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Ron Capps set a track record and raced to the qualifying lead in Funny Car on Friday at the NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Jason Line (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were qualifying leaders in their respective categories at the 10th event of 24 on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Ron Capps

Steve Torrence

Capps, a two-time winner this season, powered his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T to an Old Bridge Township Raceway Park elapsed time record with a 3.870-second pass at 318.62 mph in the first session of qualifying. Capps will be racing for his third No. 1 qualifier of the season on Saturday.

“The first run was stout for the conditions,” said Capps, who won on Monday in Epping. “You never know what can happen. I hope it holds up tomorrow. It would be nice to have another green hat.”

Matt Hagan, who posted two consecutive wins earlier this season in Atlanta and Topeka, is in second in his Mopar Express Lane / Rocky Boots Dodge Charger with a 3.901 at a track record speed of 326.71. Robert Hight is third with a 3.915 at 323.74, and reigning world champion Del Worsham sits in fourth with a 3.931 at 318.17. 

Torrence raced his Capco Contractors/Torrence Racing dragster to a 3.735 at 325.06 to take the qualifying lead in Top Fuel. Torrence, who won the season opener in Pomona and raced to a runner-up finish last weekend in Epping, is in pursuit of his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and 10th of his career.

“It feels good,” said Torrence. “The car has been running well all year, and to come into Englishtown with some momentum from Epping and the car continuing to do well, it’s a huge boost of confidence for myself and for the guys.”

Two-time and reigning world champion Antron Brown sits in the No. 2 spot after piloting his Matco Tools dragster to a 3.742 pass at 317.94 mph. Brown, a fan favorite as a local from Chesterfield, N.J., won this event last year and is riding momentum from his win last weekend in Epping. Shawn Langdon powered his Red Fuel/Sandvik Coromant dragster to the third spot, and Brittany Force, who won in Gainesville and Charlotte, is fourth in her Monster Energy dragster.

Jason Line

Eddie Krawiec

Line raced to the quickest time of the year in Pro Stock to lead the category with a 6.519 pass at 212.56 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro. Line, the Pro Stock points leader, has four No. 1 qualifiers this year and has raced to five victories in eight final-round appearances.

“My car is great right now,” said Line. “It feels very good, but the other teams are gaining on us, there’s no doubt about it, so we have to step it up.”

Line’s Ken Black Racing teammates, Greg Anderson and Bo Butner, follow him in second and third, respectively. Anderson ran a 6.533 at 212.93 in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro and posted the category’s fastest time of the year.

Three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Krawiec powered his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to the qualifying lead with a 6.783 pass at 195.53. Krawiec, a former Old Bridge Township Raceway Park track manager, leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle points with two wins in three final rounds this year.

“Anytime you can go low e.t. the first session coming out, it definitely helps build momentum,” said Krawiec. “We made a good clean run.”

Jerry Savoie is in the No. 2 spot and raced to a 6.788 at 197.80 on his Savoie’s Alligator Farm Suzuki, and Hector Arana Jr. is third on his Lucas Oil Buell. Reigning world champ Andrew Hines is fourth. 

Qualifying continues Saturday at 1:45 p.m. at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Danny Rowe powered to the qualifying lead Friday in the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the event. This is the fourth of 10 Pro Mod events on the 2016 season.

Rowe powered his Agave Underground Tequila ’68 Chevy Camaro to a 5.823-second pass at 249.35 mph to take the qualifying lead. Rowe, who raced to a runner-up finish at the Pro Mod season opener in Gainesville, has nine No. 1 qualifiers in his career.

Two-time J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series national champion Rickie Smith raced to the No. 2 spot with a 5.843 at 250.27 in his late-model IDG Chevy Camaro. Smith won two of the first three Pro Mod events of the season.

Steve Matusek is third in his Aeromotive/Agave Underground ’68 Chevy Camaro and is followed by Bob Rahaim in fourth and Steven Whiteley in fifth.

The final qualifying session for the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the NHRA Summernationals will be held Saturday, June 11, at 3:30 p.m. Round one of eliminations is later on Saturday at 6 p.m.