NHRA’s 2nd Countdown to the Championship event heats up with movement at the top….
It was 3X Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown moving into the points lead for the first time since 2017, winning his second straight playoff race at zMAX Dragway after defeating Doug Foley in the final round of the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals.
Austin Prock won in Funny Car and with their wins in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle respectively, Dallas Glenn and Matt Smith have also moved into overall season points leads.
In the final round, Brown went 3.848-seconds at 319.90 mph in his Matco Tools/Toyota dragster to beat Foley’s 3.862 at 316.08, powering to his fifth victory this season and 79th in his career. It was also his 63rd Top Fuel win, as Brown passed Larry Dixon for the second-most Top Fuel wins in NHRA history.
After qualifying 10th, Brown put together a workmanlike Sunday, defeating Steve Torrence, Billy Torrence and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta to reach the final round. He then led wire-to-wire against Foley, taking over the points lead for the first time in more than seven years. His points lead stands at 53 and 62 points over Justin Ashley and Shawn Langdon, respectively. Kalitta is 67 points behind.
Antron Brown moved to the front within NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship chase for Top Fuel.
“When you race somebody like Doug Foley, you don’t falter and say, ‘Well, I can’t mess up.’ That’s when you set yourself up for failure,” Brown said. “We go out there and run what we can run, and give it all we got, and it fell our way. We just keep working hard and digging, no matter what. You’ve got to show up on raceday and we have that mindset to stay humble and stay hungry.
“We still have four races left. Drag racing’s math. There’s 16 rounds left on table to win and our goal is go out there wins many of those rounds as possible. We won the first eight, so we’ve got a third of them.”
Foley reached his second career final round after beating Tony Schumacher, Ashley and Clay Millican.
Underdog Doug Foley placed R/UP to Antron Brown at the Carolina Nationals.
Funny Car’s Austin Prock continued his absolute dominant run in the loaded category, winning his third straight race and seventh overall in an incredible 2024 campaign, racing past defending world champion Matt Hagan in the final round with a run of 3.924 at 326.48 in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. There appears to be no stopping Prock, who has opened up a commanding 129-point lead in the Funny Car ranks through the first two playoff races after delivering his 11th career win.
He reached the championship round on Sunday thanks to wins against Alexis DeJoria, Ron Capps and John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman. Hagan and Prock then delivered a thriller in the finals, with Hagan leaving first and going 3.958 at 324.98. But Prock was able to track the reigning champ down, adding another monumental performance in a season filled with spectacular runs and victories.
Austin Prock continued red hot & absolutely dominate in fuel FC — winning his 3rd straight race.
“We left the door open to get beat today a couple times and then my team made wholesale changes going into the semifinals, stuff I would say 95 percent of the crew chiefs wouldn’t change going into a round, and it went up there and flew,” Prock said. “It stuck. It was on a mission, and I did the same thing in the final round.”
Hagan, who qualified No. 1, reached the finals for the 5th time this year and 92nd time in his career with round wins against Dave Richards and Bob Tasca III. Hagan was looking for a sweep of both Charlotte races this year. Tasca is second in points, while Beckman trails his teammate by 136 points.
Defending NHRA World Champ Matt Hagan qualified #1 and went to the final round.
Pro Stock’s Dallas Glenn, who was the points leader for most of the regular season, jumped back to the top spot on Sunday, slipping past Aaron Stanfield in the finals after going 6.626 at 207.18 in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro. It’s the fourth win of the season in eight trips to the finals for Glenn, who now leads Stanfield by just eight points with four races remaining this season.
To reach the finals, Glenn had to get past Mason McGaha, Matt Hartford and reigning world champion Erica Enders. That set up a marquee duel with two of the category’s top young standouts, with Glenn posting a .026 reaction time and holding off Stanfield at the finish line.
“Aaron has a fast car and he’s a great driver and doesn’t make mistakes,” Glenn said. “So, it’s a deal where you can’t make a mistake against him. The crew chiefs have to do their job and give me the best car they can. I’m glad that Aaron and I put on a good show for the fans in the final.”
With his 4th win of 2024 – Dallas Glenn has assumed the points lead in Pro Stock.
Stanfield, who had won back-to-back races, knocked off Chris McGaha, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Greg Anderson to reach the finals for the eighth time in 2024 and 23rd time overall. Enders is 53 points back in third, while Anderson trails his KB Titan Racing teammate Glenn by 74 points.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith took a big step towards a possible seventh world championship, picking up his second win of the year on his Denso Auto Parts Buell when rookie Richard Gadson went red in the final round. Smith rolled to a run of 6.846 at 199.35, scooping up his 40th career win and moving into the points lead for the first time this year in the process.
To get to the final round, Smith defeated his wife, Angie, and Matt Smith Racing teammate Jianna Evaristo, clinching the home track win when Gadson left the starting line a touch too soon. He now leads defending world champion Gaige Herrera by 25 points, finishing off a hugely-rewarding weekend that saw Smith also qualify No. 1. He’s now laser-focused on trying to become the first rider in NHRA history to win seven Pro Stock Motorcycle championships.
6X NHRA World Champion Matt Smith won in Pro Stock Motorcycle – and with that took over the points lead with four events remaining.
“I like being under pressure. It doesn’t matter what you do in the regular season. You always have to be good the last six races, and I’ve always been pretty good last six races, and that’s how I won my championships, and that’s how we’re going to continue to race.”
Gadson reached his second straight final round after defeating Ron Tornow, Chase Van Sant and Herrera. He remains third in points, 27 back of Smith.
The Carolina Nationals event also included eliminator wins for Larry McBride in the Pingel-presented Top Fuel Motorcycle division & then a remarkable victory within the Congnuity Pro Mod class by NHRA newcomer *Travis Harvey – who won in his first career NHRA start in that category!
(*For more detail on that victory – link to our Smokies Garage Pro Mod Portal coverage : HERE )
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action next weekend Sept. 27-29 with the 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.
Lucas Oil Lowdown
(Sportsman Racing Final Round Results)
Top Alcohol Dragster — Joe Maynard, 5.272, 273.05 def. Julie Nataas, 6.679, 152.97.
Joe Maynard won for the 2nd time in his career taking the TAD title with his injected nitro car.
Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.513, 265.22 def. Bob McCosh, Chevy Camero, 5.529, 261.83.
Competition Eliminator — Larry Pritchett, Pontiac Sunfire, 7.982, 154.92 def. Jared Kimbrough, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.
Super Stock — Logan Belanger, Pontiac Firebird, 10.284, 117.92 def. Monty Bogan, Chevy Camaro, Foul – Red Light.
Stock Eliminator — Tim Barrett, Chevy Camaro, 10.925, 119.47 def. Kenny Anderson, Chevy Nova, 11.094, 117.49.
Super Comp — Ray Miller III, Dragster, 8.934, 173.92 def. Jack Sepanek, Dragster, 8.945, 170.19.
Super Gas — David Morris, Chevy Camaro, 9.915, 165.64 def. Tim Powell, Chevy Corvette, 9.989, 155.74.
Top Sportsman — Tyler Caheely, Chevy Cavalier, 6.955, 199.11 def. Sandy Wilkins, Chevy Camaro, 6.441, 204.35.
Top Dragster — Chad Taylor, Dragster, 7.157, 182.45 def. Chuck Krepela, Dragster, 6.968, 187.99.
Posted with files and photos courtesy of NHRA
