NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

It’ll be a busy Saturday at the 71st Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals with two more Professional qualifying sessions, the running of the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge – “championchips” will be won in each class after totaling season-long results – and the actual callouts to set up the matchups for the first round of the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, which will take place Sunday.

Top Fuel low qualifier Brittany Force broke one half of the track record with another sizzling speed blast Friday night at 339.79, just missing adding another 340-mph pass to her speed season accomplishments and breaking the 337.75-mph mark she set here in 2022. Can she grab the other half today, taking aim at her own 3.640 pass, also set three years ago?

“Fast Jack” Beckman was certainly that in qualifying, taking his John Force tribute machine to the No. 1 spot with a 3.86. Tribute Funny Cars have reached the final here the last two years, with Ron Capps winning in 2023 and runner-upping last year.

Beckman’s teammate, points leader Austin Prock, has all but locked up the regular season championship, which will be awarded to him at the end of qualifying. Prock, the defending event champ, is seeking a wild four-win weekend with the points lead, the Mission challenge, the Callout, and, of course, “the Big Go” on Monday.

With just nine points separating Greg Anderson from points leader Dallas Glenn, Anderson needs to nibble away in qualifying and he did just that (well, a little bit) Friday, qualifying No. 1 to Glenn’s No. 2 to cut the lead to eight with four sessions to go.

Resurgent Erica Enders qualified third to show that she’s back to almost-champion caliber and would love to win the U.S. Nationals for a fourth time and also collect her long-awaited milestone 50th career win. Enders also re-set Mike Edwards' 13-year old track speed record with a 211.26 mph run on Friday.

To no one’s great surprise, two-time world champ Gaige Herrera leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle field after Friday night with a checkerboard of Vance & Hines and Matt Smith Racing leading the first six. Herrera is also the new track record holder at 6.739-seconds.

Behind Herrera is Matt Smith, then Herrera’s teammate Richard Gadson then Smith’s teammate John Hall then Brayden Davis on the Vance & Hines rental bike, and then Angie Smith. Do you see the trend?

Davis is the one garnering the most attention as he has a shot -- despite running just three (very good) outings -- at making the Countdown playoffs.

In the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, we'll see Doug Kalitta racing Jordan Vandergriff (replacing Billy Torrence, who is not in attendance) and  Clay Millican against Brittany Force.

In Funny Car, Prock will square off with Chad Green while J.R. Todd takes on Beckman. Anderson will race  Aaron Stanfield in Pro Stock along with Glenn taking on Enders. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith will race Hall while Gadson stages against Jianna Evaristo.

2024 EVENT WINNERS
Clay Millican, Top Fuel; Austin Prock, Funny Car; Aaron Stanfield, Pro Stock; Gaige Herrera, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

MOST VICTORIES
Tony Schumacher, 10, TF; John Force and Ed McCulloch, 5, FC; Ron Capps, Matt Hagan; Bob Glidden, 9, PS; Greg Anderson; Dave Schultz, 6, PSM.

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.640 seconds by Brittany Force, Sept. '22; 339.79 mph by B. Force, Aug. '25.
Funny Car - 3.799 seconds by Matt Hagan, Sept. '17; 338.77 mph by Hagan, Sept. '17.
Pro Stock - 6.491 seconds by Greg Anderson, Aug. '25; 211.26 mph by Erica Enders, Aug. '25.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.739 seconds by Gaige Herrera, Aug. '25; 201.16 mph by Matt Smith, Sept. '22.

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading; 343.16 mph by Brittany Force, July ‘25, Sonoma
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24, Pomona
Pro Stock – 6.443 sec. by Greg Anderson, March ’25, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ’14 Englishtown, N.J.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.627 sec. by Gaige Herrera, Oct. ’23, Dallas; 205.04 mph by Matt Smith, July ‘22, Sonoma.

EVENT SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, August 30
NHRA Lucas Oil Series Drag Racing Series eliminations at 8:00 a.m. and 7:15 p.m.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying at 12:30 and 3:15 p.m.

SUNDAY, August 31
NHRA Lucas Oil Series Drag Racing Series eliminations at 8:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.
Play NHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout eliminations at 12:45, 2:15 and 3:55 p.m.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying at 12:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.

MONDAY, September 1
Pre-race Ceremonies at 9:00 a.m.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 10:00 a.m.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, August 31 FS1 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 9:30 a.m. (ET)

SUNDAY, August 31 Fox will televise one and half hours of the Play NHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout at 5:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, August 31 FS1 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 6:30 p.m. (ET)

MONDAY, September 1 FS1 will televise two hours of round 1 finals coverage at 12:00 p.m. (ET)

MONDAY, September 1 Fox will televise three hours of finals coverage at 2:00 p.m. (ET)