NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

We’re headed down the homestretch in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season as the tour heads to scenic Brainerd Int’l Raceway for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, the 13th of 20 events on the calendar.

Five drivers — Justin Ashley, Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, Tony Stewart, and Brittany Force — share the favorites role in Top Fuel, while Austin Prock and Greg Anderson are favorited in Funny Car and Pro Stock, respectively. The Pro Stock Motorcycle class will have the weekend off before returning in Indy.

PlayNHRA, NHRA’s partnership with leading sports books and fantasy sports providers, has allowed fans to sign up for free and legally wager on national events and other outcomes in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, including this weekend’s event in Brainerd.

NHRA fans have the opportunity to engage in fantasy games, gaming, and betting for this event. Betting markets feature Professional classes, where fans can wager on event winners, low elapsed time of the event, head-to-head matchups, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, and season champions.

Below are the opening odds as provided by Alt Sports Data

(Note: In American sports betting, odds are typically expressed with a plus (+) or minus (–) symbol followed by a number. For example, +200 signifies the amount a bettor could win if wagering $100. If the bet works out, the player will receive a total payout of $300; $200 profit + $100 initial stake.)

TOP FUEL

Just in case you aren’t fully convinced that there is parity within the NHRA Top Fuel ranks with multiple cars and drivers capable of winning at any given time, this week’s odds should put that to rest. The top five drivers in the class — Justin Ashley, Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, Tony Stewart, and Brittany Force — are all priced at +600, which means a $10 wager would return $70.00 should any of them win the Brainerd event.

While those five drivers share the spotlight, the rest of the field isn’t far behind. Antron Brown is just a few percentage points behind at +700, while Clay Millican opens at +750. Even Billy Torrence, who will be driving the lone Capco entry this weekend, is at +1,000, while improving Josh Hart is also mid-pack at +1,100.

When it comes to long shots, there are also several to choose from, including Ida Zetterström, who is returning to Brainerd on the one-year anniversary of her NHRA debut. Zetterström’s opening odds are +1,400, and it's worth mentioning that she went to the semifinals at this event last season.

FUNNY CAR

Austin Prock and Jack Beckman have shared the favorite’s role in Funny Car for most of the season, and that has not changed for the Brainerd event. Prock, who has more wins over the last two seasons than anyone in the class, opens as a solid favorite at +350, while Beckman is +550.

Prock and Beckman aside, there is a logjam of mid-pack contenders, including Bob Tasca III, Paul Lee, Matt Hagan, Spencer Hyde, J.R. Todd, Ron Capps, Chad Green, and Daniel Wilkerson, who are priced between +900 and +1,200. Lee, Hagan, Green, Todd, and Capps have already won races this season, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Tasca, Hyde, or Wilkerson break through for a win, especially given the history of the Brainerd event, which has produced multiple new winners.

A bit further down the order, Hunter Green, Cruz Pedregon, Bobby Bode, and Alexis DeJoria qualify as long shots but also represent value in the event of an upset. Pedregon is of particular interest as he recently made several competitive runs during the Night Under Fire event in Norwalk.

PRO STOCK

No surprise here, as KB Titan Racing teammates Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn have dominated on the track this season and likewise with the PlayNHRA oddsmakers. Although neither driver won the last race in Sonoma, they are listed as favorites with Anderson at +425 and Glenn a shade behind at +450. It’s worth noting that Anderson is a Minnesota native who enjoys nothing more than a win at his home track.

Norwalk winner Cory Reed can be had for a +900 price, while Aaron Stanfield and his father, Greg, who met in the Sonoma final, are both listed at +1,000.

There is a whole group of drivers who have not won yet this season, but easily could, and that includes Erica Enders, Matt Hartford, rookie Cody Coughlin, Deric Kramer, and five-time Pro Stock world champ Jeg Coughlin Jr., who has by far the best reaction-time average in the class.

Brainerd will also mark the return of Eric Latino to the driver's seat after a brief medical leave, while the Cuadra brothers, Cristian, David, and Fernando Jr., will also be back in action. Finally, Chris Vang and Joseph Wilczek will make their NHRA debuts in the Pro Stock class, and they are both listed as long shots at +2,500.