NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Leah Pritchett is enjoying one of her best weekends of the season at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Her 3.82-second pass scored her three bonus points after the driver of the Mopar Top Fuel dragster banked a pair of bonus points in the second qualifying session on Friday evening. That pass should have happened alongside current polesitter Doug Kalitta, who did not make his run after a mechanical failure. 

Related: Qualifying Order Top Fuel 

Clay Millican made his best pass of the weekend, a 3.825-second pass at 320.51-mph, but it didn’t move him up the ladder. He stayed in the No. 11 spot, behind Dom Lagana, and will have one more opportunity to move into the top half of the ladder. That may prove difficult as temperatures are only expected to climb inside Thunder Valley ahead of the next session, scheduled for 4 p.m. Eastern. 

A handful of teams made runs in the 3.83-second range. Neither Brittany Force (3.834) and Richie Crampton (3.839) improved on earlier runs, but both got a solid crack at a 126-degree track. That bodes well for the Advance Auto Parts and DHL dragsters’ setups as we get set for the very warm track that is expected Sunday. 

Just a tier below those two cars were Antron Brown and Mike Salinas, who both made passes in the 3.8s but were a tick off the pace made by Millican, Force and Crampton. The Matco Tools team of Brown continue to improve and seem poised to get back to the winner’s circle. Brown made his pass alongside Steve Torrence, who did not get down the track for the second time this weekend. 

You can catch the final qualifying session live on NHRA.tv.