Kalitta Takes Points Lead with 2ndStraight Victory
After snapping a nearly three-year victory drought six days ago, NHRA Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta snared his 51st career win Sunday at zMAX Dragway in the Betway Carolina Nationals.
Kalitta’s victory over Mike Salinas boosted him into the points lead into the Countdown to the Championship by 63 points over second place Steve Torrence. Salinas is seventh in the standings, 119 points behind Kalitta.
Salinas entered eliminations as the No. 1 qualifier, becoming the first person to go 300 mph at the eighth-mile mark during the final qualifying round Saturday evening. Kalitta was the No. 3 qualifier.
Kalitta used an E.T. of 3.718, 333.16 mph to eliminate then points leader Torrence in the first round. That early exit by Torrence opened the door for a shakeup in the points standings with four races remaining in the Countdown.
In the quarterfinals, Kalitta eliminated Shawn Langdon and sent Leah Pruett packing in the semifinals. In the final round, Salinas left first with a .065 reaction time to Kalitta’s .076, but Kalitta emerged the winner with a 3.696 to 3.718 E.T. Kalitta’s speed was 333.49 mph, while Salinas’ was 328.46 mph.
The Top Fuel dragster Kalitta drove to victory was the one without the canopy that he raced at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa. He had to put that dragster into service when the one with the canopy was damaged by a blown tire during qualifying. He said the team would swing by the shop and pick up the car with the canopy enroute to St. Louis for the Sept. 29-Oct. 1 NHRA Midwest Nationals, but he doubted they would use it.
“It’s (dragster without the canopy) definitely brought some life to our program since we started running that thing,” Kalitta said after his second victory at zMAX Dragway.
Kalitta said the two cars were built on the same jig, so they were “exactly the same.”
“It’s just a matter of getting consistent, everybody getting comfortable in their positions,” Kalitta says. “You’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities when you get them.”
Bob Tasca III beat Robert Hight for the win.
Tasca Upsets Hight
On four occasions NHRA Funny Car points leader Robert Hight and Bob Tasca III have squared off against one another in the final round, but Sunday at zMAX Dragway in the Carolina Nationals marked the first time Tasca has emerged the winner.
Tasca narrowly edged Hight, winning on a hole shot with a .050 reaction time for his third win this year, his 15thcareer victory and his first at zMAX Dragway. Tasca’s E.T. was 3.933, 329.26 mph, while Hight recorded a 3.932 E.T., 326.95 mph. However, even more impressive was that Tasca’s winning run came with an engine that his crew had installed a short time before the two met in the finals.
“The motor was hacked together,” Tasca says. “They pulled a head, they start taking the head down, and the headstone came loose. We had to swap the motor.
“You’re going into the final round. Your last motor. You figure you don’t need another one. The guys had another motor ready. Every person on our team, crew chiefs included, thrashed to swap the engines. For me, that’s the most gut-wrenching part of racing because there’s nothing I can do.”
With the victory and Ron Capps’ first round exit, Tasca jumped into second and now sits 25 points behind Hight, the standings leader.
“We’re somewhat racing with a chip on our shoulder this year,” Tasca says. “How many people in this room would have bet Bob Tasca would have been a half round out of first leaving Charlotte?”
Anderson’s 102nd career victory boosted him from eighth to fourth in the standings.
Anderson Ends Dismal Season at Home Track
NHRA Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson admitted Sunday that the winless season he had endured this year had him thinking that maybe it was time to step out of the car.
However, everything changed Sunday at zMAX Dragway when Anderson dispensed with four competitors, including five-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Erica Enders, enroute to his first victory this year. He said he knew when the win light came on in the first round that Sunday could definitely be the day that he finally secured a victory this year.
Anderson’s 102ndcareer victory boosted him from eighth to fourth in the standings, putting him back into the championship hunt. He’s now 61 points behind leader Matt Hartford, who holds a narrow four-point margin over Enders.
Based within 40 miles of zMAX Dragway, Anderson’s final round appearance was his first since 2022 at Pomona, Calif. He had recorded his 100th career victory in 2022 at the U.S Nationals in Indianapolis against Dallas Glenn and he faced his teammate again Sunday. Anderson defeated Glenn with a 6.554 E.T. 209.23 mph. Glenn’s E.T. was 6.590 seconds, 206.73 mph.
Herrera claimed his seventh victory this season and swept the NHRA events at zMAX Dragway this year.
Herrera Unstoppable
In Pro Stock Motorcycle this year there’s Gaige Herrera when it comes to victory celebrations and then, well, there’s everyone else.
Herrera claimed his seventh victory this season and swept the NHRA events at zMAX Dragway this year to retake the points lead in the second race of the Countdown to the Championship. He possesses only four losses this season.
“When we’ve lost this year it’s either been a red light or a mechanical failure,” Herrera says. “No one has beat me straight up.”
In Sunday’s final round, Hector Arana Jr. left too early and received a red light, while Herrera breezed to victory with a 6.726 E.T., 201.34 mph.
Herrera leads Matt Smith by 52 points.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action Sept. 29-Oct.1 with the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.
Final round-by-round results from the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, the 17th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE — Shawn Langdon, 3.764, 328.38 def. Tony Schumacher, 4.257, 200.65; Austin Prock, 3.722, 323.27 def. Josh Hart, 5.109, 139.18; Antron Brown, 3.686, 337.24 def. Spencer Massey, 3.745, 327.35; Mike Salinas, 3.687, 336.91 def. Mike Bucher, 3.891, 310.27; Doug Kalitta, 3.718, 333.16 def. Steve Torrence, 3.725, 332.34; Brittany Force, 3.736, 332.67 def. Clay Millican, 3.777, 330.47; Leah Pruett, 3.708, 333.08 def. Justin Ashley, 4.922, 152.99;
QUARTERFINALS — Prock, 4.655, 223.17 def. Force, 4.834, 195.90; Salinas, 10.773, 68.86 was unopposed; Pruett, 3.829, 319.60 def. Brown, 5.050, 152.78; Kalitta, 3.741, 333.33 def. Langdon, 4.907, 156.64;
SEMIFINALS — Salinas, 3.898, 257.68 def. Prock, 4.189, 305.77; Kalitta, 3.745, 328.70 def. Pruett, 3.778, 325.69;
FINAL — Kalitta, 3.696, 333.49 def. Salinas, 3.718, 328.46.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE — Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.871, 328.70 def. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 6.692, 106.27; Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 7.473, 87.25 was unopposed; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.868, 331.28 def. John Smith, Charger, Foul – Red Light; Alex Laughlin, Charger, 4.138, 306.46 def. John Force, Camaro, 9.366, 79.86; Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.176, 299.20 def. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 4.729, 177.67; Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.157, 296.57 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.520, 188.99; Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.918, 329.91 def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.822, 160.96; Paul Lee, Charger, 3.919, 322.81 def. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.947, 323.58;
QUARTERFINALS — Tasca III, 3.894, 329.02 def. Haddock, Foul – Red Light; Laughlin, 4.203, 300.66 def. Richards, 8.719, 77.54; Hight, 3.963, 314.68 def. Lee, 4.643, 176.70; Hagan, 3.996, 313.88 def. Wilkerson, 4.543, 186.82;
SEMIFINALS — Tasca III, 3.935, 327.35 def. Hagan, 3.953, 321.04; Hight, 3.934, 325.22 def. Laughlin, 4.200, 305.77;
FINAL — Tasca III, 3.933, 329.26 def. Hight, 3.932, 326.95.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE — Matt Hartford, Chevy Camaro, 8.126, 163.87 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Ford Mustang, Foul – Red Light; Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.576, 208.59 def. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.586, 207.66; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.580, 207.78 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.569, 209.36; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.559, 208.65 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.604, 209.14; Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.570, 208.14 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.584, 208.59; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.596, 208.81 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.674, 207.02; Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.597, 206.80 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.639, 206.83; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.544, 209.65 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.629, 205.82;
QUARTERFINALS — Glenn, 6.590, 207.75 def. Stanfield, 7.660, 140.36; Kramer, 6.596, 208.39 def. Caruso, 6.580, 206.92; Anderson, 6.561, 209.17 def. C. Cuadra, 9.652, 88.26; Enders, 6.567, 208.68 def. Hartford, 6.564, 209.46;
SEMIFINALS — Glenn, 6.619, 206.42 def. Kramer, Foul – Red Light; Anderson, 6.546, 209.30 def. Enders, 6.590, 208.97;
FINAL — Anderson, 6.554, 209.23 def. Glenn, 6.590, 206.73.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
ROUND ONE — Angie Smith, 6.846, 198.26 def. Chris Bostick, Foul – Red Light; Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.883, 195.68 def. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.899, 196.67; Chip Ellis, 6.791, 199.46 def. John Hall, Foul – Red Light; Hector Arana Jr, 6.785, 201.61 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.949, 193.24; Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.858, 195.00 def. Marc Ingwersen, 6.881, 193.57; Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.863, 196.47 def. Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.898, 195.28; Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.791, 200.08 def. Ron Tornow, Broke; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.706, 201.94 def. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light; QUARTERFINALS — Van Sant, 6.861, 197.45 def. Ellis, Foul – Red Light; Krawiec, 6.828, 199.85 def. Clontz, 6.950, 194.86; Arana Jr, 6.873, 197.86 def. A. Smith, 6.836, 198.50; Herrera, 6.747, 200.71 def. M. Smith, 7.880, 122.91;
SEMIFINALS — Arana Jr, 6.815, 198.06 def. Krawiec, 6.855, 199.17; Herrera, 6.755, 201.10 def. Van Sant, Foul – Red Light;
FINAL — Herrera, 6.726, 201.34 def. Arana Jr, Foul – Red Light.
Point standings (top 10) following the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, the 17th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series –
Top Fuel
1. Doug Kalitta, 2,284; 2. Steve Torrence, 2,221; 3. Justin Ashley, 2,216; 4. Leah Pruett, 2,208; 5. Antron Brown, 2,192; 6. Brittany Force, 2,178; 7. Mike Salinas, 2,165; 8. Austin Prock, 2,130; 9. Shawn Langdon, 2,101; 10. Tony Schumacher, 2,089.
Funny Car
1. Robert Hight, 2,299; 2. Bob Tasca III, 2,274; 3. (tie) Ron Capps, 2,230; Matt Hagan, 2,230; 5. Chad Green, 2,167; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 2,131; 7. Tim Wilkerson, 2,129; 8. J.R. Todd, 2,123; 9. John Force, 2,104; 10. Alex Laughlin, 2,092.
Pro Stock
1. Matt Hartford, 2,250; 2. Erica Enders, 2,246; 3. Dallas Glenn, 2,235; 4. Greg Anderson, 2,189; 5. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,186; 6. Aaron Stanfield, 2,165; 7. Deric Kramer, 2,163; 8. Kyle Koretsky, 2,151; 9. Camrie Caruso, 2,122; 10. Cristian Cuadra, 2,104.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Gaige Herrera, 2,304; 2. Matt Smith, 2,252; 3. Hector Arana Jr, 2,250; 4. Eddie Krawiec,
2,200; 5. Angie Smith, 2,171; 6. Chase Van Sant, 2,144; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 2,116; 8. Steve Johnson, 2,107; 9. Marc Ingwersen, 2,105; 10. Kelly Clontz, 2,084.
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