NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Three-time Funny Car champ Ron Capps was recently quoted as saying “you can’t win a championship in Dallas, but you can lose one.”  Capps is 100% correct as the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship enters the home stretch.

There is always room for a comeback, but the Funny Car battle is essentially a four-way contest between incoming leader Bob Tasca III, Robert Hight, Matt Hagan, and Capps. Just 33 points separate the four drivers, who ironically represent Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, and Toyota, so it's not hard to imagine that if one of the four wins the race, they’ll head to Las Vegas as the championship leader.

All four drivers have previous wins in Dallas with Capps claiming the two more recent victories in 2021 and 2022. Capps also won here in 1998 and has three runner-up finishes to his credit.

Hagan’s wins in Dallas came in 2010, 2016, and 2019, but the Dodge Power Brokers driver has been to the last three Texas Motorplex finals. Hight won here in 2006, 2009, 2017, and 2018, so he also knows his way around the Lone Star state. As for Tasca, he was a Dallas winner in 2012 and was runner-up to Hagan in 2019.

The Top Fuel battle isn’t quite as close as Funny Car, but it’s still a competitive affair with the top five drivers, Doug Kalitta, Leah Pruett, Steve Torrence, Justin Ashley, and Antron Brown, all less than 100 points out of the lead.

Kalitta is the incoming leader and might finally get his long-awaited first title as he’s got a 47 point lead over Pruett. Kalitta has wins here in 2002 and 2013 to go with a runner-up in 2001.

Ashley has won the last two events here, while Torrence has a solid record at his home track with two wins in five finals. Brown also has two wins in 2012 and 2016.

The annual battle in Pro Stock between the rival Elite and KB Titan teams is in full force with Elite’s Erica Enders looking to hold off KB Titan’s Greg Anderson as both pursue a sixth world title. Enders has a slim 24-point lead heading into what is now her home event, and she’s qualified No. 1 at the last three events.

Anderson has appeared to find the fountain of youth as he’s launched himself in to contention for a sixth title by winning back-to-back events in Charlotte and St. Louis. Anderson is also the most successful Pro Stock driver in Dallas with six victories.

Matt Hartford, Dallas Glenn, and Aaron Stanfield are also very much in contention for the title as they are less than 100 points behind Enders.

Gaige Herrera has had a record-setting season in Pro Stock Motorcycle, but he’s not quite ready to celebrate his first championship. Herrera has a 99-point lead over Matt Smith and a 126-point lead over Hector Arana Jr., so a win here would be a huge boost.

Smith is dealing with the recent accident that took his wife, Angie, out of competition, but he’s determined to see the championship to the end. If history is any indication, do not count him out.

The Texas NHRA FallNationals will also be the host facility for the JEGS Allstars event, which brings together the best racers from across the country in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The racers will be competing for over $125,000 in cash and awards and for both individual and team honors.

2022 EVENT WINNERS

Justin Ashley, Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Funny Car; Erica Enders, Pro Stock; Hector Arana Jr., Pro Stock Motorcycle

 MOST VICTORIES

Tony Schumacher, 6, Top Fuel; John Force 7, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, 6, Pro Stock; Eddie Krawiec, Jerry Savoie, 3, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

TRACK RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.637 seconds by Brittany Force, Oct. '21; 336.30 mph by Brittany Force, Oct. ‘22

Funny Car - 3.825 seconds by Matt Hagan, Oct. '22; 338.60 mph by Robert Hight, Oct. '17

Pro Stock - 6.457 seconds by Greg Anderson, Oct. '15; 214.59 mph by Greg Anderson, Oct. ’15.

Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.728 seconds by Angelle Sampey, Oct. ‘22; 203.62 mph by Matt Smith, Oct. 22.

NATIONAL RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading, Pa.; 338.94 mph by Brittany Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona, Calif.

Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 339.87 mph by Robert Hight, July ’17, Sonoma, Calif.

Pro Stock - 6.450 sec. by Erica Enders, March '22, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May '14, Englishtown, N.J.

EVENT SCHEDULE (Central Time)

FRIDAY, October 13

Lucas Oil Series Drag Racing Series qualifying and eliminations at 8 a.m.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, October 14

Lucas Oil Series Drag Racing Series eliminations at 8 a.m.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

SUNDAY, October 15

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series eliminations at noon

TELEVISION SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, October 15, FS1 will televise two hours minutes of pro qualifying coverage at 1:00 p.m. ET

SUNDAY, October. 15, FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at3 p.m. ET

Watch all day on NHRA.tv