91°µÍø

The completion of the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte marked the fifth event of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, meaning that the Pro Stock class has reached the quarter-pole of the 20-race season. Here’s a look at the frontrunners and highlights of the season so far.

THE POINTS LEADER

Greg Anderson may never again win 15 races in a season, as he did in 2004, but 27 years into his Pro Stock career, he remains a title threat. Anderson freely admits that at age 63, his days as a competitive driver are numbered, but this season, he appears to have discovered a fountain of youth. Seeking his sixth championship, Anderson is off to a great start with two wins and two semifinals in the first five events, culminating in a sparkling 12-3 record on race day. With his wins in Phoenix and Charlotte, Anderson has a slim 25-point lead over six-time and reigning world champ Erica Enders.

The fact that Anderson is winning rounds isn’t necessarily newsworthy because he’s got nearly 1,000 of them in his career, but his reaction times have been largely competitive, with the only blemish being a holeshot loss in the semifinals of the Las Vegas NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

Anderson now has 105 wins in his career, which ties Top Alcohol Funny Car great Frank Manzo for third on NHRA’s all-time wins list behind John Force (156) and Dan Fletcher (107). While he’ll admittedly never catch Force, it’s entirely possible that Anderson puts the Pro Stock record out of reach because among active Pros, Jeg Coughlin Jr. is second with 66 and Erica enders is third at 48.

PUSHING FOR THE FRONT

After securing her sixth championship win a dominant run through the 2023 Countdown to the Championship, Enders came out swinging with a long overdue win at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, and at that point, it was reasonable to think that the rest of the Pro Stock class was going to be in for a long season. That may still be the case as Enders’ JHG/Elite Camaro remains arguably the best car in the class, but she didn’t win either of the four-wide races or the West Coast events in Phoenix and Pomona. Enders is typically a threat to qualify in the No. 1 spot but has been No. 6 and No. 7 in her last two starts in Las Vegas and Charlotte.  

Dallas Glenn bagged an early win in Pomona, and he’s matched Enders with a 12-4 record in elimination rounds this season, which is why he’s in third place, just 26 points behind teammate Anderson and one point behind Enders. Glenn’s RAD Torque Systems Camaro is quick enough to qualify No. 1, as he did in Pomona, and he’s also a bandit on the Tree with 10 reaction times of .027 or quicker in 16 rounds.  

LOOKING FOR TRACTION

Jeg Coughlin Jr. has made numerous comebacks during his long career in Pro Stock, and each time, he’s quickly managed to find a way to be competitive. To that end, it wasn’t surprising to see the five-time world champion find the winner’s circle in his fourth start of the season in Las Vegas. At that event, Coughlin and his Scag Power Equipment team also ran the table with a win in Saturday’s Mission Foods #2Fast2tasty NHRA Challenge.

Aaron Stanfield struggled out of the gate with a pair of early losses in Pomona and Las Vegas, but lately, his fortunes have taken a turn for the better with a runner-up finish at the Charlotte NHRA 4-Wide Nationals. Stanfield, who has three championships in the Flexjet 91°µÍø Factory Stock Showdown to his credit, also claimed a win in the new Holley EFI Factory X class at zMax Dragway.

IN OTHER NEWS …

The odds of NHRA’s next first-time Pro winner coming from the Pro Stock division are fairly strong as Jerry Don Tucker, Brandon Foster, Mason McGaha, Eric Latino, and Cuadra brothers Fernando Jr., David, and Cristian have all shown flashes of brilliance this season.

Jerry Don Tucker has been particularly impressive in his second year as a full-time Pro as the Elite team driver was the low qualifier in Las Vegas, where he also appeared in his first final. Tucker is currently ranked No. 7 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings and would undoubtably be higher if not for a rare DNQ in Pomona.

Cristian Cuadra also suffered a DNQ in Pomona, but that hasn’t prevented the Corral Boots driver from claiming the No. 6 spot in the standings following a runner-up in Gainesville to start the season. The Cuadra team will now consist of the three brothers, Fernando Jr., David, and Cristian, following the recent retirement of their father, Fernando Sr.

Matt Hartford won the NHRA U.S. Nationals last season and was a contender to win the Pro Stock title, but so far, this year has been a nightmare with back-to-back DNQs in Las Vegas and Pomona. Hartford recently tested and will return to last year’s GETTRX/Total Seal Camaro at least temporarily. Hartford is ranked No. 14 heading into Chicago, but if he’s looking for inspiration, Enders was also well outside the top 10 last year before a late-season title run.

After winning her first event last season, Camrie Caruso will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after she was involved in a bizarre on-track accident in Phoenix that left her with a broken leg. Caruso has vowed to return, but at this point, the timetable is not certain.

Sienna Wildgust, one of several rookies in the Pro Stock class this season, will celebrate her 18th birthday in early June, and it’s entirely possible that she celebrates her first round-win around the same time. Wildgust continues to learn the ropes in the tough Pro Stock class, as she’s qualified for three of five events, including a best of No. 14 in Las Vegas.

Through the first five events of the season, 27 different drivers have attempted to qualify for a Pro Stock event. By comparison, just 28 drivers raced during the entire 2023 season, a further sign of Pro Stock’s growth.