NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

As traffic continued streaming through the gates and the grandstands steadily swelled at New England Dragway , Saturday's qualifying sessions at the NHRA New England Nationals roared to life with Top Fuel leading the way. 

News & Notes: Top Fuel Q3 — Urgency Takes Center Stage at New England Dragway

With only one more opportunity remaining before Saturday's Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and the final qualifying session, teams rolled into Q3 knowing that every run carried significant weight. Some contenders strengthened their positions, while others were left scrambling to solve issues before the day's final shot at the field.

Top Fuel—Third Qualifying Session:  

Langdon continued the remarkable consistency that has defined his season, posting a strong 3.736-second pass at 332.10 mph. The Kalitta Motorsports driver once again demonstrated why he entered the weekend atop the standings, delivering a clean run when many around him struggled.

Teammate Doug Kalitta also showed race-winning potential, powering to a stout 3.734 at 335.82 mph, the quickest elapsed time of the session among the pairings shown. Kalitta's run reinforces the strength of the Kalitta camp as eliminations draw closer.

Not everyone enjoyed a smooth trip down the historic New England Dragway surface.

Tony Stewart and Josh Hart both encountered significant trouble, with Stewart coasting to a 6.662-second pass and Hart slowing to an 8.813. Leah Pruett also failed to complete a full run opposite Kalitta, while Shawn Reed's machine lost momentum early against Maddi Gordon. For those teams, the pressure heading into Q4 has intensified considerably.

Among the other notable performances, Justin Ashley continued to show flashes of championship form with a 3.780-second effort against Clay Millican, while Tony Schumacher edged Antron Brown in a tightly contested side-by-side race, 3.820 to 3.831. Will Smith also delivered an impressive 3.848-second run at more than 326 mph.

The biggest storyline heading into the final qualifying session remains simple: urgency.

The weather conditions that allowed Shawn Langdon to claim Friday night's No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA have changed, and several top teams still need better runs to secure favorable positions for Sunday's eliminations. Crew chiefs can be seen pouring over data, drivers are focused, and every decision now carries added significance.

With one qualifying session remaining and Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus points still on the table, the intensity around the Top Fuel category continues to build. Saturday afternoon promises another round of high-stakes drama as teams make their final push toward race day at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto.

SOLD OUT! 🇺🇸
The fans have answered the call in Epping.
A capacity crowd has packed New England Dragway Saturday at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto, creating an electric atmosphere for qualifying and Mission #2Fast2Tasty glory.📸https://t.co/ofpm91v827

— National Dragster (@NHRADragster) June 6, 2026

Funny Car—Third Qualifying Session:  

The pressure continued to build Saturday afternoon at New England Dragway as Funny Car teams took their third qualifying shot at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto. With only one session remaining before eliminations, several contenders answered the call with career-defining runs while others fought through tire smoke and mechanical issues.

The headline performance belonged to Blake Alexander, who delivered a stout 3.999-second pass at 319.14 mph. Alexander's run vaulted him from the lower half of the field into serious contention heading into Q4, while Hagan's solid 4.061 at 262.64 mph kept him comfortably in the show.

Dave Richards continued his recent surge, posting a 3.984-second blast at 327.27 mph, the fastest speed of the round.  Daniel Wilkerson lost traction almost immediately and coasted to a 9.712-second effort. 

The consistency of J.R. Todd was also on display. Todd powered to a 3.945 at 334.15 mph, one of the quickest elapsed time of the session and the fastest speed recorded by any Funny Car through the finish line. In the other lane Chad Green encountered problems early in the run and was unable to complete a full pass.

Friday provisional No. 1 qualifier Alexis DeJoria encountered trouble during her Q3 attempt. After entering the day atop the field, DeJoria slowed to a 5.888-second run at 117.43 mph, allowing challengers an opportunity to close the gap. Veteran Del Worsham took advantage with a clean 4.046-second pass at 319.37 mph.

Elsewhere, Spencer Hyde continued his impressive season with a strong 4.018 at 312.86 mph, while Cruz Pedregon, Phil Burkart, and Jeff Arend each made representative runs as teams worked through varying track conditions.

One of the session's biggest storylines remained the emergence of rookie Jordan Vandergriff. Facing Jack Beckman in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Vandergriff delivered a winning 4.614-second pass and continued to gain valuable experience in only his first full Funny Car campaign.

And Ron Capps continued his Saturday success with a 3.945-second run at 328.22 mph to defeat Austin Prock, in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge whose 4.449-second effort was slowed by tire shake. Capps' performance further demonstrated that the NAPA team remains a major threat for Sunday's eliminations.

As Q3 concluded, Todd, Richards, Alexander, and Capps all laid down three-second performances, while DeJoria's grip on the top spot suddenly appeared vulnerable. With cooler conditions expected for the final qualifying session, the battle for the No. 1 position remains very much alive heading into Q4.

As the afternoon sun settled over New England Dragway, the Pro Stock category delivered another razor-close qualifying session during Q3 at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto. With hundredths and thousandths separating much of the field, every lane choice, clutch adjustment, and reaction time carried added importance.

Pro Stock—Third Qualifying Session:  

The quickest side-by-side race of the session came in a Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge matchup featuring reigning world champion Greg Anderson and Elite Motorsports veteran Greg Stanfield. Anderson powered his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet to a strong 6.549-second pass at 209.92 mph, while Stanfield encountered trouble almost immediately, slowing to a 13.700-second run. Anderson's performance keeps him firmly in the hunt for a top qualifying position as he continues his season-long battle with teammate Dallas Glenn.

That championship rivalry remained front and center when Glenn squared off against Troy Coughlin Jr. in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge for one of the closest races of the round. Coughlin used a stellar .010-second reaction time to edge Glenn at the finish line, posting a 6.583 at 208.33 mph compared to Glenn's quicker 6.564 at 210.28 mph. The margin of victory was just .0016-second, underscoring how fiercely competitive the category remains.

The Elite Motorsports camp also showed strength as Erica Enders continued to make gains with a 6.550-second run at 208.94 mph to defeat Matt Hartford, who responded with a nearly identical 6.551 at 209.79 mph. Enders' .022 reaction time proved to be the difference in another race decided by thousandths.

Among the session's quickest performers, Aaron Stanfield delivered a strong 6.542 at 208.49 mph, defeating teammate Kenny Delco and recording one of the fastest elapsed times of the round. Cody Anderson was also impressive, posting a 6.554 at 209.49 mph to get past Shane Tucker's 6.650 effort.

The Coughlin family continued to shine as Jeg Coughlin Jr. turned in a solid 6.558-second pass at 208.26 mph to hold off Deric Kramer, while Matt Latino used a strong .031 reaction time and a 6.559 at 210.44 mph to defeat brother Eric Latino in one of the most entertaining matchups of the session.

One of the biggest surprises came from Brandon Miller, who unloaded a session-leading 6.652-second pass at 207.27 mph on a single run. While not the quickest elapsed time of the round, Miller's effort continued a weekend that has seen several drivers outside the traditional championship contenders make noise in qualifying.

As Q3 concluded, the story remained familiar: Anderson, Glenn, Enders, Stanfield, and the KB Titan Racing contingent continue to set the pace, but the margins are impossibly small. With one final qualifying session remaining, virtually every position in the ladder remains up for grabs as teams prepare for a critical Q4 under improving track conditions in Epping.

Top Fuel—Fourth Qualifying Session:  

The final qualifying session for Top Fuel at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto delivered exactly what a sold-out Saturday crowd at New England Dragway came to see: side-by-side battles, championship contenders throwing everything at the race track, and several teams making last-minute moves before Sunday's eliminations.

The biggest statement came from Doug Kalitta, who entered Q4 as the provisional No. 1 qualifier and left with an even stronger hold on the top spot. Kalitta blasted to a 3.776-second run at 333.82 mph, the quickest and fastest run of the session, defeating points leader Shawn Langdon, who hazed the tires and slowed to a 5.182-second pass. Kalitta's run served notice that the Mac Tools team remains the car to beat heading into race day and gave him the win in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.

Just a few pairs earlier, Leah Pruett delivered one of the most impressive performances of the round. Pruett powered to a 3.764-second run at 330.88 mph, the quickest elapsed time of the session at that point, defeating Billy Torrence's 4.236-second effort. The run capped a strong qualifying weekend for Pruett and gives the Tony Stewart Racing team tremendous momentum entering eliminations.

Speaking of TSR, Tony Stewart continued his remarkable rookie campaign with a strong 3.844-second pass at 299.20 mph. Stewart got the better of Josh Hart, whose run slowed to a 4.489-second effort. Stewart's consistency throughout qualifying has once again positioned him as a serious Sunday contender.

Several championship hopefuls struggled to complete full runs as crews pushed aggressively in pursuit of cooler late-afternoon conditions. Justin Ashley lost traction and coasted to a 7.643-second run, allowing Maddi Gordon to advance with a 5.110. Earlier in the session, Antron Brown also ran into trouble and slowed to an 8.264-second pass while Tony Schumacher crossed the stripe with a 4.986.

The quickest clean run of the early portion of the session belonged to Will Smith, who posted a solid 3.852-second effort at 324.67 mph. The pass represented one of the strongest performances of the weekend for the Scrappers Racing driver and should improve his position on the final ladder.

Another noteworthy run came from Shawn Reed, who defeated Clay Millican with a 4.671-second pass. While neither driver found the performance they were seeking, Reed's run was enough to secure lane choice advantages deeper in the field.

As qualifying concluded, the headlines belonged to Kalitta and Pruett. Kalitta's 3.776 at 333.82 mph reinforced why he entered the weekend as one of the favorites, while Pruett's 3.764 demonstrated that Tony Stewart Racing now has two legitimate contenders capable of winning on Sunday.

With a packed house filling the grandstands and the Top Fuel field set, eliminations promise a heavyweight showdown between Kalitta, Langdon, Pruett, Stewart, Ashley, Brown, and a host of challengers eager to leave Epping with a Wally trophy.

Funny Car—Fourth Qualifying Session:

Vandergriff surges to first career No. 1 qualifier, captures #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in breakthrough day

In front of a sold-out Saturday crowd at New England Dragway, Jordan Vandergriff enjoyed the biggest day of his young Funny Car career, racing to his first career No. 1 qualifying position and completing a sweep of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto.

The rookie driver entered the final qualifying session already carrying momentum from his earlier Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory and then backed it up with the run of the weekend. Vandergriff blasted to a career-best 3.913 seconds at 323.58 mph, defeating veteran Ron Capps and securing the top spot on the Funny Car ladder heading into eliminations.

The achievement marks a significant milestone for the first-year Funny Car driver, who has steadily gained confidence throughout the season and now finds himself leading a field packed with world champions.

The battle for No. 1 came down to the final pairs as several contenders made strong runs under improving conditions.

Friday leader Alexis DeJoria rebounded from a difficult Q3 session with a strong 3.934 at 329.50 mph, but it wasn't enough to best Jack Beckman's 3.921-second effort. 

Just moments earlier, J.R. Todd and Dave Richards delivered one of the quickest side-by-side pairs of the weekend. Todd posted a 3.940 at 329.91 mph while Richards countered with a 3.974 at 331.53 mph. Todd's quicker elapsed time gave the DHL Toyota team another strong qualifying effort heading into Sunday.

Championship leader Austin Prock also answered with a solid 3.942 at 326.95 mph. While not enough to challenge for the No. 1 position, the run demonstrated that the Cornwell Tools team remains a major threat entering eliminations.

Matt Hagan, who powered to a 3.977-second pass at 324.90 mph with  Blake Alexander's 4.123 in the next lane. Hagan's run continued a strong rebound after fighting through challenging conditions earlier in the day.

Another standout came from Chad Green, who laid down a stout 3.971 at 318.77 mph, Daniel Wilkerson, who lost traction and slowed to a 6.199-second effort.

Several teams encountered trouble during the session. Spencer Hyde, one of the breakout performers of the season, was unable to make a competitive run and coasted to a 10.565-second pass. Earlier, Jeff Arend and Cruz Pedregon each made clean solo runs as teams attempted to improve their positions in the tightly packed field.

When the final numbers were posted, however, the story belonged to Vandergriff.

After collecting the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge trophy earlier in the day, Vandergriff capped a remarkable Saturday by earning the first No. 1 qualifier award of his Funny Car career. The rookie will now enter race day with lane choice throughout eliminations and the confidence that comes from outrunning a field that includes Capps, DeJoria, Prock, Hagan, Beckman, and Todd.

For a driver still learning the nuances of Funny Car competition, Saturday in Epping may be remembered as the day Jordan Vandergriff officially arrived.

Pro Stock—Fourth Qualifying Session:

The final Pro Stock qualifying session at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto featured exactly what fans have come to expect from the category: door-handle-close racing, reaction times measured in thousandths, and a championship-caliber showdown between the sport's biggest names.

When the dust settled Saturday afternoon at New England Dragway, Greg Anderson emerged with the No. 1 qualifying position and Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge winner continuing an impressive season that has seen the six-time world champion remain at the center of the championship fight.

Anderson closed qualifying with a solid 6.545-second run at 209.17 mph, defeating Troy Coughlin Jr. in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge session. While neither driver improved significantly, Anderson's earlier performances were enough to secure the top spot entering Sunday's eliminations.

The battle for qualifying position remained fierce throughout the session.

Erica Enders continued to build momentum with one of the strongest runs of the round, using a stellar .011 reaction time and a 6.564-second pass at 209.62 mph to defeat Matt Hartford's 6.545-second effort. The four-time world champion once again demonstrated why she remains one of the toughest competitors in the category when race day arrives.

One of the most anticipated matchups paired points contender Dallas Glenn against Elite Motorsports standout Aaron Stanfield. Stanfield delivered a near-perfect .018 reaction time and a 6.564-second run to narrowly defeat Glenn's 6.560-second effort. The margin at the finish line was just .0171-second in another example of the razor-thin margins that define Pro Stock competition.

The Coughlin family also enjoyed a productive session. Jeg Coughlin Jr. used a .031 light and a 6.559-second pass to get around Greg Stanfield, while Cody Anderson turned in a strong 6.552-second effort to defeat Deric Kramer.

Among the quickest side-by-side races of the round, Shane Tucker edged Brandon Miller, 6.576 to 6.645, while Matt Latino defeated brother Eric Latino with a 6.549-second pass at 209.56 mph.

Elsewhere, Kenny Delco made a clean solo run of 6.605 seconds at 208.01 mph as teams focused on securing final ladder positions before eliminations.

As qualifying concluded, the category once again proved why it remains one of the most competitive in motorsports. The spread between the front of the field and the middle of the pack remains incredibly tight, with nearly every contender running within a few hundredths of one another.

Saturday Schedule

11:30 a.m. — Professional Qualifying Session 3
12:00 p.m. — Sportsman Eliminations Continue
2:00 p.m. — Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge Finals
2:30 p.m. — Professional Qualifying Session 4

Tickets and Streaming

Tickets remain available for both Saturday and Sunday's championship eliminations at New England Dragway. Fans planning to attend can purchase tickets through the NHRA ticket office and event website. (NHRA)

For those unable to make the trip to Epping, every round of professional qualifying and eliminations can be streamed live on NHRA.TV, which provides complete coverage of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. (NHRA.TV)

Friday belonged to Langdon, DeJoria, and Anderson.

By the end of Saturday afternoon, the rest of the field hopes the story will be very different.

TELEVISION
FRIDAY, June 5, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one and half hours of qualifying coverage at 8:00 p.m. ET 
SUNDAY, June 7, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 12:00 p.m. ET 

SUNDAY, June 7, FOX will televise three hours of finals coverage at 3:00 p.m. ET 

2025 EVENT WINNERS
Brittany Force, Top Fuel; J.R. Todd, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock. 

MOST VICTORIES (active drivers)
Tony Schumacher, 2, TF, Matt Hagan, 4, FC; Greg Anderson, 3, PS. 

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.646 seconds by Doug Kalitta, June '25; 341.42 mph by Brittany Force, June '25. 
Funny Car - 3.822 seconds by Robert Hight, June '17; 336.74 mph by Hight, June '17. 
Pro Stock - 6.469 seconds by Greg Anderson, June '25; 214.72 mph by Greg Anderson, June '15. 

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading; 345.00 mph by Shawn Langdon, May ’26, Adel
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24, Pomona
Pro Stock - 6.443 sec. by Greg Anderson, March '25, Gainesville; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May '14, Englishtown