NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Under a pale blue October sky and nearly picture-perfect conditions, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is ready to open professional qualifying at World Wide Technology Raceway for the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.

The third of six races in the Mission Foods NHRA Countdown to the Championship has reached its first major test of the weekend, with Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock, Funny Car and Top Fuel preparing to make their first qualifying runs on a fast St. Louis racing surface.

Pro Stock Motorcycle will lead the professional categories onto the track, with reigning world champion and current points leader Richard Gadson looking to continue the momentum from his victory last weekend in Rockingham. Gaige Herrera, Matt Smith, John Hall and the rest of the two-wheel contingent will be looking to establish an early benchmark before conditions change for tonight’s second session. Herrera has been particularly formidable at World Wide Technology Raceway, winning the event each of the last three years.

Pro Stock follows with one of the tightest championship fights in the Mission Foods Series. Greg Stanfield arrives as the points leader following his Rockingham victory, but Matt Hartford, Dallas Glenn and defending St. Louis winner Greg Anderson are all within 66 points of the lead. Erica Enders, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Troy Coughlin Jr. and rookie Cody Anderson add even more depth to a field where every qualifying bonus point could matter.

Then comes nitro.

Funny Car points leader Matt Hagan rolls into St. Louis riding four consecutive final-round appearances and a victory last weekend at Rockingham. Hagan also happens to be the defending winner here, but Jordan Vandergriff, J.R. Todd, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman and reigning world champion Austin Prock are among those looking to close the gap as the Countdown reaches its halfway point.

Top Fuel closes the opening professional session with Shawn Langdon carrying one of the hottest streaks in recent NHRA history. Langdon has won three consecutive events, including the first two races of the Countdown, and leads Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta by 25 points. Kalitta, however, returns to a track where he has won five times and was both the No. 1 qualifier and event winner one year ago.

Q1 represents the first opportunity to get safely into the field, but Friday's biggest swings may still be ahead.

The professional categories return tonight for a second session under the lights, when cooler conditions could produce some of the quickest and fastest runs of the weekend — and $7,500 in bonus money will be on the line in the inaugural UsedHotdogs.com “Top Dog” competition.

Angie Smith leads tight Pro Stock Motorcycle field after opening qualifying session

MADISON, Ill. — Angie Smith fired the first big shot of Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying Friday at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, riding to a 6.730-second pass at 199.61 mph to take the provisional No. 1 position after Q1 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Under a pale blue sky and nearly ideal early-October conditions, Smith narrowly edged Ryan Oehler in an exceptionally tight opening session. Oehler, coming off his first career No. 1 qualifier in Michigan, ran 6.733 at 199.55 mph, just three-thousandths of a second behind Smith.

Reigning world champion Richard Gadson opened with a strong 6.755 at 199.79 mph to claim the No. 3 position, followed by Joey Gladstone’s 6.762 at 198.50. Matt Smith rounded out the early top five with a 6.771 at 200.47 mph.

The opening session produced considerable parity at the front of the field, with the top five riders separated by just .041-second and the top eight all running in the 6.70s.

Steve Johnson sits sixth after a 6.788 at 196.10 mph, followed closely by Gaige Herrera, who opened his weekend with a 6.791 at 196.16. Chase Van Sant’s 6.797 at 195.79 completed the group of riders in the 6.70-second range.

John Hall produced the fastest speed of Q1, reaching 200.50 mph during his 6.828-second run, just edging Matt Smith’s 200.47 mph for top speed of the session.

With one qualifying session complete, the Pro Stock Motorcycle field will return later Friday with cooler conditions offering an opportunity to reshuffle the order.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Q1 order

Greg Anderson leads blistering Pro Stock Q1 in St. Louis

MADISON, Ill. — Greg Anderson came out swinging in the opening round of Pro Stock qualifying at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, powering to a 6.482-second pass at 209.92 mph to take the provisional No. 1 position Friday at World Wide Technology Raceway.

With near-perfect weather conditions greeting the Pro Stock field, Anderson made the most of the opportunity. His .962 60-foot time was also the quickest of the session as the veteran immediately established the number everyone else will chase heading into Friday evening.

Greg Stanfield came closest, closing the session with an impressive 6.495 at 210.31 mph to move into the No. 2 position. Troy Coughlin Jr. was only three-thousandths behind Stanfield with a 6.498 at 210.64 mph, giving the opening session three cars in the 6.40s.

Matt Hartford landed fourth with a 6.500 at 209.39 mph, while Aaron Stanfield was right behind at 6.501 and 209.43 mph. Eric Latino’s 6.503 at 211.00 mph put him sixth and gave him the fastest speed of Q1.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. sits seventh after a 6.506 at 209.98, followed by six-time world champion Erica Enders at 6.509 and 209.56.

The depth of the session was evident throughout the field. Cody Anderson ran 6.525, Kenny Delco posted a 6.545 and Stephen Bell went 6.550. Dallas Glenn was on a competitive run through the eighth-mile before slowing considerably on the top end, crossing in 6.555 at only 193.05 mph.

Not everyone got the opening run they wanted. Mason McGaha managed a 6.563, while Chris Vang, Deric Kramer and Matt Latino encountered problems and failed to make representative runs.

The numbers set up an intriguing second session Friday evening. Only .027-second separates Anderson's provisional No. 1 from Enders in the No. 8 position, and with the quickest conditions of the day potentially still ahead, the top of the Pro Stock order could see considerable movement.

Pro Stock Q1 qualifying order

Quickest: Greg Anderson, 6.482
Fastest: Eric Latino, 211.00 mph
Spread, No. 1 to No. 8: .027 second