NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

GAIGE HERRERA IS HUMAN, AFTER ALL. WE THINK.

It was a matter of time, and even Gaige Herrera knew it. After securing his fourth straight No. 1 on Saturday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Herrera said that his biggest challenge was knowing that he would eventually fall from the top. It was poignant, compelling, and vulnerable, but the statement didn't do much to convince anyone that he wasn't some kind of machine assembled from the remnants of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator (not to be confused with "The Terminator" Peter Biondo, for the Sportsman fans out there). He'd come into his first full season of NHRA Drag Racing and tidily picked up every accolade up for grabs — from low qualifier awards to event wins and Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge titles. Every win light this season belonged to Herrera — until Sunday afternoon in Bristol when Steve Johnson saw the gleeful beacon shining in his lane before he even got to the finish line stripe. Herrera's perfect season was interrupted by his own -.010 red-light, but did you see the movies? Have you ever met Peter Biondo? The program of this special breed is to get back to terminating ASAP. 

HOME IS WHERE YOU MAKE IT

It's difficult to believe that New England native Bob Tasca III had never won his home race, the NHRA New England Nationals, but it's true. He hadn't even been to a final round at the event until this season's event. Wildly, elimination rounds were delayed to finish in full at Bristol Dragway during qualifying for the Thunder Valley Nationals. New England Dragway is home for Tasca, but he's long called Bristol Dragway his home away from home. He grew up there, both watching his family race and then taking his own race car down the track for the first time. Years later, when the illustrious new tower was built, he entered for the first time, turned around, and saw a picture of his grandfather's car on the wall. Although Tasca told the media that he would have gone to Alaska to finally win that coveted New England Nationals trophy, he said that with his family's history in Bristol, it was incredibly special to win it there. 

SHE'S BACK

Maybe don't call it a comeback; she's been here for years. Erica Enders entered the 2023 season of NHRA's Camping World Drag Racing Series riding on the tails of a tremendously successful 2022 that culminated in a fifth Pro Stock championship. Those tails, it turned out, didn't want to be ridden. Enders was winless in the first six Pro Stock races of the year and fell to a dismally disappointing No. 14 in the championship points. A handful of foolish hecklers on the internet jabbed fingers in her direction and shouted through their well-worn keyboards, "You're through!" But Enders and her team stayed the course and righted the ship ahead of the Thunder Valley Nationals, where she qualified No. 1 for the 30th time in her career and claimed the 45th Wally of her career (44th in Pro Stock). It would be silly to assume she was on a definite course to another championship, but it would be even sillier to count her out. 

JUSTIN ASHLEY IS A FAVORITE IF THERE'S A CHANCE TO DOUBLE

Raise your hand if you remember Justin Ashley's nod to In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip with a double-double at the NHRA Winternationals. Some might call it a triple, because he won Phoenix ahead of arriving in Pomona to claim both the event title and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory, but whatever you want to call it, Ashley is apt to win when there's more on the table. He reiterated that fun fact at Bristol Dragway when he went back-to-back with wins in the New England Nationals race and the Thunder Valley Nationals the next day. Technically, this could be called a triple, too — the Epping Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge was run in conjunction with the delayed New England Nationals. When he won Epping, he won his third #2Fast2Tasty title as well.

PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF

Everyone wanted to see a successful conclusion to the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway (NED), as previously scheduled. No one, though, wanted that more than NED's president, Paul Lorenti, and assistant general manager, Lydia Perry. Their love of and dedication to the historic facility runs deep, and they and their staff — along with NHRA's Safety Safari — did everything within their power to make the highly anticipated, well-attended event a success. Mother Nature had her say, however, and the event was forced to conclude at Bristol Dragway. Lorenti and Perry were there to hand trophies to the New England Nationals winners at the top end, and for their relentless effort and spirit throughout the many, many hours of weather delays, they were presented with a trophy as well: the Never Rest Performer award.