NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The final day of qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will set the fields in all four classes for Sunday eliminations. It will also include the exciting Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, bringing the thrill of raceday to Saturday qualifying.

The Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge allows a rematch of the semifinalists from the previous event with cash and valuable Countdown to the Championship bonus points up for grabs in runs that also count towards qualifying for the main event. The winners of the two semifinal rematches will square off in the final qualifying session for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty title. 

Epping and Bristol double-up winner Justin Ashley, currently No. 5 in Norwalk Top Fuel qualifying, will race his Phillips Connect Toyota against Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist backed Austin Prock, who is No. 11 on the sheet and competing in his second challenge. Ashley has won each of the most recent three Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge events. 

Provisional No. 14 qualifier Antron Brown and his Matco Tools Toyota rail, the Bristol runner-up, will race Doug Kalitta, currently No. 3 in the lineup in his Applied Innovations Top Fuel dragster. Kalitta has competed in one previous #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, in Phoenix, which he won. Antron Brown also has one previous appearance.

Although they aren't competing in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Friday's provisional low qualifier Leah Pruett is hoping to seal the deal on her 15th start from the No. 1 spot in her Dodge Direct Connection dragster, and CAPCO-backed Steve Torrence is right there in the No. 2 spot on a 3.688 to her 3.684. R+L Carriers campaigner Josh Hart is No. 4. Brittany Force, Clay Millican, and Tony Schumacher round out the top eight. 

Mike Salinas and his Scrappers Racing Top Fuel dragster is aiming to defend the title he earned in Norwalk this year. He's currently No. 12 in the qualifying order, while Kyle Wurtzel and Doug Foley are hoping to break into the 16-car field. 

Norwalk's provisional Funny Car low qualifier and Bristol winner Ron Capps will rematch with six-time 2023 semifinalist Chad Green. Capps and his NAPA Toyota Supra won the Chicago Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge title and is racing in the special event for the fourth time. Green, sitting No. 5 in the qualifying order in his Bond-Coat Ford, is racing in his fifth Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. He has one previous win in the bonus event.

Bristol runner-up Alexis DeJoria enters the day as the No. 2 qualifier in her Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, just .003-second behind Capps with a 3.901 to his 3.898. She will take on AAA/Cornwell Tools Chevrolet wheelman Robert Hight in the first round of the challenge. It is the second #2Fast2Tasty event for Hight and the second for DeJoria as well. She won it in Phoenix. 

Not in the challenge but gunning for position are Matt Hagan, who is No. 3 in his Dodge Direct Connection Funny Car, and New England Nationals #2Fast2Tasty winner Bob Tasca III, who is in the No. 4 position entering the final day of qualifying with his Motorcraft Quicklane Ford. Cruz Pedregon is No. 6, Tim Wilkerson is No. 7, and J.R. Todd is No. 8.

Persistent rain delayed qualifying late into the evening on Friday, and the Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle teams did not have the opportunity to make a run down the racetrack. Qualifying will begin for them on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park in conjunction with the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. 

In Pro Stock, reigning world champion and Bristol winner Erica Enders will make her debut in the challenge as she looks to again get past HendrickCars.com driver Greg Anderson in her Johnson's Horsepowered Garage Chevrolet. Anderson is targeting rejuvenation after breaking on the starting line in Bristol next to Enders in the semifinals. He is competing in his second #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. 

On the opposite side of the ladder, Bristol runner-up Deric Kramer, who has reached four consecutive finals in the most recent Pro Stock main events in his GetBioFuel.com Camaro, will be racing in his second challenge and aiming for victory over Corral Boots-backed Cristian Cuadra, who is making his #2Fast2Tasty debut. 

Points leader Gaige Herrera, aboard the Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki, has been in — and won — each of the first two Pro Stock Motorcycle Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge events. The Bristol runner-up will take on DENSO's Angie Smith, who is racing in the specialty event for the second time aboard her Mark Stockseth EBR.  Bristol winner Steve Johnson and his new-body Gen 3 Suzuki will square off with Hector Arana Jr. and the GETTRX Buell. Arana jr. has raced in the challenge one time before. 

2022 EVENT WINNERS

Mike Salinas, Top Fuel; Robert Hight, Funny Car; Erica Enders, Pro Stock; Angelle Sampey, Pro Stock Motorcycle

MOST VICTORIES

Steve Torrence, 3, TF; Jack Beckman, 3, FC; Greg Anderson and Erica Enders, 3 each, Pro Stock; Andrew Hines, 5, Pro Stock Motorcycle

TRACK RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.666 seconds by Brittany Force, June '22; 338.58 mph by Mike Salinas, June '22

Funny Car - 3.865 seconds by Matt Hagan, June '17; 334.65 mph by Robert Hight, June '17

Pro Stock - 6.523 seconds by Erica Enders, July '14; 212.63 mph by Erica Enders, July '14

Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.782 seconds by Matt Smith, June '21; 201.58 mph by Matt Smith, June '21

NATIONAL RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading, Pa.; 338.94 mph by Brittany Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona, Calif. 

Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 339.87 mph by Robert Hight, July ’17, Sonoma, Calif. 

Pro Stock - 6.450 sec. by Erica Enders, March '22, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May '14, Englishtown, N.J. 

Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.665 sec. by Karen Stoffer, March '22, Gainesville, Fla.; 205.04 mph by Matt Smith, July '21, Sonoma, Calif.

EVENT SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, June 24

NHRA Lucas Oil Series Drag Racing Series eliminations at 8:00 a.m.

Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car qualifying at 9:45 a.m., eliminations at 2:00 p.m.

Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown qualifying at 10:45 a.m., eliminations at 3:00 p.m.

FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying at 11:15 a.m., eliminations at  3:30 p.m. 

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying at 12:00 and 4:00 p.m. 

SUNDAY, June 25 

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m. 

TELEVISION SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, June 24, FS1 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 7:00 p.m. ET

SUNDAY, June 25, FOX will televise three hours of finals coverage at 4:00 p.m. ET

Or watch all day on NHRA.tv