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Updated throughout the day

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE Q1

The American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, an event that will crown NHRA’s 1,000th Top Fuel winner, opened on Friday morning with qualifying in the Lucas Oil Series sportsman categories, as well as Congruity Pro Mod, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock, Holley EFI Factory X, and FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown. The first Mission Foods Drag Racing Series pros to hit the track were Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors.

In what should have surprised no one, Gaige Herrera and Matt Smith claimed the top two spots after the first round of qualifying. Herrera, the defending and two-time world champion, powered his RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki to a 6.749 at over 200 mph. Herrera didn’t claim to be rusty following the six-week layoff after the Gainesville opener, but was critical of his .070 reaction time.

Smith grabbed qualifying bonus points after riding his Denso Buell to a 6.773 while Gadson is also within striking distance of the leaders with a 6.788. Perhaps the most surprising run of the round came from Steve Johnson, who logged a 6.805 on his Suzuki.

After one run, there are 11 riders in the sixes and four riders over 200-mph, including the two MSR entries and the two Vance & Hines SuzukiS.

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PRO STOCK Q1

There are 23 cars competing for just 16 spots in Pro Stock so it took almost no time at all for the field to get quick. Greg Anderson, the points leader, made the best run of the first session with a 6.522 in his HendrickCars.com Camaro while Matt Hartford’s Total Seal entry is at close second at 6.530. The KB Titan team swept the top three spots as Eric Latino is third quickest at 6.531.

Impressive rookie of the year contender Matt Latino is also in the mix at 6.554 while Brandon Foster (6.558), Cody Coughlin (6.559), Dallas Glenn (6.559), and Greg Stanfield (6.561) round out the top half of the field.

Included among the drivers yet to qualify is six-time world champion Erica Enders, who shut off early to a 6.968 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Chevy. Enders missed the field at the most recent event in Las Vegas. Also of note, Jerry Tucker is driving the Beaver Motorsports entry in place of Larry Morgan. Tucker also shut off early and is not currently qualified.

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FUNNY CAR Q1

Spencer Hyde, a Winternationals semifinalist and Mission Challenge winner in Las Vegas, continued his meteoric rise with a career-best 3.863 that put Jim Head’s entry on top of the field after one session.

Fans also got a treat when all four cars in the same quad ran in the threes twice:

Bob Tasca III (3.893), Bobby Bode (3.904). J.R. Todd (3.924), and Alexis DeJoria (3.963).

Cruz Pedregon (3.916), Daniel Wilkerson (3.920), Chad Green (3.926), and Ron Capps (3.928).

Eleven cars qualified in the three-second zone while Buddy Hull (4.010) and Hunter Green (4.020) flirted with the threes. With the three-second cars of Austin Prock, Paul Lee, and Dave Richards also waiting in the wings, we could be close to that elusive first all-three-second field.

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TOP FUEL Q1

Hot off his runner-up at the Las Vegas four-wide event. Reigning world champ Antron Brown who, with seven zMAX Dragway victories, including the Fall 2024 race, leads the Top Fuel category for most wins here, led the first session with a 3.703.

Steve Torrence, another consistent four-wide winner, sits second with a 3.721, with Justin Ashley (3.735) and Shawn Reed (3.739) next quickest.

The top eight is rounded out by Josh Hart (3.757), Clay Millican (3.769), Spencer Massey (3.782 in Krista Baldwin’s entry), and Doug Kalitta (3.792).

This is the final of four races where teams are allowed to experiment with removing the side air deflectors before NHRA makes a final determination. A number of cars, including those of Brittany Force and Shawn Reed, who have been the most consistent “non-users,” ran without.

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PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE Q2

In a scene that has been repeated many times over the past two years, Gaige Herrera gapped the Pro Stock Motorcycle field under the lights on Friday evening at zMax Dragway with a 6.680 on the RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki. ��

Herrera, who winner of the Gainesville season opener, has opened up a seven-hundredths lead over the rest of the field that includes teammate Richard Gadson, who is second at 6.759. Marc Ingwersen also found the 6.7s with a 6.799 on his Buell V-twin.

There was a host of 6.8-second runs including Matt Smith at 6.804, Angie Smith with a 6.816 and Kelly Clontz at 6.817. Hector Arana Jr. also made a representative run with a 6.824 on his Buell.

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PRO STOCK Q2

The Pro Stock field continued to get quicker and tighter after the second qualifying session and the entire 23-car field is currently chasing points leaders Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson, who both ran 6.502. Glenn had the faster speed 211.10 to 210.93, to secure the top spot and the three qualifying bonus points that go with it.

Glenn and Anderson are leading the standings and have combined to win the first four events of the season, but their advantage over the rest of the field is slim. Matt Hartford is third with a 6.510 while Cory Reed’s 6.526 is good for the fourth spot with two runs remaining on Saturday to set the 16-car field.

Erica Enders ran quick enough to qualify on the bump with a quick 6.574 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro.

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FUNNY CAR Q2

Three more Funny Car drivers joined the three-second parade, fronted by points leader Paul Lee, who recovered from an opening tire smoker with a dazzling 3.829 to go to the No. 1 spot and give us 14 cars in the threes. Could this be the weekend?

World champ Austin Prock was another who made the threes with a 3.844, as did Hunter Green with a 3.931. Behind Lee and Prock in third is Daniel Wilkerson with a 3.855 after an opening 3.920.

David Richards is on the bump with a 7.26, and Buddy Hull is 15th after running yet another 4.0. Both cars are three-second-capable, so we’ll see what happens Saturday.

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TOP FUEL Q2

Five races after her John Force Racing Funny Car teammate Austin Prock became the first in his class to top 340 mph at the 2024 season finale, Brittany Force joined in his history with a 341.59-mph blast on a 3.667 pass. Prock’s 341.68 is still the sport’s fastest pass.��

Force’s run was almost three mph faster than the previous best of 338.94 recorded at the 2022 Finals and well quicker than Mike Salinas’ 338.00 track record. For what it’s worth, Force’s car again was not wearing the air deflectors.

Force’s run went momentarily unnoticed as in the same quad Doug Kalitta ran 3.646 – another track record, supplanting Salinas’ 3.647 -- to take over the No. 1 spot from his teammate Shawn Langdon, who had run 3.665 earlier in the session.

Behind the leading trio and rounding out the top eight are Shawn Reed(3.703), Justin Ashley (3.708), Josh Hart (3.709), Steve Torrence (3.715), and Ida Zetterström (3.744).
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