NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Top Fuel Round 1

It was already 85 degrees at the noon kickoff and headed to a high of 88 around semifinal time — pretty much the hottest we've seen all weekend — but teams worked on their raceday combinations on a similarly hot Saturday.

The right lane did not seem to be the lane of preference in qualifying, yet we still ended up with seven of eight wins from that lane in the opening round of Top Fuel.

Points leader Justin Ashley chose the right lane and smoked the tires early against Dan Mercier, who then ran into his own woes downtrack, allowing Ashley to squeak by for the win by .008-second.

Brittany Force also picked the right lane and advanced in her first head-to-head with fellow world champ Ida Zetterström. Force also smoked the tires early, but after the European champ ran into traction woes 100 feet further downtrack, Force deftly got back into the throttle and chased her down for the win.

After a DNQ in Indy and a first-round loss that weekend in Reading, world champ Doug Kalitta got a much-needed win, running his season record over Tony Stewart to 3-0.

Indy winner Clay Millican holeshotted his way past Jasmine Salinas by .006-second on a 3,814 to 3.798 decision. It’s Millican’s second holeshot win of the season and Salinas’ third loss by reaction time.

Doug Foley upset Tony Schumacher on a 3.78 to 3.83 run. Foley was the No. 12 qualifier, and it’s the 10th time this season that No. 12 has upset No 5 this season, the most from any bottom-half starting spot.

It’s a killer loss for Schumacher, who after a second-round loss in Reading, prophesized coming into this race, “You cannot go out second round at the first race of the Countdown and not win the next couple of races and expect to win a championship.”

Billy Torrence advanced when Shawn Reed, the No. 2 qualifier, smoked the tires early and Shawn Langdon did the same against Josh Hart with a 3.77 that will give him lane choice over his teammate Kalitta in round two.

In a battle of multi-time world champs, Antron Brown defeated Steve Torrence on a 3.82 to 3.81 holeshot, the only driver to win from the left lane.

If Brown can win today, it would be his 63rd Top Fuel win, tying Larry Dixon for second overall in class history. At the time that Dixon scored his final win, at the 2011 Phoenix event, Brown had just nine Top Fuel wins through his first three of what is now 18 full seasons in the class

Second-round Top Fuel matchups (lane choice first): Clay Millican vs. Brittany Force; Doug Foley vs. Justin Ashley; Antron Brown vs. Billy Torrence; Shawn Langdon vs. Doug Kalitta

Funny Car Round 1

After a checkered qualifying effort — just two full passes on four tries — Ron Capps dished out low e.t. of the first round with a 3.93 to beat Chad Green.

Low qualifier Matt Hagan and No. 2 qualifier Austin Prock both advanced with respective wins over Dave Richards and Alexis DeJoria with respective runs of 3.97 and 3.96. Prock is now 3-0 over DeJoria this season. Hagan has a bye in the next round due to the 14-car field while Prock will cede lane choice to Capps.

No. 3 qualifier Jack Beckman continues to do an amazing job subbing for John Force, beating Buddy Hull. In his 10 rounds, Beckman has left on his opponents seven times and has made it down the track on 23 of 27 runs between qualifying and eliminations. No signs of rust there,

Daniel Wilkerson, who was runner-up at the four-wide event here in the spring, beat J.R. Todd on a holeshot after a stout .017 light. It’s a stunning turnabout for Todd, who is the class leader in reaction time with an .058, having left first on 29 of his 37 opponents this year. Todd’s .066 light was not bad by any means (.083 is the class average) and it’s his first holeshot loss of the season versus four holeshot wins, including last weekend in round one over Matt Hagan. Todd's loss dropped him two spots to sixth in points after wins by Hagan and Capps, both of whom moved around him.

Bob Tasca III also got a needed win, besting Cruz Pedregon with a workmanlike 3.98 and will take on underdog John Smith in round two,

Smith, who made just one of four qualifying sessions, upset tire-smoking Blake Alexander to advance to round two. It’s Alexander’s second straight first-round loss in two playoff events.

Second-round Funny Car matchups (lane choice first): Matt Hagan vs. bye; Bob Tasca III vs. John Smith; Ron Capps vs. Austin Prock; Jack Beckman vs. Daniel Wilkerson

Pro Stock Round 1

Dallas Glenn took down Mason McGaha for the sixth straight time this season with a 6.596 to momentarily take the points lead back from Aaron Stanfield, a number matched by his KB/Titan teammate Greg Anderson in defeating Kenny Delco. We say “momentarily” because Stanfield took the lead right back a few pairs later with a solid 6.599 defeat of Chris McGaha, his fourth straight win this season over the Tasca engine builder.

No. 1 qualifier Erica Enders was slower than that trio of winners with a 6.602 after Derrick Reese fouled against her.

“The Natural,” Jeg Coughlin Jr., defeated Eric Latino for the third time this season with another a to B run, which is where Coughlin excels. So far this season, counting qualifying and eliminations, his Scag Camaro had made it to the finish line under power on 87 of 94 runs, just a tick over 92%,which is tops in the class.

Jerry Tucker advanced over Elite teammate Troy Coughlin Jr., who shook hard on the launch while Cristian Cuadra also advanced easily on Cory Reed’s red-light. Cuadra’s win moved him around Coughlin in the standings and up into the No. 6 spot. Matt Hartford's win over Camrie Caruso moved him around Latino and into ninth place in points.

Second-round Pro Stock matchups (lane choice first): Erica Enders vs. Jerry Tucker; Dallas Glenn vs. Matt Hartford; Greg Anderson vs. Cristian Cuadra; Aaron Stanfield vs. Jeg Coughlin Jr.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 1

Angie Smith moved into round two on Geno Scali’s painful -.001 foul, and Angie will race hubby Matt in round two. Matt had a bye for the 15-bike field and blasted to a 6.833, low e.t. of the round.

John Hall made it three MSR bikes in round two with a 6.97 to 6.96 holeshot win over Kelly Clontz and Jianna Evaristo made it four with a 6.96 victory over Steve Johnson, her third straight this season against the class’ elder statesman.

The RevZilla/Vance & Hines bikes had their shining moments too, with Reading runner-up Richard Gadson charting a 6.84 to beat “The Rat,” Ron Tornow and points leader Gaige Herrera running 6.85 to beat Marcus Hylton.

Reading winner Hector Arana Jr. turned on his fifth straight win light with a stout 6.89 over Chris Bostick while rookie of the year Chase Van Sant upset Marc Ingersen by .009-second.

The eight riders to advance to round two also are the top eight in points.

Second-round Pro Stock Motorcycle matchups (lane choice first): Matt Smith vs. Angie Smith; Hector Arana Jr. vs. Jianna Evaristo; Gaige Herrera vs. John Hall; Richard Gadson vs. Chase Van Sant

Top Fuel Round 2

Local hero Doug Foley reached the semifinals in a wild pedalfest with points leader Justin Ashley. Ashley got his Scag dragster well past 45 degrees sideways in his attempt to stay ahead but finally had to relent.

"I gave it a quick pedal and should have eased back onto it, but we'll learn from it as a team and I'll learn from it as a driver," said Ashley. "These things are going to happen. I'm happy for Doug; he's been at this for a while. I  hope he keeps it going."

That loss and Antron Brown’s win a pair before gives Brown the points lead. Brown, who scored his 10th win as a team owner last weekend in Reading, is looking for No. 11 after advancing past Billy Torrence with a 3.86. With six zMAX Dragway victories, Brown is tied with Steve Torrence for most Top Fuel wins at the track.

Clay Millican continued to have his way against Brittany Force, taking down the low qualifier for the third time in four races this season with a 3.79 that will earn him semifinal lane choice against Foley and also move him past Steve Torrence into fifth place in the standings. Likewise, Doug Kalitta upped his record against teammate Shawn Langdon to 3-1 this season with a 3.90.

Top Fuel semifinal pairings (lane choice first):  Clay Millican vs. Doug Foley; Antron Brown vs. Doiug Kalitta