NHRA
BROWN, HAGAN, HARTFORD AND HERRERA TAKE HOME WINS AT BRISTOL’S SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
BRISTOL, TN — Antron Brown, Matt Hagan, Matt Hartford and Gaige Herrera each claimed event wins Sunday at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Race 9 of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, at Bristol Dragway.
Four-time Top Fuel champion Antron Brown won for the first time at Bristol Dragway, powering the Matco Tools Eagle Experience Top Fuel dragster to a 3.788-second pass at 331.61 mph to defeat current points leader Shawn Langdon in the final round.
In Funny Car, Matt Hagan picked up his second win of the 2026 season, pedaling the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat to a 4.125 at 310.91 mph to get past Daniel Wilkerson.
Matt Hartford scored his third Pro Stock win of the season, driving the Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro to a 6.672 at 205.60 mph to defeat Greg Anderson.
And in Pro Stock Motorcycle, two-time world champion Gaige Herrera won for the second time at Bristol Dragway, running 6.838 at 198.47 mph aboard the RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki to top teammate and reigning champion Richard Gadson.
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BROWN, HAGAN, HARTFORD & HERRERA ROLL TO WINS AT SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
BRISTOL, TN – Four-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown won for the first time at Bristol Dragway on Sunday, defeating points leader Shawn Langdon in a thrilling final round of the 25th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the ninth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Brown went 3.788-seconds at 331.61 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster, holding off Langdon’s 3.801 at 334.07 in a spectacular side-by-side duel. It is Brown’s first victory of the season and the 82nd in his career, defeating Will Smith, Shawn Reed and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta to reach the final round.
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KALITTA, BECKMAN, HARTFORD AND GADSON WIN MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA CHALLENGES AT BRISTOL
BRISTOL, TN— Reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta, Funny Car’s Jack Beckman, Pro Stock’s Matt Hartford and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Richard Gadson each claimed Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victories Saturday during qualifying for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, Race 9 of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
Kalitta picked up his fourth Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge win of the season, defeating Leah Pruett in Top Fuel.
In Funny Car, Beckman earned his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge win of the year, getting past John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff.
Matt Hartford collected his first Pro Stock Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge win of the season, knocking off reigning class champion Dallas Glenn.
And in Pro Stock Motorcycle, reigning class champion Richard Gadson claimed his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge win of the year with a victory over Jianna Evaristo.
video courtesy of NHRA
KALITTA, BECKMAN, HARTFORD & GADSON WIN MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE AT BRISTOLOL
Pruett, Hagan, Anderson and Herrera all qualify No. 1 at Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
BRISTOL, TN – There continues to be no stopping Doug Kalitta in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, as the reigning world champion defeated Leah Pruett in the final round of the bonus race on Saturday at Bristol Dragway as part of this weekend’s 25th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.
Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while Leah Pruett (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) qualified No. 1 at the ninth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Kalitta won for the fourth time this season in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and the ninth time since last year, going 3.922-seconds at 314.90 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster, beating Pruett on a holeshot in a thrilling side-by-side duel in front of a huge Thunder Valley crowd.
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NHRA ANNOUNCES EARLIER START FOR SUNDAY ELIMINATIONS AT SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
BRISTOL, TN – Due to potential inclement weather, NHRA announced an earlier start for Sunday eliminations at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
The revised schedule moves the first round of NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations to 10 a.m. ET, starting with Top Fuel and followed by Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Parking lots will open at 7:30 a.m. at Bristol Dragway, with gates opening at 8 a.m. The SealMaster Track Walk and driver introductions are slated for 9 a.m.
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PRUETT WINS EPPING TOP FUEL FINAL, TAKES BRISTOL PROVISIONAL NO. 1; BECKMAN WINS EPPING FUNNY CAR FINAL AT SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
BRISTOL, TN — Friday at Bristol Dragway was a doubleheader of drama as the delayed NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto finals were finally decided before the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals kicked off its first round of pro qualifying.
TOP FUEL
Leah Pruett made history on two fronts Friday at Bristol Dragway. First, she closed out the delayed Epping final with a 3.794-second pass at 332.43 mph to defeat points leader Shawn Langdon and win the NHRA New England Nationals — her first race victory since 2023 and her first win since returning to full-time competition in 2026 following the birth of her child. Then, when qualifying got underway for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Pruett backed it up by posting the fastest time of the session to sit as the provisional No. 1 qualifier with that same 3.794-second run at 332.43 mph in her Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster.
FUNNY CAR
Jack Beckman earned his first win of the 2026 season when he took the Epping Funny Car final, crossing the finish line in 4.017 seconds at 318.54 mph in his PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car to defeat John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff.
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PRUETT & BECKMAN WIN NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS ON FRIDAY IN BRISTOL; PRUETT, HAGAN, ANDERSON & HERRERA TAKE PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
BRISTOL, TN – Leah Pruett picked up her first victory since 2023, defeating points leader Shawn Langdon in the final round of the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto, which were completed Friday at Bristol Dragway.
Jack Beckman also won on Friday in the Epping Funny Car final round, while Pruett, Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are the provisional No. 1 qualifiers in Bristol for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at the ninth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Pruett went 3.794-seconds at 332.43 mph in her 12,000-horsepower Dodge//SRT dragster, slipping past Langdon’s 3.852 at 328.54. It is Pruett’s 13th career victory and first since returning to the sport this season. Pruett stepped out of the seat after the 2023 season to start a family with her husband, Tony Stewart, coming back to the Top Fuel ranks in 2026.
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NHRA ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGES IN TECHNICAL AND RACING ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENTS
INDIANAPOLIS – NHRA officials announced today a series of strategic leadership promotions and changes within its Technical and Racing Administration departments, positioning the organization for continued success in the years ahead.
As part of the changes, Ned Walliser will transition from his role as Vice President of Competition to serve as an NHRA consultant and key advisor for NHRA’s racing-related programs. Josh Peterson has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Competition and Tech, and Rob Park has been elevated to Vice President of National and Field Operations.
In his new consulting role, Walliser will continue to provide guidance and support on key technical and competition-related matters. Walliser was named NHRA Vice President of Competition in 2018, overseeing competition and operations for all NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing events. He also led the NHRA Technical Department.
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NHRA ANNOUNCES EARLIER START FOR FRIDAY QUALIFYING AT SUPER GRIP NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
BRISTOL, TN – Due to potential inclement weather, NHRA announced an earlier start on Friday for NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
The revised schedule moves NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying earlier in the day, with Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Stock opening Friday qualifying, followed by Nitro Qualifying at 2 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. in Funny Car and Top Fuel.
Friday’s schedule also includes the completion of the final rounds from the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto in Funny Car and Top Fuel.
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RICHARD GADSON AND GREG ANDERSON RETURN TO BRISTOL AFTER MILESTONE MOMENTS A YEAR AGO
BRISTOL, TN – Last year, Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Richard Gadson and Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson both enjoyed historic moments at Bristol Dragway, which puts Thunder Valley high on their favorite track lists.
Returning to Bristol for this weekend’s Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, both reflected fondly on those moments heading into the race, and each was hopeful they would get to experience another memorable moment in Bristol.
For Gadson, Bristol Dragway represented a significant turning point in his Pro Stock Motorcycle career. He had come close to wins and success on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki, but had never found the winner’s circle as Gaige Herrera was enjoying a record-breaking run in the class.
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