NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Drastically different weather conditions on the second day of the NHRA New England Nationals are apt to throw crew chiefs chilly curve balls as they battle for qualifying position. For eight drivers, qualifying will decide more than which position they'll occupy heading into raceday at New England Dragway — the fourth of 12 Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenges will be contested as well.

The Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge sets up a rematch of the semifinalists from the previous event (in this case, Chicago) with cash and bonus points on the line. The runs made during the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge will also count towards qualifying, so crew chiefs are under the gun to not only gather data for Sunday, but also be quicker than their opponents in the challenge. The winners of the two semifinal rematches will square off in the final qualifying session with a lot on the line — in addition to the bonus purse, bonus points that only come into play once the Countdown to the Championship begins will be awarded.

Leah Pruett, the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday in Epping with her Rush Truck Centers dragster, will be racing for the third time in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge — the most of any Top Fuel driver. Pruett advanced as an alternate when both T.J. Zizzo and first-alternate Jacob McNeal did not enter the New England Nationals. Based on her qualifying elapsed time in Epping, she will have lane choice over Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers dragster in the first round of the #2Fast2Tasty competition and is looking for her first win in the specialty race. Hart, who was runner-up in Chicago, is racing in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge for the first time, but he brings experience in bonus races to the table as the winner of the Pep Boys All-Star Callout in Gainesville earlier this year. Hart enters day two in Epping as the No. 3 qualifier for the main event. 

On the opposite side of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty ladder, Route 66 Nationals winner Clay Millican, currently No. 8 in the qualifying order, will be racing in the specialty race for the first time with lane choice over Brittany Force. Two weeks ago in Chicago, she qualified for the Challenge but did not advance from the first round. In addition to chasing the #2Fast2Tasty win, Force will be looking to improve from her current spot on the qualifying sheet; she is No. 10. 

Chicago winner Tim Wilkerson will have lane choice over John Force in the first round of the bonus race, and both are competing for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty title for the first time. After a very hot first round of qualifying at the New England Nationals, Wilkerson is temporarily holding down the No. 5 position, while Force is No. 8. Neither were able to make a clean run on Friday, but the day is new. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series competitors are coming into Saturday with a whole different set of circumstances from day one of the event, including air temperatures hovering near 50-degrees Fahrenheit, compared to near 90-degree oppressive heat the day before.

In the straining conditions, Chad Green had the best tune-up and claimed the provisional pole on a 4.10. Green, who won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Phoenix, is aiming to be the first Funny Car driver to win it twice and will have lane choice over Chicago #2Fast2Tasty victor Ron Capps in the opening act. 

Matt Hagan, a four-time winner in Funny Car at New England Dragway and the Pro driver with the most wins there, was one of just two Funny Cars to make it down the track with a speed in excess of 300 mph. He enters the day No. 2 in the qualifying order. With 12 Funny Cars on the property, there is no risk of missing the field — and with conditions crisp, cool, and conducive to track-record setting passes down the historic dragstrip — crew chiefs may well aim for the fences in both categories. Look for Saturday to be a thriller. 

2022 EVENT WINNERS

Mike Salinas, Top Fuel; Matt Hagan, Funny Car

MOST VICTORIES

Tony Schumacher, 2, TF, Steve Torrence, 2, TF; Matt Hagan, 4, FC 

TRACK RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.664 seconds by Steve Torrence, June '22; 334.90 mph by Brittany Force, June '22

Funny Car - 3.822 seconds by Robert Hight, June '17; 336.74 mph by Hight, June '17

NATIONAL RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading, Pa.; 338.94 mph by Brittany Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona 

Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 339.87 mph by Robert Hight, July ’17, Sonoma

EVENT SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, June 3 

NHRA Lucas Oil Series Drag Racing Series eliminations at 9:15 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. 

FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series qualifying at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. 

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. 

SUNDAY, June 4 

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 11 a.m. 

TELEVISION SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, June 3, FS1 will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 9 p.m. ET 

SUNDAY, June 4, FS1 will televise one and a half hours of finals coverage at 12:30 p.m. ET 

SUNDAY, June 4, FS1 will televise two hours of finals coverage at 7 p.m. ET

Or watch all day on NHRA.tv