NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

 If Friday night was about perfection, today is about pursuit.

Under ideal New England conditions yesterday, fans at New England Dragway were treated to one of the most spectacular qualifying sessions of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. As darkness settled over Epping, nitro flames lit the sky, header fire danced across the racing surface, and three drivers emerged with the provisional No. 1 positions heading into the final day of qualifying at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto.

Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon powered his way to the provisional No. 1 spot and claimed the No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA, while Alexis DeJoria led Funny Car and Greg Anderson paced the Pro Stock field after Friday's two qualifying sessions.

The confidence of Friday's leaders was evident long after the final pair went down the track. During top-end interviews, Langdon, DeJoria, and Anderson celebrated their success with one of New England's most recognizable traditions — holding live lobsters while discussing their performances under the lights.

Today, dozens of competitors will attempt to take those spots away.

With qualifying moved up one hour to an 11:30 a.m. start, teams will face a dramatically different set of conditions as they search for performance during the final two qualifying sessions. Cooler temperatures and Friday night's prime racing surface produced record-level performances, but Saturday's warmer daytime conditions will challenge crew chiefs and drivers alike as they prepare for Sunday's eliminations.

Fans have responded in force.

Large crowds began arriving early Saturday morning, quickly filling parking areas and creating a buzz throughout the midway as New England Dragway continues its celebration of NHRA's 75th anniversary season, America's 250th birthday, and the 60th season of racing at the historic Epping facility.

In addition to the final two qualifying sessions for the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series professional categories, fans will be treated to the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, where semifinalists from the recent NHRA Potomac Nationals will race for bonus money, championship points, and bragging rights. Sportsman competitors from across Division 1 will also continue their pursuit of Wally trophies throughout the day.

Saturday Schedule (June 6)

11:30 a.m. — Professional Qualifying Session 3
12:00 p.m. — Sportsman Eliminations Continue
2:00 p.m. — Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge Finals
2:30 p.m. — Professional Qualifying Session 4

Tickets and Streaming

Tickets remain available for both Saturday and Sunday's championship eliminations at New England Dragway. Fans planning to attend can purchase tickets through the NHRA ticket office and event website. (NHRA)

For those unable to make the trip to Epping, every round of professional qualifying and eliminations can be streamed live on NHRA.TV, which provides complete coverage of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. (NHRA.TV)

Friday belonged to Langdon, DeJoria, and Anderson.

By the end of Saturday afternoon, the rest of the field hopes the story will be very different.

TELEVISION
FRIDAY, June 5, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one and half hours of qualifying coverage at 8:00 p.m. ET 
SUNDAY, June 7, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 12:00 p.m. ET 

SUNDAY, June 7, FOX will televise three hours of finals coverage at 3:00 p.m. ET 

2025 EVENT WINNERS
Brittany Force, Top Fuel; J.R. Todd, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock. 

MOST VICTORIES (active drivers)
Tony Schumacher, 2, TF, Matt Hagan, 4, FC; Greg Anderson, 3, PS. 

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.646 seconds by Doug Kalitta, June '25; 341.42 mph by Brittany Force, June '25. 
Funny Car - 3.822 seconds by Robert Hight, June '17; 336.74 mph by Hight, June '17. 
Pro Stock - 6.469 seconds by Greg Anderson, June '25; 214.72 mph by Greg Anderson, June '15. 

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading; 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