NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Clay Millican, a 2018 Chicago winner, opens eliminations at Route 66 Raceway with his best run of the weekend – a killer 3.732, 333.41 in the Parts Plus Top Fuel dragster – next to a tire-smoking Shawn Langdon. The win is pleasing though somewhat bittersweet for Millican's crew chief, Jim Oberhofer, who spent the bulk of his career working for Connie Kalitta, Langdon's team owner.

"That was awesome," said Oberhofer. "I love Connie Kalitta. He taught me so much, and he's like a second dad to me. Racing him is scary, especially when they have A.J. (tuner Allen Johnson) over there, and Langdon is such an awesome driver. But I can't say enough about this team. Clay Millican is just one special human being; he's always positive. As a crew chief, when you're getting your butt kicked all the time, it's an awesome thing to have people around you that have your back." 

***

In a stunning first-round upset, hometown hero T.J. Zizzo clocks a career-best 3.712, 329.99 in his Rustoleum-branded dragster after No. 1 qualifier Mike Salinas strikes the tires and crosses the centerline. Salinas is the first low qualifier in any professional category this year to suffer a first-round exit. 

Zizzo's crew chief, Mike Kern, says that the run is as "validating as it gets." Zizzo goes on to explain that they tried to run through parts during qualifying to get them out of rotation.

"We saved the good stuff for today," said Zizzo.

***

Chicago's own Tony Schumacher sees his hope for a ninth Route 66 Raceway go up in a whisp of tire smoke, and Austin Prock moves easily ahead for a win on a 3.271 at 332.34. Crew chief Chris Cunningham explains that with the warm, sunny conditions this morning, they held back a bit to make sure they could get down the track. 

"The round win is what you're looking for," he said. "The e.t. is just a bonus." 

***

When Chicago Mission #2Fast2Tasty winner Justin Ashley is a ridiculously quick .018 at the tree but then smokes the tires, Jacob McNeal earns the first-round win of his Top Fuel career in his very first race. McNeal, driving the Top Fuel dragster owned by veteran racer Scott Palmer, clocked a clean 3.786, 322.65 to advance.

"We didn't want to beat ourselves," said Palmer. "We were trying to run a high .70. Those guys are an awesome team, and I heard a lot of tire smoke out there, so we backed it off a little bit." 

***

Brittany Force gets a freebie when Spencer Massey goes red in the lane next to her, then makes a modest 3.750-second pass.  

"It's difficult to make judgments based on what others are doing," said crew chief David Grubnic, who opted to hold back some of the power for this run. "There might be a little more out there." 

***

Steve Torrence is up in smoke next to Leah Pruett, who will advance on a 3.742. Crew chief Neal Strausbaugh expresses a sentiment that seems to be shared across the board by the Top Fuel crew chiefs on this warm day.

"It's a little nerve-racking for everybody," he said. "We're on our toes up here."  

***

Second-round Top Fuel matchups (lane choice first): Leah Pruett vs. T.J. Zizzo; Jacob McNeal vs. Josh Hart; Austin Prock vs. Brittany Force; Clay Millican vs. Doug Kalitta

***

Alexis DeJoria's weekend does not improve and only gets more out of character for what we've seen from her Toyota Funny Car team lately. As she attempts to stage, the top lights on the tree are flickering on-and-off, on-and-off. Ultimately, she went red by .210, sending Cruz Pedregon ahead. At the top end, she rushes towards her competitor as soon as she emerges from her car. 

"It was the nose of the body," said DeJoria. "That was a crappy way to lose a race. I don't go out there to try to play games. Cruz made a good run, and I wanted to get down here and tell him I wasn't trying to play games. I just want to cut a light and have a great race. This was definitely not the weekend we wanted."

***

Dale Creasy Jr. suffered a big fire in his Tek Pak Beaver Shredding Dodge Funny Car following a flash and pop midway downtrack. The explosion lifted the Funny Car body and the supercharger. The flames were large and lasting, but Creasy expertly got it to a stop and exited of his own accord. No. 1 qualifier Robert Hight advanced on a 3.941. 

***

Bob Tasca III pulls right in and lights both of the pre-stage bulbs next to J.R. Todd, who is still able to leave the starting line first but then goes up in smoke. Tasca strikes the tires further down track but gets the win. 

"It was not intentional," said Tasca at the top end "I rolled on in, it flickered, and then both bulbs came on. You just have to keep your composure. The car was on a good run, then smoked the tires and shut off. I was pedaling and the throttle is disconnected. I don't know how we got the win, but maybe we can win the race after all that." 

***

When Matt Hagan gets in trouble, Alex Laughlin surges ahead of the second Funny Car round win of his career. Hagan left first, but Laughlin was able to drive around for a 4.093 victory over the incoming points leader. 

***

Chad Green gets a pass to the next round with Bobby Bode's 'chutes come out on the starting line. The crew chief explains that the 'chutes weren't the problem. 

"We didn't have any rpm on the dash, and it started popping and banging, so we made the call to shut it off," he said.

Green clocked a 4.160 on a single.  

"Them guys were making me nervous – everyone was smoking the tires out here, and it's getting a little trickier than we thought it would be," said crew chief Dan Wilkerson. "I knocked it down so much we probably could have gone down the return road." 

***

Second-round Funny Car matchups (lane choice first): John Force vs. Robert Hight; Tim Wilkerson vs. Alex Laughlin; Cruz Pedregon vs. Chad Green; Ron Capps vs. Bob Tasca III

***

Greg Anderson's HendrickCars.com Chevrolet is steady as it moves down the racetrack, but his KB Titan Racing teammate, Matt Hartford, rattles the tires as soon as he drops the clutch. For the first time this season, Hartford is out in the first round of eliminations. Anderson moves ahead by way of a 6.559. 

***

Dueling yellow Corral Boots Chevrolets pull up to the starting line for a brother-to-brother meeting. Big brother Fernando Cuadra Jr. leaves first by .002, but his car wags the tail violently soon after. The win goes to Cristian Cuadra at the final stripe with a 6.596.

***

Reigning world champ Erica Enders is ousted on a holeshot by Elite Motorsports teammate Aaron Stanfield, who wins it by just .006. Stanfield recorded a .021-second reaction time in his Janac Bros Chevy and clocked a 6.546, while Enders' 6.531 is negated by a .042 start. 

***

Jerry Tucker did not come to play. He's a perfect .000 and puts up a 6.565 to beat Camrie Caruso's .052 and 6.561. Tucker's first round win came over Erica Enders at the season opener, and he defeated the champ again in the first round of the Charlotte four-wide race. 

***

Shane Tucker, who has had Elite Motorsports power since the last race in Charlotte, makes the field for the first time this season, and he's ready for the round as he rips off a .019-second reaction time to Bo Butner's .040. They race side-by-side down the track, and it's Butner who gets the win, 6.551 to 6.590.

***

Deric Kramer, the most recent winner on the tour and the most recent Pro Stock driver to win at Route 66 Raceway, has no trouble overcoming Mason McGaha's .002 advantage at the starting line. He seals the deal on a 6.542 to a 6.581. 

***

Second-round Pro Stock matchups (lane choice first): Dallas Glenn vs. Greg Anderson; Troy Coughlin Jr. vs. Jerry Tucker; Deric Kramer vs. Cristian Cuadra; Aaron Stanfield vs. Bo Butner

***

Marc Ingwersen nabs his first round win of the year on a holeshot over Angie Smith three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle winner Angie Smith. Ingwersen left ahead of Smith with a .002 reaction to her .069. He clocked a winning 6.849 to her 6.845.

"I knew I had the edge on her, but they're very good on the top end typically," said Ingwersen. "I was listening for her. But I got the win, and I'm very happy." 

***

It's another holeshot win here as Chase Van Sant is .004 at the tree to Steve Johnson's .034. He carries it to the stripe with a 6.805 that beats a quicker 6.800.

***

John Hall goes red, and Hector Arana Jr. rides the GETTRX Buell to a winning 6.783, 201.73. That's big and promising e.t. and speed. Arana Jr. is in the hunt for Chicago win No. 3 with a strong machine.

***

Another round is won at the tree as Kelly Clontz clocks an unfortunate .102 light next to Matt Smith's .020. Smith's 6.849 to her 6.837 rules this one as a holeshot. 

***

Joey Gladstone's Precision Service Equipment Suzuki makes a very nice 6.572 pass, while Ryan Oehler falls to the dreaded red light by a bunch (-.152). 

***

There is some chaos on the starting line surrounding Eddie Krawiec's Vance & Hines Mission Food Suzuki – apparently, a vacuum pump wire came off – but crew chief Andrew Hines is able to connect it just before the run. He has to lean into horsepower after Jianna Evaristo launches on a .016 to his .052, but he is way in the clear when a 6.754 pops up on the scoreboard opposite her 6.869. 

***

He probably didn't need the gift, but Ron Tornow leaves before the tree is activated and Gaige Herrera continues his seemingly unbreakable streak of wins. He blasts to a 6.706 at 200.77 mph, which is the first pass this weekend in which he hasn't dipped into the 6.60s. 

***

Second-round Pro Stock Motorcycle matchups (lane choice first): Gaige Herrera vs. Marc Ingwersen; Joey Gladstone vs. Eddie Krawiec;  Chip Ellis vs. Chase Van Sant; Hector Arana Jr. vs. Matt Smith

Jacob McNeal gives it a good shot – he's .066 at the hit and clocks a 3.870 – but Josh Hart is on target at both ends of the track with the R&L Carriers dragster. His .048 reaction time and 3.793 sends him ahead to round two. 

***

When Austin Prock goes up in smoke at the hit of the throttle, Brittany Force clocks a 4.011 to move ahead.

"We were coming up, and I could see the thousand foot, and it's just hazing the tires," said Force. "I was peddling it and I didn't see him. We were bottom half of the field, but we got the win and we're going on." 

***

Mr. Upset! T.J. Zizzo is down a cylinder but is still in better shape than his opponent. Leah Pruett smokes the tires and slows, and Zizzo clocks a winning 3.804 to advance to the semifinals at his hometown race.  

***

Doug Kalitta smokes the tires,  and Clay Millican and his Rick Ware team are heading to the semifinals for the first time in 2023.

***

Semifinals Top Fuel matchups (lane choice first): Josh Hart vs. T.J. Zizzo; Clay Millican vs. Brittany Force

***

Tim Wilkerson and Alex Laughlin are both a bit sleepy at the tree – Wilk with a .111 reaction time and Laughlin with a .114 – but Wilkerson gets there first. He'll advance on a 4.010.

***

The G.O.A.T. leaves first with a .058 light next to No. 1 qualifier and teammate Robert Hight (.099), then keeps it stuck to go 4.003 to defeat a 4.159.

"You have to go up there with your big boy pants on, because Robert and Jimmy [Prock, Hight's crew chief] have been kicking our butts all year," said Force's crew chief, Danny Hood. 

***

Bob Tasca III makes his best run of the weekend after clocking a .069 reaction time, but it's not enough. Ron Capps, with a .071 light, gets the win by .065 in the best side-by-side matchup in funny car so far today, 3.983 to a 4.050.

"Lane choice is huge," said Capps. "When a crew chief leans in and says lane choice matters, then you have to do your job and get as shallow as possible. It meant a lot right there," said Capps.

***

Chad Green is on the way to his third semifinals round of the season on a 3.998 to Cruz Pedregon's 4.279.

"I don't think too much about who's in the other lane, I'm just trying to do my job," said Green. "These guys are just doing a great job out there. We'll try and keep it going." 

"If we keep doing that, I think we'll be okay," said crew chief Dan Wilkerson, who sees his father, Tim, on the other side of the ladder. 

***

Semifinals Funny Car matchups (lane choice first): John Force vs. Tim Wilkerson; Ron Capps vs. Chad Green

***

The moment Troy Coughlin Jr. drops the clutch, the JEGS.com Chevrolet begins to spin the tires. Jerry Tucker is in a smidge of trouble down-track, but his 5.515 is plenty with T.J. well behind. Tucker will be racing in the semifinals for the first time in his rookie Pro Stock career – and he'll have a shot at the Mission #2Fast2Tasty title at the next Pro Stock race (Bristol).

***

Deric Kramer and Cristian Cuadra put on a good race for the fans, but Kramer is better at both ends of the track to carry his momentum into the semis. He goes 6.565 in the GetBiofuel Chevy to Cuadra's 6.588. 

***

In typical Dallas Glenn style, the points leader is quicker off the starting line than his opponent. This time, the guy in the other lane is his boss, five-time world champion Greg Anderson. Anderson's .060 reaction time is what ends his day as his HendrickCars.com Chevy is the quicker of the two. Glenn, with a .023 light, wins on a 6.576 to Anderson's 6.554.

***

Aaron Stanfield is taking a trip to the semifinals as fellow Elite Motorsports-powered Bo Butner has a bit of trouble on the track. 

***

Semifinals Pro Stock matchups (lane choice first): Dallas Glenn vs. Jerry Tucker; Deric Kramer vs. Aaron Stanfield, who came into raceday No. 6 in the Pro Stock points and is making up ground quickly.

***

Chase Van Sant goes red by -.020 and Chip Ellis gets an easy win. He puts a 6.861 on the board for good measure. 

***

Eddie Krawiec launches from the starting line with a .006 reaction time and hangs on to win over Joey Gladstone by .004. It will count as a holeshot as Gladstone was .015 on the tree and had a strong 6.781 in his pocket that couldn't quite beat Krawiec's 6.786. 

***

Marc Ingwersen is out of the gate with a .009 but it's not enough for powerhouse performer Gaige Herrera, who records a 6.725, 200.11 to beat a 6.940, 195.31. 

***

Semifinals Pro Stock Motorcycle matchups (lane choice first): Gaige Herrera vs. Eddie Krawiec; Hector Arana Jr. vs. Chip Ellis

***

T.J. Zizzo's dream weekend at home goes up in smoke here. Although Josh Hart has cylinders out downtrack, he musters a 3.910 and is going to his first final round of the season. His most recent final was in St. Louis last year.

"This [heat] is tough on everybody," said Hart's crew chief, Ron Douglas. "It's really the beginning of summer racing. That one was ugly." 

***

After five consecutive first-round losses, Clay Millican and his Parts Plus Top Fuel dragster are taking Rick Ware Racing to their first final. Millican is out of the box with a .057 and 3.778 to defeat Brittany Force's .082 and 3.881.

"This is pretty kick-ass," said an obviously emotional crew chief Jim Oberhofer. "We've struggled a lot this year."

***

Final round Top Fuel matchup (lane choice first): Clay Millican vs. Josh Hart

***

John Force stages deep but then goes up in smoke immediately at the starting line. Tim Wilkerson clocks a 4.102 and is taking the SCAG Power Equipment Funny Car to the final round in his home state of Illinois and the site of his first Funny Car win in 1999.

"It's been a roller coaster of a year so far, but it's good to be back in the final," said co-crew chief Richard Hartman.

***

Ron Capps, the winner of the Chicago Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, will have a chance to double. His 3.985 knocks out Chad Green's 4.085, and it's on to the final for the reigning Funny Car champ. Capps has two wins so far this season. 

"It'll be a throwdown," said Capps' crew chief Dean Antonelli.

***

Final round Funny Car matchup (lane choice first): Ron Capps vs. Tim Wilkerson

***

Dallas Glenn's camp has lane choice here, and at the very last minute his crew chiefs send him to the right lane. The lane swap pays off as Jerry Tucker shakes the tires and has to shove the clutch in after launching on a .007. Glenn may have gotten a bit lucky as he was .047 at the tree. Glen goes 6.563 in the RAD Torque Chevy.

***

Deric Kramer gets a slight advantage over Aaron Stanfield at the starting line, and he stretches it at the finish line stripe. He will advance to his second consecutive final in Chicago and second straight on the season with a 6.567 to 6.574.

***

Final round Pro Stock matchup (lane choice first): Dallas Glenn vs. Deric Kramer

***

Chip Ellis and his DENSO/Stockseth Buell get off the line first, .020 to Hector Arana Jr.'s .028, and when Arana Jr.'s bike bogs as he lets out the clutch, he is unable to  make up ground. Ellis is going to the final round for the 14th time in his Pro Stock Motorcycle career. 

***

Vance & Hines Mission Foods teammates Gaige Herrera and Eddie Krawiec lock into an early battle here for the final-round berth, and Krawiec wants it bad. He's off the starting line first with a .008 reaction, but Herrera's catching him quick after launching on a .016. Herrera gets there first with a massive 6.708 to defeat a 6.776, and he's headed to yet another final. 

Final round Pro Stock Motorcycle matchup (lane choice first): Gaige Herrera vs. Chip Ellis

***

FINAL-ROUND RESULTS

Millican, Wilkerson, Glenn, and Herrera claim coveted wins at Route 66 Raceway