NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

After a weather-challenging day Friday, Saturday at Firebird Motorsports Park will offer NHRA Arizona Nationals fans an unprecedented smorgasbord of racing .

After completing one round each of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Top Fuel and Funny Car during yesterday’s lone qualifying session, Tony Schumacher and Brittany Force will face off in today’s first session for the Winternationals Mission Top Fuel title while J.R. Todd will go off against John Force for the Funny Car crown.

Today’s second and final session for the nitro cars will settle the rain-delayed Winternationals final rounds between Schumacher and Justin Ashley in Top Fuel and Force and Matt Hagan in Funny Car so Schumacher and Force have a chance to win twice today and possibly a third title Sunday.

What about Pro Stock, you ask? Well, due to unfavorable conditions Friday, Pro Stock did not run at all, so they will have three qualifying sessions today, two before the day’s nitro sessions and one after the final nitro session. Because they did not run at all Friday, their first two runs of the day with be the semifinals of the Mission Challenge — Dallas Glenn vs. Mason McGaha and Erica Enders vs. Greg Anderson — followed by Mission Challenge final in Q2, and the third one will settle the delayed Winternationals final between Enders and Glenn.

Qualifying leaders entering the day are Steve Torrence in Top Fuel and Austin Prock in Funny Car.

2023 EVENT WINNERS 

Justin Ashley, Top Fuel; Robert Hight, Funny Car; Camrie Caruso, Pro Stock

MOST EVENT VICTORIES

Tony Schumacher, 5, TF; John Force, 8, FC; Bob Glidden, 5, PS.

TRACK RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.643 seconds by Brittany Force, Feb. '20; 337.92 mph by  Force, Feb., ‘20.
Funny Car - 3.823 seconds by Matt Hagan, Feb. '22; 337.16 mph by Courtney Force, Feb. '18.
Pro Stock - 6.498 seconds by Mike Edwards, Feb. '13; 213.77 mph by Mike Edwards, Feb. '13.

NATIONAL RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading, Pa.; 338.94 mph by B. Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona.
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd, Minn.; 339.87 mph by Hight, July ’17, Sonoma, Calif.
Pro Stock - 6.450 sec. by Erica Enders, Mar. ’22, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Enders, May ’14, Englishtown N.J.

SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, April 6: Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 8 a.m.; Pro Stock qualifying 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.; Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at noon and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 7: Pre-race ceremony, 10 a.m.; eliminations begin at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION

SATURDAY, April 6: FS1 will air a half-hour recap of the Winternationals completion at 10 p.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, April 7: FS1 will televise one and half hours of qualifying highlights at 10:30 a.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, April 7:  FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 6:30 p.m. (ET)