91°µÍø

Now that the dust has settled, the PRI show has concluded, the Christmas gifts have been opened, and the racing world has entered into a couple weeks of lull as it should, we thought it a good time to pore over the figures, the facts, and the interesting occurrences of 2024 one last time. A huge thanks to Pete Richards and the NHRA Nitro Research Dept. for the adroit tabulations, calculations, and tracking of information in 2024. It isn’t easy, and it allows us to really enjoy interesting insights into the sport and season. 

So, without further ado, here’s a collection of stuff we found or noticed, some of which we looked for and some seemingly looked for us, from 2024. It’s impressive at times, cringey at others, but all straight off the books. 

Don’t get any ideas, pal

Justin Ashley would have the 10th-best reaction-time average in Pro Stock. No other nitro racer cracks the top dozen. 

That can’t be … can it?

Defying logic, four times Greg Anderson had the best reaction time at a Pro Stock race, more than anyone else in the class, including noted holeshot artists Dallas Glenn, Aaron Stanfield, and Fernando Cuadra Jr., each of whom had three.

Sometimes the numbers can lie

Erica Enders was second in the Pro Stock Speed Index, which is a measure of full-throttle run completion. Her rate over the entire season was an impressive 91.87% and was less than one point behind Greg Anderson's 92.8%.

Enders had the best qualifying position average, the best qualifying elapsed time average, and set low e.t. of race day nine times, more than anyone else. She tied with Dallas Glenn to earn the most Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge points in the class. So, how are the numbers lying? Well, if you didn’t know any better, you’d be blown away to understand that despite this stat line, she finished fourth in the points. 

Things that won’t happen twice in a row, for $1,000, Alex ...

Of Pro Stock's 45 holeshots in 2024, Enders was involved in 10 of them, going 1-9 in that statistical column. Wyatt Earp’s legendary vengeance ride against the cowboys of the Wild West may look like a Sunday stroll as compared to what she wants to do with the competition in 2025. 

It’s how you finish more than how you start

J.R. Todd had the best reaction average in Funny Car with an insane .059, and the driver of the DHL GR Supra left first 72% of the time but completed only 58% of his runs under power. This left him ranked sixth in that category and was the largest contributor to his eighth-place points finish. 

Oh, that’s all? Maybe try harder next year …

Austin Prock led the following categories: 

• Average qualifying position
• Average points per race
• Most round appearances
• Round-win percentage
• No. 1 qualifiers
• Low Elapsed times set 
• Mission #2Fast2Tasty points 
• Qualifying bonus points 

There are probably some others we could create that he’d lead, too, but we don’t want those guys getting over-confident and blowing their chances at winning another race next season. 

 Don’t forget those other John Force Racing guys!

Jack Beckman and John Force completed an amazing 82.08% of their 106 combined runs under full throttle in the Peak Camaro, landing them atop the Funny Car Speed Index charts. This is amazingly better than world champ Austin Prock's 79.1% rate.

If you are going to be truly great at one thing, make it this …

The only consequential statistical category that Antron Brown led in 2024 was race wins. 

The strain of all-out competition shows itself in interesting ways

As a category, Top Fuel had the lowest percentage Speed Index (completed runs) leader of any Mission Foods class. Justin Ashley was the class leader with a season-long 68.64% completion rate. This would have ranked fifth in Funny Car, 12th in Pro Stock, and ninth in Pro Stock Motorcycle. 

How can the seemingly more traction-suited dragsters be behind the Funny Cars? We’d venture to say it’s because of how hard the teams had to push across the board to both qualify and win races. There is a reason a half-dozen people were in contention to win a title entering the In-N-Out Burger 91°µÍø Finals. Tire smoke is a sign of aggressive tuning, right?

Getting up early on Sunday

Of the 31 holeshots recorded in Top Fuel in 2024, 20 of them came in the first round. 

You just knew it would be these two guys, didn’t you?

The only Top Fuel drivers to have a holeshot win past the second round were Shawn Langdon (one semifinal) and Justin Ashley (two final-round wins, one semifinal advancement in a four-wide, and one runner-up in four-wide competition). 

Pro Stock Motorcycle = zero chill … zero

Over the course of the season, there were eight red-lights in Top Fuel, nine in Funny Car, 18 in Pro Stock, and amazing foul starts in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Numbers we don’t expect to see again in 2025, part deux

Vance and Hines riders were 6-1 on holeshots in 2024. Matt Smith Racing riders were 2-7.

Fear 'The Zoo Effect,' for it is real

The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway had the most holeshots of any race in 2024 with 11 between the three Professional classes run there. There were three in Top Fuel, two in Funny Car, and six in Pro Stock. If the numbers tell us anything, we know who we’re partying with next year because clearly the Pro Stock set had the time of their lives on Saturday evening!

Take them with a grain of salt, a grit of your molars, or a smile, but this is what the cold, hard numbers told us at the end of 2024. If your favorite racer didn’t run as well as you wanted in 2024, hope always springs eternal for 2025. See us again in about 365 days for an update on all this stuff, NHRA 74th year style.