NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Round two of the six-race NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship playoffs kicks off today at zMAX Dragway with the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Austin Prock (Top Fuel) and John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight (Funny Car), along with Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) reached the winner’s circle last weekend at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Pennsylvania to aid their championship bids.

Hight and Enders used their victories at Maple Grove Raceway to extend their incoming leads, while Prock vaulted from 12th to sixth place and Gladstone retook the points lead he lost to Matt Smith at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Top Fuel runner-up Justin Ashley, meanwhile, took advantage of top seed Brittany Force’s early exit in Reading to take over the points lead by nine points. Mike Salinas sits just one point behind Force in third place.

Hight’s margin over second-place Matt Hagan and Enders’ edge over Greg Anderson are both a comfortable 81 points – more than four rounds – meaning they’ll be hard to lose during the course of this event, but never say never. Gladstone's edge over reigning world champ Smith is 29 points.

2021 EVENT WINNERS: Josh Hart, Top Fuel; Tim Wilkerson, Funny Car; Kyle Koretsky, Pro Stock Angelle Sampey, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

MOST VICTORIES: Steve Torrence, 6, TF; Robert Hight, 6, FC; Jason Line, 4 PS; Andrew Hines, 8, PSM.

TRACK RECORDS:

• Top Fuel - 3.662 seconds by Brittany Force, May '21; 333.58 mph by Austin Prock, April '22.
• Funny Car - 3.850 seconds by John Force, April '22; 335.07 mph by J Force, May '22.
• Pro Stock - 6.455 seconds by Jason Line, Mar. '15; 215.48 mph by Greg Anderson, March '15.

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, Sept. 23

• Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series qualifying at 8 a.m.
• FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon qualifying at 5:45 p.m.
• NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying at 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, Sept. 24

• Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series eliminations at 8 a.m.
• FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon qualifying at 12:45 and 4:30 p.m.
• NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying at 1:30 and 5:15 p.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 25

• NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 12 a.m.

TELEVISION:

• Friday, Sept. 23, FOX Sports 1 (FS1), will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 7 p.m. ET
• Sunday, Sept. 25, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 2 p.m. ET and three hours of finals coverage at 3 p.m. ET