NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

On Sunday at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series arrives at a unique intersection of American culture.

We race at a track renowned for speed. We compete in a region steeped in history. And we gather in a state whose motto proudly celebrates freedom.

Today, we seek all three.

As NHRA celebrates its 75th anniversary, New England Dragway marks its 60th season, and America commemorates its 250th birthday, the 2026 season has evolved into one of the most competitive campaigns in recent memory. The storylines are no longer centered on individual stars. Instead, powerhouse organizations have elevated entire teams into championship contenders, creating internal rivalries and collaborations that push performance to new heights.

The result is a Sunday ladder packed with potential blockbusters.

Funny Car: Strength in Numbers at John Force Racing

No organization better illustrates the current state of Funny Car than John Force Racing.

Jordan Vandergriff enters race day as the No. 1 qualifier after his breakthrough performance Saturday, while Jack Beckman starts second and Alexis DeJoria third. Three different Funny Cars. Three different drivers. Three legitimate contenders. Success has become contagious inside the JFR camp.

When one car improves, the others respond. The result has been a relentless pursuit of performance that has produced one of the strongest collective efforts in the category.

Vandergriff opens against Jeff Arend, while Beckman faces Phil Burkart and DeJoria takes on Cruz Pedregon. Austin Prock, the reigning world champion and one-time JFR alum, starts fifth and could quickly become a factor as eliminations unfold.

The opening half of the ladder features a potential quarterfinal showdown between Vandergriff and either Chad Green or Dave Richards, while Prock's section includes veteran JR Todd.

On the opposite side, Beckman and DeJoria headline a group that also includes Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Daniel Wilkerson, and Pedregon.

If the ladder holds, a Beckman-DeJoria semifinal could become one of the marquee matchups of the day.

But Funny Car rarely follows the script.

Top Fuel: Kalitta Motorsports Building an Empire

The vision Connie Kalitta began decades ago may be reaching its fullest expression right in front of our eyes.

Shawn Langdon claimed the No. 1 qualifier position and enters Sunday with the quickest car in the field, while Doug Kalitta qualified fourth. Together they represent a Kalitta Motorsports operation that has become the benchmark in Top Fuel.

The success extends beyond raw speed.

Crew chiefs, engineering resources, and organizational depth have created a program capable of producing race-winning performances from multiple cars every weekend.

Langdon receives a first-round bye after a short field qualified, while Kalitta opens against Will Smith.

The upper half of the ladder also features a compelling battle between Justin Ashley and Clay Millican, while Shawn Reed and Antron Brown square off in a matchup that could easily resemble a late-round showdown.

The bottom half is equally loaded.

Leah Pruett meets Scott Farley, Tony Stewart faces Maddi Gordon, Josh Hart takes on Rit Pustari, and Billy Torrence matches up against Tony Schumacher.

Several championship-caliber drivers will be gone before lunch.

The most anticipated possibility remains another Kalitta-Langdon showdown deep in eliminations, but surviving this ladder will require navigating one of the toughest Top Fuel fields assembled this season.

Pro Stock: KB Titan vs. Elite Motorsports Continues

The rivalry defining Pro Stock remains KB Titan Racing versus Elite Motorsports.

Greg Anderson secured the No. 1 position and enters Sunday seeking another victory in a season already filled with milestone achievements. His teammate, Dallas Glenn, qualified fifth and remains one of the most consistent threats in the category.

Across the pit area, Elite Motorsports counters with a deep lineup featuring Erica Enders, Matt Latino, Greg Stanfield, Aaron Stanfield, and two Coughlins.

No category better illustrates the value of team competition.

Every qualifying session becomes an internal contest before it becomes a battle against the field. Data is shared. Discoveries are amplified. Performance gains arrive faster.

The result is a class where thousandths of a second separate contenders.

Anderson opens with a bye, while Aaron Stanfield and Jeg Coughlin Jr. square off in one of the most intriguing first-round pairings.

Erica Enders faces Troy Coughlin Jr. in an all-Elite matchup, guaranteeing one of the organization's contenders advances.

Dallas Glenn starts against Shane Tucker and could find Enders waiting in the quarterfinals.

On the bottom half, Matt Latino faces Brandon Miller, Greg Stanfield meets Cody Anderson, Eric Latino takes on Kenny Delco, and Matt Hartford races Deric Kramer.

The possibility of another Anderson-Glenn final remains alive, but Elite Motorsports has enough depth to disrupt those plans at every turn.

Team Rivalries Driving the Series Forward

What makes the 2026 season special is not simply individual excellence.

It is organizational excellence.

John Force Racing has created a Funny Car environment where multiple teams are capable of winning on any given Sunday.

Kalitta Motorsports has transformed Top Fuel into a showcase of collective strength and technical execution.

KB Titan and Elite Motorsports continue to push each other to unprecedented levels in Pro Stock.

Every gain by one team forces a response from another.

Every rivalry creates innovation.

Every innovation creates speed.

And that speed is precisely what New England Dragway has delivered for six decades.

Sunday Schedule — NHRA New England Nationals Presented by bproauto

Sunday, June 7

• 8:00 a.m. — Spectator Gates Open
• 9:30 a.m. — Pre-race Ceremonies
• 10:30 a.m. — NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Eliminations
  • Top Fuel First Round
  • Funny Car First Round
  • Pro Stock First Round
• Sportsman Eliminations continue throughout the day
• Final Rounds scheduled for late afternoon

By sunset, another chapter will be written in a season increasingly defined by elite teams, fierce rivalries, and championship-level execution.

At a track known for speed.

In a region known for history.

In a state known for freedom.

Sunday's winners will have all three.

TELEVISION
FRIDAY, June 5, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one and half hours of qualifying coverage at 8:00 p.m. ET 
SUNDAY, June 7, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 12:00 p.m. ET 

SUNDAY, June 7, FOX will televise three hours of finals coverage at 3:00 p.m. ET 

2025 EVENT WINNERS
Brittany Force, Top Fuel; J.R. Todd, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock. 

MOST VICTORIES (active drivers)
Tony Schumacher, 2, TF, Matt Hagan, 4, FC; Greg Anderson, 3, PS. 

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.646 seconds by Doug Kalitta, June '25; 341.42 mph by Brittany Force, June '25. 
Funny Car - 3.822 seconds by Robert Hight, June '17; 336.74 mph by Hight, June '17. 
Pro Stock - 6.469 seconds by Greg Anderson, June '25; 214.72 mph by Greg Anderson, June '15. 

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading; 345.00 mph by Shawn Langdon, May ’26, Adel
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24, Pomona
Pro Stock - 6.443 sec. by Greg Anderson, March '25, Gainesville; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May '14, Englishtown