JOLIET, IL — Shawn Langdon extended his points lead, Chad Green picked up his second win of the season, Aaron Stanfield ended a victory drought dating to 2024, and Matt Smith defeated his own wife in an all-family final — Sunday’s eliminations at Route 66 Raceway produced four memorable storylines at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK, Race 6 of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL: Langdon Makes It Three

Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon moved further ahead in the standings with his third victory of the 2026 season, powering his Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel Dragster to a 3.775-second pass at 335.90 mph in the final round to defeat Antron Brown.
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CHICAGO – Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon rolled to his second straight victory, defeating four-time world champion Antron Brown in the final round on Sunday to close out the 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK at Route 66 Raceway.

Chad Green (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the sixth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Langdon went 3.775-seconds at 335.90 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster to get past Brown, who went up in smoke early in the run. It is the 25th career win for Langdon, who extended his points lead and knocked off Shawn Reed, teammate Doug Kalitta and Josh Hart to reach the final round.
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Kalitta, Beckman, Enders, A. Smith all claim No. 1 spots at Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK

CHICAGO – Top Fuel points leader – and the sport’s fastest driver – Shawn Langdon picked up his first victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge this season on Saturday at Route 66 Raceway, knocking off Justin Ashley in the final round of the bonus event as part of this weekend’s 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK.

Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Enders (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the sixth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

After struggling through the first three sessions this weekend at Route 66 Raceway, Langdon put together a strong run when he needed it, going 3.770-seconds at 336.57 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster to defeat Ashley.
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Provisional No. 1 Qualifiers Set Across All Four Categories at NHRA Route 66 Nationals

JOLIET, IL — Friday qualifying at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK has produced provisional No. 1 qualifiers in all four professional categories, setting the stage for a competitive weekend at Route 66 Raceway. The event is Race 6 of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL — PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIER
Doug Kalitta – Mac Tools Top Fuel Dragster
3.720s – ELAPSED TIME
338.17 mph TOP SPEED

Reigning Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta staked his claim to the top spot on Friday, clocking a 3.720-second pass at 338.17 mph to sit atop the Top Fuel field. Kalitta carries one win into the 2026 season and is chasing what would be his fourth career victory at Route 66 Raceway.
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CHICAGO – Reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta made the quickest run on Friday at Route 66 Raceway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot at the 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK.

Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the sixth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Kalitta, who is currently second in points behind Kalitta Motorsports teammate Shawn Langdon, went 3.720-seconds at 338.17-mph in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster, putting the veteran in line for his second straight No. 1 qualifier this season and the 68th in his career.

He is also after his second victory of the season and first at Route 66 Raceway in 20 years. Kalitta, who has two world titles in the past three years, has three career victories at the standout Chicago facility.
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Auburn Hills, MI – NHRA National event racing returns to the great state of Michigan, courtesy of NHRA, Dodge and Mopar.

NHRA officials announce that the Dodge and Mopar brands will serve as title and presenting sponsors of the first NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park. Racing takes place Sept. 18-20 during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. The event is the first of six playoff races during the 20-event 2026 campaign.

The inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by Mopar makes its debut at the standout facility in Martin, Michigan, representing the first NHRA National event Michigan stop in 66 years and kicking off the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs in grand fashion.

“Having Dodge and Mopar step into the role of title and presenting sponsor for our debut event at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park is incredibly exciting,” NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer Brad Gerber said. “This race has huge importance as the first event in the Countdown to the Championship, and partnering with two iconic brands like Dodge and Mopar, which have a deep-rooted history in the area and in NHRA drag racing, elevates it even further. It’s a great way to launch the playoffs at a new venue, and we’re looking forward to delivering a standout weekend for everyone involved.”
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CHICAGO – Justin Ashley heads to this weekend’s Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK at Route 66 Raceway feeling good about the path his SCAG Racing team is on.

There have been adjustments with new crew chiefs and new team members, but the Top Fuel standout continues to thrive, especially over the past three races.

After a slow start to the year, Ashley has picked up steam in his 12,000-horsepower dragster, advancing to two semifinals and a final round in the loaded Top Fuel category. This weekend’s race in Chicago also marks a massive event for the SCAG team, as hundreds of employees will be on hand at Route 66 Raceway.

Ashley loves the opportunity to put on a show for them as he seeks his first win of the season and at the fan-favorite facility.
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CHICAGO – For the first time in his career, Jordan Vandergriff is entering race week as the most recent NHRA Funny Car winner on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour.

With momentum on his side following the major moment in his career, Vandergriff is hoping to follow up his win at South Georgia Motorsports Park in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS with a victory at this weekend’s fan-favorite Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK, which takes place at historic Route 66 Raceway.

Vandergriff scooped up his first career NHRA win two weeks ago at the NHRA Southern Nationals at the debut event at SGMP. After a part-time season in Top Fuel in 2019 and a stint as a pit reporter for the FOX broadcast team, Vandergriff became a full-time driver for John Force Racing in 2026.
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SOUTH GEORGIA MOTORSPORTS PARK – May 3, 2026 – The 41st running of the NHRA Southern Nationals, and the first at the new South Georgia Motorsports Park, concluded Sunday with exciting final-round action across all categories in Race 5 of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Top Fuel

Shawn Langdon piloted the Kalitta Air Careers Top Fuel Dragster to his second win of the 2026 season, defeating his teammate and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta in the final round with a solid 3.808-second, 333.16 mph pass.

Funny Car

Rookie sensation Jordan Vandergriff earned his first career NHRA national event victory in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car. Vandergriff took down No. 1 qualifier J.R. Todd in the final with a 4.007-second, 314.17 mph run.
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ADEL, GA – Top Fuel’s Shawn Langdon, who went a record-breaking 345.00-mph on Friday, finished off an incredible weekend and picked up his second win of the season in front of a sellout crowd on Sunday at South Georgia Motorsports Park, defeating teammate Doug Kalitta in the final round to close out the NHRA Southern Nationals.

Jordan Vandergriff (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the fifth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Langdon went 3.808-seconds at 333.16 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster, holding off Kalitta’s 3.954 at 314.61 to pick up his 24th career win on what was an historic weekend for the standout driver.

Two days after making the fastest pass in NHRA history with his 345.00-mph blast, Langdon finished the job in emphatic fashion, defeating Cam Ferre, Antron Brown and Clay Millican to reach the final round. There were no big speed numbers on Sunday, but Langdon and his team were remarkably consistent en route to the victory and after making national headlines with the record-breaking speed pass, Langdon said it was big to finish the weekend with a victory and move into the points lead.
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