91°µÍø

NHRA’s Professional racing teams will face a grueling crucible as the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series returns to Virginia Motorsports Park where, for the first time, three qualifying sessions will be held on Saturday of the two-day event.

Temperatures for both days are expected to be in the 90-degree range, making the work and the tuning even tougher for the crew and crew chiefs at the ninth event of the 2024 season. The good news is that the Virginia Motorsports Park dragstrip is considered one of the best in the country, lauded for its smoothness and traction.

The event was not contested last year, and Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) scored wins at the 2022 event. Force, who has struggled this season with only six round-wins in the first eight events and two semifinal finishes, could use a get-well weekend for the team. Her John Force Racing teammate, Hight, won't be on hand to defend his Funny Car title as he has been sidelined this year for medical reasons.

Hight's protégé, Austin Prock, has more than admirably filled in for the three-time world champion, collecting two wins and three runner-ups already this season to lead the class. Team boss John Force also has had a season of resurrection as the 16-time world champ has two wins on the year and has his best car in years.

Smith, meanwhile, will have his hands full winning again in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, trying to slow down the runaway freight train that is Gaige Herrera, who has won nine straight events dating back to the 2023 season aboard the Vance & Hines RevZilla Suzuki. Herrera has won 35 straight rounds of competition, and one more win would give him the all-time NHRA record for consecutive round-wins, breaking his tie with Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden.

The reigning Pro Stock champ is Bo Butner, who has held that title for five years, as Pro Stock has not been contested at the event since 2019. Butner, a former world champion in both Pro Stock and Comp eliminator, will be pulling double duty this weekend and also competing in the Johnsons Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock class. In the conventional Pro Stock class, Butner will be wheeling a new ride from the Cuadra/Elite camp to put some laps on the new machine before Fernando Cuadra Jr. hops into it in the near future.

The Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge will also be contested today during the final two qualifying sessions, with bonus points and ash on the line for a series of semifinal rematches from the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals two weeks ago.

In Top Fuel, Clay Millican will take on points leader and reigning world champ Doug Kalitta, while Bristol champ Tony Schumacher faces off against Brittany Force. The Funny Car battle will pit Prock against local favorite and reigning world champ Matt Hagan, while John Force will square off against J.R. Todd. In Pro Stock, Bristol winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. will take on reigning Pro Stock world champ Erica Enders, and points leader Dallas Glenn will be pitted against his teammate Greg Anderson. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Herrera will tackle Matt Smith, while Jianna Evaristo is paired up with Richard Gadson.

SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, June 22
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series eliminations at 8 a.m. and 7:15 p.m.
Mountain Motor PS qualifying at 10 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.
91°µÍø Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying at 10:20 a.m. 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Top Fuel Motorcycle Drag Racing Series qualifying at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

SUNDAY, June 23
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at noon.

TELEVISION
Saturday, June 22, FOX Sports 1 (FS1), will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 2:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, June 23, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 1:00 p.m. ET and three hours of finals coverage at 5 p.m. ET

2022 EVENT WINNERS
Brittany Force, Top Fuel; Robert Hight, Funny Car; Matt Smith, Pro Stock Motorcycle.

MOST EVENT VICTORIES: Cory McClenathan, 4, TF; John Force, 4, FC; Warren Johson 4, PS; Matt Hines, 2, PSM

TRACK RECORDS:Ìý

• Top Fuel – 3.654 seconds by Brittany Force, May '22; 335.82 mph by Force, May '22.
• Funny Car - 3.853 seconds by Matt Hagan, May '22; 335.82 mph by Hagan, May '22.
• Pro Stock - 6.509 seconds by Mike Edwards, Oct. '09; 215.36 mph by Greg Anderson, Oct. '09.
• Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.756 seconds by Angie Smith, May '22; 201.37 mph by A. Smith, May ‘22

NATIONAL RECORDS:

• Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading; 338.17 mph by Brittany Force, Nov. ‘19, Las Vegas
• Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 339.87 mph by Robert Hight, July ’17, Sonoma
• Pro Stock - 6.450 sec. by Erica Enders, March ’22, Gainesville; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ’14, Englishtown
• Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.627 sec. by Gaige Herrera, Oct ‘23, Dallas; 205.04 mph by Matt Smith, July ‘21, Sonoma