NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE Q1

Pro Stock Motorcycle took to the starting line six hours ahead of the earlier scheduled time due to the forecasted weather on Friday. However, bikes before lunch added a different twist at Summit Motorsports Park on the opening day of the fan-favorite event.

Budd Yoder was the first to take to America’s racetrack on two wheels and laid down a conservative 7.227 at 181.62 mph pass. His opponent in the other lane, Odoloph Daniels, didn’t make the call for the first qualifying sessions.

Teammates Brayden Davis and Ryan Oehler are situated at no. 5 and no. 8 in the field with 6.901 and 6.871, respectively.

Reigning three-time Norwalk Nationals Ice Cream Eating Contest Champion Jianna Evaristo made a clean pass of 6.89 at 191.65 on her Buell bike.

Bristol semifinalist Steve Johnson ran a 6.880 at 194.52, which was .035 quicker than what he was in Thunder Valley.

Chase Van Sant and John Hall both had issues with their bikes, respectively, and will regroup for round two of qualifying.

Marking his second event filling in for the sidelined Matt Smith, Joey Gladstone easily slid into the number two spot with a 6.795 at 198.70. Meanwhile, the most recent tour winner, Gaige Herrera, took the provisional pole, clocking a 6.779 at 199.64.

Angie Smith easily laid down the fast speed of the session with a 200.11 mph pass, which landed her in the number three spot.

PRO STOCK Q1

A pair of 6.63s started the first qualifying session of Pro Stock. Stephen Bell ran a 6.638, while Kenny Delco clocked a 6.633.

Deric Kramer quickly put a gap between Delco and Bell when he was one-half of the second pair out. Kramer’s 6.577 at 207. 47 looked racey right off the trailer, which rewarded him with a provisional no. 4 spot.

Freshman Pro Stock driver Cody Anderson had a relatively successful first round of qualifying, something that had been plaguing him earlier in the year. The younger Anderson went 6.593 at 209.10.

Erica Enders and Matt Latino both ran identical E.T.s - 6.580 - but their speeds are what will separate them on the qualifying Sheet. Enders’ 209.07 will land her in the no. 7 spot, while Matt will hold the no. 6  with 209.26.

Aaron Stanfield, who is pulling double duty again this weekend competing in Pro Mod, made his first pass of the weekend down the Norwalk track in a Pro Stock car. His 6.591 will claim the no. 8 position on the ladder.

Aaron’s dad, Greg, is the only Elite Motorsports teammate to crack the top five. When Greg crossed the finish line in his Janac Brothers/The Rod ShopJanac Brothers/The Rod Shop Pro Stock machine with a 6.579 at 209.3, he secured the provisional no. 5 spot.

Bristol winner Matt Hartford 6.564 briefly held onto the provisional pole with his stout 6.564 until the points leader, Greg Anderson, powered his HendrickCars.com Camaro to a 6.550. Meanwhile, Dallas Glenn, who is no. 2 in the points, will sit in the no. 2 spot for now with a 6.561.

FUNNY CAR Q1

Del Worsham kicked off the first nitro Funny Car session with a very respectable 4.038 at 315.93 mph, setting a competitive early standard for the rest of the field.

It didn’t take long for Worsham to get bumped as Cruz Pedregon drove to a 4.022 in a nice side-by-side run against Dave Richards, who continued his recent string of competitive runs with a 4.025.

Austin Prock, the defending Norwalk winner, lowered the boom with a solid 3.937 and 331.36 mph blast in Bob Tasca’s Mustang to claim the top spot, at least temporarily.

“That was great. It seemed nice and straight, said Prock. “It was good to feel some G-Forces, especially after a week off. My dad said, ‘We’re tired of [expletive] around.’”

Alexis DeJoria came close to Prock with a 3.943 in the Bandero Café Chevy while Spencer Hyde smoked the tires in the other lane.

Jack Beckman was making a solid run until half-track, where his Peak Camaro broke the tires loose while Chad Green ran a 4.057.

J.R. Todd also found the three second zone with a 3.966 to put the DHL Toyota solidly into the field.

The round ended with a great 3.992 to 3.999 race between points leaders Ron Capps and Matt Hagan, the most recent tour winner in Bristol.

TOP FUEL Q1

Spencer Massey, who now has his own Top Fuel operation after purchasing the Nitro Ninja from the Lagana brothers, kicked off the Top Fuel session with a competitive 3.814.

Shawn Reed and Tony Schumacher gained some solid data for the second run on Friday and the rest of the weekend with runs of 3.879 and 3.886, respectively. Both were early shut offs as neither driver topped 280-mph.

Clay Millican gave the Norwalk crowd something to cheer for when he re-set the track speed record with a 339.11 mph run. Millican, wearing the Summit colors this weekend, also took over the top spot, at least for the time being, with a 3.809 elapsed time.

Antron Brown, fresh off his Bristol win, rolled to a 3.843 alongside Josh Hart, who shut off early with a 3.966 at just 244.56 mph.

Tony Stewart just missed the top spot with a 3.810, finishing just a thousandth of a second behind Millican.

In a move that should have surprised no one, Shawn Langdon took over the top spot with a 3.764 in his Kalitta Air dragster. Teammate wasn’t as fortunate he shook the tires and slowed.
 

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PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE Q2

Odolph Daniels first run on record for the weekend, and he tripped the clocks with a 9.102, where he will sit at the bottom of the field going into Saturday.

John Hall had a conservative 6.855, which landed him in the no. 7 spot. However, with the Matt Smith Racing team, the PSM rider has proven that it can run in the 6.70s.

Chase Van Sant improved drastically, 6.914, where he was in the 19s after the first round of qualifying. He moved up to the no. 10 spot.

It was side by side 6.83s for Richard Gadson and Angie Smith, and if it had been race day, Smith would have won because of her reaction time. Smith recorded a 6.833, while Gadson clocked a 6.831. Smith will remain in the no. 3 spot.

Gaige Herrera had low E.T. of the round - 6.785 - and will hang onto the provisional no. 1 position.

Joey Gladstone still sits no. 2 and has a 6.829, but he’s looking competitive and ready to head into the next two rounds of qualifying.

PRO STOCK Q2

Troy Coughlin Jr. found himself at the bottom of the qualifying sheet after running into tire shake at the end of the first qualifying session, so he was the first car out with Stephen Bell. T.J. made a nice clean pass this time, with 6.624, and Bell clocked a 6.617. One thing to note is their speeds, 209. 23 and a 207.72. These speeds might typically warrant lower E.T.s, so there could be more horsepower in these cars as they round into Saturday’s qualifying.

Jeg Coughlin Jr. is still in the bottom half of the field with his 6.598 at 208.04. It’s not much of an improvement from round one of qualifying, which was a 6.599.

Eric Latino’s GESi Camaro looks consistent, as he ran a 6.596 this session.

A pair of future Top Fuel drivers lined up against one another - Elite teammates Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield. They didn’t improve their positions much in the field, while Enders will keep her in the no. 7 spot after clocking a 6.588. Aaron’s 6.611 put him right behind his teammate in no. 8 on the ladder.

It was a side-by-side 6.57s for Matt Latino and Greg Stanfield. Matt, with his 6.579 at 209.01, will take the provisional no. 6 position. He did improve his E.T. from Q1. Greg was able to move up to no. 4 on the ladder.

Meanwhile, Greg Anderson, Dallas Glenn, and Matt Hartford will hold on to the top three spots heading into Saturday and the GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout. 

FUNNY CAR Q2

Jack Beckman didn’t get down the track on the first run but his Peak team fixed that with a very competitive 3.945 to kick off the second session under partly cloudy skies.

The threes kept on coming at a rapid pace with Blake Alexander running a 3.991 and Spencer Hyde not far behind with a 3.996.

Del Worsham and Daniel Wilkerson upped the ante in the next pair with a 3.934 from Worsham and a very impressive 3.938 from Wilkerson’s SCAG Power Equipment entry.

Worsham’s teammate, Dave Richards, also jumped on the bandwagon with a 3.961 while Jordan Vandergriff jumped into the top half of the field with a 3.936.

Ron Capps posted the first 3.8 second run of the weekend with a 3.894 to take the provisional top spot in his NAPA Toyota.

A total of 13 drivers ran in the threes during the spirited second Funny Car session including Q1 leader Austin Prock with a 3.905 and Alexis DeJoria with a 3.918.