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Sunday News and Notes from the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals

Championship pressure rises and race-day intensity takes over as the Countdown to the Championship continues at World Wide Technology Raceway
04 Oct 2026
David Kennedy
Race coverage
Sunday News and Notes from the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals

It’s race day at World Wide Technology Raceway, and the stakes couldn’t be much higher. The NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals enters Sunday with championships increasingly coming into focus and every round carrying major implications in the Countdown to the Championship. After two days of qualifying in front of packed grandstands, the quickest teams in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle are set for eliminations. From last-minute adjustments in the pits to pressure-packed moments on the starting line, follow along throughout Sunday for news, notes, highlights, and developments from an action-packed day in St. Louis.

Top Fuel Round 1 recap: Langdon leads winners as holeshots and upsets shake up St. Louis

No. 1 qualifier Shawn Langdon delivered the quickest winning run of the opening Top Fuel round at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, powering to a 3.680 at 341.68 mph to defeat Tony Schumacher’s solid 3.749 at 331.94 mph.

Shawn Reed was next quickest and stunned the audience with a 3.706 at 336.15 mph, advancing past Doug Kalitta, who slowed to a 4.683 at 157.76 mph. Jasmine Salinas produced a 3.716 at 337.92 mph —her personal best speed ever—to upset No. 4 qualifier Spencer Massey, who slowed to a 4.988.

Will Smith also scored an upset, running a 3.722 at 333.00 mph to defeat Maddi Gordon’s 4.847. Antron Brown advanced with a 3.735 at 336.15 mph when Clay Millican slowed to a 4.529.

Two races were decided on holeshots. Leah Pruett used a .077 reaction time and a 3.735 at 328.30 mph to defeat Kyle Wurtzel’s quicker 3.733 at 333.00 mph. Pruett reached the finish line first by .0728-second.

Justin Ashley produced the closest victory of the round, combining a stellar .035 reaction time with a 3.766 at 332.02 mph to defeat Billy Torrence’s quicker 3.708 at 338.43 mph by just .0033-second.

Tony Stewart advanced with a 5.322 at 229.24 mph after both cars encountered trouble. Josh Hart slowed to a 7.912 at 93.86 mph in the opposite lane.

Funny Car Round 1 recap: Beckman leads the field with a 3.864 in St. Louis

No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman made the quickest run of the opening Funny Car elimination round at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, powering to a 3.864 at 332.84 mph to defeat Dale Creasy Jr.’s 4.221 at 261.37 mph.

Austin Prock was close behind with a 3.872 at a round-best 334.90 mph. Prock combined the run with a .057 reaction time to defeat Ron Capps’ competitive 3.937 at 322.11 mph by .0719-second.

Alexis DeJoria advanced with a 3.874 at 329.91 mph when Bobby Bode slowed to a 4.667. Jordan Vandergriff also made a clean pass, recording a 3.896 at 324.51 mph to defeat Cruz Pedregon, who slowed to a 6.921.

Matt Hagan powered to a 3.935 at 331.12 mph to defeat Terry Haddock’s 6.341, while Daniel Wilkerson used a sharp .045 reaction time and a 4.006 at 315.93 mph to advance past Dave Richards’ 4.753.

J.R. Todd moved into the second round with a 4.345 at 205.04 mph after Blake Alexander encountered trouble and slowed to an 11.458. Spencer Hyde scored an upset over No. 6 qualifier Chad Green, winning with a 6.985 at 159.64 mph after both drivers struggled to make clean runs.

 

 

Pro Stock Round 1 recap: Cody Anderson edges Enders by .0009-second

Cody Anderson delivered the closest victory of the opening Pro Stock elimination round at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, defeating Erica Enders by just .0009-second. Anderson paired a .042 reaction time with a 6.501 at 209.75 mph to narrowly overcome Enders’ sharp .009 light and 6.534 at 210.93 mph.

Greg Stanfield recorded the quickest winning elapsed time of the round with a 6.479 at 211.30 mph, defeating Mason McGaha’s 6.539. No. 1 qualifier Troy Coughlin Jr. was nearly as quick, combining a class-best .007 reaction time with a 6.480 at 211.36 mph to beat Chris Vang’s 6.530.

Greg Anderson advanced with a 6.482 at 209.88 mph after Kenny Delco left early with a red-light start. Dallas Glenn ran a 6.485 at 210.67 mph to move past Eric Latino, who also red-lighted.

Matt Hartford used a 6.496 at 210.93 mph to defeat Stephen Bell’s 6.532 by .0190-second. Aaron Stanfield advanced with a 6.500 at 210.57 mph after Deric Kramer fouled at the starting line.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. also benefited from a red light, advancing with a 6.513 at 210.57 mph after Matt Latino left .097-second too soon. Latino’s 6.493 would otherwise have made the race competitive.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 1 recap: Smith and Herrera match 6.693s to lead St. Louis winners

Matt Smith and No. 1 qualifier Gaige Herrera recorded matching 6.693-second passes to lead the opening Pro Stock Motorcycle elimination round at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.

Smith earned the top spot on speed, riding to a round-best 202.79 mph to defeat Geno Scali’s 6.853 at 197.05 mph. Herrera followed with a 6.693 at 201.49 mph, overcoming Malcolm Phillips Jr.’s starting-line advantage to win by .1705-second.

Ryan Oehler delivered the closest victory of the round. Oehler ran a 6.724 at 198.70 mph to chase down Clayton Howey’s starting-line advantage and win by just .0106-second. Howey recorded a 6.801 at 195.68 mph.

John Hall advanced with a strong 6.744 at 200.62 mph after Steve Johnson left .006-second too soon. Joey Gladstone ran a 6.747 at 199.94 mph to defeat Kelly Clontz’s 6.833 at 197.77 mph.

Richard Gadson overcame Chase Van Sant’s exceptional .008 reaction time, using a 6.755 at 200.14 mph to defeat Van Sant’s 6.850 by .0491-second. Marc Ingwersen completed the list of first-round winners with a 6.864 at 195.00 mph after Angie Smith encountered trouble and slowed to a 17.375.

Top Fuel Round 2 recap: Langdon leads semifinal contenders as Ashley-Salinas pairing faces rerun

No. 1 qualifier Shawn Langdon continued his strong weekend at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, recording the quickest confirmed winning run of the second Top Fuel elimination round. Langdon combined a .037 reaction time with a 3.714 at 337.83 mph to defeat Leah Pruett’s 3.770 at 332.59 mph by .0737-second.

Will Smith earned a narrow victory over Tony Stewart, running a 3.721 at 331.69 mph to defeat Stewart’s 3.762 at 333.82 mph by just .0195-second.

Shawn Reed also advanced to the semifinals with a 3.758 at 332.10 mph. Reed left first with a .041 reaction time and pulled away after Antron Brown encountered trouble and slowed to a 7.850 at 81.93 mph.

Timing and scoring note: A timing and scoring malfunction caused an error during the Justin Ashley and Jasmine Salinas pairing. NHRA has made the decision to rerun the pair, and the final semifinal position will be determined by that race.

Watch how it unfolded in the video here:

*** UPDATE: In the rerun, Justin Ashley finished the job against Jasmine Salinas, leaving first with a .040 reaction time and powering to a 3.764-second pass at 332.75 mph. Salinas slowed early with traction issues, recording a 9.618 at 83.33 mph, sending Ashley into the next round.

Funny Car Round 2 recap: Beckman and Prock lead semifinal field in St. Louis

No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman made the quickest run of the second Funny Car elimination round at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, powering to a 3.870 at 331.28 mph. Beckman advanced after Daniel Wilkerson encountered trouble and slowed to a 10.720 at 81.43 mph.

Austin Prock was just behind his John Force Racing teammate, recording a 3.872 at a round-best 333.66 mph. Prock overcame J.R. Todd’s exceptional .017 reaction time after Todd lost traction and slowed to a 10.691 at 80.44 mph.

Matt Hagan delivered a clean 3.925 at 331.28 mph to defeat Spencer Hyde, who smoked the tires and slowed to an 11.170 at 81.32 mph.

Jordan Vandergriff completed the semifinal field with a 3.952 at 327.59 mph. Alexis DeJoria left .036-second too soon, handing Vandergriff the automatic victory before DeJoria slowed to a 16.295 at 67.62 mph.

 

Pro Stock Round 2 recap: Aaron Stanfield holeshots Hartford as father Greg leads the round

Aaron Stanfield delivered a potentially championship-altering victory over Matt Hartford in the second round of Pro Stock eliminations at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.

Stanfield left first with a .046 reaction time and used a 6.528 at 209.65 mph to defeat Hartford’s quicker 6.521 at 209.98 mph on a holeshot. The margin of victory was just .0027-second.

Following the race, Stanfield said Hartford had been using gamesmanship on the starting line and suggested that Hartford had just received “a taste of his own medicine.”

Hartford’s second-round loss carries significant championship implications. Aaron’s title prospects improved with the victory, but the result was even more advantageous for his father, Greg Stanfield, who advanced to the semifinals with the quickest run of the round.

Greg Stanfield powered to a 6.508 at a round-best 210.44 mph to defeat Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s 6.540 at 210.08 mph. Greg paired the run with a .055 reaction time to win by .0406-second.

Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson produced one of the closest races of the round, recording identical 6.518-second elapsed times. Glenn’s .032 reaction time gave him a narrow starting-line advantage over Anderson’s .037 light, allowing Glenn to reach the finish line first by .0057-second.

No. 1 qualifier Troy Coughlin Jr. also advanced with a 6.518 at 209.92 mph. Coughlin combined the run with a .016 reaction time to defeat Cody Anderson’s 6.529 at 208.88 mph by .0149-second.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 2 recap: Herrera leads semifinal field as Gadson advances past Smith

No. 1 qualifier Gaige Herrera made the quickest run of the second Pro Stock Motorcycle elimination round at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, powering to a 6.703 at 201.01 mph on a solo pass to advance to the semifinals.

Ryan Oehler followed with a 6.751 at 198.52 mph to defeat Marc Ingwersen’s 6.922 at 195.03 mph. Ingwersen left first with a .028 reaction time, but Oehler quickly made up the starting-line difference and won by .1563-second.

Richard Gadson advanced with a 6.760 at 199.58 mph, defeating Matt Smith’s 6.930 at 167.84 mph. Smith appeared to experience a technical issue during the run, and his motorcycle lost considerable speed before the finish line. Gadson also held a sizable starting-line advantage, leaving with a .042 reaction time to Smith’s .116.

John Hall earned the closest victory of the round, pairing a .027 reaction time with a 6.818 at 197.80 mph to defeat Joey Gladstone’s slightly slower 6.823 at 197.97 mph. Hall reached the finish line first by .0538-second.

Funny Car Round 3 recap: Prock wins John Force Racing duel with Jack Beckman on a holeshot; Vandergriff outruns Hagan

Austin Prock and Jordan Vandergriff advanced to the Funny Car final round at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals following two dramatically different semifinal races at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Prock won a razor-close all-John Force Racing matchup against No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman. Beckman made the quicker run with a 3.903 at 329.42 mph, but Prock’s .052 reaction time gave him a decisive advantage over Beckman’s .076 light.

Prock reached the finish line first with a 3.906 at 329.91 mph, winning on a holeshot by just .0215-second.

Beckman said he felt his performance was close to his best, but Prock was simply better when it mattered most at the starting line.

Vandergriff advanced in the other semifinal with a 3.939 at 327.82 mph after Matt Hagan immediately lost traction and slowed to a 6.158 at 148.51 mph.

Hagan said his team changed superchargers between rounds and discovered that the replacement had “too many beans,” overpowering the tires and giving Vandergriff the opportunity to pull away.

Vandergriff still had to finish the job, and he gave the run everything he had. His Funny Car moved toward the wall near the top end, but Vandergriff kept it under control and secured his place opposite Prock in the final round.

Round 3 results

  1. Austin Prock — 3.906, 329.91 mph; defeated Jack Beckman’s 3.903, 329.42 mph on a holeshot
  2. Jordan Vandergriff — 3.939, 327.82 mph; defeated Matt Hagan’s 6.158, 148.51 mph

Final-round pairing: Austin Prock vs. Jordan Vandergriff

Top Fuel Round 3 recap: Smith and Langdon advance to Top Fuel final in St. Louis

Will Smith and Shawn Reed each battled past giants of the Top Fuel class to reach the semifinals, but only one underdog could advance to the final round at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.

When they lined up against each other, Smith gained the immediate advantage with a .040 reaction time to Reed’s .067. Smith never surrendered the lead, winning with a 3.994-second pass at 275.17 mph. Reed followed with a 4.164 at 255.10 mph.

Justin Ashley also delivered at the starting line against No. 1 qualifier Shawn Langdon, cutting a stellar .037 light to Langdon’s .085. Langdon, however, had considerably more race car underneath him. His 3.733 at 336.65 mph overcame Ashley’s starting-line advantage and defeated Ashley’s 3.810 at 330.88 mph by just .0298 second.

Langdon will face Smith for the Top Fuel title, pairing the class’ No. 1 qualifier against the No. 14 qualifier.

Round 3 results

  • Will Smith: .040 reaction time, 3.994 seconds at 275.17 mph; defeated Shawn Reed: .067, 4.164 at 255.10.
  • Shawn Langdon: .085 reaction time, 3.733 seconds at 336.65 mph; defeated Justin Ashley: .037, 3.810 at 330.88.

Final-round pairing: Shawn Langdon vs. Will Smith

Pro Stock Round 3 recap: Elite Motorsports’ reinvention produces an all-Stanfield Pro Stock final

The Countdown to the Championship has become the season of Elite Motorsports, a team that has reinvented itself at exactly the right time. That resurgence continued in St. Louis, where Aaron Stanfield and his father, Greg Stanfield, advanced to an all-Elite final at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.

Troy Coughlin Jr. grabbed a starting-line advantage over Aaron with a .015 reaction time and also produced the better 60-foot time, but his car slowed dramatically downtrack. Aaron kept his car moving and reached the finish line first with a 7.037-second pass at 206.32 mph to defeat Coughlin’s 9.099 at 113.64.

Dallas Glenn also left first against Greg Stanfield, posting a .024 light to Stanfield’s .031. Greg quickly made up the difference with the strongest performance of the semifinals, powering to a 6.525 at 209.23 mph and

 

Pro Stock Motorcycle Round 3 recap: Gadson and Herrera deliver an all–Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle final

Vance & Hines will race for the Pro Stock Motorcycle trophy at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals after Richard Gadson and Gaige Herrera advanced through their respective semifinal matchups at World Wide Technology Raceway.

John Hall delivered a sharp .026 reaction time against Gadson’s .073, but Gadson erased the starting-line deficit with a significantly stronger run. His 6.764-second pass at 199.94 mph chased down Hall’s 6.854 at 194.46 and secured the victory by .0432 second.

In the other semifinal, Ryan Oehler gained a slight starting-line advantage with a .044 light to Herrera’s .049. Herrera quickly powered ahead, riding to the quickest pass of the round with a 6.710 at 200.62 mph. Oehler recorded a competitive 6.765 at 198.41, but Herrera reached the finish line first by .0506 second.

The victories guarantee another Pro Stock Motorcycle win for Vance & Hines and set up a compelling final between its two championship-caliber riders.

Round 3 results

  • Richard Gadson: .073 reaction time, 6.764 seconds at 199.94 mph; defeated John Hall: .026, 6.854 at 194.46.
  • Gaige Herrera: .049 reaction time, 6.710 seconds at 200.62 mph; defeated Ryan Oehler: .044, 6.765 at 198.41.

Final-round pairing: Richard Gadson vs. Gaige Herrera