SEATTLE – Four-time Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence made the fastest run in Pacific Raceways history on Friday, powering to the provisional No. 1 position at the 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals.

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 11th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the first-ever night session at Pacific Raceways, Torrence, the defending event winner in Seattle, went 3.688-seconds at 335.32 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors/Toyota dragster under the lights. If that holds, Torrence, who is looking for his first win since his Seattle triumph last year, would earn his second top qualifier of the season and 39th in his career.

“To go out and run 335 [mph], that’s a stout run,” Torrence said. “Tonight’s a hero run for all of us, and not really going to be relevant for anything tomorrow or race day, but you kind of get to pound your chest a little bit and say, ‘Hey, we’re low E.T., we’re No. 1. I think that that’ll stay safe for the rest of the weekend so we’ll get ready for our race day tune up now. Continue reading →

SEATTLE – Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn is ready to travel west to Seattle for his home race at Pacific Raceway for this weekend’s 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals.

Glenn, originally from Covington, Wash., will take on all the top names in the Pro Stock field at the NHRA Northwest Nationals as the category returns to Seattle after a year away. Glenn, for one, is ready to return to the scenic facility in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro for the fan-favorite event in the Pacific Northwest.

“I grew up one exit down from Pacific Raceways so to get a win here would be really awesome,” Glenn said. “I don’t know if I would call it extra pressure for what I’m feeling coming into racing at my first home track, but I would definitely call it excitement.”

Glenn currently leads the points thanks to his two wins in Pomona and Chicago and three runner-up finishes during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. His teammate Greg Anderson sits in second, thanks to his two wins in 2024. Reigning champion Erica Enders is currently third while Aaron Stanfield is fourth, thanks to his back-to-back wins in Richmond and Norwalk. Continue reading →

SEATTLE – After two weeks off, Funny Car’s Alexis DeJoria is ready for a swift turnaround at this weekend’s 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.

The race kicks off the second half of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and DeJoria is eager to get back on track after a month of struggles in June. After a strong start to the season in her 11,000-horsepower Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra, including a final-round appearance in Phoenix, things didn’t go as planned over the past four races, picking up just one round win.

But there’s ample time for a turnaround and DeJoria believes it can come in Seattle, where her crew chief, Del Worsham, still holds the Funny Car track E.T. record (3.832-seconds). That came in 2016 and conditions could be ripe for stellar runs this weekend, especially as racers will compete under the lights for the first time in Pacific Raceways history on Friday.

The first-time night session in the nitro ranks is a definite highlight for the weekend and DeJoria will try to take advantage, setting the tone for what she hopes is a big event. Continue reading →

SEATTLE – Shawn Reed’s first time at a dragstrip came at Pacific Raceways, when he experienced the magic of drag racing growing up. Now behind the wheel of an 11,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragster, Reed will get to be part of another Pacific Raceways first this weekend in Seattle at the 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals.

The annual stop at the scenic track in the Pacific Northwest will feature qualifying under the lights for the first time at Pacific Raceways, a must-see moment for what’s expected to be another memorable NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series weekend in Seattle.

Of course, they are all memorable there for Reed, who grew up in nearby Puyallup just miles from the historic facility. This year marks the first time since 2019 he will compete at his hometown track and he wouldn’t mind a repeat of that result in his 11,000-horsepower Reed Truck & Excavating dragster.

Reed was a semifinalist in 2019 and this season has marked a return to full-time competition in the loaded Top Fuel category. The veteran is currently 13th in points with a pair of round wins, but he’s thrilled with the progress the team has made and he can’t wait to race under the lights in Seattle – in front of plenty of family and friends – for the first time on Friday to kick off the race weekend. Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS – Featuring three races celebrating a 25th anniversary in 2025 and culminating with the 60th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, NHRA officials announced today the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule.

As previously released, the 2025 campaign will open at legendary Gainesville Raceway for the third straight year, as the 56th annual Gatornationals kick off the NHRA’s 74th year of racing on March 6-9. The NHRA will commemorate 25 years of racing during both events at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, as well as the 65th anniversary of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, the 40th anniversary at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix, Texas Motorplex in Dallas and Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., and the 15th anniversary of four-wide racing at state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

In all, the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule currently includes 20 races at standout facilities across the country. Minus the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals on Aug. 27-Sept. 1 in Indy, which will feature five qualifying sessions, and the Virginia NHRA Nationals, which will again have three qualifying sessions on Saturday as part of a two-day event, every other race will include four overall qualifying sessions, with two on Friday and two on Saturday. Continue reading →

SONOMA, CA – As the summer heats up, all the stars in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series gear up for one of the highlights of the season – the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 26-28 at picturesque Sonoma Raceway.

Located in the heart of wine country, the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals marks the 12th of 20 events on this year’s NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, offering breathtaking backdrops and incredible action on the track. Sonoma Raceway has seen its share of NHRA history, too, including last season when Pro Stock Motorcycle phenom Gaige Herrera completed the sweep the NHRA Western Swing in Sonoma, becoming only the eighth competitor in NHRA history to do so and the first-ever in the category.

Herrera will also look to double up for a second straight year, as the GETTRX NHRA All- Star Pro Stock Motorcycle Callout specialty event returns to Sonoma on Saturday. It’s one of the many thrilling highlights of a weekend that includes a can’t-miss nitro qualifying session under the lights on Friday, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus race on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday as all the top names in the NHRA will look to put on a show at one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit.

Last year, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all took home NHRA Wally trophies, as well as the Sonoma Raceway specialty wine goblet trophies. This year’s race will again be broadcast on both FOX and FS1, including eliminations coverage starting at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, July 28 on FOX. Continue reading →

NORWALK, OH – Three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown slipped past points leader Doug Kalitta in the final round of the 18th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, racing to his 76th career win on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park.

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 10th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Brown denied Kalitta, the reigning world champ, his second straight win, going 3.736-seconds at 330.55 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools/Toyota dragster to get past Kalitta’s 3.747 at 334.65 in a fantastic side-by-side duel. It is Brown’s second win this season – and the 60th Top Fuel win in his spectacular career – and he reached the final round after defeating Dan Mercier, Clay Millican and Justin Ashley. Brown then led wire-to-wire against the No. 1 qualifier, moving to fourth in points with the thrilling victory. Continue reading →

M. Smith qualifies No. 1 in PSM, Gadson gets first win in PSM bonus race

NORWALK, OH – Top Fuel points leader Doug Kalitta made the fastest run in track history on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park, picking up the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and cementing his No. 1 qualifier position at the 18th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while Prock, Anderson and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) qualified No. 1 at the 10th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Kalitta stayed red-hot in the loaded Top Fuel ranks, picking up his first specialty race win of the year, going 3.703-seconds at a track-record 337.16 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Applied Innovation/Toyota dragster to defeat Antron Brown’s 3.755. It was an impressive performance in a stretch that has been filled with them for the defending world champion.

Friday’s track-record run of 3.692 held up as well at the home track for Kalitta Motorsports, handing the veteran his fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and 57th in his career. He opens eliminations against Kyle Wurtzel, looking for his second straight win and third in the past four races. Continue reading →