NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Day two of the 2025 NHRA Arizona Nationals promises to be warmer than Friday, but teams got at least one good look at the new Firebird Motorsports Park track under warm conditions that they hope they can use on Saturday.

Top Fuel low qualifier Doug Kalitta ran fairly well in the heat and it’s a pretty good bet that his nighttime 3.68 will hang on for No. 1. Bob Tasca III, who had the best run of both Funny Car sessions, showed that his team can run n both hot and cold conditions but all we’ll likely see Saturday and Sunday is escalating temperatures, meaning his 3.86 also should hold for the pole.

Local favorite Matt Hartford had Friday’s jaw-dropping run late in the evening in Pro Stock, coming within a hundredth of a second of the 12-year-old track record, but he’s not likely to touch that number again, but he will have the support of a large number of family, friends, and Total Seal employees who all live and work locally.

Pro Mod from Gainesville was rained out in Florida and will finish today with three rounds tied to their Arizona Nationals qualifying.

Today also will play host to the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge of the season. The Challenge pits semifinalists from the previous race against each other, with the two winners matching up as part of Saturday’s final qualifying session, offering added drama and excitement for fans in attendance the rest of the regular season.

Reigning world champion Antron Brown is off to a red-hot start after winning in Gainesville. With Steve Torrence not racing in Phoenix, that means a matchup with racing legend Tony Stewart in the opening round of the Challenge. The other Top Fuel matchup features defending Phoenix winner Shawn Langdon meeting Jasmine Salinas. She scored her first semifinal appearance in Top Fuel in Gainesville, meaning Salinas will also make her Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge debut in Phoenix.

In the Funny Car ranks, Chad Green, who won his second career race last weekend in Gainesville, beat four-time champ Matt Hagan in the semifinals, setting up a marquee rematch in Phoenix. The other semifinal matchup features three-time world champ and Gainesville runner-up Ron Capps and Alexis DeJoria, who won the first-ever Funny Car Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in 2023.
 
The Pro Stock Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge features one of the longest rivalries in category history, as defending world champion Greg Anderson meets Jeg Coughlin Jr. The other semifinal features a pair of KB Titan Racing teammates in Gainesville winner Dallas Glenn and rising Pro Stock star Cory Reed.

2024 EVENT WINNERS 

Shawn Langdon, Top Fuel; Austin Prock, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock

MOST EVENT VICTORIES

Tony Schumacher, 5, TF; John Force, 8, FC; Bob Glidden, 5, PS.

TRACK RECORDS

Top Fuel
3.643 seconds by Brittany Force, Feb. '20; 337.92 mph by B. Force, Feb. ‘20.

Funny Car
3.823 seconds by Matt Hagan, Feb. '22; 337.16 mph by Courtney Force, Feb. '18.

Pro Stock
6.498 seconds by Mike Edwards, Feb. '13; 213.77 mph by Mike Edwards, Feb. '13.

NATIONAL RECORDS

Top Fuel
3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading, Pa.; 338.94 mph by B. Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona.

Funny Car
3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd, Minn.; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24, Pomona, Calif.

Pro Stock
6.443 sec. by Greg Anderson, Mar. ’25, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Enders, May ’14, Englishtown N.J

SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, March 22
Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 8:00 a.m.
Lucas Oil Series qualifying at 10:15 a.m.
Congruity NHRA Pro Mod qualifying at 11:00 a.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at 11:30 a.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Pro Stock qualifying at 12:45 p.m.
Congruity NHRA Pro Mod qualifying at 1:15 p.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at 2:15 p.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Pro Stock qualifying at 3:30 p.m.
Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 4:20 a.m.

Sunday March 23
Pre-race ceremony, 10:00 a.m.
Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 8:30 a.m.
Congruity NHRA Pro Mod qualifying at 9:30 a.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m.

TELEVISION

SUNDAY, March 21, FS1 will televise one and half hours of qualifying highlights at noon (ET)
SUNDAY, March 21, FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 6:30 p.m. (ET)

Or watch live all weekend on NHRA.tv