Kalitta, Tasca and Hartford keep No. 1 spots heading into eliminations at Firebird Motorsports Park

PHOENIX – Funny Car’s Ron Capps claimed the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the year on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd at Firebird Motorsports Park, defeating Matt Hagan in the final round of the bonus race as part of the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals.

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge specialty race, while Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) earned No. 1 qualifiers at the second of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In front of a capacity crowd, Capps went 3.989-seconds at 318.24 mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra, driving past Hagan in the bonus race in a matchup of multi-time world champions. It was a welcome victory for Capps, who went all of 2024 without winning a national event. He was the runner-up in Gainesville and built on that on Saturday, defeating Alexis DeJoria earlier in the day before getting past Hagan for a much-needed result.

“I’m very excited myself, but I’m more excited for ‘Guido’ [crew chief Dean Antonelli] and the team,” Capps said. “Last year was a rebuilding of sorts. We knew we had to change the setup to get ahead of the competition after back-to-back world championships, and we felt like we needed to get to where Jimmy Prock and Austin were last year and this year. Continue reading →

PHOENIX – Rock-and-roll music legend and Arizona native Alice Cooper is set to perform at the “Off the Track” concert at the Wild Horse Pass Festival Grounds on Saturday, March 22 as part of the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals weekend, March 21-23.

Known for his hits like “School’s Out” and “I’m Eighteen” and many more, Cooper’s concert is set to take place Saturday following final qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals. The Wild Horse Pass Festival Grounds is located right next to Firebird Motorsports Park. Kicking off the concert will be popular rock band Buckcherry. Gates open at 4 p.m., with Buckcherry performing at 6:15 p.m. and Cooper following at 7:45.

The first “Off the Track” concert in conjunction with the NHRA Arizona Nationals was held a year ago and after a successful debut, it returns in 2025 with the longtime rock star in Cooper. General admission tickets for the concert starts at $69, while VIP tickets are $145. Military and Gila River Indian Community member tickets are $59. Continue reading →

PHOENIX – The Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge returns to the 2025 NHRA season and the first matchups in the Saturday specialty event are set for March 22 as part of the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, which takes place March 21-23 at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix.

The unique challenge, which offers a bonus purse and bonus championship points, enters its third year in 2025, bringing competitive racing to the qualifying schedule during the next 13 regular-season events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. The Challenge pits semifinalists from the previous race against each other, with the two winners matching up as part of Saturday’s final qualifying session, offering added drama and excitement for fans in attendance the rest of the regular season.

Reigning world champion Antron Brown is off to a red-hot start after winning in Gainesville. With Steve Torrence not racing in Phoenix, that means a matchup with racing legend Tony Stewart in the opening round of the Challenge. The other Top Fuel matchup features defending Phoenix winner Shawn Langdon meeting Jasmine Salinas. She scored her first semifinal appearance in Top Fuel in Gainesville, meaning Salinas will also make her Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge debut in Phoenix. Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS – In a stunning turnaround from the team’s problems in Brainerd, Minn., two weeks ago, J.R. Todd and his DHL GR Supra Funny Car team raced to the Toyota U.S. Nationals winner’s circle in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge featuring a rematch of the semifinals and finals from the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn. The 70th Toyota U.S. Nationals is set for Monday in Indianapolis.

With the win, Todd earned three Mission Foods bonus points which will be added to his points total after the point standings are reset entering the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs. Todd earned 10 Mission Foods bonus points this season.

“Gotta thank Mission Foods for giving us the opportunity to race for extra money and bonus points, and those bonus points definitely come in handy when the Countdown comes around,” Todd said. “It’s nice to add to our points reset, whatever that may be after Monday. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in good position to maybe finish second in the regular season going into the Countdown and see where we stack up.” Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS – When six-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith returns this weekend’s 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, he brings with him not only his success from last season, but also his last race.

Smith, rider of the DENSO Auto Parts Buell, made a statement in Sonoma when he swept the weekend by winning the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle NHRA All-Star Callout specialty event and earning the No. 1 qualifier position before going on to win the event on Sunday.

“We finally broke through for the win in Sonoma and that was the first time since Reading of last year,” said Smith. “Our DENSO Auto Parts Buell team has been working hard over the last year and I want to think we’re peaking at the right time and Indy is the perfect place to keep the momentum going.”

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all claimed Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals victories in 2023 and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FOX and FS1, including a special Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout broadcast on FOX at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday and eliminations coverage on FOX beginning at 2 p.m. on Monday. Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS – Looking to stay in the top 10, Top Fuel’s Brittany Force made the quickest run of Friday at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals, powering to the provisional No. 1 position at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Blake Alexander (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 14th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Force, who is currently an uncharacteristic 10th in points, went 3.740-seconds at 334.32 mph in her 11,000-horsepower Chevrolet Accessories dragster to kick off the race weekend. If it holds, the two-time world champion would pick up her second No. 1 this season and the 48th in her career. More importantly, Force needs to stay in the top 10 to secure a spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. A win at the world’s biggest drag race would clinch that for Force, who is after her first win since her 2022 championship season. Continue reading →