NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

THE ELITE TEAM IS FINALLY BEGINNING TO GAIN GROUND

For the first time in nearly two years, the Elite Performance team appeared to have the upper hand in their ongoing battle against the rival KB Titan squad. At the very least, they are on an even keel, which represents genuine progress in the battle for Pro Stock supremacy.

In Chicago, Elite cars qualified in the top three spots and occupied five of the top eight spots in the field. Qualifying was led by Erica Enders, who claimed the pole for the first time since St. Louis in 2024. Enders also won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, another positive sign.

On race day, it was a similar story as team Elite put three of their cars into the semifinal round, and Aaron Stanfield claimed his 15th Pro Stock win after a foul start by KB Titan’s Greg Anderson. Anderson was plenty quick, but he likely needed to push the Tree as Stanfield not only made great runs, but he was dynamic on the Tree, including a nearly perfect light in the semifinal race against his father, Greg.

The win marked the first Elite Pro Stock win since Enders scored last September in Indy, but based on their collective results, it almost certainly won’t be long before they win again, and that's a big win for Pro Stock fans who enjoy a good rivalry.

ALEXIS DEJORIA WILL BE A TITLE CONTENDER THIS SEASON

It wasn’t the most talked about move of the offseason, but it might ultimately turn out to be the best. We’re talking about Alexis DeJoria’s decision to join John Force Racing, a move that has almost immediately paid big dividends when she reached the final round at the first event of the season in Gainesville. Changing to a Chevy body wasn’t the only change for DeJoria as she also added veteran tuners Mike Neff and Jonnie Lindberg to the mix.

In Chicago, DeJoria not only won the Mission Challenge on Saturday, she also put her Bandero Café Camaro into the final round for the second time in the first six races of the season. While DeJoria didn’t win either final round, both of which came against Chad Green, her progress is evident, and appears sustainable.

Two final round losses undoubtedly hurt, but it’s a long season, and all of those finals and semifinals add up. The bottom line here is that DeJoria’s best days of the season appear to be ahead of her.

TEAM KALITTA HAS CHECKED OUT ON THE TOP FUEL FIELD

The regular-season champion in Top Fuel won’t be crowned until the NHRA U.S. Nationals this September; that’s eight more races, but at this point, it will take a near miracle for anyone other than Shawn Langdon or Doug Kalitta to claim the title and the accompanying bonus. The Kalitta dragsters have combined to win four of the first six events of the season, and appear to be nothing short of a runaway freight train.

Coming into the Chicago event, Langdon led the standings while Kalitta was second. And both drivers were more than 100 points clear of third-ranked Leah Pruett. Langdon extended that advantage, where he went to his fourth final and delivered his third win with a convincing victory over Antron Brown, the 25th Pro win of his career. Langdon has won half the races so far, and it would be almost impossible to argue that he doesn’t have the best car in what is a stacked field. Kalitta has also done his share of damage with a win in three finals. 

Drag racing is an unpredictable sport, and there is always room for upsets and other unexplained phenomena, but dislodging Team Kalitta from the top spot is going to be a tall order.

THE SMITHS HAVE THE TWO BEST BIKES IN PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

Matt Smith has now won back-to-back races in Pro Stock Motorcycle with his Denso Buell as he continues his quest to win a record seventh championship, and both wins have been impressive.

That being said, Smith’s wife, Angie, had the best bike in the field in Chicago, and it wasn’t even close. Angie Smith’s pink Denso bike ran a slew of 6.7s in Chicago, including a 6.726 to qualify No. 1. Angie also went to the final of Saturday’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge and reached the final round on Sunday, where only a mechanical issue prevented what should have been her first win of the season.

So, where does that leave the Pro Stock Motorcycle class? Actually, it's in a good spot as the Smiths figure to contend for the title for the rest of the season, but rival Vance & Hines riders Richard Gadson and Gaige Herrera aren’t going away anytime soon. That doesn’t even account for the rest of the field, including MSR riders John Hall and Jianna Evaristo as well as Ryan Oehler, Brayden Davis, Chase Van Sant, Clayton Howey, and Kelly Clontz, all of whom have reason to be optimistic.

CHICAGO PROVIDES A SWEET HOME FOR NHRA DRAG RACING

Since the arrival of Route 66 Raceway in 1998, the track has been home to some of NHRA’s most dramatic moments, and the facility continues to provide a great home for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Chicago has always had a rich tradition when it comes to drag racing, including the home base for Hall of Famers like Don and Tony Schumacher, Arnie Beswick, the Chi-Town Hustler, and Chris “the Greek” Karamesines, who was honored throughout the event as part of the ongoing 75th anniversary celebration honoring the sport’s greatest racers.

This year, fans turned out in solid numbers to greet the past and current stars of NHRA, and those who made the trip were rewarded with one of the best events of the season with wins by Shawn Langdon, Chad Green, Aaron Stanfield, and Matt Smith.

Chicago is well-known as a big sports town, and that includes motorsports in general and NHRA Drag Racing in particular, and there is no clearer evidence than the enthusiasm for this year’s event.