Saturday News & Notes from the NHRA Midwest Nationals

News, notes, quotes, and photos from Pro qualifying at the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. (Updated throughout the day)

After Friday’s disappointingly soaked situation, we’re rocking and rolling on day two of the NHRA Midwest Nationals. The morning was plumped full of Lucas Oil Series qualifying and rounds as well as the first round of qualifying in the Congruity Pro Mod, Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, and Holley EFI Factory X series.

In the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod qualifying round, Chip King led with a run of 5.748, 247.88 with Khalid alBalooshi just behind on a 5.749-second pass at 250.23.

Jonathan Allegruci and his Cobra Jet Mustang are leading the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown qualifying after the first session with a 7.792, 176.60 mph.

Stephen Bell and his Bob Glidden Motorcraft Ford Mustang tribute car are at the top of the Holley EFI Factory X qualifying sheet on a 7.129, 193.32.

Pro Stock Q1

Ahhhh yeah. Here come the Pro Stocks! The conditions are fairly decent out there but not awesome; a cool breeze (mostly a headwind) greet these factory hot rods, and the air is cool if perhaps a bit damp.

Most of the Pro Stockers are going in the 6.5s, and the top spot changes hands pair after pair. Mason McGaha makes a great run in his Harlow Sammons Racing Chevrolet Camaro (6.599), as does Matt Hartford and the GETTRX/Total Seal machine (6.587). Erica Enders and her JHG/Melling Performance Chevrolet take over the top spot with a 6.565, 208.01, while Greg Anderson is No. 2 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet on a 6.578, 207.91.

“My guys work really hard on this, especially the guys in the engine shop,” said Enders. “We haven’t been performing as well as we’ve wanted to, but they’ve given me a really great race car the majority of the season. It’s going to be about getting my act together and driving this thing like I know I can. We’re in the thick of the Countdown, and that’s when my guys perform really excellently. I plan to follow suit.”

Pro Stock Motorcycle Q1

One of the highlights of this session was seeing Angie Smith make her return to World Wide Technology Raceway. One year ago, Mrs. Smith took a nasty tumble here alongside her Denso/MSR Buell, and the moment was huge as she made her first pass here this weekend and vaulted to the top spot.

“I did a really bad job of driving, but it is what it is,” said Smith, who made a full pull to clock a 6.867, 194.46. “That’s the first time I come down this track since my crash last year, so kudos to my team for keeping me positive. I’m glad they have my back, and we’ll see if we can improve next run.”

Defending world champion Gaige Herrera lowers the boom with a 6.796, 197.74 aboard his Vance & Hines Mission RevZilla Suzuki to claim the top spot in the last pair. Matt Smith and his Denso Buell go 6.807, 198.12 beside him. Mr. Smith is No. 2. Mrs. Smith ends up No. 3 for now.

Top Fuel Q1

Driving the Airmine-branded dragster out of the Scrappers Racing stable, Top Alcohol Dragster champion Julie Nataas makes her Top Fuel debut on a solo and it’s a good showing. She’s out with a .075-second reaction time and then trucked right on down there to put up a 3.791, 314.90. Her father, Thomas, is on the starting line next to Mike Salinas, a longtime friend.

“This has been her dream since she raced Jr. dragsters,” said her father. “To see her accomplish that is extraordinary.”

Kyle Wurtzel blew it up pretty big down there; he’ll have to hustle to make it back around for the next session. Tony Stewart’s big explosion in the Rush Truck Centers Dodge dragster comes with a 3.779, 320.13, and crew chief Neal Strausbaugh has some thoughts.

“Sometimes you have to sacrifice one down there,” he said. “We thought it might spin, but with [only] two qualifying runs, I told him if it gets loose down there just to hang with it — and that’s what he did. It’s unfortunate that we hurt some parts, but hey, that’s nitro racing.”

There was a great side-by-side this session with Steve Torrence and Clay Millican glued door handle-to-door handle. They hit the final stripe with a .0001-second margin of victory in Millican’s lane. Yeah, yeah, “it’s only qualifying,” many say — but this was a fun one to watch. Speaking of watch, be sure to tune in to the NHRA on FOX broadcast on FS1 to watch qualifying highlights on Sunday at 2pm ET. Eliminations will air at 3pm ET, same bat time, same bat channel (FS1).

TJ Zizzo’s 3.778, 324.12 in the Rustoleum rail holds strong for a good while, but Tony Schumacher and the Leatherwood Distillery dragster take over the top spot for JCM Racing with a 3.739, 325.22. He’ll get three points, Millican gets two, Steve Torrence gets a point as well.

Funny Car Q1

Bobby Bode is the star of the show for quite a while in this session of Funny Car. His 3.910, 324.36 mph holds the top spot until the very last pair, when Austin Prock and the AAA Chevrolet Camaro take over with a stunning 3.869, 318.02.

Daniel Wilkerson also puts up a good number in the Scag Power Equipment Ford. His 3.934-second pass at 319.75 put a sideways smile on co-crew chief Richard Hartman’s face, an expression explained by Wilkerson just after the run.

“That was the ugliest .93 I ever ran in my life,” said Wilkerson at the top end.

At the starting line, Hartman said, “That was a pretty nice run, but it did just about everything bad you could do — it shook, spun at the top end, hit the bump and moved around, but Dan did a heck of a job. He’s a good driver, and he kept it right int he center. We didn’t get the mile per hour that we wanted, but we got the e.t.”

Top marks go to Prock, Bode, and Bob Tasca III, who clocked a 3.924, 307.37.

Pro Stock Q2

One of the early cars is a surprise in Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn and his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. Glenn rips off an improved 6.570, 207.66 to move well into the field.

“I don’t know what exactly happened on the first one, I think we dotted a T and crossed an I or something like that,” said Glenn. “We just missed it a little bit, but we’ve got a good step in the right direction right there.”

Enders retains the top spot and picks up a pair of bonus points for her second-best run of the round, a 6.573, while Glenn’s 6.570 stays low for three bonus marks. Aaron Stanfield clocked a 6.585 for a bonus point.

At the end of the day, Kenny Delco, Val Smeland, and Robert River were locked out of the 16-car field.

Enders earns her seventh pole of the season at a racetrack where she has more wins than any other pro driver (six).

“This is definitely huge,” she said. “It’s a littler early to be counting those baby points, but they’re all going to be counted at the end. For my crew chief Mark Ingersoll, this is home track, and he’s the baddest dude Pro Stock has ever seen. We’re going to be gunning for a win for him this weekend.”

Pro Stock Motorcycle Q2

Uncharacteristically, Gaige Herrera struggles on this run and does not make it down the track. He does, however, retain his position as the low qualifier.

Matt Smith makes the best run of the round, and his 6.815 will score him a trio of bonus points.

“We lost one point last round, but we gained three on them that time,” said Smith with a big grin at the top end.

Herrera answers back, “This is what makes it fun — between Vance & Hines and MSR, we’re going back and forth, and that’s how it should be going through the Countdown. The points are very tight, within one round, so I’m glad to get that No. 1 qualifier and see if we can continue this tomorrow and throughout race day. That’s all that counts.”

With 15 bikes on the property, everyone will get to play on Sunday.

Top Fuel Q2

Entering this session, the reigning world champion is not yet in the field. Although a collective breath is held, no one truly expects Doug Kalitta not to qualify for this, the third race of six in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The held breath is released as Kalitta powers to a 3.779, 312.93 in his Mac tools dragster to break into the field and push veteran Scott Palmer right out. Palmer has nothing but support at the top end.

“I’m okay with that,” says Palmer. “I’m the biggest Doug Kalitta fan in history; there probably isn’t a bigger fan out here for Doug Kalitta than myself. I love that team.”

Palmer, who crashed his nitro Pro Mod car last year, has been away from the scene since then.

“We’ve been working hard just to get back to normal, and we ran some match races, so we’re pretty happy with the .89 we ran [earlier]. We shut it off early and had to go for it this run, and you have to live with it, but we’re glad to be back. We’ll see you at Dallas.”

T.J. Zizzo once again brought a very strong hand to the table courtesy of crew chief Mike Kern. He clocks a 3.714, 327.66 for the Rustoleum team to retake the top spot.

Kern explained that it’s simple: they have a lot of confidence in their car right now and it’s responding to what they’re doing.

Jake Opatrny was shut off and will not make the show in Terry Totten’s dragster. Kyle Wurtzel went 3.824 to take over the No. 16 spot for a moment, but Shawn Reed’s massive 3.740, 325.61 bumped Wurtzel out.

“God hates a coward,” said Reed’s crew chief Rob Wendland, before admitting eloquently that he was “crapping razor blades” watching the run.

Brittany Force makes a very strong pass in her Monstery Energy Chevrolet to claim a bonus point.

“We got off to a slow start in Reading, barely made it in at Indy, but we did, we’re here,” said Force, who went 3.722, 314.39. “This season has been tough but it’s taught our team a lot about our character and our fight and how we don’t ever give up.”

Three bonus marks for Zizzo, two for Schumacher, one for Force.