NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The fields for the season’s penultimate race will be set today through two final qualifying sessions at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, with world championship implications on the line.

Top Fuel points leader Doug Kalitta came into the weekend leading Justin Ashley by 151 and remains there as both of them got two session-bonus points – Ashley in Q1 and Kalitta in Q2 – while Kalitta’s teammate, third-place Shawn Langdon, got a single point in Q2.

Brittany Force, in the second-to-last event of her current career, again stole the show with a No. 1 qualifying spot of 3.69 and while she didn’t breach the 340-mph again, she did reset her own six-year-old track speed record to 338.85 mph.

Top Fuel has just 13 cars , which means that the No. 1 qualifier will get a bye in round one and No. 2 --which at this point is Kalitta –- has a potential bye in round two if he beats the No. 13 qualifier. There is a definite outside chance Kalitta can clinch his second championship if he goes long on Sunday and Ashey and Langdon fall early.

Austin Prock remains in the driver’s seat for a second straight Funny Car championship, especially after a dominating Friday in which his Cornwell Tools Chevy had low e.t. of both sessions. He likely can’t win the championship this weekend, but can go a long way towards a more relaxing weekend at the Finals in Pomona.

The other big drama today will be to see if we can finally get that elusive all-three-second field. Currently, 13 cars are qualified in the three-second zone. Of the eight drivers not in the threes, Cruz Pedregon (4.01) and Jason Rupert (4.02) can easily get there. Tom Gibbons is in Gary Densham’s three-second capable ride, and Dave Richards, Jeff Diehl, and Buddy Hull have also run under four seconds in the past but haven’t found their groove yet in this event.

The expected battle between points leader Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson took a bit of a backseat as the KB Titan teammate Cory Reed qualified No. 1 and the resurgent Elite team of Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield looked strong.

Anderson is qualified No. 2 behind Reed and just in front of Enders with Stanfield fourth and Glenn No. 5. The championship battle is still way too close to call, but this weekend can go a long way towards setting up Pomona,

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, points leader Richard Gadson is currently third behind his teammate, two-time and reigning world champ Gaige Herrera, and Angie Smith. Herrera, who had been outshined recently by Gadson, professed last night that he thinks he’s regained his riding savvy from earlier this season and is determined to win a third title and again deny Gadson his first.

As it is in Pro Stock car, eliminations on Sunday will help set the scenario for championship clinches in Pomona.
 

2024 EVENT WINNERS: Brittany Force, Top Fuel; Austin Prock, Funny Car; Aaron Stanfield, Pro Stock; Gaige Herrera, Pro Stock Motorcycle:

MOST VICTORIES: Tony Schumacher, 4, TF; John Force, Ron Capps, 4, FC; Erica Enders, 6, PS; Andrew Hines, 5, PSM.

TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.652 sec. by Brittany Force, Nov. ’19; 338.85 mph by B. Force, Oct. '25.
Funny Car - 3.816 sec. by Robert Hight, Oct. ’23; 335.90 mph by Beckman, Nov. ’19.
Pro Stock - 6.552 seconds by Kyle Koretsky, Oct. '23; 210.28 mph by Enders, Oct. '15.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.755 seconds by Gaige Herrera, Oct. '23; 202.27 mph by Matt Smith, Nov. '22

NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading, Pa.; 343.51 mph by B. Force, Sept. ‘25, Indy
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. '24, Pomona, Calif.
Pro Stock - 6.443 sec. by Greg Anderson, March '25, Gainesville; 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 '21, Sonoma.

SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, November 1
Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 8:00 a.m.
Summit E.T. time trial at 9:45 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.
Mission Foods Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Mission Foods Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, November 2 
Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 8:30 a.m.
Pre-race ceremony, 9:30 a.m.
Mission Foods eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m.

TELEVISION
SUNDAY, Nov. 2, FS1 will televise two hours of qualifying show at 3:00 p.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, Nov. 2, FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 5:00 p.m. (ET)