NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals marked the midpoint of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season, with 10 races down and three to go until the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Six-time world champ Greg Anderson and his teammate Dallas Glenn have won seven of the first eight races of the season. Let's take a look at the season's first half with a combination of stats and analysis.

Ten takeaways

There was a time, not long ago, when Greg Anderson would attempt to argue that he’s simply hoping to grind out a few more wins before nature takes its course and he’s unable to keep pace with Pro Stock’s younger generation. Apparently, that’s not happening anytime soon as Anderson is in the midst of one of the most dominant seasons of his career and the prospect of a seventh world title is a very real possibility. In eight races, Anderson has four wins, two runner-up finishes, and two semi’s with a sterling 25-4 record in eliminations. In a class where every mistake is magnified, he’s made almost none, which helps explain his 50-point lead.

If not for the antics of teammate Anderson, we might just be celebrating Dallas Glenn’s 2025 season as one for the ages. Glenn has lost just five times this season and three of them have come at the hands of Anderson. Glenn, often known as “Double O Dallas” leads the class with four holeshot wins, and he’s also got the best percentage of completed runs at 91.5%. That’s a lethal combination in a class where tire shake has appeared to be more frequent.

At the recent Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Matt Hartford reminded the world just how effective he can be with a convincing win in the GETTRX Pro Stock NHRA All-star Callout event. Hartford showed up with a great car and did his part on the starting line to snare the $40,000 first-place prize. Hartford has also been solid in qualifying with an average of 3.6, and he’s third in the standings. It’s almost impossible for him to catch either Anderson or Glenn, but once the Countdown to the Championship begins and the points are reset, it will be a whole new ball game.

So far this season, there have been four first-time Pro winners; Tony Stewart, Paul Lee, Richard Gadson, and the latest Cory Reed. The former Pro Stock Motorcycle racer scored a very popular win in Norwalk, and by all accounts, it won’t be his last. In addition to the win, Reed has a pair of semifinals to his credit, and he’s been ranked no lower than fourth at any point this season. Reed has also qualified in the Top 5 in six of the first eight events.

Reed is the 73rd different driver to win an NHRA Pro Stock event, so who will be No. 74? There are plenty of qualified candidates, including Mason McGaha, Cody Coughlin, Eric or Matt Latino, and anyone named Cuadra. Coughlin and Matt Latino, the two rookie drivers in the field, both appear poised for a Reed-like breakthrough. Coughlin was a DNQ at his first two events but has recently made three straight quarterfinals. Latino has raced in just five events this season, but he has three holeshot wins, second only to Glenn’s four.

Erica Enders didn’t win six Pro Stock titles by accident, so there is every reason to think that her current struggles are only temporary. Enders lost early at the first three events and then suffered a shocking DNQ in Las Vegas. As trying as it might have been, Enders put on a brave face and insisted there is a comeback in the works, and so far, the evidence supports it. In Epping, Enders qualified No. 4 and went to the final round, and while she won’t catch Anderson or Glenn during the regular season, the six-race Countdown to the Championship could be another matter entirely.

As a member of Team Elite, Jeg Coughlin Jr. has also had his share of troubles this season, but his driving remains as steady as ever. Coughlin enters midseason as the eighth-ranked driver in the class, but he’s first in reaction time with a blistering .019 average. The five-time class champ is far better than his statistics have shown so far, and if there is one group that is primed for a big second half, it could be the Scag Power Equipment team.

Chris and Mason McGaha, along with team patriarch Lester, probably don’t get as much credit as they deserve for taking the fight each week to the Elite and KB Titan mega teams in Pro Stock. At times it might not be so obvious, but the Harlow Sammons team has made significant gains since last season, particularly with Mason’s car. Still a budding young talent at age 22, Mason has been to three quarterfinals this season and has appeared in three finals during his career. At some point, he will join the short list of drivers with an NHRA Pro Stock Wally.

When it comes to father-son teams, they don’t come more polished than the current Pro Stock duo of Greg and Aaron Stanfield. After running roughshod over the Factory Stock and Factory X classes in the last two seasons, the Stanfields have both chosen to focus on Pro Stock this season as members of the Elite team. The results have not been what either of them would have liked, but Aaron is the No. 6-ranked driver, and he’s second behind Matt Latino when it comes to getting off the starting line first. Greg, who quickly regained his forum after more than a decade away from a Pro Stock car, recently qualified No. 4 in Norwalk, a move that represents a significant step forward.

It doesn’t take too much imagination to see either Eric Latino or his son, Matt, winning a race this season, even though they are both racing part-time schedules. Eric, who has a significant ownership stake in KB Titan, has competed in six races, and he’s got a semifinal and three quarterfinal finishes so far. He also qualified for the GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout event in Norwalk, and he’s fifth despite missing two events. Matt has raced five times and is credited with a semifinal in Las Vegas. He won’t make the Top 10, but he’s a leading candidate for the NHRA Rookie of the Year award. 

Probable regular-season finish: 1. Greg Anderson; 2. Dallas Glenn; 3. Cory Reed. There is no reason to think that Anderson will surrender the top spot, although Glenn does have an outside chance. Reed was already in a solid spot before his breakthrough win in Norwalk, and his ceiling appears unlimited.

Dark horses: Honestly, anyone who drives for the Elite team is currently considered a dark horse, but this is Pro Stock, a class where things can change quickly. The Countdown doesn’t start until mid-September. Should Team Elite close the gap even slightly to their KB Titan rivals, it will make for an extremely interesting playoff.

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Top Fuel
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