Our NHRA drag racing report from mid-season stop at legendary Summit Motorsports Park…
Funny Car points leader Austin Prock won back-to-back races for the second time this year for John Force Racing, taking down Matt Hagan in the final round of the 19th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Ohio’s Summit Motorsports Park.
Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Cory Reed (Pro Stock) and John Hall (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 10th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Prock went 4.064-seconds at 318.54 mph in his Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS to slip past Hagan’s 4.099, as the points leader earned his fourth win of the 2025 campaign. It is the reigning world champion’s 16th career win and, amazingly, the 12th in the last 30 races since joining the Funny Car ranks at the start of the 2024 campaign.
To reach the final round, Prock defeated Dale Creasy Jr., Bob Tasca III and Ron Capps, setting up a marquee matchup with Hagan. The four-time world champion left first, but Prock had enough to track him down and earn his first career victory at Summit Motorsports Park.
Points leader and defending NHRA World Champ Austin Prock – collected yet again within NHRA fuel FC racing.
“It was definitely special, you know, the energy was definitely in a better place this year,” Prock said. “Last year, I probably shouldn’t have even been behind the wheel, some of those runs. My mental state was not in the best capacity, but, you know, we still had a fast hot rod and I ended up coming short to Tasca in the semis last year. But to get it done with the Force family back in the house, that that was a big deal.
“Last weekend was huge and this weekend was really big for the Force family and really big for Cornwell Tools. I mean, winning in their backyard, sending the trophy home with them, I delivered the championship trophy to them this weekend, so to send them home with two pieces of hardware definitely makes me feel good.”
Hagan advanced to the final round for the first time this season and the 94th time in his career by defeating J.R. Todd, Jack Beckman and No. 1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon. Prock leads Jack Beckman by 127 points after 10 races.
Speaking of back-to-back wins, Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley continues to roll, as the young phenom picked up his second consecutive victory, this time going 3.931 at 317.34 in his Scag Power Equipment dragster to hold off Clay Millican in a thrilling championship round holeshot victory.
It’s the first career win in Norwalk for Ashley, who has gotten red-hot over the past couple months, advancing to six final rounds at the past seven races. He’s now won consecutive races as well, pulling to within 77 points of leader Tony Stewart.
Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley made a nice move up in championship points with a second consecutive NHRA nationals event win.
Ashley, who qualified No. 1 for the first time this year, got past Scott Farley, Josh Hart and Shawn Langdon to reach the final round. Against Millican, Ashley had an incredible .027 reaction time, which was just enough to hold off Millican’s solid run of 3.922 in a memorable holeshot victory for Ashley.
“It’s very exciting to get my first win here,” Ashley said. “Norwalk means a lot to me personally. My father (Mike) won in Funny Car here in 2007, and I ever since we started racing in Top Fuel, it was a dream of mine to win right here and that’s what we did today. It’s special and the team did a great job all weekend.
Millican reached the finals for the second time this season after defeating Dan Mercier, Doug Kalitta and Stewart.
In Pro Stock, Cory Reed picked up his first career NHRA win in a magical moment, taking down teammate Dallas Glenn in the final round with a run of 6.648 at 207.30 in his J&A Service Chevrolet Camaro. Glenn had almost immediate tire shake off the starting line, as Reed cruised to the victory in what was his fourth career final round.
This will certainly be the most memorable, as Reed has made an incredible transition to the Pro Stock ranks, switching from Pro Stock Motorcycle to Pro Stock last year. He’s shown tremendous potential and made big strides in a short time. To reach the final round, Reed defeated Troy Coughlin Jr., Greg Stanfield and No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson.
Pro Stock featured a first time winner – Cory Reed – driver of the J&A Services Camaro.
Reed was a spectacular .012 on the starting line against line and rolled to the victory and creating a moment he won’t soon forget.
“I’ve got a great team behind me and great people. I mean, my buddy Joey (Gladstone), my mom and dad, family, everybody at KB is amazing. They all taught me so much and helping me every day. Getting me through personal struggles and all that stuff, it’s incredible.”
Glenn reached the final round for the seventh time in eight races this year with round wins against Val Smeland, Cody Coughlin and Matt Hartford, who won Saturday’s GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout. He trails points leader Anderson, who won the GESi No. 1 Qualifier Award this weekend, by 50 points at the halfway mark of the season.
Pro Stock Motorcycle’s John Hall waited nearly 12 years between wins, but the veteran got the job done on Sunday in Norwalk, chasing down Richard Gadson in the championship round with a run of 6.880 at 196.67 on his American Rebel Beer Buell. Gadson left first with a standout .021 reaction time, but Hall had enough power to slip by at the finish line, recording his first victory since the U.S. Nationals at Indy in 2013.
John Hall rediscovered victory lane in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle – winning for the first time since 2013.
It’s the veteran’s third career win and this one will certainly be special. After qualifying third and posting a series of solid runs in qualifying, Hall defeated Wesley Wells, Marc Ingwersen and points leader Gaige Herrera to reach the finals. Herrera went red to hand the victory to Hall, who then got the best of the second Vance & Hines rider in Gadson to get the win.
“It’s special because you never know if you’re going to get another one. I won twice in 2013, including the U.S. Nationals,” Hall said. “You know, 12 years goes by and you just realize how hard it is to get one of these. Matt Smith Racing is one of the hardest working teams out here and they get you to the winner’s circle if you do your job.
“I ride the bike and he [Matt Smith] tells me to do my job. I hit the button, cut a good light, and that’s my mindset. But they tune the bike, they’re constantly tuning the bike for the weather and it paid off.”
To reach the final round for the third time this season, Gadson took down Chase Van Sant, Angie Smith and No. 1 qualifier Matt Smith. Herrera leaves with the points lead, holding a 96-point advantage over M. Smith.
The weekend’s Motorsports Menu did include a number of speciality races.
For season race #4 for the “Johnson’s Horse-powered Garage” Mountain Motor Pro Stock cars – it was second generation driver John DeFlorian Jr., taking home the title.
DeFlorian outran current points leader and #1 qualifier John Pluchino in the Ford V Chevy final round with DeFlorian’s Camaro prevailing by a 6.360 secs 221.23 to 6.405 secs 218.94 mph margin.
John DeFlorian Jr won the event’s MMPS feature race.
DeFlorian also set low ET and top speed for the race at 6.343 secs 222.25 mph. His win was his second this season — after taking a title at Bristol Dragway earlier this month.
It was defending 2024 series champion Mark Pawuk winning in the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown Series.
Mark Pawuk checked off a bucket list item by winning. The veteran drag racer had been chasing since the mid-1970s victory at Summit Motorsports Park, his life-long hometown track.
Pawuk started race day as the No. 2 qualifier and in the opening round he outran fellow Dodge Challenger driver David Davies II.
In the second round Pawuk outran Kevin Skinner and in the semifinals defeated fellow championship contender Lee Hartman (another Dodge Challenger Drag Pak).
The FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown title went to Ohio’s own – Mark Pawuk.
The final round was Pawuk’s toughest race of the day as versus the COPO of Scott Libersher. Libersher did get the jump off the starting line but then overpowered his lane and he was forced to watch as Pawuk cruise to an easy victory at 7.863 secs 175.32 mph.
The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series will now take a bit of a summer break — returning to action next for the Cornwell Tools US Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis, August 29 – September 1, 2025.
Saturday’s racing schedule at NHRA Norwalk did include a couple of speciality races on its menu.
Within the event’s popular Mission Food #2Fast2Tasty Challenge series Top Fuel’s Doug Kalitta continued his magic defeating Tony Stewart in the final round to win the bonus race for the fourth time this season. Kalitta clocked a winning time of 3.953 secs at 294.37 mph.
On Saturday – Doug Kalitta won his 4th 2Fast2Tasty Challenge event of the season.
Daniel Wilkerson won in Funny Car and Gaige Herrera took the Pro Stock Motorcycle title.
Wilkerson, who had won his first career #2Fast2Tasty title the weekend before at VMP, upset Austin Prock in FC final. Herrera’s PSM win aboard his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki came when his final round opponent (Angie Smith) had a foul start.
The day’s GETTRX All-Star callout for Pro Stock racers saw Matt Hartford defeat Greg Anderson in the final round going a 6.609 at 207.88 in his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro.
Hartford had defeated his KB/Titan Racing teammates Canadian Eric Latino and Dallas Glenn in earlier rounds for that elite 8-car field’s annual event.
The prestigious annual GETTRX All-Star callout for Pro Stock racers saw a win for Matt Hartford.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action with the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals on July 18-20 at Pacific Raceways in Seattle.
Sportsman Racing (Final Round Results)
Top Alcohol Dragster — McKenna Bold, 5.313, 271.57 def. Shawn Cowie, 5.321, 273.39.
The event TAD final was most certainly a “Wow” moment for Canada – with Canadians McKenna Bold V Shawn Cowie! (More details posted to our Hotzone subsection – HERE)
Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.544, 261.93 def. Shane Westerfield, Camaro, 5.575, 262.33.
Sean Bellemeur wheeled the Bartone Bros injected nitro car to victory again in TAFC class racing.
Competition Eliminator — Dave Dupps Jr., Pontiac GTO, 8.127, 165.01 def. John Frech, Dragster, 8.023, 162.04.
Super Stock — Kevin Helms, Plymouth Barracuda, 9.502, 131.33 def. Peter D`Agnolo, Chevy Camaro, 9.383, 127.31.
Stock Eliminator — Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 10.593, 107.06 def. Caleb McFarland, Pontiac Firebird, 10.593, 106.20.
Joe Santangelo notched his 25th career win in NHRA nationals event completion – winning in Stock with his ’69 Camaro.
Super Comp — Jeremy Mason, Dragster, 9.606, 118.70 def. Devin Isenhower, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.
Super Gas — Jacob Elrod, Chevy Corvette, 9.919, 162.90 def. Jim Repka, Corvette, 9.949, 166.85.
Super Street — Damien Hazelton, Chevy Camaro, 10.937, 128.60 def. Carl Saari, Dodge Dart, 10.962, 115.24.
Top Sportsman — Chris Osborn, Chevy Camaro, 6.772, 203.43 def. Keith Castle, Dodge Stratus, 6.635, 206.73.
Top Dragster — Al Kenny, Dragster, 6.360, 179.83 def. Tony Elrod, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.
Canadian native Al Kenny won in Top Dragster, his 13th career NHRA event win.
Factory X — Conner Statler, Chevy Camaro, 7.118, 193.24 def. Lenny Lottig, Camaro, 7.140, 193.71.
Posted with files by NHRA Communications – Bruce Biegler – Elon Werner
Photos by Steve Embling & Dave DeAngelis
To view more event photos from this race – visit LMLC Media Photo Gallery site: HERE
