NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Pro Stock Motorcycle Q1

Pro Stock Motorcycle kicks off with Lance Bonham pulling into the waterbox just before 5pm on a warm day in Madison, Ill. The St. Louis Arch is catching the lowering sun as Bonham goes 7.143.

It quickly becomes apparent that the first session of qualifying was going to be worth the wait, and six of the Pro Stock Motorcycle entries soared to 200+ mph passes. Brayden Davis was the first to turn that bold number up on the board, and soon after, Jianna Evaristo and Angie Smith make side-by-side 200 mph passes aboard their MSR entries.

Reigning world champ Gaige Herrera and current points leader Richard Gadson wheel their Vance & Hines Suzukis to over 200, as does Matt Smith.

Charlotte winner Richard Gadson continues to show that he's got muscle and goes to the top on a 6.759, 200.02. He picks up three bonus points, while Herrera — No. 2 on a 6.774, 200.26 — picks up two extra marks. Matt Smith's DENSO Buell is No. 3 after he clocks a 6.776, 200.41, so he gets a plus-point as well. Ryan Oehler's 6.856, 196.85 rounds out the top eight.

Pro Stock Q1

In his second Pro Stock race of his career, Rookie of the Year hopeful Chris Vang launches the Pro Stock car session next to Matt Latino. Vang is 6.587, 208.78 at the finish line while Latino gets super loose and has to lift. A good run for Vang to start the pack with promise

A sensor on the 1320 timing block has gone off to alert that it's out of alignment, and racing is placed on hold for a few moments. We're soon back in business, but a few pairs later, it goes off again and we're on hold as the sun continues to drop. It doesn't take long, and we return to racing. Latino and Chris McGaha are the only ones to really find trouble, and the rest of the field brings forth six-second passes. 

Norwalk winner Cory Reed is the quickest of the lot with a 6.526 for three bonus points, followed by points leader Dallas Glenn and his 6.529; he picks up two extra marks. Eric Latino clocks a 6.532 and is No. 3 and gets a point.

Rookie of the Year contender Cody Coughlin and six-time St. Louis winner Erica Enders are fifth and sixth respectively, with Fernando Cuadra Jr., Aaron Stanfield and dad Greg Stanfield filling out the quick eight.

But wait, you ask, where is Greg Anderson, the reigning world champ? His 6.596, 208.88 has him on the bump — for now. Deric Kramer, Kenny Delco, Chris McGaha, and Matt Latino are on the outside looking in.

Funny Car Q1

Now it's really Golden Hour, and the fans in the stands are aglow and about to get a real treat. Funny Car is on deck at World Wide Technology Raceway!

Blake Alexander and Bobby Bode start things off — Alexander is 3.980 at the stripe and Bode is up in smoke. Alex Laughlin, who is also racing a Lincoln Electric-branded car in the Congruity Pro Mod Series here, gets shut off. Jon Dunn says it's a "little bit of an oil leak" but is confident they'll get it sorted for the second session.

J.R. Todd's DHL Toyota is moving quickly toward the centerline in his run next to Alexis DeJoria, but yet again he shows driving prowess and brings it back to get himself a 3.919.

"We've been throwing Down some good runs in qualifying, and that's a good run out of the trailer," said Todd. "The car is definitely showing promise, we just have to put it together and finish it on a high note."

Daniel Wilkerson is a strong 3.899 to snap into the top spot despite some tire spin down track.

"That's pretty sweet," said Wilkerson. "The thing moved over on me, I was steering every which way, my wife and kids were in [the tow car] and they're like, did you hit the wall? I was like, nah we weren't even close to the wall, don't worry about that. This Mustang is haulin' ass again."

Austin Prock just a thousandth of a second behind Wilkerson, and Jack Beckman's 3.906 is third. Three points for D. Wilk, a pair for Prock, and one for Fast Jack. Todd, Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan, DeJoria, and Chad Green fill out the top eight spots.

Top Fuel Q1

The track temp has dropped to 96 degrees Fahrenheit, and eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher and Will Smith come to the starting line first. Schumacher's 3.756 is a solid pass.

"That's a great run," said Schumacher's crew chief Rob Flynn. "We're being careful down there because it's spinning the tires, but we made a lot of changes last week and a lot of changes after Reading. For it to put up a good number like that right out of the trailer, that's great."

Hometown hero T.J. Zizzo puts up one of the best runs he's made all year, and the 3.724 steps right into the top spot. His 336.23 mph burst is a career best.

Clay Millican and Steve Torrence also make 3.72 passes, but Brittany Force squashes everyone's hope for the top spot as she powers to an incredibly (and predictably) fast 3.709 at 340.47 mph in her HendrickCars.com rail.

Force's speed is a new World Wide Technology Raceway track record and her 11th 340+ mph pass. Only 15 runs over 340 have ever been made.

"To have mph like that and be able to do it here in St. Louis is a good start for us, but our focus is one run at a time. We have to come out here, pick up bonus points later tonight and do it all day tomorrow, and we have to go rounds on race day. We want to stay in the hunt for this championship — right now, it's anyone's game, it's out there for anyone, and we're going to chase it down at the end."

Pro Stock Motorcycle Q2

There’s more on the line than a provisional pole this session, as World Wide Technology Raceway has a special bonus for Friday’s top qualifiers. The best of the evening in each of the four Pro classes will get to take home a special “2025 Friday No. 1 Qualifier Top Hitter” bat from Rawlings.

Kelly Clontz throws down a 6.830 and takes hold of the Rawling's bat with a threatening stance, but then Angie Smith and Brayden Davis put up a pair of 6.7-second passes a handful of pairs later. Davis's 6.767 pries it from her hands.

"The bike was real ill-handling with me," said Davis. "It left really good to 60-foot, hit a couple bumps out there, and shot me to the wall. I may have clicked it off a little early, I really don't know. It was dark, so just play it safe and save it for tomorrow. This bike is really hauling tail right now, and I feel more confident than I ever have. Man, my crew chief Andrew Hines, that's one good guy right there."

Gaige Herrera and Richard Gadson are up next and it's Herrera who lands the bat with a 6.741 at 200.41 mph. Gadson slows a bit to a 6.772, 200.08.

Three bonus points for Herrera, two for Davis, and one for Gadson.

Pro Stock Q2

After last sessions subpar run, reigning world champion Greg Anderson is eager to make amends. Although the numbers looked pretty good, the run itself wasn't the clean pass Anderson had been hoping for.

"It completely sucked," said Anderson, whose 6.541 was temporarily low of the round. "I think I about hit the wall in low gear, and from then on it was just a disaster. Best thing about that run is that I didn't hit anything.

The run, however, holds up as low of the round for longer than anticipated. Aaron Stanfield, though, is the guy who gets to take over possession of the Top Hitter bat. He goes 6.538.

"We had to kick the old man off the seat for this bat here," said Stanfield. "We made a nice run, it went a little left so I'm sure we gave up a little bit there. I don't know if it'll hang on, but that was definitely a good run for us there."

Stanfield isn't in possession of the award for long as Matt Hartford puts up a stout 6.529 to take over the top spot. Dallas Glenn goes 6.516, but then along comes Eric Latino, and the Friday pole belongs to the Pro Mod driver-turned-Pro Stock racer as he sails to a 6.515 at 209.75.

"My first No. 1 qualifier, and I said I was going to do that," said Latino, grinning and wide-eyed. "I was determined. So now if I say I'm gonna win this race, I'm gonna win this race, right?"

Latino gets three bonus points and that shiny Rawlings bat, while Glenn gets a pair of points and Cory Reed gets one.

Funny Car Q2

The stadium seat and Top Hitter Rawling's bat await at the top end, and Bob Tasca III is ready to make up for an unsatisfying first pass down this racetrack. He's blazing and throws down a 3.877, 337.33 with header flames doing exactly what they should against an ink-black sky.

Bobby Bode gets wildly sideways as soon as he launches but somehow is able to keep it off the blocks, catching it with lightning quick reflexes. Ron Capps tries to get wacky in his NAPA Toyota as well, he heads toward the 330-foot timing block and crosses the centerline — the run is disqualified.

Chad Green (3.886) makes a good run for the bat, as does Alexis DeJoria (3.900), but Matt Hagan muscles his way in with a crisp 3.868.

Reigning world champion Austin Prock and the Cornwell Tools Chevy, though, are here with a 3.845 at 337.16 to get the prize.

"I think we did a pretty good job there, and that's the quickest this race car has run in a long time," said Prock. "I saw a few Funny Cars earlier in the session, they left and went straight toward the centerline. I was a little bit puckered before I stood on the gas. I didn't want to throw this run away."

Next to Prock, Cruz Pedregon blows it up real big. As he comes to a stop, "the supercharger is askew," as the saying goes. We're down for clean-up as parts and pieces must be dusted up.

Three bonus points for Prock, two for Hagan, one for Wilkerson. Spencer Hyde is the last man in the top eight, while Bobby Bode is on the bump. 

Top Fuel Q2

Home run derby, indeed, as Tony Stewart jumps into the No. 1 spot in the first pair on a 3.690. Shawn Langdon is in trouble again and has yet to make a full pull.

In the very next pair, Antron Brown blasts to a 3.688 to take over the top spot, but then Doug Kalitta grabs the bat with the 3.675, 334.82. All eyes turn to Brittany Force and Clay Millican in the final pair, but neither are able to make a move. The last Rawling's Top Hitter Bat is going to Kalitta, along with the provisional pole.

"This is a hefty seat right here; the competition is just incredible," said Kalitta.

Part-time campaigner Kyle Wurtzel set a career-best 3.711 and was exuberant at the top end.

"My guys have worked so hard and we've tried so much to do the best we can. We were struggling to get ready for this round, and I'm just proud of them to do it all right and get it all together," said Wurtzel.

Kalitta gets three bonus points, Brown gets two, and Stewart gets one. T.J. Zizzo seals up the top eight, while Langdon holds down the bump.