NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The Texas NHRA FallNationals stands as one of just three races remaining to gather points toward the 2024 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series world championship, and after a heated qualifying effort, the battle for position and bonus points is behind them. Drivers are now focused on three things: win lights, the Texas Motorplex trophy, and a signature cowboy hat. 

Top Fuel

The HendrickCars.com Chevrolet dragster driven by Brittany Force was so on point in moments of qualifying that she blasted her way to her fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and a milestone 50th of her career. Force, No. 8 in the Top Fuel standings, is eager to notch her first win of the season, and she’ll begin the task with a first round meeting with Canadian racer Spencer Hyde. Force won this race in 2017. 

The most winning Top Fuel driver in history is also the most winning at Texas Motorplex. Tony Schumacher is aiming at the seventh win at the Motorplex starting from the No. 9 position. He’ll have to contend with JCM Racing teammate Ida Zetterström in the first round for the first time since her Brainerd debut. 

Shawn Reed and his Reed Trucking rail continued to show that he and his Rob Wendland-led team have turned over a very powerful leaf and qualified in the No. 2 position. He drew Tony Stewart (whose wife, Leah Pruett, won this race last year) and the Mobil 1 dragster as a first-round opponent after Stewart narrowly made the field. 

Two-time Texas Motorplex winner Justin Ashley and his Scag Power Equipment Toyota came to the table for a lone qualifying session, the early round on Friday, but it was enough to lock into the No. 12 position. If you like drama, you’ll like this: Ashley is No. 2 in the points and 34 marks behind Antron Brown, and he is set to meet the points leader right there in the first round. Brown and Texas get along real well, though: he's has won this race twice in a Top Fueler and once aboard a Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Shawn Langdon, 60 points out of the lead, qualified fourth and will race Jasmine Salinas in round one. Reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, also a two-time Dallas winner — is No. 10 and will come forth to meet with Clay Millican in round one. 

Funny Car

Jack Beckman has been driving the Peak Chevrolet Camaro on behalf of John Force after his crash earlier this season, but late-breaking HUGE news came in this morning that Beckman could not make the call for first round due to vertigo-like illness. Chad Green will have a single.

On behalf of Force, Beckman entered the race No. 2 in the points, 105 behind a Funny Car rookie that looks like anything but, Austin Prock. As was the case in St. Louis, Prock and his AAA Chevrolet reset the Funny Car season-best in qualifying with a new track record of 3.813, and he’ll look to build on that momentum with a first-round meeting with Texan Terry Haddock.

Defending world champion Matt Hagan and his American Rebel machine have won this race four times (including last year) and his showing has enthused the team as they blasted to the No. 2 position with esteemed crew chief Dickie Venables leading the charge. Hagan will race Bobby Bode in round one. 

Napa Toyota pilot Ron Capps and his Dean “Guido” Antonelli-tuned flopper are No. 5 on the sheet and set to race Dave Richards. Capps, No. 4 in the Funny Car standings and 194 marks out of the lead, has three previous Dallas wins on his scorecard. 

Bob Tasca III won this race in 2012, and he and his Motorcraft Quicklane Mustang team are surely feeling due. Now would be a great time to win again as he is 194 marks from the points lead in the No. 3 spot with three racedays to go. Tasca is starting from the Lucky 13 spot and is paired with Brainerd winner Blake Alexander for round one. 

Pro Stock 

Reigning champion and defending event winner Erica Enders and her JHG/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro are qualified in the No. 2 position, just .002-second behind low qualifier Greg Anderson and the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. While Enders will square off with Elite Motorsports teammate Cristian Cuadra in the first round, Anderson will likely have a solo as would-be opponent Eric Latino’s Friday crash left him without a car to drive on Sunday. 

One of the strongest bursts of performance in qualifying was actually young David Cuadra, Cristian’s twin brother and Corral Boots/Elite Motorsports teammate. David clocked a mean 6.532 to jump ahead of JHG/Melling/Janac Brothers -backed Aaron Stanfield (No. 2 in the points) and points leader Dallas Glenn to start third. He’ll race Texas native Chris McGaha in round one. 

As for the points, No. 1 qualifier Anderson entered the event No. 4 in the Pro Stock standings with 116 points separating him from the top spot, held by KB Titan Racing teammate Glenn. Anderson is in heated contention with Glenn, Stanfield (who was 31 points behind Glenn) and Enders, who sat 90 marks back from first when she arrived at Texas Motorplex. Enders has won this event three times before, and Anderson is the most winning driver in the category both overall and at the Motorplex with six previous victories.

The top four in the points have also been the four semifinalists at each of the first three races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, but Sunday at the Motorplex will not afford that same opportunity. Anderson, Glenn, and Stanfield are all on the same side of the ladder, while Enders is parked on the other side.

Stanfield will race Mason McGaha in round one, while Glenn — last season’s FallNationals runner-up — will square off with Troy Coughlin Jr. 

Matt Hartford, who won this race in 2020, is starting seventh withg a first-round meeting with Camrie Caruso.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

The points battle in Pro Stock Motorcycle has been spear-headed by Vance & Hines rider Gaige Herrera and his RevZilla Mission Foods Suzuki and Matt Smith and his Denso-backed Buell, and they entered the event separated by just 34 marks. Points leader Herrera earned his eight pole of the season and will race Malcolm Phillips Jr. in the first round, while Smith will start second and go toe-to-toe with Ryan Oehler.

Herrera, who won this race last year, will be aiming to defend the title and further bolster his bid for a second straight championship, but it isn’t just Smith — the 2021 Dallas winner — nipping at his heels. Vance & Hines teammate Richard Gadson reached final at the first two races of the Countdown and is itching for his first win. He came to Texas just 65 points back from the top spot. His start from the No. 9 position was out of character and should make for a very intetersting match with 2023 Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant, who certainly wants a little vindication after a final-round loss to Herrera in St. Louis and is 157 points out of first.

Hector Arana Jr., though, has a knack for being a thorn in the side for the class, especially in Texas. He won this race in 2022 aboard his freshly branded GETTRX Buell and threw a real wrench in the works, and this time around he has a shot at the series title with 137 points between him and the top spot. He’s No. 3 on the qualifying sheet and will line up next to Marc Ingwersen. 

EVENT STATISTICS

2023 EVENT WINNERS: Leah Pruett, Top Fuel; Matt Hagan, Funny Car; Erica Enders, Pro Stock; Gaige Herrera, Pro Stock Motorcycle

MOST VICTORIES: Tony Schumacher, 6, TF; John Force, 7, FC; Greg Anderson, 6, PS; Eddie Krawiec and Jerry Savoie, 3, PSM

TRACK RECORDS

Top Fuel – 3.636 seconds by Steve Torrence, Oct. '23; 338.40 mph by Justin Ashley, Oct. '23

Funny Car – 3.813 seconds by Austin Prock, Oct. '24; 338.60 mph by Hight, Oct. '17

Pro Stock – 6.457 seconds by Greg Anderson, Oct. '15; 214.59 mph by Anderson, Oct. '15

Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.627 seconds by Gaige Herrera, Oct. '23; 204.16 mph by Herrera, Oct. '23

SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, Oct. 13
MISSION FOODS SERIES eliminations at 12 noon

TELEVISION

SUNDAY, Oct. 13
FS1 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 2 p.m. ET followed by three hours of finals coverage at 4 p.m. ET

TICKETS

To purchase tickets to the Texas NHRA FallNationals, click here.