NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads west this week to Firebird Motorsports Park for the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs, an event that has historically hosted sellout crowds and provided many of the sport’s most memorable moments.

Shawn Langdon, Matt Hagan, and Greg Anderson are the favorites in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock, respectively, as the event will be part of the PlayNHRA initiative, where drag racing fans will once again 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, 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

Shawn Langdon had a rough outing in Gainesville to start the season, but that has not prevented the oddsmakers from installing him as the favorite with a +550 opening price. It’s no surprise that Langdon is the top pick as he has won the last two Phoenix events, and his Kalitta Air dragster was one of the quickest cars during preseason testing.

Coming off an impressive win in Gainesville, Josh Hart is also among the favorites at +650, a price he shares with two-time and defending champion Doug Kalitta.

The rest of the top contenders are also tightly bunched, including Justin Ashley at +750, Leah Pruett and Antron Brown at +800, and Tony Stewart at +900. It’s worth noting that Pruett and Stewart tied for low elapsed time of eliminations in Gainesville with matching 3.71-second runs on Sunday.

In the longshot department, eight-time world champ Tony Schumacher comes in at +1400, while Maddi Gordon, fresh off a semifinal in her Top Fuel debut, is also +1400, while Shawn Reed, a winner last season in Reading, comes in at +1600.

FUNNY CAR

The Funny Car field is loaded with 17 pre-entries, and most of them would appear capable of winning an event that has a long history of upsets and first-time winners.

Matt Hagan comes in as the favorite at +400, but his edge over the rest of the field is slim. Jordan Vandergriff, coming off a semifinal finish in his first Funny Car race, is among the favorites at +600, while two-time champ Austin Prock might just be the most intriguing pick in the field at +700. Prock is coming off a tough race in Gainesville, where he did not make the field for the first time in his career following a highly publicized move to Bob Tasca’s team during the offseason.

Jack Beckman, J.R. Todd, and Ron Capps are all priced at between 8-1 and 9-1, while defending Phoenix winner Paul Lee comes in at +1200, a solid value for someone who has previously won this event.

Daniel Wilkerson and his Scag team tend to do well in warm weather, and Phoenix will have an abundance of that, so his opening price of +1200 might be a bit generous. The same can be said for Alexis DeJoria, who reached the Gainesville final in her debut with the John Force Racing team, and for Gainesville winner Chad Green, who is looking to remain perfect on the young season.

PRO STOCK

The longstanding trend of KB Titan teammates Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn as the favorites in Pro Stock continues as Anderson is the favorite at +325, while Glenn is a close second at +375.

Erica Enders, who has two Phoenix victories in her career, comes in third at +900, while Matt Hartford, fresh off a season-opening win in Gainesville, can be had for +1000.

From there, the field is tightly bunched with eight drivers between +1200 and +1800, including Aaron and Greg Stanfield, all three members of the Coughlin family, and Cody Anderson, who is making his second start as a member of the KB Titan team.

Jeg Coughlin Jr., who has four wins in Phoenix, including three in Pro Stock, is also noteworthy at +1800, especially because he led the class in reaction times last season.

For those interested in long shots, Matt Latino and Chris Vang come to mind. Although neither has yet to appear in a Pro Stock final, Latino is priced at +3300, while Vang opened at +5000.

Opening odds provided by Alt Sports Data (Odds are subject to change). 

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