NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Top Fuel round one

Doug Foley and Tony Stewart kick things off, and it's Foley advancing over Stewart's tire-smoking battle of a run.

***

Tony Schumacher had a tough time in qualifying and landed in the No. 12 spot, but he's back to his old ways here in the first round and takes the Michael Waltrip Brewing Co./Leatherwood Distillery dragster to a 3.794, 3.802 victory over hard-charging Jasmine Salinas and the Scrappers Racing entry. Anyone else feeling as though we've got a day of quick and fast runs ahead of us?

***

Sure enough, Doug Kalitta absolutely stuns with a resounding 3.723 in the Mark III/Mac Tools dragster, knocking down Antron Brown's strong 3.782 for Matco Tools. It's the quickest side-by-side run of the weekend so far.

"That's our first run this weekend on eight cylinders. That just goes to show that the car is a lot better on seven than eight," says crew chief Alan Johnson, if only partly in jest.

***

By two-thousands of a second, Brittany Force gets the win over points leader Justin Ashley, 3.768 to 3.830. Ashley's engine explodes in a fireball as he crosses the finish line and sends the hottest driver in the class home empty handed.

It's a round win the Monster Energy team sorely needed after their season-long struggles, but crew chief David Grubnic isn't yet ecstatic.

"Look, we're not going to get excited about anything right now, considering the year that we had," he said sternly. "Ultimately, the lack of performance is on me. We have to get it figured out, but it's just a matter of when. We can see the door, we just have to go through it."

Force was a bit more enthusiastic.

"We really needed that," she said. "I think I drove it through the finish line sideways, but we got there."

***

No. 1 qualifier Clay Millican isn't exactly smooth, but he's effective in his win over Cameron Ferre; Billy Torrence claims top speed of the event (331.45 mph) in his defeat of Josh Hart; Shawn Langdon defeats Shawn Reed; and Steve Torrence uses age and experience to send young and talented Cody Krohn home, 3.773 to 3.901.

Top Fuel pairings for round two: Clay Millican vs. Doug Foley; Shawn Langdon vs. Tony Schumacher; Brittany Force vs. Billy Torrence; Doug Kalitta vs. Steve Torrence

Funny Car round one

The weather has played into the hands of reigning Funny Car world champ Matt Hagan and his JHG team. He sails right down the drag strip with the quickest and fastest run of the weekend, a 3.951, 321.65, to beat Chad Green's solid 4-flat effort.

"It's nice to see a win light come on," said Hagan, who fell in the first round two weeks ago in Epping. "The track is tricky, but Dickie Venables is doing a great job navigating that racetrack. I'm just trying to drive my ass off out there."

***

Alexis DeJoria's most recent win was right here at Bristol Dragway in 2021, and last year, she was a finalist. In the first round, DeJoria makes the quickest pass of the weekend, a 3.938, to shut down Dave Richards.

"Anytime we come to Bristol, this seems to be our racetrack," said DeJoria. "Del has a great tune-up here."

Crew chief Del Worsham was pleased that his binder of data from previous events here came in handy.

"You spend all this time qualifying to get ready for raceday, then you come out and it's a totally different day," he said. "You have to go back to your notes, do what you do and fix all your mistakes. Alexis did a great job driving, and I think we'll have some great racing today."

***

The NAPA Auto Care Toyota makes a good lap, a 3.962, to advance seven-time Bristol winner Ron Capps from his first-round meeting with Buddy Hull, who was 4.176 at the top end.

Crew chief Dean "Guido" Antonelli echoes Worsham's thoughts.

"It's like you woke up in a different city today – everything we did the last two days is out the window," he said.

***

No. 1 qualifier and points leader Austin Prock flies to a low of the round 3.924 in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet next to a traction-troubled John Smith, and Bob Tasca III gets super close to the center line but reels it back in the nick of time to narrowly defeat Bobby Bode. J.R. Todd betters his qualifying time with a 3.999 that edges higher-qualified Terry Haddock's 4.097, and Cruz Pedregon advances on a 4.069 after Paul Lee begins to smoke the tires.

Funny Car pairings for round two: Austin Prock vs. Cruz Pedregon; Bob Tasca III vs. Matt Hagan; Alexis DeJoria vs. John Force; Ron Capps vs. J.R. Todd

Pro Stock round one

Defending event champion Erica Enders extends her Bristol round-win streak in the JHG/Melling Performance Chevrolet with a 6.636 to 6.697 win over Elite Motorsports teammate Fernando Cuadra Jr. The 206.80 mph pass is a big speed for the conditions in this round and hands Enders top speed of the day so far.

***

No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson can't shake the good memory of scoring his first win here in 2001, and he sure wants a third Bristol trophy – his most recent was claimed in 2004, 20 years ago. In this round, Anderson gets to line up next to another veteran of the class, well-respected racer and engine builder Larry Morgan. The HendrickCars.com Chevrolet throws down low of the round with a 6.633 to top his old pal Morgan's 6.713.

***

Incoming points leader Dallas Glenn isn't thrilled to line up next to KB Titan teammate Deric Kramer in the first round, but he doesn't let that hold him back. Glenn goes 6.639 to shut down a 6.657 to keep hold of the points lead and stay in the hunt for his first Bristol win.

***

Two-time Bristol Pro Stock winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. gets the nod over Jerry Tucker, 6.657 to 6.698; and nephew Troy Coughlin Jr. ensures a Coughlin vs. Coughlin semifinals round with his 6.662, 6.717 defeat of Kenny Delco

***

Brandon Foster gets out of shape and Cristian Cuadra is jamming right through the gears for a 6.679 to 6.971 win; David Cuadra stamps out Matt Hartford's hope for a get-well weekend, 6.694 to 6.706; Aaron Stanfield throws a 6.661 on the board to oust Chris McGaha's slightly troubled 7.072

***

Pro Stock pairings for round two: Greg Anderson vs. Cristian Cuadra; Dallas Glenn vs. Aaron Stanfield; Erica Enders vs. David Cuadra; Jeg Coughlin Jr. vs. Troy Coughlin Jr.

Pro Stock Motorcycle round one

Denso rider Angie Smith and GETTRX Buell campaigner Hector Arana Jr. start things off for the two-wheeled crew, and they put on a good race for the Bristol Dragway fans who are enjoying Pro Stock Motorcycle for just the fourth time in NHRA history. Arana advances, 6.868 to 6.896.

***

Marc Ingwersen wounded an engine in qualifying and could not make the call for round one. Jianna Evaristo gets a freebie here and goes 6.871 on her Matt Smith Racing/Scrappers Racing Buell.

***

Gaige Herrera does not want a repeat of last season's final round, and he's doing his part with a .012 reaction time to leave the starting line ahead of Steve Johnson's .041. At the top end, he closes the deal with his best run of the weekend, a 6.813 to top a 6.922.

***

Matt Smith goes 6.807, 199.61 to stamp out Ryan Oehler's 7.102; Chris Bostick goes red and John Hall advances on a 6.876; Kelly Clontz has trouble and it's Richard Gadson who moves ahead, 6.860 to 8.130; and Chase Van Sant tucks in a round win over Ron Tornow, 6.878 to 6.920.

***

Pro Stock Motorcycle pairings for round two: Matt Smith vs. bye; Gaige Herrera vs. John Hall; Richard Gadson vs. Hector Arana Jr.; Chase Van Sant vs. Jianna Evaristo

***

Top Fuel round two

Millican isn't quite on par to where he was in qualifying, but his 3.848 is enough to put Doug Foley on the trailer. Tennessee native Millican may have captured lightning in a bottle here at Bristol if the nods keep going his way.

***

A strange trend has developed in which 86-time Top Fuel winner Tony Schumacher advances to the final if he wins the first round – he was runner-up in both Pomona and Epping. After his first-round win here at Bristol Dragway, he's ready for more and throws a 3.815 at Shawn Langdon. Langdon is right there with a 3.835, but it just isn't quite enough. These two were identical at the start with .061 reaction times, by the way.

***

The rejuvenation continues for Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team as she powers to a 3.820 next to the tire-hazing 4.228 offered up by Billy Torrence, she's advancing to the semis for the first time since the Winternationals

***

Doug Kalitta's Kalitta Air Careers dragster hasn't cooled a bit, and his 3.767, 326.48 tops the very strong 3.775, 326.08 put down by Steve Torrence and the CAPCO Contractors team.

***

Top Fuel pairings for round three: Clay Millican vs. Tony Schumacher; Brittany Force vs. Doug Kalitta

Funny Car round two

The most winning Funny Car driver in the history of Bristol Dragway is knocked out here as J.R. Todd powers the DHL Toyota to a 3.977 to 4.001 win over Ron Capps and the NAPA Auto Care entry. Todd, who does not yet have a Bristol win on his scorecard, is headed to the semifinals for the fifth time this season.

***

John Force extends his round-win streak to six with victory over Alexis DeJoria. It was a good race – Force clocked a 4.010 to his opponent's 4.088.

Crew chief Chris Cunningham says, "The way the temperature swings are turning right now, it's kind of a crapshoot when you're going up for the next round. You don't really know where to be, but it's going along good."

***

It's another win light for Mission #2Fast2Tasty winner Austin Prock, whose 3.976 beats Cruz Pedregon's 4.065; Bob Tasca III is up in wicked tire smoke, allowing Matt Hagan to advance on a 4.126 to 7.292.

***

Funny Car pairings for round three: Austin Prock vs. Matt Hagan; John Force vs. J.R. Todd

Pro Stock round two

In the Coughlin vs. Coughlin second-round standoff, Jeg shows his young nephew his experienced hand with a .013-second reaction time and a 6.690 to a .044 and 6.736. Notably, Epping winner Troy Jr. had a .013 light in the final to beat Erica Enders on a holeshot two weeks ago.

***

Double-Oh Dallas Glenn is at it again with a .009 paired with a 6.665 to hold back Aaron Stanfield's .031 and 6.689; David Cuadra gets quite close to the guardwall as he races down track, and Enders wins their match, 6.665 to 6.776. Enders again has a powerfully fast speed with her 206.67 mph pass.

***

Cristian Cuadra is on a good run, but the 6.699 on the board doesn't hold up to Greg Anderson's 6.660.

"I've had a great car all weekend," said Anderson. "I just need to not screw it up."

***

Pro Stock pairings for round three: Greg Anderson vs. Dallas Glenn; Erica Enders vs. Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Pro Stock Motorcycle round 2

Gaige Herrera lays down a nice 6.829 to top John Hall's 6.866 and move a step closer to a historic achievement. In Chicago, Herrera and his Vance & Hines RevZilla/Mission Suzuki won an eighth consecutive event to tie legend of the class Dave Schultz. If he wins here, Herrera will break the record with nine straight wins.

***

Chase Van Sant turns it red by -.024 and Jianna Evaristo lands another fortunate win light to advance to the semifinals for the first time this season. It's quite an achievement as she's aboard a new motorcycle this season with a whole new combination.

"To be honest, I got lucky," said Evaristo. "I should have done better on that run. I can't be cutting a .075 light on raceday. I lifted because I saw my win light, and I figured, I hit the rev limiter, let me save the bike just in case. I'm definitely going to be on my A game, and I'm really excited. This bike has so much power, and we've been feeding it little by little just to help me catch up. It's really great to see this progress. I just can't thank everybody enough. I'm a little speechless right now because I've been struggling with this V-Twin but it's exciting to see it coming full circle."

***

Richard Gadson's .038-second reaction time and 6.876 gets the holeshot win over Hector Arana Jr.'s .059 and 6.874; Matt Smith is again quick of the round with a 6.817 on his bye run

***

Pro Stock Motorcycle pairings for round three: Matt Smith vs. Gaige Herrera; Richard Gadson vs. Jianna Evaristo

***

We're on an extended hold as NHRA Safety Safari works to clean up a fairly large mess brought on by a wily Nostalgia Funny Car's mishap. The left lane appears to be violated from the starting line out to approximately the 330-foot marker after something in Tim Boychuk's car gave way on his launch. He got a bit loose in the oil and went from right to left in the lane. Lane choice may be a factor after this. 

***

Approximately 30 minutes later, we're back in action with Top Fuel pulling up for the semifinals.

Top Fuel round three

Clay Millican is in the left lane, but he gets through what could have been the trouble spot okay. Down track, we see a brief ball of fire as his engine says, "No thank you," and it's Tony Schumacher heading to the final round again. Schumacher's 3.795 beats a 3.824.

Schumacher is advancing to the 160th final of his career.

"We're just having fun," said Schumacher. "Some people struggle with that, but it's always about having fun. You can get too intense and forget what this is all about. We're entertainers, we're here for the fans, and I'm having a blast – and this track has always been good to me."

***

Brittany Force and her Monster Energy team have had a good day so far, but this one belongs to Doug Kalitta. Force begins to spin the tires and smoke is billowing, while Kalitta powers the Mac tools Mark III Employee Benefits dragster to a 318.02 to 4.204. This will be the TK final of Kalitta's career and the second-consecutive final in which Kalitta and Schumacher have raced for the trophy. Kalitta was the victor two weeks ago in Epping.

***

Top Fuel final: Tony Schumacher vs. Doug Kalitta

Funny Car round three

It was John Force and Austin Prock in the final in Epping, John Force and Austin Prock in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge final yesterday, but today, the pattern is stopped as J.R. Todd puts a 4.012 up to turn Force's 4.060 away.

"Always fun getting to dance with ol' 16x," said Todd, who will be competing in the 47th final of his career. "He makes it interesting on the starting line, but it's good to get by those guys; his two cars have been the class of the field all season long. We've got one in the final and we need to stop them if we're going to gain ground on them."

***

Prock will carry the torch for JFR into the final, his fifth of the season, as he is first off the starting line and first to the finish. Prock launches with a .041 and dishes out a 3.982 to hold off a .066 and 4.096.

***

Funny Car final: Austin Prock vs. J.R. Todd

Pro Stock round three

Jeg Coughlin Jr. is taking the Scag Power Equipment Chevrolet to the final round for the second time this season as semifinals opponent Erica Enders is .010 at the tree and then falls into immediate and fierce tire shake. Seeing her teammate surge ahead, she pushes in the clutch. Coughlin clocks a 6.720 in his winning pass. He is headed to the 117th final of his Pro Stock career.

***

Well, well, well, it looks as if we're going to have an old school Greg vs. Jeg matchup as Greg Anderson unfurls a sturdy 6.658 to defeat points leader Dallas Glenn's 6.833 and pave the way to the 179th final of his career. Anderson is seeking win No. 106.

Pro Stock final: Greg Anderson vs. Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Pro Stock Motorcycle round three

In a stunning round, Herrera leaves first, .024 to Matt Smith's .043, and he keeps his head down and the bike pointed straight as he uses every inch of racetrack he can for the holeshot win, 6.825 to 6.824. Herrera will have a chance to break the record of eight-straight wins he currently shares with Dave Schultz. This will be the 16th final round for defending Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Herrera. So far in his career, he's only lost one final – and it was here last year.

***

Jianna Evaristo's day just got a whole lot better. She's .067 on the tree to Richard Gadson's .097 and trades the lead with him once before getting it back and crossing the finish line first, 6.898 to 6.916. Evaristo will advance to the second final of her Pro Stock Motorcycle career.

"There's still room for improvement on my end, and when I'm up there against Gaige, there will be no room for error," said Evaristo. "I'm definitely bringing my A-game."

Pro Stock Motorcycle final: Jianna Evaristo vs. Gaige Herrera