NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Pro Stock Q3

After closing Friday on a very quick session that saw nearly everyone improve, we came up almost empty-handed here in the third session of qualifying. Faced with the most displeasing atmospheric conditions of the weekend so far, it was highly unlikely that many positions would switch, but Kenny Delco, Derrick Reese, and Deric Kramer were all on the outside intending to break in.

After a fiery crash that destroyed his GESi Chevrolet the night before, Eric Latino was on the bump with a 6.578, and none of the three drivers on the outside were able to knock him off. They’ll have one more attempt to make the show later today.  

Incoming points leader Dallas Glenn didn’t get any bonus points on Friday while Aaron Stanfield, No. 2 in the standings, picked up two. This time around, Stanfield picks up one with a third-best 6.571 in his JHG/Melling/Janac Brothers entry, and Glenn is low of the round with a 6.555, 210.54 for three bonus points in his RAD Torque Systems entry. 

Greg Anderson gets two bonus points for his HendrickCars.com team with a 6.563, 209.90 and remains No. 1 heading into the final qualifier. 

Pro Stock Motorcycle Q3

Richard Gadson’s run was thrown out last night when he was light at the scales, so he was out of the gate first in this session and goes 6.84 — not an improvement, but still a good run for the conditions.

John Hall makes his best run of the weekend early in the session, so it became clear that we truly could see some movement in the order. 

Matt Smith says they put a whole new clutch in the bike and started from zero today.  He was not pleased with the 6.796. 

Steve Johnson, riding the Wings & Warrior Suzuki, made an awesome run this round, one that he’s been aiming for a long while. His 6.780 netted a bonus point.

“It’s just really fun to run good,” said a beaming Johnson, who encouraged fans to visit sponsor  wingsandwarriors.com to learn about the air show they’re planning for next year. 

Hector Arana Jr. and his GETTRX Buell record an impressive 6.773 for a pair of bonus marks. Gaige Herrera and the Vance & Hines RevZilla Mission Foods Suzuki make a statement here with a 6.749 at a big speed of 202.52 mph to claim three more bonus marks.

Top Fuel Q3

The air temperature was at 91 degrees and about what the teams will see Sunday, so these are important runs to prepare for that. As expected, there weren’t many improvements over Friday’s runs in cooler conditions but one of those who did improve was reigning world champ Doug Kalitta, who broke into the field from the outside with a soft, get-‘er-done 3.79 that put him 14th. Not comfortable but at least in the show with a chance (and maybe even a necessity) to improve in Q4.

Tony Stewart also entered the session outside the field and with a soft 4.55 bump spot figured to easily get in, but his gold and black Mobil 1 50th Anniversary entry smoked the tires a few hundred feet out and he coasted to a 5.07. After qualifying second at Indy and fourth in Reading, the TSR team seemed to have a good qualifying rhythm but not here so far. They’ve qualified at all 17 events so far this year and will face a bump spot of 3.883, currently held by Scott Palmer, when they line up for Q4,

Jasmine Salinas improved on her Friday 3.788 with a 3.780 that was second quickest of the round behind Tony Schumacher (3.768, no t better than his standing 3.762) and just ahead, by speed, of Shawn Langdon (3.780 against a previous 3.727)

Championship contender Justin Ashley, who made the strong decision to skip the event’s final three sessions in observance of Yom Kippur, looks solid in the No. 11 spot with one session to go.

Funny Car Q3

The session opened with Texas privateer Terry Haddock on the bump with a 4.100 and Jeff Diehl, Chris King, and Buddy Hull hoping to bust in, but none could as tire smoke and dropped cylinders were a common sight throughout the early part of the session.

Haddock ran 4.110 which ended up being the third best pass of the round. “Fast Jack” Beckman picked up three bonus points with a 3.924 that was best of the session while teammate and points leader Austin Prock got none after stepping off the gas early.

Rookie sensation Daniel Wilkerson had the session’s only other three-second pass, a 3.949, after a 3.87 Friday.

Pro Stock Q4

With the JEGS Allstars winners decided (congratulations to all!) the Pro Stockers rolled under the tower for the last qualifying session. We knew coming into this round that it was highly unlikely that the day’s conditions would support much of a shake-up for the naturally aspirated factory hot rods, but we’ve been surprised before. 

No surprises unfurled as no one made any move to speak of. Kenny Delco put up a good run, but it wasn’t enough — he did not qualify, nor did Deric Kramer or Derrick Reese. Eric Latino will remain on the bump, and seeing as how he does not have a racecar to run on Sunday after his Friday crash, the No. 1 qualifier will get a bye run. 

Dallas Glenn picked up three bonus points in his RAD Torque Chevrolet with the quickest run of the round, a 6.573, and KB Titan Racing teammate Cory Reed was second best for two points in his J&A Service Camaro on a 6.582. 

Glenn earned a total of six bonus marks today after nil on Friday, and that pads his points lead a bit.

“We’re definitely geting the car figured out for raceday here,” said Glenn. “It’s made two solid laps, and I’ve been decent at the tree on both of them — but we’ve got four really tough ones, potentially. I think it falls out that I’m going to have T.J. [Troy Coughlin Jr.] first round, and I guarantee that’s going to be a tough one there. We have everybody from RAD Torque Systems here, so there are a lot of white shirts on the starting line, and I really want to get them a cowboy hat tomorrow.”

Anderson earned the 130th No. 1 of his career and sixth of the season. It is his first start from the top spot in this season’s Countdown to the Championship. 

“The first goal is to make sure I don’t make mistakes and then somehow hope something happens to a couple of the other cars. There are three of them still ahead of me. I don’t need one guy to make a mistake, I need all of them to make a mistake. Odds are long on that, but I don’t give up. I’m still in the hunt and my HendrickCars.com Chevy is great. It’s been a great weekend so far; we got the saddle money last night so we have a little money to spend. I think we’re going to be alright. Don’t give up on me yet.” 

Pro Stock Motorcycle Q4

Matt Smith scored top honors for the session with the quickest pass of the round, a 6.756 at 201.77 aboard his Denso Buell. Hector Arana Jr. and his GETTRX Buell scooped up a pair of extra marks as well with his 6.784, 199.62. Gaige Herrera remained the No. 1 qualifier and earned a point with his 6.803 on the RevZilla Mission Foods Suzuki. 

Smith was moderately pleased with the day’s results and optimistic heading into Sunday. 

“We lost both runs yesterday, one it didn’t shift and the second one we had a clutch malfunction,” said Smith. “This morning’s first pass, we had to put a brand new clutch in it, and we didn’t know where we were at. That’s our first real pass down the track and we went to No. 2 spot. I think we’ll have something tomorrow.”

Herrera, who earned the eighth No. 1 of the season and 22nd of his career, will have a bye run in round one. 

“I feel like we did good as a whole team, qualified with a .74 and ran .80 in the heat, and that’s respectable,” he said. “We’ll be ready for tomorrow. We’re going to try to get all the points we can and keep it going.” 

Top Fuel Q4

Tony Stewart bumped his way into the field with a last-gasp 3.816 to land the No. 15 spot, then had to survive attempts by Spencer Hyde and Scott Palmer to stay in, which he did.

“It’s been a fun season, but it’s days like today that you hate,” said a clearly frustrated Stewart. “We shouldn’t have been in the position we were in, not in the field coming into the last session, but I’m proud of the guys. We just have to do a better job. Maybe it’s me. Leah almost won the championship with this car last year and I can’t get out of my damn way.”

While Brittany Force stayed atop the field, Shawn Langdon had the best run of the session with a 3.732 to cap what’s been a great qualifying outing for the Kalitta Air team as the Brian Husen-tuned machine made full passes on all four runs: 3.727, 3.742, 3.780, and 3.732. They were the quickest in both the first and final sessions.

Clay Millican also looked good with a final blast of 3.759 but he only made it down in the first and fourth sessions. Steve Torrence got one bonus point for the third-best pass with a 3.771.

Spencer Hyde, is just his second Top Fuel start, sits on the bump spot with a 3.833 and will face Force in round one.

Funny Car Q4

With conditions cooling late in the day, the Funny cars stepped up with a barrage of three-second passes – 10 in all – to finish Pro qualifying in a flurry of fire and fury.

Ron Capps was low of the round with a 3.899 with Austin Prock and teammate jack Beckman just behind with respective runs of 3.901 and 3.908. As expected, Prock stayed atop the field to give him his record-tying 13th No. 1 qualifying spot of the season, matching the record set by his team owner, John Fore, in 1996.

Dave Richards, who was involved in a nasty two-car qualifying accident with Dale Creasy Jr. last year at this race, will end qualifying much happier this time after a career-best 3.922. Richards’ best previous run was a 3.975.

“We’re just trying to keep up with everyone, and we’ve never given up this year,” said Richards. “We just keep digging and digging and digging. But 3.92? I’m just so excited. We knew we could run good this session, but not that good.”

Chad Green also made his best run of qualifying, finally improving on his opening lap of 4.06 with a 3.96 that made him the 14th driver to qualify in the three-second zone, one shy of the record set at the 2019 U.S. Nationals.

“We’ve been messing up all weekend and needed to make a good run,” said Green. “It’s a decent heat for the run but I’m not sure it’s where we need to be for tomorrow.”

Terry Haddock stayed on the bump spot on which he began the day as again Jeff Diehl, Buddy Hull, and Chris King all failed to unseat him. Hull got closest with a 4.113 but suffered the third DNQ of his rookie Funny Car season.