NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

We're off and running on Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. The sun is shining brightly on Brainerd International Raceway, and we've got a jam-packed day ahead as titlists are decided in all classes. Follow along in today's News and Notes. (Updated throughout the day)

Top Fuel, round 1

Eliminations open with a killer match between former world champion Shawn Langdon and his Kalitta Air Careers Toyota vs. Shawn Reed's Reed Trucking and Excavating rail. Langdon leaves first with a solid .056 reaction time to an .078 and gets it done on a holeshot, 3.774 to 3.755.

A bunch of tire smoke for Antron Brown sends the defending event champion back to the pits for the day. World champ Doug Kalitta takes the Mac Tools rail to a winning 3.689, 331.20 – the third quickest run of the weekend. That pits Kalitta against teammate Langdon for round two.

A good race for Brittany Force, who is hoping to improve upon her position as No. 10 in the standings – but Clay Millican and the Parts Plus/Rick Ware Racing dragster is better at both ends of the track to advance.

The TSR Nitro team is hopeful after Stewart's final round in Sonoma and then career best numbers in qualifying here, and their hopes are rewarded with a win light as Stewart wheels his Mihandra Dodge dragster to a 3.724 at a powerful 334.73 mph to halt three-time Brainerd winner Schumacher's 3.78.

There's a bye run into the semifinals on the line here, and that isn't lost on Top Fuel Rookie of the Year contender Ida Zetterström. She's first off the line first in her VP Racing Fuels/Edelbrock/Comp Cams Dodge, and No. 1 qualifier Steve Torrence's .112 launch allows her to swoop in and illuminate the first win light of her NHRA career on a holeshot. The European FIA Top Fuel champion leaves on a .073 and goes 3.773.

"The day could get better if we could finish this up with more round wins, of course, but for now I'm enjoying this so much for me and my team," said Zetterström. "We have worked so tremendously hard for this, and we have fantastic partners – we had a full house of VP Racing Fuels in the house. I'm just so thankful for this and for Joe Maynard."

She's fighting for a spot in the championship chase, but Jasmine Salinas is ousted here on a holeshot. Josh Hart is .065 at the Tree to her .120, plumping his 3.758 to victory over a 3.742.

As per the norm, Justin Ashley is first to leave the starting line in his Scag Top Fuel dragster, but he isn't challenged much as Billy Torrence smokes the tires just as he launches.

Kalitta is low of the round with his 3.689; Stewart's 334.73 mph pass is top speed.

Top Fuel pairings for round two (lane choice first): Zetterström vs. bye; Kalitta vs. Langdon; Stewart vs. Ashley; Millican vs. Hart

***

Funny Car, round 1

Bob Tasca III has a bit of trouble down track in his Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford, but he gets the win over Jack Wyatt, who's in worse trouble and far earlier. Up next, points leader Austin Prock takes the Cornwell Tools Chevy to a winning quick and fast 3.872, 334.65 and Jim Campbell is sent home.

Friday's quickest Funny Car has a driver that really wants good things today, and Blake Alexander improves his shot at running for the championship with a .059 light and 3.921 to beat Dave Richards' 4.118.

The Napa Toyota is hungry, but defending event champion Ron Capps forfeits a bit at the starting line and it makes a difference at the end. Reigning world champ Matt Hagan powers the American Rebel Dodge to a 3.937 to defeat a 3.913 by .0134-second.

"Capps is tough, Guido, all those guys over there, they've got their car turned around – but you give [crew chief] Dickie Venebales enough runs," said Hagan. "I just believe in all my guys. It went out there and washed hard to the right and I was like ah man, we're in the marbles. I was just trying not to yard it back. It stuck, I looked up, and I was like he gave us one right there."

Alexis DeJoria and Daniel Wilkerson are together at the start, but the Bandero Tequila Toyota starts to spin the tires and DeJoria is off the throttle. Wilkerson advances with his Scag entry.

This is a round we've been waiting for. In qualifying, Jack Beckman's first race in John Force's Peak Chevrolet proved that there was a ton of potential and that the fill-in driver wasn't as rusty as he could have been. Bode does leave first, but not by much, and he makes the fastest run of his career in the ArBee's Funny Car with his 3.910 at 330.39. Beckman recovers from a .084, though, with a big 3.885 that eclipses his opponent at about half-track. His win is by just .006-second.

"For the first time in my drag racing career, I won a round in the Peak Camaro," said Beckman.  "It's a neat thing to say; it's been John all these years. It still belongs to John Force, nobody is replacing him, but I get to shoe this thing for now. It's awesome."

"The thoughts that go through your head when you're doing the burnout: just go back to being the machine up there. We had a great hot rod and I think we have three more rounds in us today."

Cruz Pedregon is moving out of the groove quickly and knocks a handful of timing blocks out of his way. His run is disqualified, and Chad Green is moving ahead on a 4.045.

This round is important for Paul Lee and his FTI Performance car, if he wants to make the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. He came into Sunday ahead of Chad Green and Blake Alexander, and they've both already won their matches. Lee and DHL driver J.R. Todd leave almost in synch, but Lee smokes the tires a bit downtrack, and Todd surges ahead to win on a 3.945.

Prock has low e.t. and top speed of the round, 3.872, 334.65.

Funny Car pairings for round two (lane choice first): Prock vs. Todd; Hagan vs. Wilkerson; Tasca vs. Green; Beckman vs. Alexander

***

Pro Stock, round 1

David Cuadra advances his yellow Corral Boots Mustang with a better reaction time and stronger run over Deric Kramer. A handful of pairs later, twin brother Cristian Cuadra defeats Matt Hartford on a holeshot. In the next pair, big brother Fernando Cuadra Jr. powers past Elite Motorsports teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. Three Cuadras to the line, three Cuadras advance for the first time.

In the two closest runs of the round, Jeg Coughlin Jr. takes his Scag Chevy to a round win over hometown hero Greg Anderson and the HendrickCars.com Camaro by .007-second, but the jaw-dropper of the day so far belongs to Mason McGaha, who struggled to qualify in his Harlow Sammons Racing Chevrolet but is .019 on the Tree here to defeat No. 1 qualifier Jerry Tucker by a teeny tiny two-thousandths…. Yes, on a holeshot.

At the last race, we saw these two in the final. That time, it was Aaron Stanfield with the win light in his JHG Chevy. But Cory Reed is hungry after a runner-up there and runner-up last night in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. He may be hungry, but he's slow to the table. Stanfield, who has won three of the last four races, moves ahead on a holeshot, 6.611 to 6.609. Reed was .093 on the Tree to a .040.

It will be a battle of reigning champ and the current points leader in round two when Erica Enders defeats Chris McGaha and Dallas Glenn shuts down Eric Latino. Enders will have lane choice by a thousandth.

Low e.t. of the round belongs to Enders with a 6.597, Glenn has top speed by a bunch with a 208.10 mph pass.

Pro Stock pairings for round two (lane choice first): Mason McGaha vs. David Cuadra; Fernando Cuadra Jr. vs. Cristian Cuadra; Enders vs. Glenn; Jeg Coughlin Jr. vs. Stanfield

***

Top Fuel, round 2

Rookie of the Year hopeful Ida Zetterström's solo run looks good early, and then there is a bit of tire smoke midway down the track. She'll wait and see now who she will race in the semifinals.

Josh Hart throws down a light like he did in the good ol' days, and it was the perfect complement to a solid run. Clay Millican is .092 at the hit to Hart's awesome .033, and it's Hart with the win light on a 3.772 to 3.787. Hart is going to the semifinals for the first time since the fall race in Las Vegas last year.

"I'm getting more and more comfortable, and this thing is getting a little bit more predictable. I just need to focus and get back to those type of lights that I was used to. I'm very happy going into the semifinals. I haven't been there for a long time."

Justin Ashley, No. 2 in the points entering the event, gets a win light here with his Scag dragster over a tire-smoking Tony Stewart, then it's a Kalitta Motorsports teammate battle. Shawn Langdon has a cylinder out, but Doug Kalitta goes into tire smoke. Langdon will advance to the semis over the incoming points leader. Kalitta will keep the points lead, though, regardless of the outcome of the race.

Top Fuel pairings for semifinals (lane choice first): Shawn Langdon vs. Ida Zetterström; Justin Ashley vs. Josh Hart

***

Funny Car, round 2

Daniel Wilkerson smokes the tires and Matt Hagan gets the win light. The next pair bring up Austin Prock and J.R. Todd, and in a stunning turn of events, Todd cuts a psychic .015 light and Prock is asleep at the wheel. His .116 hands Todd a massive holeshot win, but wait…. there's more! The win light is flashing on Todd's side of the track just as his engine gives way. A big boom absolutely does evident damage to the DHL Funny Car body.

Prock, who has had the best performance with regularity this year, is horrified at his starting line blunder.

"I just flat out looked like an absolute idiot right now," he said with a ton of emotion. "It's embarrassing, and it sucks for my team. He made a nice run; he had it rolled in, but .116 is flat-out embarrassing, and I'm really pissed off right now at myself. This Cornwell Tools team has been unbelievable, and I just lost it. They tell you a good-running racecar is the hardest one to drive because all you can do is mess it up. I've been doing a good job of doing that, but I look like a fricken idiot right now."

For Todd, the damage to his racecar has him unbelievably disappointed and shaking his head as they load the car onto a flatbed.

"This is about as bad as it gets, probably back to Pomona last year," said Todd, who also wrecked a chassis earlier in the weekend with a big blowup. "Those guys have the best car out there, and there is nobody's ass you want to kick more than his. To see the win light come on, and then it blows up again… that's two chassis, two bodies, we don't have anything else to go. It sucks to be moving on, but we can't. I don't know what to say. Just really unfortunate. We're out of cars and now we have to scramble to get ready for Indy."

Blake Alexander takes out Jack Beckman in the next pair, clocking a .067 reaction to his opponent's .096 and sealing the deal with a 3.943 to a 3.945. Bob Tasca III gets in a pickle on the racetrack, and Chad Green advances in his Tony's BP Ford on a 4.044.

Funny Car pairings for the semifinals (lane choice first): Matt Hagan vs. J.R. Todd; Blake Alexander vs. Chad Green

***

Pro Stock, round 2

Mason McGaha is going to the semifinals for the third time this season. He locks in with a .028 launch and 6.655 that wins by .006 over David Cuadra's respectable .037 and  6.652.

It's another nod to Aaron Stanfield here as his .020 tops Jeg Coughlin Jr.'s .032 and he sails ahead for a 6.629 to 6.691 win. Next up are a pair of Cuadras, and although younger brother Cristian leaves first, Fernando Jr. has more go. He will advance to the semis with a 6.632 to a 6.680. It's the first time this season Fernando Jr. gone this far on Sunday and the seventh time in his career he's made the semis or better.

The defending Pro Stock champion has a decent reaction time, but her .026 is eclipsed by points leader Dallas Glenn, and he surges ahead to win on a holeshot, 6.623 to 6.622.

Pro Stock pairings for the semifinals (lane choice first): Fernando Cuadra Jr. vs. Mason McGaha; Dallas Glenn vs. Aaron Stanfield

***

Word over the PA is that Ron Capps and the Napa team are trying to loan a Toyota Supra body to J.R. Todd so he can make the next round. Each team fits the Funny Car bodies differently, so this may or may not work. Stay tuned (and watch NHRA on FOX live on your local FOX station at 3 p.m. ET!)

***

Top Fuel, semifinals

It was a dream weekend so far for Ida Zetterström and her JCM team, but it ends here as she double-steps it and the red light brightens. Her -.334 light sends Shawn Langdon to the final round, despite a bout of tire smoke.

"This is embarrassing for me, I've never redlit in my life, actually, but for some reason my foot just went and my brain didn't tell me to go," said Zetterström. "But I know I'm better than this, I know my team is better than this. This is heartbreaking for me. An embarrassing moment for me, but hopefully we'll come back stronger."

Safe to say that Langdon has effectively rebounded from the first-round loss in Sonoma, and he's going to his sixth final on the season. He entered the event No. 2 in the points, and that is where he will stay regardless of the outcome.

It's Justin Ashley advancing in the next pair as Josh Hart is better at the start, .035 to .047, but trails at the finish line. Ashley, who is racing in his fifth final round of the season, will leave here third in the Top Fuel points.

Top Fuel pairings for the final round (lane choice first):  Justin Ashley vs. Shawn Langdon

***

Funny Car, semifinals

A gigantic red light (-.360) for Chad Green and Blake Alexander flies down the track to a winning 3.948, 320.51. This will be the first final round this year for Alexander, who came here No. 10 in the points, moved up to No. 9 after qualifying, and will either be No. 7 or No. 8 when today is said and done.

Next up: J.R. Todd and Matt Hagan, and yeah, it's true. Todd is pulling into the water box with a Napa body on his Toyota chassis!

Ron Capps' Napa crew lines up behind Todd's car in full team Toyota support, and Todd leaves first but Hagan gets around him just at the finish line, 3.96 to 4.07.

"I can't thank everybody involved enough," said Todd. "First of all, Ron Capps. It's great being part of Toyota; it's one big family. These GR Supras, they aren't interchangeable between the two chassis – so they had to hustle with that Napa body to make it fit on our chassis. Del Worsham [crew chief for team Toyota driver Alexis DeJoria] and his guys were over there helping us out, and some other teams as well. The 'Yella Fellas,' I always give them props for busting their ass, but they've had one hell of a weekend.

"We have a lot of work to do to get ready for Indy. I thought we were dead after that semifinal. I saw the win light come on and just thought, we're screwed. [We lost] two bodies and didn't know if there was any chassis damage. But those guys, they don't quit until it's over with. It was awesome to drag it back up there, that was like a victory in itself. But once you see Hagan out there driving away from you, you just shut it off – we didn't want to blow another body up. But hopefully we can go to Indy, redeem ourselves, and start making a move when it counts."

Capps, who owns his Ron Capps Motorsports team, was pleased to help.

"Del Worsham and the Kalittas have helped us so much, becoming part of team Toyota," he said. "Del said it best, we all went in to thrash and he said, this is like old school sh*t,

This is 'Kenny Bernstein and the Blue Max, taping it all together to get back up for the final round' type of stuff.

"Great job by those guys, we were just happy to help. It didn't fit real well, but it was so fun to watch Kalittas and Worshams and our guys jump in there. We just wanted to get up there and put on a show for the fans. J.R., he's a consummate professional, and he ran it down there. I felt like a proud owner watching that car go down there. That was for the fans."

Hagan, who will race in a fourth final round on the season, will leave here third in the points but closer to closing the gap on second-place Tasca.

Funny Car pairings for the final round (lane choice first): Blake Alexander vs. Matt Hagan

***

Pro Stock, semifinals

Elite Motorsports has won each of the last six races, and they've got a car in the semifinals on either side of the ladder. But when Elite-powered Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Mason McGaha both start to rattle the tires. They both pedal, but McGaha gets hold of it and races to the win, 6.672 to 6.849. He might have had it won at the Tree anyway as he was .047 to .099, but watching Pro Stock cars pedal is a thrill – and he admits that he's had quite a bit of practice in recent times.

McGaha has two runner-up finishes on his scorecard, but he doesn't have a win yet. His dad, Chris McGaha, claimed his own first Pro Stock win at the Sonoma race in 2015.

Points leader Dallas Glenn and charging Aaron Stanfield, who entered the event No. 4 in the Pro Stock points, are both .055 as they leave the starting line and at the top end, it's Glenn with a 6.61 to a 6.62.

Elite Motorsports will not have a car in the final for the first time since Phoenix. They've won each of the last six events, but the Brainerd trophy is either going to the Harlow Sammons Racing team or to Elite's arch rivals, KB Titan Racing.

Glenn has won twice in six finals so far this season to keep his spot at the top of the Pro Stock standings. He's seeking an 11th career win in the category.

Pro Stock pairings for the final round (lane choice first): Dallas Glenn vs. Mason McGaha

Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series

Top Alcohol Dragster
Hunter Green def. Madison Payne

Top Alcohol Funny Car
Bob McCosh def. Sean Bellemeur

Comp
Bruno Massel Jr. def. Travis Gusso

Super Stock
Jason DeForrest def. Larry Hodge

Stock
Brian Anderson def. Johnny Diekema

Super Comp
Michael Cheney def. Kris Whitfield

Super Gas
Tom Carlson def. Trevor Larson

Super Street
Wayde Samuel def. Steve Stockton

Right Trailers Top Sportstman 
Darren Butler def. Kasey Kroeker

Right Trailers Top Dragster
Kendra Larson def. Dylan Hough