The first pair of Top Fuelers come to the line to kick things off, and the 94-degree Fahrenheit track temp is the coolest it’s been all weekend. Freshly christened Legend of Thunder Valley Tony Schumacher fires the first shot, and although Dan Mercier has lane choice, he can’t quite keep up with the SCAG Power Equipment rail. Schumacher’s 3.76 defeats a 3.87.
Schumacher’s pass is low elapsed time of the event. It’s quick out there.
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After climbing out of a too-long slump with a Chicago win, Tennessee’s own Clay Millican, who claimed his first NHRA Top Fuel win here in 2017, had high hopes for Sunday at Bristol Dragway. He’s a tick ahead as he and Doug Kalitta leave the starting line, but his Rick Ware Racing Parts Plus dragsters falls back as they approach the final stripe. Kalitta advances, 3.72 to 3.99
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This is a close one! Brittany Force launches the Monster Energy dragster in .078-second, but Antron Brown’s .056 in the Matco Tools rail is the decider at the top end. His 3.76 defeats a 3.74 by .004.
“We were all over the place in qualifying trying to nail it,” said Brown. “But there’s nothing like raceday when everything just lines up. We snuck that one through, now we have something to build off of.”
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No. 1 qualifier Leah Pruett has lately seen flashes of brilliance with her Rush Truck Centers dragster over the last two races, but when her engine suffers a spark plug failure, No. 16 qualifier Spencer Massey is able to get around her and win on a 3.78 to 3.82. Massey had problems of his own in qualify and didn’t bump in until the final session.
“This round win is very important for us,” said Massey. “We want to see this car go down the track every time, and to smoke the tires three times in qualifying was very uncommon. We got in the show, but it wasn’t pretty, and it got us to race Leah. She’s a fierce competitor, but I did what I could and the win light came on for our team.”
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The Phillips Connect dragster is used to getting a nose out on its competitors as Justin Ashley is a typically efficient leaver, and this time it’s no different. Ashley’s .040 to Doug Foley’s .098 sets the tone for their match, and Ashley – who won the weather-delayed Epping race at Bristol Dragway on Saturday – notches another round win, 3.76 to 3.87.
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Steve Torrence and his CAPCO Contractors dragster flies to a 3.69 at 330 mph for a new elapsed time of the event. Shawn Langdon showed his Sportsman roots and reacted quick – but a .027 reaction paired with a 3.77 simply wasn’t enough.
On the starting line, original “CAPCO boy” Bobby Lagana Jr. celebrated. He’s been out of commission and away from the team for a few races as he healed from a medical condition, and this is his first race back.
“We just love each other like brothers,” he said through a wide grin. “This is all about family.”
At the top end, Torrence showed renewed enthusiasm.
“Bobby and Richard Hogan and Justin Crosslin and every one of those CAPCO guys, they’re bad-to-the-bone,” said Torrence. “Sometimes I forget – we didn’t become the four-time champions by going up there and racing scared. You have to get that confidence. You need to get that swagger back.”
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When Mike Salinas leaves the starting line with a .113-second reaction time, he’s all but done-for. A 3.83 can’t hold up next to Josh Hart’s cool .052 reaction and 3.79 in the R+L Carriers dragster.
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Austin Prock makes his best run of the weekend in the Montana Brand/ Rocky Mountain dragster, a 3.77, and that’s one of his best of the weekend. It’s also good enough to keep ahead of So Cal racer Cameron Ferre’s 3.88.
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Top Fuel pairings for round two (lane choice first): Austin Prock vs. Spencer Massey; Justin Ashley vs. Josh Hart; Antron Brown vs. Tony Schumacher; Steve Torrence vs. Doug Kalitta
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The first pair of Funny Cars take to the track, and Chad Green has exactly what he needs with his Dan Wilkerson-tuned Bond-Coat Funny Car. Both he and Terry Haddock – who is making his 150th raceday start – make good runs right down the groove, but Green has the advantage at the hit and never lets it go. Haddock makes his best run of the weekend, a 4.06, but it’s Green all the way. He finalizes his triumph with a 3.966.
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After winning the New England Nationals on Saturday in Bristol, Bob Tasca III was on a mission to bring both trophies home to the Northeast. It was not to be, however, as his PPG-branded Ford proved a bit more temperamental than the Arbee’s Transparent Products Funny Car driven by Bobby Bode. Bode, a former Jr. drag racer who made his debut in a nitro Funny Car at the Houston race in 2020, had to pedal alongside Tasca as both cars lost traction in their match. Bode was on and off the throttle like a pro for the win light. It was the fourth round win of his career, and it came at a racetrack where he had raced many times as a Jr.
“I can’t believe I just did that,” said Bode breathlessly at the top end. “Bob is one of the best drivers out there. When I saw my win light come on, I started screaming in the car. I just couldn’t believe it.”
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No. 1 qualifier Robert Hight makes a true and clean 3.96 pass straight down the dragstrip as opponent Alex Laughlin’s car slows. Hight, who exited in the first round in Chicago and the second round of the Epping race, is certainly looking to build back some of the momentum that they held earlier this year.
Decorated crew chief Jimmy Prock, unexcitable by nature and known for tremendous results on the racetrack, said, “We’re just trying to take it one run at a time, learn some stuff, and not overdo it. That was decent for us.”
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Defending event champion Ron Capps has some solid history at Bristol Dragway, and with six previous wins, he leads the class. He stays on course here in his NAPA Toyota, launching ahead of Dave Richards and keeping the lead all the way down the track for a 3.96 to 4.22 victory. From the Fun Facts to Know and Share files: Capps is the No. 2 qualifier, and the No. 2 qualifier in Funny Car hasn’t lost in round one at the Thunder Valley Nationals since 2013.
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Things go south real quick here for Cruz Pedregon, who has had some serious troubles this weekend. After barely busting into the field and only on the last qualifying pass, he gets way sideways on the burnout as something seems to have gone wonky inside his Snap-On Dodge Hellcat. Pedregon attempts to back it up into the groove, but it is apparent that he is battling something unknown inside the car. With something clearly out of sorts, the team shuts the car off and will not make the pass. Alexis DeJoria makes her best run of the weekend, a 3.98.
DeJoria, who fouled out next to Pedregon in the Chicago first round, was perplexed but pleased to advance.
“That was weird, man,” she said. “We don’t usually get breaks like that. But that was a hell of a great run for our team.”
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Dale Creasy Jr. strikes the tires about 300 feet into the run, and Tim Wilkerson and his SCAG Power Equipment Funny Car will get to line up next to Chad Green in the car his son, Dan, tunes in the second stanza. Wilk goes 3.98 and will have to give up lane choice to his kid.
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Yesterday, John Force and J.R. Todd met in the semifinals of the New England Nationals, and today, they meet in the first round. Both times, Force nabbed the advantage at the starting line and kept hold of it to advance. Todd’s DHL Toyota was making up ground here until it got out of shape about 800 feet out, and Force sailed by for a 3.99 to 4.13 victory.
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Incoming points leader Matt Hagan, the 2015 winner here, reached the second round of Epping eliminations yesterday, and he’s moving ahead to round two of Bristol as well. Mike McIntire Jr. begins to haze the tires with a cylinder out, and Hagan pilots the Operation Healing Forces JHG Dodge to a safe and steady 4.02.
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Funny Car pairings for round two (lane choice first): Robert Hight vs. Matt Hagan; Alexis DeJoria vs. Bobby Bode; Ron Capps vs. John Force; Chad Green vs. Tim Wilkerson
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Aussie Shane Tucker and his Rob Tucker Racing URPay Payment Solutions Camaro are making their second raceday start of the year, and they come to the starting line with a dose of confidence as they are starting from mid-pack rather than the bottom of the heap. Tucker is raring to go and clocks a crisp .026 reaction time, but “Kid Chaos” Kyle Koretsky is right there with a .034 and a 6.652 in his Lucas Oil Chevy that handily defeats a 6.67. Koretsky, No. 10 in the Pro Stock points, is looking to rebound from a first-round loss in Chicago.
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Deric Kramer hasn’t had the best record against Troy Coughlin Jr. – he was 0-6 heading into this round – but his GetBioFuel.com Chevy is the decider here. It takes him to a 6.65 that knocks out T.J.’s 6.69 by a smidge. Kramer was runner-up at the last Pro Stock race on tour to climb to No. 3 in the Pro Stock points.
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A weekend of swinging emotions continues for Butner, who had the quickest car on Friday with his JHG Camaro but fell down to No. 9 by the time the field was set. Here, he’s first to leave the starting line but then gets out of shape as the tires rattle. He tries to reels it back in but has to pop the ‘chutes early, and Camrie Caruso picks up her first round win since the Winternationals on a 6.65.
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The incoming points leader, Dallas Glenn, and the guy right behind him in the standings, Matt Hartford, line up here. They’re evenly matched leaving the starting line, just .003 separates them, but Glenn gets the edge at the finish-line stripe, 6.66 to a 6.69.
“We made a pretty good run there, but Matt’s really, really tough,” said Glenn. “We had to go up there swinging and hope it got the job done.”
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Rookie Jerry Tucker and the most winning driver in Pro Stock line up against one another here. Greg Anderson doesn’t have to throw down – Tucker goes red by -.013 – but he matches Koretsky’s currently standing low elapsed time of raceday with a 6.65.
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It’s brother-to-brother here as twins Cristian and David Cuadra square off. Cristian, who made his Pro Stock debut in Denver 2019, nabs the starting line advantage over David, who is making just his second start. David has to lift as his Corral Boots Chevy drifts toward the centerline, and Cristian wins on a 6.68.
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Defending event winner Aaron Stanfield won the #2Fast2Tasty title here on Saturday and is gaining steam as he gets the win light over Fernando Cuadra Jr. (big brother to twins Cristian and David). Fernando Jr. was taking absolutely zero chances against Elite Motorsports teammate Stanfield, but even a .014 couldn’t compete to Stanfield’s .007 and new low elapsed time of raceday 6.64. Fernando Jr. was 6.71 at the stripe.
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Fresh off her 30th No. 1 qualifier award, reigning champion Erica Enders and her JHG Camaro are moving on to round two with her third round-win of the year with a 6.65 to beat Mason McGaha’s 6.72. Enders entered the event No. 14 in the Pro Stock points, but this weekend she appears on-pace to change that trajectory.
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Pro Stock pairings for round two (lane choice first): Kyle Koretsky vs. Erica Enders; Greg Anderson vs. Dallas Glenn; Aaron Stanfield vs. Deric Kramer; Camrie Caruso vs. Cristian Cuadra
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It sounds a bit as though Angie Smith’s DENSO Buell bogs as she leaves the starting line, but if it does, she recovers quickly and stretches her lead as she and Jianna Evaristo race down the quarter-mile. Smith is collecting her first round win since she was runner-up at the season-opener in Gainesville, 6.91 to 6.98.
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Chip Ellis gets a big break here as he launches with a sleepy .103 reaction time yet wins it as John Hall, the 49th rider to face him in eliminations, gets out of the groove. Ellis goes 6.89 aboard the Matt Smith Racing DENSO Buell.
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There’s trouble for reigning and six-time world champion Matt Smith as he cannot get his DENSO machine to fire up for round one. He is off the bike and watching Chase Van Sant race toward the win light, which flashes next to a 6.92 on the scoreboard.
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Marc Ingwersen’s -.044 red light hands Ryan Oehler and his El Bandido Tequila Buell a freebie to the next round. After back-to-back first-round exits at the last two events, Oehler has a chance to make up some ground today in Bristol.
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Joey Gladstone’s weekend does not improve here. While a coil wire caused them to push his Precision Service Equipment Suzuki in qualifying on Saturday, the No. 11 qualifier get out of the groove next to Steve Johnson and the and can’t recover. Johnson’s strong 6.88 gets the nod over a 6.93 and is low elapsed time of raceday for now.
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In just his second start, Marcus Hylton is giving Hector Arana Jr. a run for his money early in their match. Arana launches first on his GETTRX Buell, but at the 60-foot timer, Hylton moves ahead. Arana gets back around him quickly, though, and is long gone. Hylton stumbles and goes 16.313 while Arana resets low e.t. of raceday with a flashy 6.88.
“We’ve got this GETTRX Buell hauling the mail,” he says at the top end.
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Arana doesn’t get to remain the quickest of the day for long as Eddie Krawiec records a tidy 6.86 aboard his Vance & Hines Mission Foods Suzuki in his defeat of Kelly Clontz. Clontz launched first by a bunch, .033 to .098, but it doesn’t take long for her opponent to buzz by to defeat her 7.03.
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Jaw-dropper. Gaige Herrera’s reign of absolute terror on the class continues as he drops a 6.81 to close the round. Ron Tornow leaves before the tree is activated and will have no time.
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Pro Stock Motorcycle pairings for round two (lane choice first): Gaige Herrera vs. Chase Van Sant; Angie Smith vs. Chip Ellis; Hector Arana Jr. vs. Ryan Oehler; Eddie Krawiec vs. Steve Johnson