NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan picked up his first No. 1 qualifier since March for Tony Stewart Racing, clinching the top position on Saturday at zMAX Dragway to close out qualifying at the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 16th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hagan’s Friday run of 3.832-seconds at 333.25 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat stood up through Saturday’s two sessions, as the four-time world champ raced to his second No. 1 position of the year and the 52nd in his career. Hagan, who opened the weekend 137 points out of first, also has a chance to sweep both Charlotte races this season and a win on Sunday would certainly be ideal for his title chances.

"We feel like we found some stuff, working hard behind the scenes," Hagan said. "My guys have obviously been scratching their head a little bit all year and have just not had the performance that we really wanted or hoped to, but knowing that we can run with these guys, and I think that we showed that Friday, that's real. We can do this still, so that was a great shot in the arm for us. 
 
"Tomorrow's going to be 90 degrees, so it's back to probably pedaling the car some and figuring out how to get down the racetrack. But the lanes are really nice, both equal, so at the end of the day, I feel confident that we got a car that could go down the racetrack."

Points leader Austin Prock finished second in qualifying with Friday’s 3.833 at 332.84, while John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman is right behind in third after a 3.850 at 327.27.

Top Fuel’s Brittany Force easily held on to the No. 1 spot thanks to Friday’s stellar run of 3.690 at 334.24 in her 11,000-horsepower HendrickCars.com Chevrolet dragster, but the two-time Top Fuel world champion added some more momentum with a strong run in the warmer temperatures to close out qualifying on Saturday. It’s Force’s third No. 1 this season – and second in the last three races – and the 49th in her standout career.

She opened the weekend ninth in points but is determined to make a run and Force will need a big raceday to do it. Force opens eliminations against rookie Ida Zetterstrom and will attempt to pick up her first event win since her 2022 championship campaign.

“We missed it on the first run today and that was a really crucial run, but on our last run, we ran a (3.77), which was second in the field, so that was a killer run for us,” Force said. “We needed that. We just needed our car to go down the racetrack. We had a window we were trying to aim for, and we made it right in that window and picked up some points and had a good run in the heat.
 
"It's going to be even hotter tomorrow, so that was actually more important of a run than our 3.69 Friday night. I wish we would have gotten down there both runs today, but we pushed a little too hard, and hopefully we can find that balance for tomorrow."

Shawn Reed qualified second thanks to his 3.700 at 324.12 and defending world champion Doug Kalitta took third with Friday’s 3.710 at 332.59.
 
Erica Enders made the absolute most of qualifying in Charlotte as she seeks her first win since the season-opener in Gainesville, turning in the quickest run in all four qualifying sessions, including Friday’s 6.557 at 208.20 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car that clinched her 40th career No. 1 qualifier. Enders, who entered the weekend third in points, made two more strong runs on Saturday, setting up the potential for her 50th career national event win.

Enders, who has now qualified first or second at 13 of the 16 races this year, will open raceday against Derrick Reese, looking to build on two strong days of qualifying and last weekend’s runner-up at the playoff opener in Reading.
 
“Obviously, that [50th win] is being held over our heads pretty significantly, but I have a great race car this weekend. My car is flying,” Enders said. “We were low for every session, which was worth 12 bonus points, so that's more than half a round, so now I have to go to work. 
 
"Hearing the excitement in my guys' voices, that part's really exciting, but on the other side of things, it weighs on you because now it's in my hands. I have a really fast race car and I promise you, as a driver, there's nothing worse than posting a really fast time, and the guy next to you posting a slower one, and still turning the win light on, which happened to me last week. I’ve got my work cut out for me, but the confidence is very strong in my equipment and my team."
 
Greg Anderson moved into the No. 2 position on speed, going 6.580 at 208.49 on Saturday, pushing points leader and Reading winner Aaron Stanfield to third with his Friday pass of 6.580 at 207.85.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, six-time world champion Matt Smith enjoyed another strong day at zMAX Dragway, lowering his No. 1 qualifying time to a 6.799 at 199.67 on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. It was quicker than Friday’s run and Smith, who claimed his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the 2024 campaign, was the only rider to dip into the 6.70s through the first days of the event. He gained points on leader and defending world champion Gaige Herrera and Smith feels good about his chances heading into raceday as he seeks his second win of the year.
 
“We knew the weather was a little bit better, but the track was a little bit worse, so we took a tooth off [the rear sprocket] this morning to see if we control the tire. It stuck and we went 6.79 so we thought we were on the right path but got back in that right lane that has thrown us for a loop,” Smith said. “Lane choice is going to be big for me tomorrow and I will stay in the left lane as long as I can or have to figure out how to go down that right lane if I lose (lane) choice tomorrow.
 
"Having a bye (in round one) is always good because we can go up and try stuff and it's good that (Gaige Herrera and Richard Gadson) have each other on the other side of the ladder.”
 
Herrera stayed close behind, qualifying second with a 6.812 at 198.47 and his teammate, Richard Gadson, qualified third after a run of 6.830 at 199.26.
 
Eliminations for the NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.