91°µÍø

Three days into the 68th annual Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals and the action is just heating up as the fields begin to take shape in the Camping World NHRA professional series while sportsman eliminations continue. On Friday night, fans got a chance to see the best that NHRA has to offer as Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle racers hit the track for the first time.

The bump spot in Top Fuel is already a very respectable 3.86 and there are four runs remaining. Justin Ashley is the provisional low qualifier after driving his Phillips Connect dragster to a 3.716 under the lights at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Ashley has a lot of company in the 3.7-second zone including Steve Torrence, Josh Hart, and Mike Salinas, who occupy positions 2-4. There are 25 Top Fuel dragsters on the property so the bump spot is almost certain to drop dramatically especially since world champs Brittany Force and Tony Schumacher are not currently qualified.

Championship leader Robert Hight zoomed to the top of the Funny Car field on Friday night with a very competitive 3.870 in the Auto Club Camaro. Hight, who is enjoying perhaps the best season of his career with six wins in eight final rounds, has a slim edge over Bob Tasca III, who ran 3.878. Tasca is also in the midst of an impressive season with three wins in the last four events.

Reigning world champ Ron Capps and Jim Campbell are currently not in the field so there will almost certainly be a lot of shuffling of the order today as pro racers have two more runs on the schedule.

Erica Enders has won the last two Pro Stock events at Indy and she’s also the provisional low qualifier after a 6.598 in her Melling/Elite Camaro. Enders and Dallas Glenn ran identical elapsed times and Enders was awarded the top spot by virtue of her faster speed. Greg Anderson, Deric Kramer, and Cristian Cuadra round out the top five.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle class also features a robust field and it’s currently led by two-time Indy winner Eddie Krawiec with a 6.826 on his Vance & Hines Suzuki. Krawiec leads Angie Smith, Jerry Savoie, Hector Arana Jr., Angelle Sampey, Karen Stoffer, and Marc Ingwersen, who are also in the 6.8s.

In addition to the two scheduled rounds of pro qualifying, today’s scheduled includes the completion of the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Call Out, that was rain-delayed from Gainesville as well as the JEGS Allstars event featuring the best Lucas Oil Series sportsman drivers from across North America.

The U.S. Nationals also offers a host of special features including racing in the FuelTech Pro Mod Series presented by D-Wagon, the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown, JEGS Allstars, Mountain Motor Pro Stocks, and Top Fuel Harley-Davidson motorcycles to go along with a full complement of Lucas Oil Series sportsman racing.

You can catch the action all weekend on FOX TV, FOX Sports 1 and NHRA.tv.

You can follow NHRA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get a closer look at the action.

2021 EVENT WINNERS

Steve Torrence, Top Fuel; Tim Wilkerson, Funny Car; Erica Enders, Pro Stock, Eddie Krawiec, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

TRACK RECORDS:

TOP FUEL
3.645 seconds by Brittany Force, Sept. 2019; 334.57 mph by Brittany Force, Sept. 2021
FUNNY CAR
3.799 seconds by Matt Hagan, Sept. 2017; 338.77 mph by Hagan, Sept. 2017.
PRO STOCK
6.538 seconds by Jason Line, Sept. 2011; 211.13 by Mike Edwards, Sept. 2012.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
6.789 seconds by Scotty Pollacheck, Sept. 2020; 200.53 by Pollacheck, Sept. 2020.

SCHEDULE:
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 1:15 p.m. and 5 p.m., and the final two rounds on Sunday, Sept. 4 at noon and 3:30 p.m.  Final eliminations are scheduled for noon on Sunday, Sept. 5.

TV SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, Sept. 4, FS1 will televise 2 hours of qualifying and the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout at 1 p.m. (ET).
SUNDAY, Sept. 4, FSI will televise 90 minutes of the Pep Boys Funny Car Allstar Callout at 4 p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 4, FS1 will televise 90 minutes of pro qualifying at 5:30 p.m.
MONDAY, Sept. 5, FS1 will televise two hours of final round coverage at noon.
MONDAY, Sept. 5, FOX TV will televise three hours of final round coverage at 2 p.m.