“To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge,” so said Confucius, but the Ancient Chinese philosopher never had a chance to experience an NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event, so we're going to have to take the lead. With that said, there was a lot of knowledge to be gained during an amazing weekend in Sonoma, and we’ve captured our five best nuggets in our regular “Five Things We Learned” feature.   

BRITTANY FORCE IS THE UNDISPUTED QUEEN OF SPEED

OK, we learned this a long time ago when she regularly topped 335 mph and then got a not-so-subtle reminder a week ago in Seattle when she topped 341 mph, but just in case anyone forgot, Force is now NHRA’s undisputed Queen of Speed following her 343.16-mph run on Friday night. Force currently holds nine of the top 10 speeds in the history of Top Fuel, and she bettered the existing Sonoma Raceway track record by five mph. 

David Grubnic, Force’s longtime crew chief, is not one to show much emotion, and he’s usually quick to downplay his accomplishments, yet he couldn’t help but flash a grin when he saw the scoreboard light up. Grubnic, and most other crew chiefs in Sonoma, were perhaps more impressed by the eighth-mile speed, which nearly topped 305 mph.

Perhaps more amazing than the performance of Force’s Monster Energy team was the reaction of the enthusiastic Sonoma fans, who turned out in droves for the Denso Sonoma Nationals. The roar from the stands was deafening whenever Force ran, and her pit area was packed for the remainder of the weekend as fans who attended Friday night's qualifying round were well aware they were a part of history. 

STANFIELDS LEAD THE WAY IN ELITE TEAM RESURGENCE

It’s been a tough season for the Oklahoma-based Elite Motorsports squad as their multi-car Pro Stock team has been a punching bag for the rival KB Titan Racing squad for the first half of the year, but the tables finally turned in Sonoma, where Elite drivers Greg and Aaron Stanfield competed in a memorable father-son final round. During qualifying and Saturday's Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, the Elite team wasn’t exactly dominant as KB Titan drivers Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn swapped the track elapsed time record several times, but Team Elite got the job done when it counted, and that’s all that mattered.

Greg Stanfield had arguably the best car in the Elite camp with a 6.480 to qualify No. 3, and Aaron was barely a step behind at 6.489. That represents real progress for a team that was often five-hundredths behind the leaders earlier this season. 

When it comes to father-son finals, there have been quite a few in NHRA competition. In fact, the Stanfield's ran each other in the Super Stock final in Chicago in 2017, with Aaron taking the victory. In the Pro Stock class, Warren and Kurt Johnson also raced 12 times in finals, with W.J. earning a decisive 9-3 advantage over his son.

As for the Elite team, they certainly appear to have closed the performance gap considerably, which should make for a very interesting NHRA U.S. Nationals and the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs that follow.

DANIEL WILKERSON IS OVERDUE FOR SOME GOOD LUCK

When (not if) Daniel Wilkerson wins his first national event in a nitro Funny Car, NHRA fans won’t want to miss it because the accompanying celebration will be epic and long lasting. Wilkerson, much like his father, Tim, has endeared himself to race cars in large part because of his blue-collar work ethic and his humble down-to-earth persona. That’s what made Sonoma so difficult to watch as Wilkerson had two big engine explosions that destroyed a pair of SCAG Mustang bodies and put a serious dent in the team’s parts inventory.

Wilkerson’s first boomer on Friday night was spectacular as it included a big fireball and a brush with the wall. On Sunday, Wilkerson pedaled the car in a round-one loss to Bob Tasca III, and that caused another serious explosion that severely damaged a second body. Wilkerson was practically unconsolable, but he quickly took full responsibility for both runs. There are clearly better days ahead for the SCAG crew, and when that first win comes, it will be well worth the wait. 

AUSTIN PROCK IS THE BEST DRIVER IN FUNNY CAR

After winning his fifth event of the season and the 13th of his career, Austin Prock was called the “best driver currently in the Funny Car class” and neither Prock, or anyone else, raised an objection. It’s hard to argue with the facts as Prock and his John Force Racing team dominated in Sonoma, and the reigning world champ wheeled his Cornwell Tools Camaro like a boss. 

In addition to winning the race with a great final round against Spencer Hyde, Prock also made the best run of the event in round one with a 3.833 run, and he topped 340 mph in his round-one win over Cruz Pedregon. Sonoma can be a tricky track, but Prock was rock-solid on race day, following his track-record blast with runs of 3.887, 3.927, and a final-round 3.904 to win the race and extend his points lead. Prock was good when he drove in Top Fuel, winning four races, but his natural ability, combined with years of circle-track experience, clearly lends itself better to a short-wheelbase Funny Car. He’s got a ways to go in order to defend his Funny Car championship, but clearly he’s going to be the favorite as we enter the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. 

NHRA DOUBLES ARE EXTREMELY HARD TO ACHIEVE

In the nearly 75-year history of the NHRA, there have been 30 drivers who have combined to produce 46 national event doubles, but the number of drivers who have had the opportunity to double and left with a win and a runner-up or two losses far exceeds that number. The latest driver to experience the highs and lows of racing in back-to-back finals is Trey Vetter. Appearing in the Super Stock final, Vetter cleared his first hurdle and won his first national event when he defeated Kevin Motter. 

A short time later, Vetter had the chance to double in the Super Comp final, but his shot at history was thwarted by a faulty fuel pump. Vetter left first against Dale Green, .011 to .026, but could only muster a 9.75 on the 8.90 index, allowing Green to ease to his second career win. While Vetter did not get his coveted double, he did leave Sonoma with something that is even more rare: a perfect run when he coupled a .000 light and an 8.900 in his semifinal win over Gabe Torres, the son of Sonoma Super Gas winner and reigning world champ Val.