2024 NHRA U.S. NATIONALS - EVENT RESULTS
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MONDAY FINAL - NHRA CROWNS FOUR FIRST-TIME WINNERS AT U.S. NATIONALS
The NHRA concluded its regular season with a performance-filled week, culminating in four first-time professional winners at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
Austin Prock ended his remarkable rookie Funny Car season by winning from the No. 1 qualifying position and stopping the winning streak of two-time NHRA champion Ron Capps in the final round.
Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Prock, subbing for Robert Hight in 2024, drove 3.885 seconds at 327.98 miles per hour, beating Capps's 3.935. The victory marks the fifth of the season for Prock, who enters the Countdown to the Championship as the top seed.
“We got our first U.S. Nationals win, super proud of the team. It was a great effort all weekend long,” Prock said. “Everyone talks about Indy. It’s the biggest race of the year, and it is. But all weekend long, I treated it even less than a race; I kind of treated it as a test session and just tried to stay focused and race my own lane. That was good enough to get the job done this weekend. I’m very proud of the team. It still hasn’t hit me that we won the U.S. Nationals.
“So many people dream of winning this race, and very few have. I’m very proud to add my name to that list with my dad (crew chief Jimmy), my brother Thomas turning the knobs with Nate Hildahl. It’s a pretty surreal moment. To cap off the regular season the way we did is very comforting. I don’t see us slowing down any time soon. People say when you’re hot, you’re hot, and right now, we’re hot and have been all year long.”
Prock defeated Chris King, Alexis DeJoria, and Blake Alexander to reach the finals.
Capps, who just missed out on becoming the first Funny Car driver to win the U.S. Nationals three straight years, advanced to his 150th career final round and third this season on the strength of victories against J.R. Todd, Buddy Hull, and Jack Beckman. He moved to fifth in points, while Prock opens the Countdown to the Championship in the points lead.
Millican defeated four-time world champion Steve Torrence in the final round with a run of 3.792 at 327.82 in his Arby’s/Parts Plus dragster. Qualifying for Millican was far from easy for the Drummonds, Tenn., drag racer who ended up in the No. 13 spot, but rebounded in the first round with a 3.695 at 333.74 to defeat Antron Brown in the first round.
Millican then beat Josh Hart and Brittany Force to reach the final round.
Not only was the win Millican’s first at Indy, but also his first of the season.
“I’ve definitely been the underdog my entire life. I promise you that, but I have a lot of fight in me,” Millican said. “Nothing will ever top [my first win in] Bristol, including the U.S. Nationals, but this is like winning the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, the World Series. This is career-defining stuff.
“To win with [team owner] Rick Ware here was cool. I won three times last year and he wasn’t at any of them. He came on Friday, he has two NASCAR teams racing in Darlington, but he was here. It was cool to call him last year and say we won, but there is nothing like being here.”
Stanfield made history by becoming the first driver in NHRA history to win two events in one weekend at the U.S. Nationals, following up his victory in Holley EFI Factory X on Monday with a win in Pro Stock, knocking off teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final round with a pass of 6.561 at 209.36 to score his fourth Pro Stock victory of 2024.
To reach the championship round, Stanfield knocked off Matt Hartford, Cory Reed and No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson. He enters the Countdown to the Championship second in points.
“I’ve been close [to doubling] a couple of times, so I’m okay with the past races not to get it done, because this is the place to do it,” Stanfield said. “There’s so much history at this racetrack, and it’s special to me to not only win Indy Pro Stock and Factory X both in the same day and put my name down on the history books.
“Indy’s always a busy week for me. It’s a roller coaster of emotions the whole entire time, and I knew I had two good hot rods, and I knew I had a good chance to win, but this race has kicked my butt in the past, and it just feels great.”
Winning the U.S. Nationals was one of the few accolades Herrera didn’t earn last season. He made sure it didn’t happen again by posting a perfect .000 reaction time and then going 6.763 at 198.70 to defeat Angie Smith. After not winning the past two races, Herrera, the dominant points leader, captured the biggest victory of the year – his seventh of the 2024 campaign.
To advance to the final round, Herrera, who qualified No. 1, dipped into the 6.70s in three rounds, including a weekend-best 6.722 at 199.35 in the opening round. He followed with a 6.755 against Chase Van Sant and then knocked off teammate Richard Gadson.
“This race is very special for me. Two years ago, I made my debut here. Two years ago, Andrew Hines had COVID sitting on his couch and didn’t even know my name until I made my first pass here,” Herrera said. “This one is very special. For me to be able to get this win, I feel like this was the biggest monkey of all on my back. Last year, I had the simplest part fail, which cost me going past second round. To get the win here, even though I won the championship last year, I feel like this almost surpasses that.
“This ranks at the top, all the stuff that I’ve done as far as creating history or beating Bob Glidden’s record – throughout my years, I’m probably going to remember this over all of that. This is one everyone wants to win. It’s the Super Bowl of drag racing. To get this win, I feel like I’ve kind of accomplished what I wanted in Pro Stock Motorcycle. It’s crazy to say that a year and a half into my Pro Stock Motorcycle career, but I’m not stopping yet.”
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Sept. 12-15 with the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa. It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
SUNDAY - LEE DELIVERS A VICTORY BASED ON PERSISTENCE
Paul Lee has never claimed victory in the professional categories of the NHRA.
He’s been close, having visited the final round at the Northwest Nationals in Seattle just three races ago in an agonizing loss to Austin Prock. But the veteran driver has never officially hoisted a trophy in his 152 starts behind the wheel of a nitro-powered Funny Car.
That changed Sunday at the prestigious Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals – sort of.
Lee made a significant mark by winning the Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout, an exclusive specialty race held at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway. Though his official NHRA win column remains empty, this accomplishment in a specialty event against a top-tier field at the world’s biggest drag race is noteworthy.
“I remember growing up watching all of these specialty shootouts in the past, and to finally get to be in one and then to win it, I’m over the moon,” Lee said. “I know everyone says this at every race, but the guys and girls really worked their butts off today. They changed engines between the first and second round, and they did a flawless job. This is a team sport. It’s not just me, I’m here representing my team. It’s a true team sport, and we showed that today.”
Adding to the storybook result for Lee and his team is the fact that Lee wasn’t even supposed to be in the Callout. After John Force was sidelined in June by a crash at Virginia Motorsports Park, Lee moved up a spot to replace him in the Callout. And now, as they say, the rest is history.
“It’s even more special since we were actually No. 9,” Lee said. “Since John couldn’t make it, we slid into the No. 8 spot. So we went from No. 9 to first, and I couldn’t be more proud of my whole team.”
Lee defeated a red-hot Bob Tasca in the final round of the All-Star Callout in dramatic fashion. Having already damaged one engine in an opening-round win over Ron Capps, Lee again ran into issues during the final. Despite getting away first and leading wire-to-wire, Lee’s engine began to expire at the top end, and he was forced to shut off the car shy of the finish. While that would typically spell disaster, his opponent also ran into issues. Tasca hazed the tires of his Ford Performance Mustang and had to get out of the throttle early.
With both drivers facing issues, it was Lee crossing the finish line first in his McLeod/FTI Performance Dodge Charger with a 4.243-second pass at 234.86 mph – a run worth $80,000. Tasca took the runner-up spot in the Callout at 4.255, 222.69.
The victory concluded a full day of giant slaying for Lee, having taken out three of the titans of the sport to earn the specialty win.
“I actually didn’t really care who I raced because you have to beat everybody,” Lee said. “Look at the field. Look at the guys we had to race. These are the top cars in the country, so bring them on. You have to race them one at a time, and that’s what we did today. We just took it one race at a time.”
While specialty events like Sunday’s race usually provide a nice bonus for the larger teams in the sport, for a team like Lee’s, these events can be crucial. The potential payoff can make the difference between participating in the races and not competing at all.
“This is a self-financed team, so the $80,000 means a lot to us,” Lee said. “I finance this team 90% by myself with our companies, and this gives more opportunities to achieve our goals and give a few bonuses to my guys and girls.”
In a competition where drivers challenge each other to determine the run order, Lee was called out in the first round by three-time Funny Car champion Ron Capps.
The opening round was particularly significant due to the shared history between the competitors. Capps’ crew chief, Dean Antonelli, was once mentored by Lee’s co-crew chief, John Medlen. Adding to the intrigue, Capps is sporting a special Don “The Snake” Prudhomme paint scheme on his Toyota Funny Car this weekend, while Lee had a special connection with Prudhomme’s long-time rival, Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen.
Capps smoked the tires and had to get off the throttle, while Lee managed to drive to victory despite damaging his engine in the process. Lee crossed the finish line first with a 4.014 at 291.57 mph.
After changing engines between rounds, Lee was called out by Matt Hagan in the semifinals, and the two delivered the most thrilling drag race of the day. The drivers had nearly identical reaction times, but Lee edged out the Tony Stewart Racing-backed driver with a run of 3.968 seconds at 323.35 mph. Hagan was right on his heels at 3.972, 326, with Lee’s margin of victory a microscopic 6/1,000ths of a second.
Tasca, meanwhile, made his mark by calling out and defeating Cruz Pedregon in the first round, then J.R. Todd in the semifinal. He posted impressive passes of 3.933 and 3.974 seconds, respectively.
The win provided much-needed validation for the longtime competitor as he continues to build a race team that he hopes will one day be able to compete for NHRA championships.
“I’ve been an NHRA member since 1979 and I’ve been driving Funny Cars since 1988, so I’ve been at this a long time,” Lee said. “This is a 36-year overnight success kind of thing. But that is our goal. Our goal is to build this team to be a top-five car. We want to compete for championships. We’re not just out here participating, we’re out here to learn, make laps, and we want to win races.”
The incremental gains have been felt throughout the pit area all season long.
With crew chiefs Medlen and Jonnie Lindberg calling the shots, Lee has qualified in the top half of the field at nine of his 13 starts this season, collecting a runner-up and eight total round wins. That success has turned Lee into a threat and made him a handful for many of the championship-contending drivers this season.
“We’ve known all year long that we had a good team with John Medlen and Jonnie Lindberg leading the team and teaching the guys how to service the car,” Lee said. “We knew we had what it takes and now we’re creeping up on it. It’s validating for sure because it’s proven the hard work we’ve put in this year is paying off. A lot of these teams out here, teams that we raced today, they’ve been together for four or five or six years. We’re only been together for eight months, so we’re pretty excited about the future.”
While the win is certainly a big moment for this race team, the job is far from complete.
Lee will enter Monday’s main event from the No. 11 spot in the ladder and will face Cruz Pedregon in Round One of the U.S. Nationals.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Lee said. “I don’t look at any of this as stress, I look at it as opportunity. This isn’t saving a life, this is drag racing. It’s a game. We’re the lucky ones that get to do this. So I look at it as a chance to win. Tomorrow will be the same way: I get a chance to win the U.S. Nationals.” - Larry Crum
SUNDAY QUALIFYING - B. FORCE, PROCK LEAD JFR CLEAN SWEEP OF INDY QUALIFYING, KALITTA DNQ’S
After three sometimes grueling days of qualifying at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, the top qualifiers were established on Sunday. Only one leader changed from those who led Friday’s opening session.
Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Force, a two-time NHRA champion, has enjoyed the weekend she has needed so far, securing the No. 1 qualifier with Saturday’s 3.693 elapsed time at 333.08 mph. It’s the 48th top qualifier for the second-generation driver, and she needed every bit of it this weekend, entering the U.S. Nationals 10th in points.
Force holds a 58-point advantage over 11th-place Josh Hart, and she’ll need to stay in the top 10 to earn a spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
“It’s been a whirlwind of a weekend,” Force said. “We’ve done really well and we’re wearing a No. 1 qualifier hat. We ended up No. 1 and haven’t done that since the very beginning of the season. That’s a huge deal, but we are right now so focused on tomorrow and what it takes to stay in this thing. We’re sitting 10th and we can get bumped out. This team, we want to be in a hunt for a championship. We’ve done great so far and have done everything that we can.
“If it wasn’t Langdon, it’d be somebody else and there is no easy team or driver out here. We’ve seen crazier things happen on race day. We’re going to give it our all, we’re in a really good position, we have to focus on that and just stay in our lane – focus on what our team can do, what our goals are, what we want to accomplish.”
In drag racing, there are no provisionals. If there were, then defending series champion and point leader Doug Kalitta might have used a mulligan as he did not qualify, going 3.793 during the final qualifying session. His teammate, Langdon, bumped him out on the next pass, going 3.784 to go to 16th.
Tony Stewart qualified second with a 3.707, 331.04, and T.J. Zizzo is third with a 3.716 at 332.67.
Prock maintained his stranglehold on Funny Car with his Saturday pass of 3.855, 328.38. The Indy pole represents his 10th No. 1 qualifier this season. It’s his first career U.S. Nationals No. 1 qualifier.
“It’s pretty cool. I didn’t even think about it until today, and not very many people get to qualify No. 1 here at the U.S. Nationals. It’s our biggest race of the year, and I’m definitely proud of this team,” Prock said. “They all work really hard and deserve results like this. I was proud to be able to get the car down the track in a nice, neat fashion all five runs, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
“Earlier this week, I got a new attitude, and I’ve just been having fun. When you get punched in the face like I did (in Brainerd), that’ll change a man. I got a new attitude and it’s been working so far. I’m having fun and can’t wait for tomorrow. It’s going to be a great show for the fans, and that’s how the U.S. Nationals should be.”
Tasca was second with a 3.871 at 336.23, and Jack Beckman, racing for John Force, ended up third thanks to a run of 3.877 at 329.10.
If Monday’s eliminations are anything like qualifying, race officials could save time by handing the trophy to Pro Stock’s winningest driver, Greg Anderson, now. The veteran improved his performance for the third straight day, scoring 6.575 at 207.88 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
It’s been a rewarding weekend for the veteran Anderson, who made the quickest run in all five qualifying sessions.
“The big day is Monday, but it’s been near perfection for three days straight, and that’s a helluva confidence builder,” Anderson said. “It certainly makes me feel good, the car feels great, engine is running great, crew is right on point making decisions. Hopefully, we can make that go for four more runs tomorrow and make some magic here at Indy. I feel great, a lot of confidence in the group, the team, and that helps as a driver and makes you get up on the wheel as a driver.
“I need to get it done. That’s not just me; it’s the entire race team. We need to race error free, like we qualified and get the job done, win the race. I’ve got the horse; I need to ride that sucker to the finish line and ride it proud. That’s what I plan on doing tomorrow. I love racing here at Indy. It would be tough to find a more special race than when I won my 100th race here. You never know when you’re going to get another one. The very next one I get, if I can get another one, will be the best one I ever had.”
Defending world champion Erica Enders finished second with a 6.592 at 207.11, while Jeg Coughlin Jr. was third with a 6.598 at 207.50.
The only new face atop the leaderboard belonged to the defending Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion, Gaige Herrera. It’s his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season. Indy is one of the few events Herrera didn’t win a year ago, and he’ll get a chance to redeem on Monday.
“It’s good to get the No. 1 spot for Vance & Hines. This is big for us,” Herrera said. “I was happy to run 6.80 and I’ve got to credit Mother Nature because the [cool weather] helped us. I just didn’t think it would be good enough to stick. I was surprised that it did. It should be even cooler tomorrow, so I think you’ll see some 6.70s for sure.
“We tested here a couple of weeks ago and it helped quite a bit. The air was close to what we had this morning, so we got good data. We’re in a good spot for Monday. That goes for me and Richard [Gadson], Kelly [Clontz], and Geno [Scali]. I think we’ll also do well tomorrow.”
Matt Smith took the second spot with a 6.816 at 196.90, and John Hall qualified third with a 6.830 at 198.76.
Eliminations for the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
SATURDAY QUALIFYING - AUSTIN PROCK LEADS QUALIFYING AT TOYOTA NHRA U.S. NATIONALS INDIANAPOLIS
Austin Prock has done everything else in his not-so-rookie-like season, he might as well add an NHRA U.S. Nationals No. 1 qualifier to the resume. However, he's got to hold on to that top spot through two sessions on Sunday.
Prock recorded a weekend-best time of 3.855 seconds at 328.38 mph to swipe away the top spot from Friday's leader Blake Alexander.
Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also secured provisional No. 1 positions. The U.S. Nationals is the 14th event of 20 in the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Prock's dominating performance included the quickest runs in both qualifying sessions. If his time holds, he would achieve his 10th No. 1 qualifier this season.
"It's been an outstanding weekend so far," Prock said. "It's a great start to the weekend. I'm just so proud of my family and this whole Cornwell Tools team."
Bob Tasca occupies the second position with a run of 3.871 seconds at 336.23 mph, while Jack Beckman stands third with a time of 3.877 seconds at 329.10 mph.
In the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout, Tasca selected Cruz Pedregon as his opponent. Ron Capps chose Paul Lee, and Matt Hagan selected Alexis DeJoria, while J.R. Todd will face Chad Green.
Force maintained her No. 1 position in Top Fuel with a run of 3.693 seconds at 333.08 mph. After entering the weekend ranked 10th in points, she aims to secure her second top qualifier of the season.
"There is a lot on the line this weekend, so to be able to improve is significant," Force said. "We're excited to be here; it's the biggest race of the season."
Tony Stewart improved to the second spot with a time of 3.707 seconds at 331.04 mph. T.J. Zizzo moved to third with a run of 3.716 seconds at 332.67 mph.
Anderson continued his strong showing in Pro Stock with a time of 6.588 seconds at 206.20 mph. Anderson secured the top position for a second consecutive day, aiming for his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season.
"The guys did a fantastic job," Anderson said. " Everything has to go perfect for you to get a No. 1 spot and win rounds anymore.”
Erica Enders improved to second with a run of 6.592 seconds at 207.11 mph, while Jerry Tucker moved to third with a time of 6.600 seconds at 207.59 mph.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hall topped the qualifying session with a time of 6.830 seconds at 198.76 mph. Hall aims for his first career No. 1 qualifier after making the best run in both sessions on Saturday.
“In this weather, I think a 6.83 is pretty good,” Hall said. “This is the biggest race of the year, and I’d love to have two wins here.”
Matt Smith is second in Pro Stock Motorcycle after posting a time of 6.836 seconds at 199.35 mph, while points leader Gaige Herrera is third with a run of 6.850 seconds at 196.64 mph.
Final qualifying begins at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday.
FRIDAY QUALIFYING - B. FORCE, ALEXANDER FIGHT THEIR WAY TO THE TOP OF INDY QUALIFYING
Under the threat of bad weather on the horizon of Indianapolis Raceway Park the NHRA and its racers were able to get in Friday’s single session. The lightning flashed in the distance as Brittany Force scored the No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel. Blake Alexander (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock)and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Force is in the midst of her championship survival during the final race of the regular season. She sits tenth in the standings, uncharacteristic of the two-time series championship.
However, what is on par is her 3.740-second elapsed time at 334.32 mph to kick off the race weekend. If it holds, the two-time world champion would pick up her second No. 1 this season and the 48th in her career. More importantly, Force must stay in the top 10 to secure a spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. A win at the world’s biggest drag race would clinch that for Force, after her first win since her 2022 championship season.
“I haven’t been in a position like this for a long time, especially coming from this David Grubnic-led championship team,” said Force, a two-time U.S. Nationals runner-up. “We never thought we’d be here, but we had a hard season last year, same as this season. We’re really going to fight all weekend long. That 3.74 run down the dragstrip on the first qualifying run, four bonus points, currently No. 1, that’s everything we could have asked for. Our first goal of the weekend is accomplished.
“This is such a special event and an historic race. It’s a big event, but that means a lot of pressure and a lot on the line. This is the race you want to win and our motivation hasn’t gone away.”
Another past champion, Antron Brown, is second with a 3.759 at 330.63. He’s won in back-to-back years. Billy Torrence sits in the third spot after a run of 3.792 at 331.45.
Alexander’s first day of qualifying in Indianapolis sent a message to the class with his strong performance in Indy, racing to the No. 1 spot with a run of 3.890 at 327.82 in his Pronto Auto Service Center Ford Mustang. Alexander won in Brainerd with a string of standout performances and now has a chance to earn his first career No. 1 qualifier.
“We feel good about this,” Alexander said. “I think we thought it was going to be a little slower out there at first, and then we got up there and quite frankly I think we saw Cruz run 3.90 and then we opened it up a little bit. Every race team out here needed to do well today and the ones who excelled like we did will be in a much better position Monday morning, which is ultimately what we come here for.
“If you want to win Indy, you need to put yourself in a good position. This isn’t an easy drag race to win, it never has been and never will be. We’re in a good spot right now, that really doesn’t mean much because there are a lot of good race cars out here and people can eclipse you.”
Cruz Pedregon was second with a 3.901 at 325.53 while Jack Beckman is right behind in third after a run of 3.903 at 322.81.
Anderson is used to plenty success at The Big Go and he’s off to a good start at the 70th annual race, taking over the No. 1 spot after going 6.621 at 206.23 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. No current driver in Pro Stock has won in Indy as much as Anderson, with his seventh victory coming in 2022. It also happened to be his 100th career win and the five-time world champion continues to go strong, with Friday’s run putting him in line for a fifth No. 1 this season and the 129th in his career. Anderson, though, is well aware a lot can change between now and Monday.
“Normally when we come here, the Friday night run sets the field,” Anderson said. ‘You get your Friday night shot under the lights, the track cools down, everybody goes out there and throws down. Nine times out of 10 it ends up holding up throughout the weekend, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case. It’s going to cool down quite a bit the next couple of days, but we wanted to come here tonight and just get some data. This was a bonus. There’s a lot of room left, it wasn’t really a clean run, so I was shocked when they told me I got the No. 1 spot.
“I can’t wait to get here every year. I have a lot of favorite tracks, a lot of tracks I love to race at and feel good at, but this is still the one that means the most to me.”
Enders was second with a 6.621 at 206.13 while Aaron Stanfield is currently third on the strength of his 6.630 at 204.88.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Angie Smith made the biggest move to kick off qualifying at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, going 6.883 at 197.10 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell to grab the provisional No. 1 spot. Should that hold, Smith would pick up her first No. 1 qualifier of the season and third in her career and it would certainly come at the perfect time. Entering Indy sixth in points, Smith lost in the first round in back-to-back races leading into Indy. But after a strong test session, Smith feels good about where the bike is now at heading into a crucial part of the season – and at the world’s biggest drag race.
“We got rid of my other bike, that’s what happened,” Smith said. “I got a brand-new bike. Every single part of that motorcycle is brand new except for me. I was glad to get a new bike. Coming to Indy without a full run on a brand-new motorcycle is kind of nerve-wracking but it all worked out.
“My mindset coming into this race, I just wanted to do well and make good laps to prepare me for the Countdown. The middle of the season has not been a stellar performance for me and I have expected a lot better performance for myself and from the bike and we weren’t getting it. The boys have been working extremely hard back in the shop, and for me to get a No. 1, I feel like it kind of repays them a little bit for all the hard work.”
Her husband, Matt, who has won the last two races at The Big Go – and the most recent race in Sonoma – is currently second after going 6.895 at 197.74 and Gaige Herrera grabbed the third position on Friday thanks to a run of 6.929 at 195.90.
Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Friday's results after the first one of five rounds of qualifying for the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Monday's final eliminations.
Top Fuel -- 1. Brittany Force, 3.740 seconds, 334.32 mph; 2. Antron Brown, 3.759, 330.63; 3. Billy Torrence, 3.792, 331.45; 4. Shawn Reed, 3.795, 326.63; 5. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.801, 326.00; 6. Jasmine Salinas, 3.814, 317.64; 7. Clay Millican, 3.816, 293.54; 8. Tony Stewart, 3.839, 319.52; 9. Dan Mercier, 3.847, 309.27; 10. Krista Baldwin, 3.863, 285.29; 11. T.J. Zizzo, 3.902, 266.32; 12. Lex Joon, 4.026, 259.96; 13. Tripp Tatum, 4.473, 174.21; 14. Doug Kalitta, 4.609, 165.84; 15. Shawn Langdon, 4.773, 152.11; 16. Tony Schumacher, 4.896, 146.77. Not Qualified: 17. Josh Hart, 5.502, 120.20; 18. Doug Foley, 5.863, 108.32; 19. Steve Torrence, 5.984, 107.15; 20. Justin Ashley, 6.016, 103.77.
Funny Car -- 1. Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 3.890, 327.82; 2. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 3.901, 325.53; 3. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.903, 322.81; 4. Austin Prock, Camaro, 3.926, 320.36; 5. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.969, 320.28; 6. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.986, 292.58; 7. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.987, 324.05; 8. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.997, 300.73; 9. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.004, 293.28; 10. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.025, 300.00; 11. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.026, 313.58; 12. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.055, 315.27; 13. Chris King, Charger, 4.079, 302.21; 14. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.140, 306.05; 15. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.171, 230.96; 16. Dave Richards, Toyota Camry, 4.502, 205.72. Not Qualified: 17. Matt Hagan, 4.837, 164.59; 18. Justin Schriefer, 6.801, 99.59.
Pro Stock -- 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.621, 206.23; 2. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.621, 206.13; 3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.630, 204.88; 4. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.639, 205.98; 5. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.647, 206.83; 6. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.654, 206.64; 7. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.657, 206.64; 8. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.657, 205.88; 9. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.663, 205.91; 10. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.665, 205.54; 11. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.678, 207.37; 12. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.685, 206.04; 13. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.685, 205.26; 14. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.689, 205.66; 15. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.710, 206.13; 16. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.710, 204.88. Not Qualified: 17. Kenny Delco, 6.724, 205.41; 18. Larry Morgan, 6.733, 205.85; 19. Derrick Reese, 6.738, 200.17; 20. Chris McGaha, 7.109, 168.62; 21. Matt Hartford, 7.342, 140.14.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.883, 197.10; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.895, 197.74; 3. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.929, 195.90; 4. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.939, 198.15; 5. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.964, 194.88; 6. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.970, 193.54; 7. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 7.001, 192.82; 8. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 7.032, 197.22; 9. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 7.055, 186.82; 10. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 7.097, 188.28; 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.123, 191.51; 12. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 7.134, 192.14; 13. Ron Tornow, Victory, 7.141, 188.33; 14. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.479, 178.90; 15. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 16.315, 40.68.
