NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

TOP FUEL Q3

After a rain delay in the morning, the Top Fuel dragsters kicked off action on Saturday with their second qualifying session. Ida Zetterström was the first driver out and managed the navigate the freshly-prepped surface with a very respectable 3.904. 

It didn’t take long for teams to adapt to the hot and humid conditions as four-time world champ Steve Torrence followed with a 3.843 that was good for the provisional top spot.

One pair later, Justin Ashley lowered the boom with a 3.732 in his SCAG Power Equipment entry to take over the top spot from Torrence.

The round ended with the semifinals of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge where Tony Stewart and Doug Kalitta advanced to the final. 

Stewart, riding a string of five-straight final rounds on his way to the early-season points lead, moved into the top spot on the ladder with a 3.755 after Brown smoked the tires. The loss for Brown was tougher than usual as his Friday run was disqualified after it was determined that the rear wing of the Matco entry was not set at the correct angle. Brown acknowledged the error but will got into the last session near the bottom of the qualifying ladder.

The second half of the semifinals was entertaining if not quick. Both Brittany Force and Doug Kalitta smoked the tires early, but Kalitta, flying Aflac colors this week, was able to recover to post a 4.610 to 4.814 win.

FUNNY CAR Q3

The first Funny Car driver down Bristol Dragway on Saturday was rookie Hunter Green, who has little trouble with a competitive 4.004 pass. 

Several other drivers struggled, especially in the right lane, but Green’s father, Chad, wasn’t one of them. The Gainesville champ followed with a 4.065, 323.04 in his Bond Coat Ford. 

It a few runs, but Austin Prock finally showed the way with a 3.931, 328.30 that knocked Friday leader Alexis DeJoria from the top spot. In the other lane, Daniel Wilkerson also put forth a solid effort at 4.011 although he flirted with the centerline late in the run.

Julie Nataas has looked like anything but a rookie after another competitive 4.044 run in Del Worsham’s Airmine Toyota. 

The opening pair in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge featured Jack Beckman and Spencer Hyde and it provided a great show for the fans. Beckman drove to a 3.969 for the win while Hyde wasn’t far behind at 4.014.

Beckman will race against Epping winner J.R. Todd in the final round after Todd topped Alexis DeJoria with a 3.987 in the DHL Toyota.

PRO STOCK Q3

There was some improvement in the third round of Pro Stock, although given the weather, gains were minimal. Dallas Glenn, Friday’s leader, made another solid run with a 6.658 but Jeg Coughlin Jr. (6.685), Greg Stanfield (6.690), David Cuadra (6.669), Cody Coughlin (6.667) and Matt Latino (6.674) also found the 6.6s.

In the opening pair of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Aaron Stanfield cut a .008 light and ran 6.676 to defeat Erica Enders, who shook the tires and slowed to a 6.880.

Matt Hartford and Greg Anderson both ran 6.652 in the second pair, but Hartford was quicker off the starting line by six-thousandths of a second and will race against Stanfield in the final round, and will have lane choice.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE Q3

Angie Smith, who was already solidly in the field as a result of Friday’s 6.907 run, remained consistent with a 6.915 to kick off the third session of Pro Stock Motorcycle. 

Marc Ingwersen also found the sixes with a 6.941 on his Buell entry and Jianna Evaristo showed a slight improvement at 6.952.

One of the biggest moves came from Chase Van Sant, who dropped four hundredths with a 6.911 to lock down a spot in the top half of the field. 

Friday leader Brayden Davis wasn’t able to improve, but his 6.884 was among the best runs of the session, along with Richard Gadson’s 6.882. 

Old rivals Matt Smith and Steve Johnson met in the semifinals of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasry Challenge and Johnson grabbed the win after Smith fouled. 

There were a few tense moments in the other half of the semifinals when Gaige Herrera’s Vance & Hines Suzuki stalled on the burnout. Herrera got the bike re-fired and held on to beat Chris Bostick with a 6.876 and earn lane choice for the final round over Johnson.

TOP FUEL Q4

Following a brief rain delay, the NHRA Safety Safari whipped the Bristol Dragway track surface into shape so the fans in Bristol could watch the final pro qualifying session and the final rounds of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.

Antron Brown’s struggles continued as he smoked the tires to a 4.69 and will start from the bottom half of the field on Sunday. 

Dan Mercier put himself in a position to win a few rounds on Sunday with a 3.941 and a short time later, Clay Millican made a solid improvement when he wheeled his Arby’s dragster to a 3.812. 

Justin Ashley and Shawn Langdon both smoked the tires, leaving Tony Stewart and Doug Kalitta to fight for the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. 

The Kalitta team has been nearly unstoppable in the Mission Challenge events but this time, Stewart prevailed with the best run of the session, a 3.804. Stewart also sealed the top spot in qualifying for the first time in his brief Top Fuel career.

Stewart will race against Cameron Ferre in the opening round with the winner getting a bye run into the semifinal round.

“This is just a testament to his team,” said Stewart. “We’re continuing  to make progress to get this car quicker and more consistent, and it’s showing. It’s great to get our first low qualifier and win the Mission [Challenge]. It’s great to have something to race for on Saturday.”

FUNNY CAR Q4

Paul Lee kicked off the final Funny Car session with a 3.996 that helped move the Phoenix event winner from the No. 14 spot to No. 6.

A string of three-second runs followed by Chad Green with a 3.998 and Cruz Pedregon at 3.988 and Ron Capps at 3.978.

The best side-by-side pair came when Austin Prock took on Daniel Wilkerson. Prock ran low E.T. of the round at a 3.958 while Wilkerson navigated the trickly right lane with a 3.977 in his SCAG Power Equipment entry. 

In the final round of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, J.R. Todd and Jack Beckman left together and Beckman knocked the tires loose at half track allowing Todd and the DHL crew to win their second-straight event with a 4.004.

PRO STOCK Q4

As expected, most of the Pro Stock field ran within a couple of hundredths of each other in the final session of the weekend. And then there was Dallas Glenn.

Glenn put nearly two hundredths on the rest of the field, (and eternity in Pro Stock), with a 6.661 while the second best run at a 6.679 by Jeg Coughlin Jr. Even Greg Anderosn, who routinely challenges for low E.T., ran just a 6.693 in his HendrickCars.com Camaro. 

Mason McGaha also made an impressive run with a 6.697 in his Harlow Sammons entry, helping to take the sting our of a DNQ by his father, Chris. 

Cory Reed posted a 6.681 while Cristian Cuadra was also solid at 6.683.

The final round of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge featured what may have been the best race of the season as Matt Hartford and Aaron Stanfield battled side by side. Stanfield was first off the starting line, .010 to .013, and Stanfield won on a tiny holeshot, 6.688 to 6.685 with a margin of victory of just .0004-second.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE Q4

The top spot in Pro Stock Motorcycle changed hands briefly late in the session when Richard Gadson rode to a 6.859 but his time at the top of the sheet was short lived as Brayden Davis, the talk of the Pro Stock Motorcycle pits, quickly regained the lead with a 6.834 on his Suzuki. 

Matt Smith was also in the mix with a 6.876 while wife Angie also ran 6.951 while Ryan Oehler was also solidly in the sixes with a 6.967.

Gaige Herrera continued his mastery of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a 6.891 after opponent Steve Johnson spun the tires at the start and had to shut off.