NHRA’s 2025 Midwest Nationals playoff round — from under the arches at St. Louis….
In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta rolled forward, capping off a massive weekend in St. Louis with a victory, including a run of 3.796 at 327.98 in his Mac Tools dragster to defeat first-time finalist Ida Zetterström in the final round. Kalitta made the most of every opportunity in St. Louis, qualifying No. 1, defeating championship contender Justin Ashley in the semifinals and watching other championship contenders fall early on Sunday.
That wasn’t the case with Kalitta, who was consistent throughout eliminations, defeating Will Smith, Steve Torrence and then Ashley, going 3.805 at 332.59 in the semifinals to keep him at bay in the title chase. That set up a matchup with Zetterström, and Kalitta quickly tracked her down to pick up his third victory of the season and the 58th of his career.
The 2023 world champion has done well at St. Louis over the years and this season was no different, as Kalitta won for the fifth time at World Wide Technology Raceway. He now leads Ashley by 86 points and Kalitta Motorsports teammate Shawn Langdon by 127 points.
“Each of the rounds today, my car was just on a rail. That’s really what it took,” Kalitta said. “Conditions were pretty slick out there, just going A to B, and and this whole Mac Tools group, I’m just real proud of them. For me, it’s just a huge relief. You’re in the Countdown races trying to do your best and they’re giving you a car that’s going down the track like that, it’s real special for sure.
“It was a big points day for the guys that we were racing. Getting by Justin, that was a huge round. My car went down the track, so that was huge. We’re definitely trying to get as many points as we can to try to stay ahead of these guys and keep doing what we’re doing.”
Doug Kalitta has regained the NHRA Top Fuel points lead following a big victory at the Midwest Nationals.
Sweden-native Ida Zetterström – enjoyed her best ever finish in NHRA – placing R/UP.
Zetterström reached the finals for the first time in her NHRA career, knocking off Tony Stewart, Kyle Wurtzel and reigning world champion Antron Brown earlier in the day.
Four-time Funny Car world champ Matt Hagan defeated Jack Beckman in the final round on Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway, picking up the victory for Tony Stewart Racing and staying alive in the championship mix in front of a huge crowd at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 17th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
In the final round, Hagan went 3.979-seconds at 329.34 mph in his 12,000-horsepower American Rebel Beer Dodge//SRT Hellcat, holding off Beckman’s 4.036 to win for the second time this season and the 54th time in his career. After qualifying second and running well all weekend, Hagan defeated Alex Laughlin, Cruz Pedregon and Daniel Wilkerson to advance to the final round.
Matt Hagan collected career NHRA FC event win #54.
He left first with a standout .040 reaction time and pulled away at the finish line, staying second in the points race but pulling to within 20 points of leader and reigning world champion Austin Prock with three races remaining. Hagan also won for the third time in St. Louis, hoping to replicate his 2023 finish that included a St. Louis victory and a world championship.
“I told my guys when we came into this race, you know, we’re all chasing Austin. He won eight races this year, but no one is infallible,” Hagan said. “You just have to be ready when they mess up, and they messed up today. Damn, the kid is beatable. We just have to be able to take advantage of that, and Mike Knudsen, Phil Shuler, Alex Conaway, they really worked hard all day and put a good racecar beneath me.”
Beckman, who was the defending event winner, reached the finals for the fifth time in 2025 and 77th time in his career after knocking off rookie Spencer Hyde, teammate Prock, who qualified No. 1, and Chad Green. He’s third in points, 65 back of Prock.
Pro Stock reigning world champion Greg Anderson is alive and thriving again in the championship hunt, picking up a crucial playoff victory on Sunday in St. Louis, driving past Matt Hartford in the finals with a run of 6.531 at 209.33 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
Greg Anderson picking up a crucial playoff round victory to stay well in the Pro Stock title chase.
Anderson’s KB Titan Racing teammate, Dallas Glenn, won the first two playoff races, extending his points lead, but Anderson answered back on Sunday, knocking off Glenn in the second round en route to his sixth victory this season and the 112th overall for the six-time world champion.
This one was necessary, as Anderson pounced on the opportunity, also defeating Mason McGaha and rookie Matt Latino to reach the final round. Anderson posted a strong .021 reaction time, cruising to the victory and keeping Glenn within striking distance. He now trails Glenn by just 25 points heading into the final stretch run.
“Today was crazy. I’m whipped,” Anderson said. “After yesterday, I probably didn’t come in with the most confidence but what a recovery my guys made with my racecar. It was just not happy in qualifying and that’s not normal for us. They figured it out and I made four very high-quality runs today and got the light I needed to get each time.
“Timing is everything, and it just all comes down to what you do when in drag racing. A lot of big rounds – second round with Dallas Glenn should have never happened, but you have to play the cards you’re dealt. It was either going to be a horrible day for me or a horrible day for Dallas, but still a great day for KB Titan. I’m proud of this race team. It’s an honor to work for them, drive for them, manage this team, and be part of it.”
Hartford reached the championship round for the third time in 2025 and the 20th time in his career after defeating Cristian Cuadra, Erica Enders and Troy Coughlin Jr., moving to third in points.
After a shocking first two races in the Countdown to the Championship, back-to-back Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Gagie Herrera got back on track in a major way, knocking off teammate Brayden Davis in the final round when Davis went red by just .001. Herrera went 6.791 at 199.61 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki, picking up his sixth victory this season and the 27th in his career.
Gaige Herrera raced his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki to it’s sixth victory of 2025.
Herrera fell in the second round at the playoff opener in Reading and lost in the opening round last weekend in Charlotte, a shocking turn of events for the rider who has dominated the class the past two-plus seasons. But on his birthday, Herrera finished off a standout weekend that saw him qualify No. 1 and then knock off Jianna Evaristo and Angie Smith to reach the final round.
Davis had an unfortunate red light to hand the victory to Herrera, who jumped back to second in points. With three races left, Herrera trails teammate and points leader Richard Gadson by just 29 points, knowing this was a must-win weekend if he wanted to pick up a third straight championship.
Davis reached the final round for the second time in his standout rookie season, defeating Chris Bostick, Chase Van Sant and Gadson along the way.
Racing at the NHRA St. Louis area event did include highly consequential season final rounds for both the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock categories.
The FSS final saw Ricky Hord win his first series race when he beat a re-lighting Scott Libersher in a final round battle of COPO Camaro cars. Hord clocked a winning 7.767 secs 178.17 in the final.
Ricky Hord won the final FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown season event with his COPO Camaro.
Racing his Dodge Hellcat – Mark Pawuk successfully clinched a 2nd straight FlexJet World Championship title.
The previous day had seen defending series champion Mark Pawuk win his second consecutive Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series world championship.
Pawuk drove his Empaco-backed Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to victories at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio and the Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee along with a runner-up finish at the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals to create a sizeable championship points lead which he mathematically at the conclusion of qualifying. Pawuk was however eliminated in round #2 at St. Louis by Rick Hord,
NHRA’s very competitive FSS class formula did produce five different winners representing all three manufacturers during 2025.
The 8th and final race for the MMPS class proved to be a title clinching effort for John DeFlorian Jr. DeFlorian’s Chevy Camaro carded a final round time of 6.342, 221.85 mph to defeat Vincent Nobile — also in a Camaro, which ran 6.396 secs 221.27 mph.
DeFlorian Jr., was also credited with low ET of the event at 6.269 secs (while qualifying #1) and defeating the 5 other MMPS cars entered.
John DeFlorian Jr., wrapped up the NHRA’s Mountain Motor Pro Stock class championship for 2025.
The penultimate season race for the Congruity Pro Mod Drag Racing series – produced another first time class winner with Montana’s Derek Menholt taking his Pro-Charger Camaro to victory lane.
Menholt defeated former world champion Mike Castellana in the final round of the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals event, marking the third of four “Road to the Championship” playoff rounds for the highly popular category,
In the final round, Castellana left first, but his car ran into trouble, opening the door for Menholt, who had engine difficulties late in the run but still hung on for his memorable 1st victory. Menholt has been the runner-up at the prestigious US Nationals at Indy, earlier in the month.
Montana’s Derek Menholt won in Pro Mod – his first NHRA event title.
The victory also pulled Menholt into a tie for second in points with Mike Stavrinos. They both trail Billy Banaka by 11 points heading into the final race of the year. The Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series finishes its 2025 season on Oct. 30-Nov. 2 as part of the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 8-12 with the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas.
NHRA Sportsman Racing – Final Round Summary
Competition Eliminator — Matthew Alvey, Chevy Cobalt, 8.614, 155.67 def. Scott Chamness, Dragster, 6.690, 204.01.
Stock Eliminator — Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Pontiac GTO, 10.901, 119.33 def. Dennis Lund, Chevy Camaro, 8.704, 154.30.
Super Stock — Kevin Helms, Plymouth Barracuda, 9.204, 126.30 def. Brett Speer, Chevy Camaro, Foul – Red Light.
Super Comp — Alison Prose, Dragster, 8.891, 182.97 def. Doug Miller, Dragster, 8.887, 178.21.
Super Gas — Phil Unruh, Chevy Camaro, 9.908, 171.08 def. Nathan Prose, Camaro, 9.891, 164.41.
Top Sportsman — Dan Lafferty, Chevy Camaro, 6.845, 198.88 def. Curt Fredrich, Camaro, 6.638, 211.46.
Factory X — Chris Holbrook, Ford Mustang, 6.946, 199.26 def. Jesse Alexandra, Chevy Camaro, 7.199, 167.43.
Junior Dragster Shootout — Hailey Antonioni, Halfscale, 7.950, 77.31 def. Sarah Stewart, Dragster, 7.945, 80.23.
Posted with files by NHRA Communications – Elon Werner — Bruce Biegler
Photos courtesy of NHRA & by Auto Imagery
