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In a Top Fuel championship race that could be one for the ages in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, what happens at this weekend’s 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway could loom large in the title chase.
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That’s especially true for those needing a big weekend to draw closer to points leader Justin Ashley, who took over the top spot following his Dallas win. Three-time world champion Antron Brown trails Ashley by just 44 points, but he’s not the only one still looking to make a championship push at the final two races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
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Former champ Shawn Langdon is only 76 points out of first in his Kalitta Air Careers dragster, while four-time champion Steve Torrence sits just 88 points behind in his Capco Contractors dragster. Tony Schumacher is 105 points out of first, as the four drivers directly behind Ashley have a combined 16 championships between them.
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Langdon, though, knows his Kalitta Motorsports team needs to make up ground quickly, and he’ll need a big weekend in Vegas to stay in viable contention at the finale in Pomona.

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“In a perfect world, the Kalitta Air Careers team wins the race this weekend and takes the points lead,” Langdon said. “We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing all season but turn a couple of those runner-up finishes into race wins. Where it ends up, it ends up. Our goal is to win the last two races – we’re not focused on anything else.”
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Last season, Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the late-season race in Las Vegas. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, with eliminations coverage at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 3. It is the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship and the 19th of 20 races in the 2024 season, and the action will undoubtedly be intense in Las Vegas.
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Langdon won two of the first three races this year but hasn’t been back to the winner’s circle, falling in the final round five other times. That includes in Reading to open the postseason, while Torrence is also looking to finish the deal in Las Vegas. He has had big moments this year and has been consistent, but Torrence, who won in Seattle, knows he’ll need victories to claim a fifth world title.
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He was the runner-up in St. Louis and advanced to the semifinals in Dallas during the playoffs but will need more than that in Las Vegas. The good news is Torrence has enjoyed plenty of success at The Strip, winning five times, though the challenge is getting past a loaded field that also includes Clay Millican, Brittany Force, and Tony Stewart.
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Torrence is plenty battle-tested, which he hopes plays into his favor this weekend, where intensity will be at a fever pitch with the championship still up for grabs.

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“I still feel good about the championship,” Torrence said. “We’ve shot ourselves in the foot a couple times, but I don’t think we’ve shot it smooth off. The thing is, we just can’t make any more mistakes. We’re down 88 points, and going into Pomona, we need to at least be within two rounds (60 points). So, we’ve got some work to do. ��
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“We have an opportunity. Vegas has been good to us. We’ve won a lot of rounds [46, more than at any other venue] and a lot of races but, to be honest, that’s old news. It’s all about what we can do this weekend, and I can’t think of anybody I’d rather go into a battle like this with than these Capco boys. They’ve been here. They know the pressure. They know what needs to be done.”

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at noon and 2:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 1, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Nov. 2 at noon and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Nov. 3. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday with eliminations at 5 p.m. ET.
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To purchase tickets to the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, call 800-644-4444 or visit . Children 12 and under are admitted free in general-admission areas with a paid adult.��
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