NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance continues at Route 66 Raceway with the final day of qualifying for NHRA pros and the GETTRX Pro Stock Allstar NHRA Callout, and the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.

Saturday will provide a full day of racing excitement at Route 66 Raceway and it the action is anything like Friday’s opening qualifying, NHRA fans won’t want to miss a minute of it.

On Friday, qualifying began in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle and the provisional low qualifiers included local favorite T.J. Zizzo, Austin Prock, Erica Enders, and Matt Smith.

Zizzo, in his first outing of the season, led the Top Fuel field after both sessions including a 3.735 that is ahead of defending event champion Clay Millican’s 3.746. There are 22 Top Fuel cars trying for just 16 spots so Saturday should provide a lot of bumping and shuffling.

The Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Top Fuel will feature the final quad from the recent 4 Wide NHRA Nationals in Charlotte including winner Justin Ashley, world champ Doug Kalitta, Antron Brown and Clay Millican, the defending Route 66 winner.

In his first season in the Funny Car class, Prock has done little wrong, and in Joliet, he sits atop the field with a 3.907 in his Cornwell Tools Chevy. Prock, in incoming championship leader, leads Bob Tasca III, who ran 3.931 in his Motorcraft Quick Lane Mustang.

Reigning world champion and Charlotte winner Matt Hagan will take part in the Mission Challenge along with John Force, J.R. Todd, and Illinois native Daniel Wilkerson, who made the transition from crew chief to driver this season.

Enders leads a crowded Pro Stock class as the six-time champion pursue her landmark 50th pro win. Enders drove to a 6.548 to lead the way over teammate Troy Coughlin Jr., who put down a 6.554. Championship leader Greg Anderson also clocked a 6.554 for the No. 3 spot.

Enders is also the top seed for Saturday’s GETTRX Pro Stock NHRA Allstar Callout, a special event featuring the top eight drivers in the class based on qualifying results. Yesterday, Enders got to pick her round on opponent and she choose perhaps the toughest draw in the field in Anderson. Defending Route 66 winner Dallas Glenn picked Troy Coughlin Jr. and Aaron Stanfield choose Matt Hartford, leaving Cristian Cuadra and Deric Kramer as the final pair.

Reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champ Gaige Herrera’s reign at the top of the class is in jeopardy after Matt Smith made the best run of the day wityh a 6.708 on his Denso Buell. Smith is three hundredths clear of Herrera, who is second at 6.734 while LE Tonglet is third at 6.773.

Herrera and his RevZilla Vance & Hines teammate Richard Gadson are both in Saturday’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge along with Charlotte runner-up John Hall and Tonglet.

The Route 66 event also features a load of special features including the Congruity Pro Mod Series, FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, Holley EFI Factory X, and the new Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle class along with the PEAK Performance Street Car Shootout and action in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing series.

2023 EVENT WINNERS
Clay Millican, Top Fuel; Tim Wilkerson, Funny Car; Dallas Glenn, Pro Stock; Gaige Herrera, Pro Stock Motorcycle

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.677 seconds by Steve Torrence, June '18; 334.82 mph by Brittany Force, May ‘23.
Funny Car - 3.831 seconds by Robert Hight, May '23; 335.07 mph by Hight, May '23.
Pro Stock - 6.510 seconds by Dallas Glenn, May '23; 212.39 mph by Greg Anderson, June '19.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.672 seconds by Gaige Herrera, May ’23; 202.45 mph by Herrera, May ’23.

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading; 338.94 mph by B. Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona.
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 339.87 mph by Hight, July ’17, Sonoma.
Pro Stock - 6.450 sec. by Erica Enders, Mar. ’22, Gainesville; 215.55 mph by Enders, May ’14, Englishtown.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.627 sec. by Gaige Herrera, Oct. ’23, Ennis, Texas; 205.04 mph by Matt Smith, July ’21, Sonoma.

SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, May 18: Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 8 a.m.; GETTRX Pro Stock Allstar Callout eliminations at 11:30; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying at 11:40 a.m. and 2:30 p.m; Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, May 19: Sportsman eliminations begin at 8:30. Pre-race ceremony, 10 a.m.; Professional eliminations at 11:00 a.m.

TELEVISION

SATURDAY, May 18: FS1will televise 90 minutes of the GETTRX Pro Stock Allstar Callout at 7 p.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, May 19: FS1 will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at 1 p.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, May 19: FS1 will televise one hour of finals at 4 p.m. and two hours of finals at 10 p.m. (ET).