104, 193.29.

Super Stock -- Tyler Cassil, Chevy Camaro, 9.608, 139.47 def. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, Foul - Red Light.

Stock Eliminator -- Tyler Cassil, Chevy Camaro, 10.080, 131.14 def. Tyler Bohannon, Chevy Corvette, 10.529, 124.22.

Super Comp -- Austin Williams, Dragster, 8.889, 176.63 def. Jessica Bogacki, Dragster, 8.875, 174.73.

Super Gas -- Don Nichols, Chevy Camaro, 10.170, 133.25 def. Bo Butner, Chevy Corvette, Foul - Red Light.

Super Street -- Jordan Pratt, Chevy Camaro, 10.908, 142.01 def. Dell Hall, Pontiac Grand Prix, 10.928, 142.04.

Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers -- Todd Stallbaumer, Chevy Camaro, 7.212, 193.85 def. Greg Lair, Camaro, Foul - Red Light.

Top Dragster presented by Vortech Superchargers -- Anthony Bertozzi, Dragster, 7.284, 174.66 def. Paul Nero, Dragster, 7.352, 183.10.