NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

After a morning packed with mid- to late-round Sportsman action, the first two Top Fuel dragsters to take to the track belong to Leah Pruett, No. 4 in the points, and Shawn Langdon, No. 2. Langdon leaves first in his Kalitta Air dragster, but Pruett makes up the difference in the Code 3 Associates Top Fuel dragster and wins this one by just .006-second. A great race, and one that certainly doesn't hurt Pruett's championship chase. 

Three pairs later, No. 1 qualifier Doug Kalitta matches Pruett's reaction time, elapsed time, and speed identically (.086, 3.737, 329.99) in his defeat of a fire-balling Lex Joon. The numbers are so close that the tie-breaker comes down to who did it first, so lane choice will go to Pruett over Kalitta in the next round.

***

Tony Schumacher, a two-time winner in St. Louis, eight-time world champion, and the most winning Top Fuel driver in history, didn't have an easy match in the first round. Reigning Top Fuel champion Brittany Force battled through qualifying and only solidified a raceday start in the final session, but her Monster Energy dragster has been known to throwdown mind-blowing passes with esteemed crew chief David Grubnic at the helm. Force left first in their meeting as she focused on moving up from No. 6 in the standings, but Schumacher's SCAG dragster was quicker to the finish line. 

"You don't kid yourself and go up there and think it's going to be easy at all," said Schumacher. "Grubby is a real smart guy, and Brittany is a heck of a driver. I know it's going to end their championship or at least put them in a hurting, but my job is to win for SCAG Power Equipment and not worry about that stuff."

***

Young Cody Krohn's Top Fuel debut comes to an end here in the first round as Mike Salinas takes the win in his Rob Flynn-tuned Valley Services dragster. 

"It feels great to at least be out here with all the bigshots," said Krohn. "This has been a dream of ours, to be out here and do it successfully. My parents and I worked so hard for this, and for me, it's just surreal to be out here on Sunday racing a Top Fuel car." 

***

Justin Ashley gets out of the first round with his Phillips Connect dragster and can breathe a sigh of relief – for now. All four drivers at the top of the points have advanced, but they're also all on the same side of the ladder. After leading the points throughout the regular season, Ashley had with a second- and first-round loss. 

"We're just putting it in the past, and the guys are doing a great job of doing that already," said Ashley. "We're focused on the future and doing the best we can, and it's going to be a long fight, a big battle throughout the Countdown."

***

Top Fuel pairings for round two, lane choice first: Leah Pruett vs. Doug Kalitta; Steve Torrence vs. Justin Ashley; Mike Salinas vs. Clay Millican; Antron Brown vs. Tony Schumacher

**

This is unexpected. Chad Green has made some great runs here this weekend and qualified in the No. 2 position, but when he hits the gas, a parachute drops out the back of his Levi, Ray & Shoup-branded Ford. He drags it down the track and Alex Laughlin, tuned by Funny Car legend Jim Dunn, gets the win. Laughlin is No. 10 in the points and needs the win light to keep hold of his spot, but Green won't like having to forfeit his momentum. He entered the event No. 5 in the points. 

After the win, Jim Dunn is smiling though sardonic and says, "I just love when they screw up; it's the only way I can beat 'em." 

***

They were tied at No. 3 in the points entering today's action, and with round wins, both Ron Capps and Matt Hagan keep their names in the game. Hagan drives the American Rebel Dodge Charger to a win over Alexis DeJoria, who was No. 7 in the points before the day began, while Capps knocks out Tim Wilkerson – who was No. 6 in the points – by just .004-second.

***

Robert Hight goes low of the round with a bold 3.94 in the AAA Cornwell Tools Chevrolet to defeat Jack Wyatt, and he'll get a ticket to race No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca III in the second round. This one will be weighty; Tasca was No. 2 in the points entering the event, and Hight is the points leader.

***

Funny Car pairings for round two, lane choice first: Robert Hight vs. Bob Tasca III; Matt Hagan vs. John Force; Ron Capps vs. Alex Laughlin; J.R. Todd vs. Blake Alexander

*** 

For the second race in a row, Deric Kramer and Kyle Koretsky are set up for a first-round meeting. Kramer had a big challenge trying to even qualify but finally broke in on the final session, but Koretsky is the one with trouble here. His Lucas Oil Chevrolet will not fire, and Kramer gets a single. Kramer was No. 7 in the Pro Stock points entering the event, and Koretsky was eighth. 

***

Wait. What? The Harlow Sammons Racing team has not had the year that they'd hoped for, but their fortune takes a dramatic turn here in the first round in St. Louis. Dad Chris McGaha comes to the starting line first for a meeting with points leader Matt Hartford, and he throws down a ridiculous .006 reaction time to defeat back-to-back Indy and Reading winner Hartford on a holeshot. Hartford is .089 and makes the quickest pass of the event to that point, a 6.533, in a losing effort.

Two pairs later, McGaha's son, Mason, is .007 at the hit to defeat Troy Coughlin Jr. on a holeshot. Coughlin was .049 at the starting line. Mason's car had performance to go with his efficient start: his 6.567 was an improvement over his qualifying-best 6.602. Dad's run was an improvement, too, with a 6.576 to top his own 6.605 qualifying time. 

"That's what we've been looking for all year long," said Lester McGaha, who works on the engines and racecars alongside his son, Chris, and grandson, Mason. "We had one good race at the beginning of the year, and we've just been searching for something ever since. I think we're headed the right way now." 

This is the first time both of the McGahas have advanced from the first round this season, and Mason had his own thought on the matter.

"We've been really stinking the place up, but the last two races we've really been jelling together and looking like our old selves," he said. 

***

Erica Enders moves into the points lead with Hartford's falter and her own blistering 6.514 in her Johnson's Horsepowered Garage Chevrolet to win her match with Eric Latino. Her JHG teammate, Bo Butner, also advances with one of the quickest passes of the event, a 6.536, in his victory lap over a red-lighting Cristian Cuadra. 

Butner needs every point as he is trying to break into the top 10 as well.

***

Pro Stock pairings for round two, lane choice first: Erica Enders vs. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; Greg Anderson vs. Deric Kramer; Aaron Stanfield vs. Chris McGaha; Bo Butner vs. Mason McGaha

***

A feel-good opening round for Cory Reed, who claims his first win light since returning to Pro Stock Motorcycle after two years and 10 surgeries following a two-bike wreck in Charlotte with teammate Joey Gladstone. He's riding Gladstone's motorcycle here for Reed Motorsports and J&A Service.

"It feels great," said Reed, who gave a nod to fellow competitor Angie Smith in his top-end interview "It's a crazy process you go through to race motorcycles, and unfortunately, sometimes you fall off and get hurt. It's about how you come back, and hopefully Angie is healing up."  

***

Chris Bostick makes his best run of the weekend for Champions Performance Cycles, but so does opponent Matt Smith, who moves on with his DENSO-backed Pro Stock Motorcycle in his quest to win the trophy for wife Angie, who wrecked here yesterday and is in the hospital recovering. 

Smith protects his position as the No. 2 man in the points, but points leader Gaige Herrera's victory over Joey Gladstone keeps space between them. Hector Arana Jr., who was No. 3 in the points leading into St. Louis, also wins his round over Steve Johnson. 

***

Pro Stock Motorcycle pairings for round two, lane choice first: Gaige Herrera vs. bye; Hector Arana Jr. vs. Chase Van Sant; Matt Smith vs. Cory Reed; Eddie Krawiec vs. Jianna Evaristo

***

The points implications here are large, and when Steve Torrence and his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel dragster gets around Justin Ashley's Phillips Connect rail here in round two, the man who stands No. 2 in the points put 20 more points between himself and the driver who is third. Ashley was first to leave the starting line, as has been the drill many times this season, but Torrence gets there first. 

"We need to capitalize on this," said Torrence, who cannot make up enough points at this event to move into the top spot; regardless of the outcome of today's events, Torrence will have to wait until Dallas to try to get around Doug Kalitta in the standings. "These CAPCO boys have been working hard, it's just the luck hasn't gone our way. But you gotta dance with the girl you brought to the dance, and that's what we're doing." 

***

The incoming points leader and No. 1 qualifier is out in the second round as Doug Kalitta hazes the tires on his Mac Tools dragster. That sends Leah Pruett and her Code 3 Associates Top Fueler on to round two and with enough points to move around Justin Ashley to third.

***

Antron Brown takes a hit as he is stopped by Tony Schumacher. Brown, however, is safe in the No. 5 position – regardless of the outcome of the event. Schumacher moves up to No. 9 and Clay Millican, with a defeat of Mike Salinas, moves into the No. 10 slot. 

***

Top Fuel pairings for the semifinals; lane choice first: Steve Torrence vs. Leah Pruett; Tony Schumacher vs. Clay Millican

***

The second round of Funny Car kicks off with a thrilling pedalfest as both Blake Alexander and J.R. Todd battle spinning and smoking tires. Alexander was on and off the throttle in his Pronto Auto Parts Ford six times to finish ahead. With the early exits of Tim Wilkerson and Chad Green, Todd has already moved up from eighth to No. 6 in the standings. 

***

Another round with big consequences as points leader Robert Hight and Bob Tasca III square off. Tasca's psychic .018 light in the Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford sets the tone in his favor, and he powers to a holeshot win – and a points lead that will transfer to his hands no matter which way the cards fall in the semifinals. 

***

Matt Hagan and Ron Capps were tied at third entering the event, and they both win their respective rounds here to continue a neck-and-neck race towards the top. 

***

Funny Car Pairings for the semifinals, lane choice first: Bob Tasca III vs. Matt Hagan; Ron Capps vs. Blake Alexander

***

The McGaha glow may relight in their home state of Texas, but it expires in St. Louis here in the second round. Father-and-son racers Chris and Mason McGaha cash out, and respective opponents Aaron Stanfield and Bo Butner advance to race one another in the semifinals. 

***

Greg Anderson makes his quickest pass of the weekend in the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet in his defeat of teammate Deric Kramer, and he'll race Erica Enders in the second round. Enders made the second-quickest pass of the round to eliminate teammate Fernando Cuadra Jr.; she'll forfeit lane choice to Anderson in a five-time champ vs. five-time champ semifinals battle. 

***

Erica Enders is leaving with the points lead no matter what. If Anderson reaches the final round, he'll move around Dallas Glenn, who is third in the points. Aaron Stanfield has moved around Troy Coughlin Jr. into fifth place, and he can move as high as third, depending upon Anderson's outcome. Bo Butner will leave inside the top 10 no matter what. 

***

Pro Stock pairings for the semifinals, lane choice first: Greg Anderson vs. Erica Enders; Bo Butner vs. Aaron Stanfield

***

The points leader takes a bye run and makes a gigantic run – 6.706 (his 6.701 in the first round reset the track record) at 202.45. 

Chase Van Sant is better at both ends of the racetrack in his match, and that shuts down Hector Arana Jr.'s intention of gaining any more points this weekend. If Eddie Krawiec can win this thing, he can move around Arana to third – but he'll have to get past Matt Smith in the semifinals, and it appears he is a man on a mission. Smith took the DENSO bike to a 6.759, but with a speed of an earth rocking 203.40. That's a new track record for speed. 

***

Jianna Evaristo's red light and Cory Reed's traction troubles send Eddie Krawiec and Matt Smith to the next round. 

***

Pro Stock Motorcycle Pairings for the semifinals, lane choice first: Gaige Herrera vs. Chase Van Sant; Matt Smith vs. Eddie Krawiec

***

Tony Schumacher blows it up big approaching the finish line, and Clay Millican is going to the final round with his Parts Plus Rick Ware Racing Top Fuel dragster. It will be the third final round of the year for Millican, who won the first two in which he contested, and it comes on the heels of two consecutive first-round losses to start the Countdown. Millican has moved up to No. 8 in the standings, where he will remain regardless of the outcome of the final round. 

***

Leah Pruett is making up ground and making up quickly. The Tony Stewart Racing driver who flies 777 as her number is throwing down all the sevens she can find. Her .073 reaction time is paired with a 3.772 at 331.77 mph to take the lead and the win over Steve Torrence and his .070 and 3.82. Pruett is heading to the final for the fourth time this season and seeking her second win of the year. With the final-round appearance here in St. Louis, she'll leave here No. 2 in the Top Fuel points. 

***

Top Fuel final round, lane choice first: Leah Pruett vs. Tony Schumacher

***

Bob Tasca III will leave with the points lead, but either Ron Capps or Matt Hagan are leaving with the trophy – and sole possession of third place in the Funny Car standings. Tasca smokes the tires and Hagan ahead to the 86th of his career, and on the other side of the track, Blake Alexander also smokes the tires and sends Capps ahead. He'll have lane choice over Hagan by .002 for a well-matched final that will be the seventh of the season for incoming champion Capps and his NAPA Toyota. Capps is looking for his fourth win of the year. It's Hagan's seventh final as well, and he's looking for win No. 5 in his Tony Stewart Racing Dodge. 

***

Funny Car final round, lane choice first: Ron Capps vs. Matt Hagan

***

Bo Butner has made a ton of progress quite quickly, but his day ends here as Aaron Stanfield is off the starting line first in his Janac Brothers Chevrolet and turns it into victory at the top end. Stanfield advances to what is, surprisingly, his first Pro Stock final of the year. He is seeking an eighth career win in the class of naturally aspirated factory hot rods. 

***

The St. Louis win streak comes to an end for newly christened points leader Erica Enders as she strikes the tires fiercely. Greg Anderson is off the starting line with a .002 reaction and 6.541 to move ahead to his second consecutive final in the Countdown and the 175th of his career. 

***

Pro Stock final round pairings, lane choice first: Greg Anderson vs. Aaron Stanfield

***

Eddie Krawiec uses a .015 reaction time and goes 6.747 at 201.94 to stop Smith, and he's taking the Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki to the 93rd final of his career. Krawiec will race teammate and points leader Gaige Herrera, who utilized a 6.716, 202.12 to put Chase Van Sant on the trailer. 

***

Pro Stock Motorcycle final round pairings, lane choice first: Gaige Herrera vs. Eddie Krawiec