Matt Smith, Kyle Koretsky, Robert Hight, and Steve Torrence lead Friday qualifying at NHRA Midwest Nationals

From Charlotte last weekend to St Louis today, and then on to Dallas, Las Vegas, and Pomona the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship has begun its symbolic march West for the last five races of the season. A season that culminates at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and the Auto Club 91做厙 Finals, where everyone wants to be standing victorious in the winner's circle. The precious few drag strip passes left in the 2022 season ticked down with a solid Friday night qualifying session at the 2022 NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Four-time defending Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence made his best run of the season on Friday at World Wide Technology Raceway, taking the provisional No. 1 qualifier to open the race weekend at the 11th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Robert Hight (Funny Car), Kyle Koretsky (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
Here's where we stand going into Saturday's two qualifying sessions:
Pro Stock Motorcycle
After a year away from World Wide Technology raceway, the Pro Stock Motorcycle class returned with a vengeance on Friday, with defending world champ Matt Smith making an impressive run of 6.709 at 202.82 on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. That set both ends of the track record as the sun was setting in St. Louis, and the five-time world champ also made the quickest run in his standout career. Bumped back to second in points after Joey Gladstone won in Reading, Smith is determined to have a big weekend as the season hits crunch time.
The motorcycles have evolved a lot in the last few years, Smith said. Im excited to be back and its a fast track, and Im looking forward to what happens tomorrow. If we have the same weather, were definitely going to go and swing for the 6.60s because weve never done that before, and we would love to do it.
Angelle Sampey also impressed on Friday, going 6.726 at 201.67 and Angie Smith followed with a 6.748 at 201.19. Gladstone is currently seventh after his pass of 6.792.
- 01泭泭 泭Matt Smith泭泭 泭6.709泭泭 泭202.82
02泭泭 泭Angelle Sampey泭泭 泭泭 泭6.726泭泭 泭201.67
03泭泭 泭Angie Smith泭泭 泭6.748泭泭 泭201.19
04泭泭 泭Eddie Krawiec泭泭 泭6.759泭泭 泭199.67
05泭泭 泭Marc Ingwersen泭泭 泭6.785泭泭 泭198.82
06泭泭 泭Jerry Savoie泭泭 泭6.791泭泭 泭197.42
07泭泭 泭Joey Gladstone泭泭 泭6.792泭泭 泭199.32
08泭泭 泭Steve Johnson泭泭 泭6.835泭泭 泭198.2
09泭泭 泭Kelly Clontz泭泭 泭6.865泭泭 泭196.93
10泭泭 泭Ron Tornow泭泭 泭6.886泭泭 泭193.29
11泭泭 泭Karen Stoffer泭泭 泭6.906泭泭 泭195.17
12泭泭 泭Jianna Evaristo泭泭 泭6.917泭泭 泭172.32
13泭泭 泭Ryan Oehler泭泭 泭7.020泭泭 泭195.65
Pro Stock泭
Looking to make his own late-season charge, Kyle Koretsky made a strong pass in the opening qualifying session in his Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro, taking the top spot with a run of 6.512 at 211.00. It puts Koretsky on track for his second No. 1 qualifier this season and first since Phoenix in February and third in his career. Koretsky is currently fifth in points and looking for his first win this season. Getting it at the halfway point of the Countdown to the Championship would be a huge boost to his title chances.
That was a great first run off the trailer, Koretsky said. St. Louis has been pretty good to us, and the guys have been working hard on the engines. Weve been struggling a little bit, but the guys at KB Racing have been working hard and we dont give up. Its cool to sit No. 1 after Friday night, but you never know out here. Everyone is tough and were going to give St. Louis a heck of a run.
Defending world champ and KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson also dipped into the 6.51 range, going 6.517 at 210.44 to sit second, while two-time race winner Troy Coughlin is third after a 6.529 at 210.60. Points leader Erica Enders is currently fifth thanks to a 6.536.
- 01泭泭 泭Kyle Koretsky泭泭 泭泭6.512泭泭 泭211
02泭泭 泭Greg Anderson泭泭 泭6.517泭泭 泭210.44
03泭泭 泭Troy Coughlin Jr泭泭 泭6.529泭泭 泭210.6
04泭泭 泭Dallas Glenn泭泭 泭6.531泭泭 泭210.77
05泭泭 泭Erica Enders泭泭 泭6.536泭泭 泭211.49
06泭泭 泭Aaron Stanfield泭泭 泭6.539泭泭 泭211.16
07泭泭 泭Bo Butner III泭泭 泭6.540泭泭 泭211.96
08泭泭 泭Matt Hartford泭泭 泭6.550泭泭 泭210.24
09泭泭 泭Mike DePalma泭泭 泭6.551泭泭 泭210.6
10泭泭 泭Camrie Caruso泭泭 泭6.556泭泭 泭210.64
11泭泭 泭Mason McGaha泭泭 泭6.564泭泭 泭210.8
12泭泭 泭Fernando Cuadra泭泭 泭6.572泭泭 泭209.75
Funny Car泭
Robert Hight quickly bounced back from his surprising second-round exit last weekend, as the Funny Car points leader delivered a massive run of 3.853 at 336.32 in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS. The three-time world champion is after his fifth No. 1 spot this season and 76th in his career, as well as his eighth victory this season, and he also made the fastest Funny Car run of the 2022 season on Friday. Hight won the playoff opener in Reading and looked strong to start the weekend in St. Louis as one of only four cars to make a three-second run to open qualifying.
(Crew chiefs) Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham were a little perplexed because a lot of teams werent making it down. But they stuck with their gameplan because they know what this car can do, Hight said. We amassed a pretty good lead after Reading and we gave a lot of that back last weekend. We worked hard at the shop and to come out here and make a run like that, that was very impressive.
Hights teammate, 16-time world champ John Force, ran an identical 3.853 but was slightly slower with a 334.15 to put him second. Matt Hagan, the defending event winner, went 3.896 at 334.98 to slot him in the third spot.
- 01泭泭泭泭Robert Hight泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭3.853泭泭泭泭336.32
02泭泭泭泭John Force泭泭泭泭泭泭泭3.853泭泭泭泭334.15
03泭泭泭泭Matt Hagan泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭3.896泭泭泭泭334.98
04泭泭泭泭Cruz Pedregon泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭3.897泭泭泭泭331.36
05泭泭泭泭Dale Creasy Jr泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭4.027泭泭泭泭290.32
06泭泭泭泭Bobby Bode泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭4.189泭泭泭泭228.85
07泭泭泭泭Tim Wilkerson泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭4.276泭泭泭泭214.79
08泭泭泭泭Dan Wilkerson泭泭泭泭泭泭泭4.786泭泭泭泭149.3
09泭泭泭泭Terry Haddock泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭5.532泭泭泭泭128.84
10泭泭泭泭Bob Tasca III泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭5.713泭泭泭泭122.17
11泭泭泭泭JR Todd泭泭泭泭泭泭泭7.074泭泭泭泭89.19
12泭泭泭泭Alexis DeJoria泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭7.076泭泭泭泭95.56
13泭泭泭泭Blake Alexander泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭7.770泭泭泭泭92.87
14泭泭泭泭Jim Campbell泭泭泭泭泭泭泭泭7.888泭泭泭泭73.81
15泭泭泭泭Ron Capps泭泭泭泭泭 泭10.582泭泭泭泭67.72
Top Fuel
Torrence powered to a run of 3.655-seconds at 327.43 in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster during the first qualifying session in St. Louis, looking to make up some ground in a hurry. If it holds, Torrence, who is currently fifth in Top Fuel points, would pick up his third top qualifier of the season and 34th in his career. Torrence, though, is trying to rack up victories in the Countdown to the Championship after falling in the second round at the first two playoff races. Hes had recent success in St. Louis as the defending event winner and will hope to add to that this weekend.
"Thats a years work that goes into a run like that, Torrence said. These guys have worked really hard to get the car where its at. Were behind the eight-ball right now, but were going to do everything we can. We didnt get to be the four-time champs by doing dumb stuff, but we have backed ourselves into a corner.
"The class has really stepped up and everyone is so quick and so fast right now. We needed to run well and we're trying to get ourselves back in there. That was great for us to do that tonight."
Doug Kalitta is currently in the second spot with a stout 3.684 at 334.32, while Clay Millican rounds out the top three after going 3.703 at 334.24. Points leader Justin Ashley is currently 16th.
- 01泭泭 泭Steve Torrence泭泭 泭泭 泭 3.655泭泭 泭327.43
02泭泭 泭Doug Kalitta泭泭泭 泭 3.684泭泭 泭334.32
03泭泭 泭Clay Millican泭泭 泭 泭 3.703泭泭 泭334.24
04泭泭 泭Leah Pruett泭泭泭 泭 3.743泭泭 泭325.45
05泭泭 泭Shawn Langdon泭泭 泭泭 泭 3.746泭泭 泭327.74
06泭泭 泭Buddy Hull泭泭 泭泭 泭 3.822泭泭 泭315.78
07泭泭 泭Kyle Wurtzel泭泭 泭泭 泭 3.824泭泭 泭321.42
08泭泭 泭Josh Hart泭泭 泭 泭 4.035泭泭 泭226.32
09泭泭 泭Jacob Opatmy泭泭 泭 泭 4.669泭泭 泭157.96
10泭泭 泭Tony Schumacher泭泭 泭 泭 4.828泭泭 泭147.34
11泭泭 泭Mike Salinas泭泭 泭泭 泭 5.139泭泭 泭132.09
12泭泭 泭Austin Prock泭泭 泭 泭 6.111泭泭 泭104.29
13泭泭 泭Scott Palmer泭泭 泭 泭 6.374泭泭 泭102.34
14泭泭 泭Doug Foley泭泭 泭 泭 6.460泭泭 泭105.22
15泭泭 泭Antron Brown泭泭 泭泭 泭6.831泭泭 泭94.74
16泭泭 泭Justin Ashley泭泭 泭泭 泭 6.984泭泭 泭82.66
17泭泭 泭Lex Joon泭泭 泭 泭 7.362泭泭 泭93.4
18泭泭 泭Brittany Force泭泭 泭泭 泭8.879泭泭 泭71.6
Qualifying continues at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.