NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

After a successful event at South Georgia Motorsports Park, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour moves north to Route 66 Raceway in Chicago for this week’s Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Peak, the sixth of 20 events this season. Here's a look at what to expect in our Friday preview.

Heading into the event, Shawn Langdon, J.R. Todd, Dallas Glenn, and Richard Gadson are the leaders in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle, respectively. Not surprisingly, all four drivers are world champs, with Glenn and Gadson the reigning title holders in their respective divisions.

Since its arrival in 1998, Route 66 Raceway has been a home to some of the most dramatic moments in NHRA history, and this year’s event should be no different.

Last year, Tony Stewart scored a popular Top Fuel win when he got the best of Justin Ashley in the final round, and Stewart remains one of the favorites this year following a win earlier this season in Pomona. Stewart, and the rest of the Top Fuel field, are chasing the Kalitta Motorsports duo of Langdon and Doug Kalitta, who have combined to win three of the first five events this season.

So far this year, Kalitta, Langdon, Stewart, and Josh Hart have won Top Fuel races, but there are plenty of other candidates, including past Route 66 Raceway winners Antron Brown, Clay Millican, and Tony Schumacher, as well as Leah Pruett, Justin Ashley, Billy Torrence, and impressive rookie Maddi Gordon.

Todd has yet to register a win in Funny Car, but he has been consistent with a runner-up at the most recent event in Adel, Ga., and three semifinals with his DHL Toyota Supra. Oddly, for all of his past success, Todd has not been to a Funny Car final in Chicago, but that could change this weekend.

The list of leading contenders in Funny Car is long as Todd is joined by Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, Jack Beckman, Gainesville winner Chad Green, reigning NHRA Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde, and the tour’s most recent winner Jordan Vandergriff.

Previous Funny Car winners at Route 66 Raceway include Beckman, Hagan, Capps, and Jeff Arend, who is currently wheeling Jim Dunn’s car. Last year, Beckman won the final round over then teammate Austin Prock, and both drivers have stumbled out of the gate this season and are primed for a rebound.

In Pro Stock, Glenn and KB Titan teammate Greg Anderson are once again leading the way, as they’ve built a sizable advantage in the NHRA Mission Foods standings. That being said, Matt Hartford has claimed wins in two of the first five races, so the points battle is far from a runaway.

The KB Titan team has won the first five events, the rival Elite squad has made gains as Greg Stanfield, Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Jeg Coughlin Jr., and Adel runner-up Troy Coughlin Jr. are each seeded in the Top 10.

Three races into the season, there have been three different Pro Stock Motorcycle winners with Adel champ Matt Smith joining Gainesville winner Richard Gadson and Charlotte champ Gaige Herrera. While either of those three could win in Chicago, there is always room for a new winner, including past Chicago champ John Hall, Angie Smith, Chase Van Sant, or Ryan Oehler, who calls Route 66 Raceway his home track.

The Chicago race will also feature the latest round of the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, where Jason Collins became the newest winner at South Georgia Motorsports Park. The event also features the Peak Street Car Shootout, a special event highlighting some of the biggest stars of the drag and drive movement, including Alex Taylor and her 220-mph '55 Chevy.

There will also be a full roster of NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series categories, including Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Right Trailers Top Dragster and Top Sportsman, as well as the Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown.

DEFENDING EVENT CHAMPIONS
TOP FUEL: Tony Stewart
FUNNY CAR: Jack Beckman
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: Gaige Herrera
*Pro Stock was not contested

MOST WINS
TOP FUEL: Tony Schumacher (5)
FUNNY CAR: Matt Hagan, Tony Pedregon (4)
PRO STOCK: Jeg Coughlin Jr. (6)
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: Gaige Herrera, LE Tonglet, Andrew Hines (3)

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.661 sec. by Doug Kalitta, May '25; 338.09 mph by Antron Brown, May ‘25
Funny Car - 3.831 sec. by Robert Hight, May. '23, Brainerd; 336.40 mph by J.R Todd, May '25
Pro Stock - 6.510 sec. by Dallas Glenn, May '23, 212.39 mph by Greg Anderson, June '19
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.672 sec. by Gaige Herrera, May '23, 204.26 mph by Matt Smith, May '25

NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading, Pa.; 345.00 mph by Shawn Langdon, May ‘26, Adel
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. '24, Pomona
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
FRIDAY, May 15
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series eliminations at 8 a.m.
Peak Street Car Shootout at 12:30 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

SATURDAY, May 16
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series eliminations at 8 a.m. 
Peak Street Car Shootout 11:20 a.m. and 4:25 p.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, May 3
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m

TELEVISION
Friday, May 15, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 7:30 p.m. (EDT).
Saturday, May 16, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 11:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 17, FS1 will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 5 p.m. (EDT).