NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

It’s one of the most anticipated days in racing - Monday at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Some racers will say it doesn’t matter what you’ve done the rest of the weekend; the racing gods will decide what happens on Labor Day on the hallowed ground in Brownsburg, Ind.

Top Fuel’s Shawn Langdon was able to hold onto the No. 1 spot after five rounds of qualifying. He will race No. 16 qualifier Clay Millican, who had a dramatic moment with his teammate Tony Schumacher in fighting for the final spot on the ladder. However, winning his fifth 75th anniversary Diamond Wally won’t be the only thing on his mind.

Langdon is currently in the running for the regular season championship against his Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta. Kalitta would need to lose on race day, while Langdon needs to advance and earn 38 more points (two round wins) to win the title.

The marquee matchup in Top Fuel is four-time champ Antron Brown and Ida Zetterström, whose Bandero/GlobalSKU-back dragster suffered a massive explosion in the final qualifying session.

Funny Car has been nothing but exciting, and fans are in for a treat again on Monday. After Ron Capps taking the No. 1 qualifier award and Jack Beckman winning the $80,000 PlayNHRA All-Star Callout, there is a five-way fight for the regular season championship. Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, Jordan Vandergriff, J.R. Todd, and Jack Beckman are still in the running.

Fans will have to watch it unfold in round one as Vandergriff and Todd, who are also the marquee matchup, are set to square off, and one of their regular-season championship chases will be diminished.

Also, Austin Prock has the chance to become the first-ever Funny Car driver to pull off a three-peat at the Big Go.

In Pro Stock, Q4 and Q5 proved to be the hero rounds, and what shook up the ladder allowed Matt Hartford to rise to the top again as the No. 1 qualifier. Dallas Glenn was able to collect the bonus points he needed to edge ever closer to Greg Anderson in the regular-season championship fight.

Glenn wants to defend his title, and to do so, he needs to earn 54 more points, which is two rounds, and Anderson needs to lose in round one.

Also in round one, Cody Anderson and Aaron Stanfield will be the marquee matchup. 

Pro Stock Motorcycle saw its first 200 mph run on Sunday, and it came from none other than the No. 1 qualifier and four-time Indy winner Matt Smith. He’s also eligible for the regular season championship award along with Angie Smith, Gaige Herrera, and Richard Gadson.

If all four advance in round one, Matt and Angie Smith are eliminated. If Gadson advances in round one, Matt, Angie, and Gaige are eliminated, and Gadson will be crowned the champ.

If Gadson loses in round one and Herrera wins, he would need to go two more rounds to clinch the title.

Fans can also keep an eye on the marquee matchup in the first round, which will be Ryan Oehler and Malcom Phillips Jr. 

Racers in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Right Trailers NHRA Outlaw Street, and JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series will also be searching for their own bit of Indy magic. 

DEFENDING EVENT CHAMPIONS
TOP FUEL: Justin Ashley
FUNNY CAR: Austin Prock
PRO STOCK: Erica Enders 
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: Gaige Herrera

MOST WINS (Active drivers)
TOP FUEL: Tony Schumacher (10)
FUNNY CAR: Cruz Pedregon (3)
PRO STOCK: Greg Anderson (7)
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: Matt Smith (3).

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.640 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '22; 343.51 mph by B. Force, Sept. ‘25.
Funny Car - 3.799 sec. by Matt Hagan, Sept. '17; 338.77 mph by Hagan, Sept. '25.
Pro Stock - 6.491 sec. by Greg Anderson, Aug. '25, 211.79 mph by Dallas Glenn, Sept. '25.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.738 sec. by Gaige Herrera, Aug. '25, 201.73 mph by Jianna Evaristo, Sept. '25.

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading, Pa.; 345.00 mph by Shawn Langdon, May ‘26, Valdosta.
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. '24, Pomona, Calif.
Pro Stock - 6.443 sec. by Greg Anderson, March '25, Gainesville; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May '14, Englishtown
N.J.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.627 sec. by Gaige Herrera, Oct. '23, Dallas; 205.04 mph by Matt Smith, July '21, Sonoma.

SCHEDULE

Monday, September 7, 2026
Pre-race ceremonies including SealMaster Track Walk at 9 a.m.
Eliminations begin at 10 a.m.

TELEVISION
MONDAY, September 7 FS1 will televise two hours of finals coverage at 12:00 p.m. (ET)
MONDAY, September 7 Fox will televise three hours of finals coverage at 2:00 p.m. (ET)