NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Top Fuel Q3

The qualifying order is flipped today, so we're getting a hearty dose of nitro to start the day. The time of day and the conditions should be a fairly accurate example of what to expect on Sunday.

After mustering a best time of 5.050 yesterday, Shawn Langdon jumps right out of the No. 16 spot with a sturdy 3.768. It's pretty warm out there; this feels like a promising turn and a bit more on-par for the 2013 Top Fuel champ in pursuit of a second series title.

"I think it's a little bit slower than we were shooting for, but we're happy with it. We screwed up yesterday, so we tuck our tail between our legs and take what we can get today," says crew chief Brian Husen to Joe Castello on the starting line.

Another flash-boom for Clay Millican down track and we're down for a bit for clean-up.

Justin Ashley and Ida Zetterström are 3.780 and 3.820, respectively, to get us back on track. After five pair, Langdon's 3.76 is looking pretty stout, and sure enough, it stands as low of the round for a trio of bonus points. Ashley picks up two and T.J. Zizzo nabs one as well.

Kalitta remains No. 1, Antron Brown No. 2, and Tony Stewart No. 3. Zizzo is still No. 8, and the bump spot is now Will Smith. Smith, in Luigi Novelli's Top Fuel dragster, is unable to improve this session, and he's not going to move up just yet.

One more session to go to set the field.

Funny Car Q3

Uncomfortable truth: Ron Capps is having a tough start to the weekend. His best run yesterday was a 3.983, and this run is definitely not better. He drives right into tire smoke to start the session. He stays 12 for now.

JUST ANNOUNCED! Those packed grandstands and the jammed-up pits don't lie; it's officially a sellout crowd here at World Wide Technology Raceway. Well done, St. Louis-area fans. We love you, too.

Jack Beckman clocks a 3.942 in his Peak Chevrolet; that's mighty quick for the conditions.

Paul Lee also makes a solid effort and comes up with a 3.962, then Bob Tasca III goes a bit better and clocks a 3.960.

"That was better, but as you know that can change in a moment's notice. We're just going to keep chipping away," said Tasca's crew chief, Aaron Brooks. "The guys are doing a great job, they've hung in through a tough year, and we're just going to keep trying to go down this path."

And then comes Daniel Wilkerson with a 3.954 for SCAG Racing. He lands second-best of the session behind Beckman, who gets three bonus points. Wilkerson gets two, and Tasca picks up one.

Prock keeps the pole, Hagan remains second, Wilkerson stays third. Spencer Hyde is still No. 8, and Bobby Bode remains 16th for now.

Nitro will be back on track at 3:15 p.m. local time.

Pro Stock Q3

Jeg "The Natural" Coughlin Jr. and Deric Kramer and the Get BioFuels Chevy are up first for the doorslamming factory hot rods, and for Kramer, he needs a big move here. He's No. 20 entering the session. Kramer improves here to a 6.597, but it is definitely not enough. He'll go into the final session in dire need of a very quick pass. Coughlin does not improve, he's a surprising No. 15 for now.

Like Kramer, Bell is on the outside entering this round. No luck for Bell here, nor for Chris McGaha or Kenny Delco. They all remain locked out of the 16 spots.

Greg Anderson runs low e.t. of the session, 6.545, in his HendrickCars.com entry and he'll snatch up three bonus points. Matt Latino narrowly averts having to race his father (provisional No. 1 qualifier Eric Latino) in the first round. He jumps up to the No. 11 position with the second-quickest run of the round, a 6.559. Cody Coughlin picks up the one remaining bonus point with a 6.560, while Cory Reed is right there with a 6.563.

KB Titan Racing has the top four best runs of the round and occupy the top spots on the ladder, but the Elite Motorsports team is running big speed. Erica Enders put up a 210.87 mph pass in the first session, went 210.44 in Q2, and she's got top speed for the third session in a row with a 209.79 mph pass here. That's pretty in sync with the speed the Elite team has produced throughout the year, despite the final results on Sunday; four times in 2025 they've had top speed of the meet.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Q3

Steve Johnson makes a good pass, his 6.804 at 197.48 holds as low for a spell as Jianna Evaristo and Chase Van Sant go 6.811 and 6.888. Evaristo makes the first 200 mph pass of the day. 

Kelly Clontz is right there as well with a 6.844, and as for Ryan Oehler… Oh, yikes. Big yikes. Oehler's engine gives way and there are parts and pieces and a good lot of oil making a trail that NHRA Safety Safari will soon need to follow. We are very much on hold. 

Upon return to action, Matt Smith comes out with a bang (not literally, no one panic). His 6.788 is big and bold and accompanied by a 199 mph speed. Brayden Davis is 6.838, and in the final pair, Gaige Herrera is a second-best of the session 6.790 at 199 mph. Richard Gadson clocks a 6.862.

Matt Smith gets the three bonus points, Herrera grabs two, and Johnson gets one. 

Vance & Hines RevZilla Suzuki teammates Herrera, Gadson, and Davis remain 1-2-3, with DENSO/MSR riders Matt Smith, Angie Smith, and John Hall in quick succession behind. Johnson and Evaristo round out the top eight. 

Top Fuel Q4

Final qualifying round, let's set some fields! Josh Hart makes a good run on a hot track; his 3.854 should come with a little momentum heading into Sunday.

Shawn Reed impresses with a thriving 3.793, 328.94 in his Reed Trucking rail. T.J. Zizzo is also pretty decent next to him; 3.818, 332.67.

"That was a pretty good rip, man," said Reed, jovial as can be and still high after winning at Maple Grove Raceway in the first race of the Countdown.

Doug Kalitta reinforces his No. 1 and clocks a 3.819 for a bonus point. Zizzo gets two bonus marks and has earned those extra points every session. Reed gets three points for his great run.

The ladder is set, and Kalitta will take on Will Smith in round one. Zizzo is matched with Steve Torrence, Reed will race Shawn Langdon, and Big Speed Brittany Force will square off with Quick Launching Justin Ashley in a battle of enormous speed and killer reaction times.

Antron Brown starts second and is set to race Cameron Ferre, while Clay Millican will take on defending event champ Tony Schumacher. Tony Stewart and Ida Zetterström, while Kyle Wurtzel will take his personal best run from qualifying into a round one match with super-hungry Josh Hart and his R+L Carriers rail.

Funny Car Q4

Ron Capps make a good run down the racetrack; he's stoked. He'll stay 13th but his 3.982 is a nice baseline that will be a good starting point for Sunday.

"This was my first win in Funny Car, so it's very special to me. [I have] more wins here than John Force, and you can't say that very often," said Capps, who proudly carries the banner for NAPA Auto Parts into Sunday at their main event.

Although many of the Funny Cars are challenged this round and there isn't much shifting of position, this is good data for Sunday.

Bob Tasca III makes a good pass and lights up the scoreboard with a 3.964, and Chad Green goes a nice 3.988 that's pretty pleasing for the conditions. It's Matt Hagan with top bonus points this round as he drives his American Rebel Dodge to a 3.958.

Tasca gets two points, and Capps gets one.

Austin Prock remains No. 1 and will race Bobby Bode in the first round. Spencer Hyde and Beckman will square off, as will Tasca and Capps in what should be a great match. Green and teammate Blake Alexander will go toe-to-toe, and Hagan will take on Alex Laughlin, who's wearing the hat of both Funny Car and Pro Mod racer here this weekend. Cruz Pedregon and J.R Todd are set to meet, while Dan Wilkerson and Dave Richards will race, as will Alexis DeJoria and Paul Lee.

Pro Stock Q4

Aaron Stanfield's 6.556 at 209 is the early star of the show, topping Matt Latino's to-that-point best of the round 6.568. Greg Anderson goes a bit better with a 6.552, and Matt Hartford is even better as he powers to a 6.551. Next to Hartford, though, Cory Reed absolutely blazes with a 6.531, 209.33.

In the final pair, points leader Dallas Glenn clocks a 6.542, 208.68, but it's Eric Latino earning the first No. 1 of his career and backing it up here with a 6.532, 208.88.  

We're sad to report that there are too many cars to fit onto the ladder, and when it's said and done, it's Chris McGaha, Kenny Delco, and Stephen Bell on the outside, along with Deric Kramer, who made his best run of the weekend but it still wasn't enough, a 6.577.

Bonus points as follows: Reed three, Latino two, Glenn one.

Latino will race Troy Coughlin Jr., it'll be Cody Coughlin vs. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Matt Hartford and Cristian Cuadra, and Elite Motorsports teammates Erica Enders and Greg Stanfield. On the other side of the ladder, Glenn will race Jeg Coughlin Jr., Greg Anderson and Mason McGaha will go head-to-head, Reed and rookie Chris Vang will race, and Aaron Stanfield will take on Matt Latino.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Q4

Ryan Oehler returns after the catastrophic engine failure last session and a 6.855 shows on the board but it was hard-fought as his motorcycle is moving a bit aggressively toward the centerline.

Matt Smith puts up a 200 mph pass next to teammate John Hall, who goes 199. In the next pair, Angie Smith has her say with a rather large 202.09 mph speed that is top speed of the meet. Her 6.776 stands as low of the round and comes with three bonus points. Next to her, Brayden Davis clocks a 6.789, 199.11.

Richard Gadson's 6.781, 200.08 and Gaige Herrera's 6.802, 198.82 close the round. Angie Smith gets three bonus points, Gadson gets two, Davis gets a point.

Herrera remains No. 1 and will have the bye run in the opening act. Jianna Evaristo and Kelly Clontz will race, Angie Smith will come up against Wesley Wells, and Matt Smith and Marc Ingwersen will go to battle. On the other side of the ladder, Gadson and Lance Bonham are set for a meeting, as are Steve Johnson and Ryan Oehler, Davis and Chris Bostick, and Hall and Chase Van Sant.