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INDIANAPOLIS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run: Left Lane: Jake Sanders Runs 3.878/306.26, Now #1 Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 66 percent, barometer 29.88 inches, adjusted altitude 3,603 feet. This will be Jake Sanders' first race in Top Fuel. He has competed in one Top Alcohol Dragster race, failing to qualify at Las Vegas-2 in 2016. Sanders has driven and tuned a variety of cars and has competed in Nostalgia Funny Car and Outlaw Top Fuel. He has also won races in front-engine Top Fuel cars at Nostalgia events. Sanders launched hard and kept it hooked up to make a great looking pass to start the session. Jake Sanders' incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.200, 660ft-3.112/279.32 mph. Left Lane: Lex Joon No Time, Now #3 Right Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 3.934/288.89, Now #2 Lex Joon will make his 43rd race overall and his ninth race at this event, where he first competed in 2018. His best starting position of his career is No. 12, achieved at Bristol in 2021, and his career average starting position is 14.9. Joon has failed to qualify in each of his eight previous races here and enters the event with an overall round-win record of 1-20. He set his career-best elapsed time of 3.858 seconds here in 2023. This will be his second race of the year, following MIR. T.J. Zizzo has one national event final-round appearance, a runner-up finish at Indy-2 in 2020. This will be his 100th race overall and his 19th race at this event, where he first competed in 2004. His best starting position here is No. 3, achieved in 2024 and 2025, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned twice. His average starting position at this event is 11.2, compared with 11.4 for his career. Zizzo's overall round-win record here is 2-16, with his best finish being a quarterfinal appearance in 2004 and 2010. He has qualified in the top half of the field in four of his 18 previous races here, with his lowest starting position being No. 16 in 2019. Zizzo set his career-best elapsed time of 3.695 seconds here in 2025 and failed to qualify here in 2008 and 2013. Joon was up in smoke right at the hit and the car made a quick move toward the centerline. He clicked it off, but still crossed the centerline. Zizzo was on a good looking pass early, but then used up and engine. the word is there is oil on the track. T.J. Zizzo was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points. Left Lane: Ida Zetterstrom Runs 3.809/328.46, Now #2 Right Lane: Tripp Tatum Runs 3.805/308.43, Now #1 Ida Zetterstrom will make her 22nd race overall and her third race at this event, where she first competed in 2024. Her best starting position at this event is No. 14, achieved in 2024, while the best starting position of her career is No. 7, recorded at Sonoma in 2025. Her average starting position at this event is 15.0, compared with 11.5 for her career. Zetterstrom's overall round-win record here is 1-2, with her best finish being a quarterfinal appearance in 2024. This will be her second race of the year, following Charlotte. Tripp Tatum has one national event win, with his most recent victory coming at Gainesville in 2022. This will be his 20th race overall and his sixth race at this event, where he first competed in 2016. Tatum's best starting position at this event is No. 5, achieved in 2024, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he earned at Gainesville in 2022. His average starting position at this event and for his career is 9.8. Tatum's overall round-win record at this event is 2-5, with his best finish being a semifinal appearance in 2025. He has qualified in the top half of the field in eight of his 19 previous races and will be making his second start of the year, following Gainesville. Tatum enters the event with an overall round-win record of 14-19. Zetterstrom kept it hooked up and was straight down the groove to go to the number two spot. Ida Zetterstrom's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.180, 660ft-3.074/287.47 mph. Tatum with the header flames shooting high over the rear wing all the way down the track to go to the number one spot. Tripp Tatum's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.153, 660ft-3.044/284.03 mph. Left Lane: Krista Baldwin Runs 5.399/128.07, Now #6 Right Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 3.873/314.75, Now #3 Krista Baldwin will make her 28th race overall and her fourth race at this event, where she first competed in 2021. Her best starting position at this event is No. 14, achieved in 2021, while the best starting position of her career is No. 7, recorded at Phoenix in 2024. Her career average starting position is 13.3. Baldwin's overall round-win record at this event is 0-1, and this will be her third race of the year. Dan Mercier will make his 39th race overall and his fourth race at this event, where he first competed in 2022. His best starting position at this event is No. 10, achieved in 2024, while the best starting position of his career is No. 5, recorded at Epping in 2023. His average starting position at this event is 13.0, compared with 11.9 for his career. Mercier's overall round-win record here is 0-2, and he failed to qualify here in 2023. This will be his fourth race of the year. Baldwin started to lose traction just past the 330-foot mark and clicked it off. Left Lane: Jasmine Salinas Runs 3.776/329.91, Now #1 Right Lane: Will Smith Runs 4.499/166.76, Now #7 Jasmine Salinas has two national event final-round appearances, with her most recent final coming at Sonoma in 2026. This will be her 31st race overall and her third race at this event, where she first competed in 2024. Her best starting position at this event is No. 14, achieved in 2025, while the best starting position of her career is No. 5. Her career average starting position is 9.8. Salinas' overall round-win record at this event is 2-1, with her best finish being a semifinal appearance in 2025. She failed to qualify here in 2024 and will be making her sixth race of the year. Will Smith will make his 22nd race overall and his third race at this event, where he first competed in 2022. His best starting position at this event is No. 16, recorded in 2023, while the best starting position of his career is No. 7, achieved at Charlotte in 2026. Smith's career average starting position is 12.76, and his overall round-win record at this event is 0-1. He failed to qualify here in 2022, which was also his first Top Fuel race. Smith has also competed at this event five times in Top Alcohol Dragster. Salinas launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. Jasmine Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.163, 660ft-3.045/289.94 mph. Smith with all the candles lit the chute came out around 200 feet. Left Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 5.218/131.79, Now #9 Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.920/312.93, Now #6 Shawn Reed has one national event win, which came in 2025 at Reading. This will be his 87th race overall and his third race at this event, where he first competed in 2019. His best starting position at this event is No. 9, achieved in 2024, while the best starting position of his career is No. 2. His average starting position at this event is 9.5, compared with 9.8 for his career. Reed's overall round-win record at this event is 1-2, with his best finish being a quarterfinal appearance in 2019. Tony Schumacher is an 8-time Top Fuel World Champion with 88 national event wins. His most recent win came in St. Louis in 2024, and this will be his 595th race overall and his 29th race at this event, where he first competed in 1996. Schumacher has qualified No. 1 at this event four times, most recently in 2014, and his career-best starting position is No. 1, which he has achieved 88 times. His average starting position at this event is 6.5, compared with 5.7 for his career. His overall round-win record at this event is 57-17, with victories in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2016. He swept the event in 2007 and was runner-up in 1996, losing to Cory McClenathan, and again in 2005, losing to Larry Dixon. Schumacher has qualified in the top half of the field in 19 of his 28 previous appearances here, with his lowest starting position being No. 16 in 2006. His first Top Fuel race came at this event in 1996, when he finished runner-up, while he failed to qualify in 1997. His four No. 1 qualifying positions here are the most among active Top Fuel drivers, and his 57 round wins at the event are the most he has recorded at any event. Reed starts to lose traction around half track and clicked it off. Schumacher with a good pass, but dropped a cylinder. He stayed with it to go to the number six spot. Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.844/327.11, Now #5 Right Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 3.781/331.12, Now #2 Clay Millican has eight national event wins in Top Fuel, with his most recent victory coming at Pomona-1 in 2025. This will be his 441st race overall and his 24th race at this event, where he first competed in 1999. His best starting position here is No. 1, achieved in 2016 and 2017, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned 27 times. His average starting position at this event is 9.4, compared with 8.2 for his career. Millican's overall round-win record here is 10-16, and he won this race in 2024, defeating Steve Torrence. He has qualified in the top half of the field in six of his 23 previous races here, with his lowest starting position being No. 16 in 2007, and has failed to qualify six times at this event. His 343 Top Fuel round wins rank 10th all-time in the class. Justin Ashley was the 2020 Rookie of the Year and has 19 national event wins in Top Fuel, with his most recent victory coming at Charlotte-2 in 2025. This will be his 129th race overall and his seventh race at this event, where he first competed in 2020. His best starting position here is No. 2, achieved in 2022, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned seven times. His average starting position at this event is 7.7, compared with 7.1 for his career. Ashley's overall round-win record here is 11-5, and he won this race in 2025, defeating Tony Stewart. He has qualified in the top half of the field in three of his six previous races here, with his lowest starting position being No. 13 in 2020. Millican is straight down the groove with a good clean pass to the number five spot. Ashley kept it hooked up and was hitting on all eight with a big top end speed to go to the number two spot. Justin Ashley's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.165, 660ft-3.049/289.01 mph. Left Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 4.674/208.84, Now #12 Right Lane: Josh Hart Runs 3.812/323.50, Now #5 Billy Torrence has eight national event wins in Top Fuel, with his most recent victory coming at Reading in 2021. This will be his 117th race overall and his 10th race at this event, where he first competed in 2013. His best starting position here is No. 2, achieved in 2015 and 2019, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned five times. His average starting position at this event and for his career is 6.8. Torrence's overall round-win record here is 10-9, and he was runner-up in 2019, losing to Doug Kalitta. He has qualified in the top half of the field in six of his nine previous races here, with his lowest starting position being No. 13 in 2014. Torrence also set his career-best elapsed time of 3.655 seconds here in 2019. Josh Hart has three wins in Top Fuel, with his most recent victory coming at Gainesville in 2026. This will be his 109th race overall and his sixth race at this event, where he first competed in 2021. His best starting position here is No. 4, achieved in 2021, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned twice. His average starting position at this event is 8.0, compared with 8.5 for his career. Hart's overall round-win record here is 4-5, with his best finish being a semifinal appearance in 2021, when he lost to Brittany Force. He has qualified in the top half of the field in four of his five previous races here, with his lowest starting position being No. 12 in 2024. Hart also won this race in Top Alcohol Dragster in 2017 and 2018 and was runner-up here in TAD in 2020. Torrence started to lose traction early and pedaled it a couple times before he clicked it off. Hart is straight down with a good pass to go to the number five spot. Left Lane: Tony Stewart Runs 3.744/328.22, Now #1 Right Lane: Maddi Gordon Runs 3.818/324.67, Now #7 Tony Stewart has three national event wins in Top Fuel, including one victory in 2026, with his most recent win coming at Pomona-1 in 2026. This will be his 53rd race overall and his third race at this event, where he first competed in 2024. Stewart's best starting position at this event is No. 2, which he achieved in 2024, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned once. His average starting position at this event is 6.0, compared with 7.2 for his career. Stewart's overall round-win record at this event is 5-2, and he was runner-up here in 2025, losing to Justin Ashley. Maddi Gordon has one national event win in Top Fuel, coming at Norwalk in 2026. This will be her 14th race overall and her first race at this event. Her best starting position of her career is No. 2, achieved at Chicago in 2026, and her career average starting position is 7.4. Gordon has qualified in the top half of the field in nine of her 13 previous races. Stewart launched hard and kept the candles lit all the way down the track to go to the number one spot. Tony Stewart's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.145, 660ft-3.016/292.39 mph. Gordon straight down the groove with a good clean pass to start the weekend. Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.206/207.94, Now #14 Right Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 3.772/326.24, Now #2 Antron Brown has one win in 2026, coming at Bristol. This will be his 557th race overall and his 29th race at this event, where he first competed in 1998 in Pro Stock Motorcycle. His best starting position at this event is No. 1, achieved in 2009, 2011 and 2013, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned 51 times. His average starting position at this event is 6.1, compared with 5.8 for his career. His lowest starting position here is No. 16, recorded in 2014. Brown's overall round-win record at this event is 44-23, including a 23-15 record in Top Fuel. He won this race in Top Fuel in 2011, defeating Del Worsham; 2022, defeating Brittany Force; and 2023, defeating Steve Torrence. He also won this race in Pro Stock Motorcycle in 2000, defeating John Smith, and 2004, defeating Steve Gann. Brown has qualified in the top half of the field in 22 of his 28 previous races here and is one of five Pro drivers to have won Indy in two different classes. Leah Pruett has 13 national event wins in Top Fuel, with her most recent victory coming at Epping in 2026. This will be her 229th race overall and her 12th race at this event, where she first competed in 2013. Her best starting position here is No. 2, achieved in 2017, while the best starting position of her career is No. 1, which she has earned 17 times. Her average starting position at this event is 7.0, compared with 6.7 for her career. Pruett's overall round-win record here is 7-9, and she was runner-up in 2020, losing to Shawn Langdon. She has qualified in the top half of the field in six of her 11 previous races here, with her lowest starting position being No. 11 in 2015. Pruett failed to qualify here in 2013 and 2014. Brown started to lose traction after half track and clicked it off early. Pruett kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number two spot. Leah Pruett's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.152, 660ft-3.032/288.70 mph. Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.727/334.98, Now #1 Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 5.031/144.26, Now #18 Shawn Langdon has 26 national event wins, including four victories in 2026, with his most recent win coming at MIR in 2026. This will be his 383rd race overall and his 18th race at this event, including his 14th in Top Fuel. He first competed here in 2009. His best starting position at this event is No. 1, achieved in 2012 and 2020, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned 27 times. His average starting position at this event is 8.8, compared with 7.0 for his career. Langdon’s overall round-win record here is 22-15. He won this race in Top Fuel in 2013, defeating Steve Torrence, and 2020, defeating Leah Pruett. He also won this race in Super Gas in 2010. Langdon has qualified in the top half of the field in nine of his 17 previous races here, with his lowest starting position being No. 16 in 2011, 2021 and 2024. His 404 Top Fuel round wins rank ninth all-time in class history. Doug Kalitta has 63 national event wins, including four victories in 2026, with his most recent win coming at Brainerd in 2026. This will be his 640th race overall and his 29th race at this event, where he first competed in 1998. His best starting position here is No. 1, achieved in 2000 and 2004, while the best starting position of his career is No. 1, which he has earned 70 times. His average starting position at this event is 6.4, compared with 5.9 for his career. Kalitta’s overall round-win record here is 33-25. He won this race in 2019, defeating Billy Torrence, and was runner-up here in 2004, losing to Tony Schumacher; 2008, losing to Schumacher; and 2018, losing to Terry McMillen. Kalitta has qualified in the top half of the field in 20 of his 28 previous races here, with his lowest starting position being No. 16 in 2015. He failed to qualify here in 2007 and 2024.
Langdon with the candles lit all the way down the track to go to the number one spot.
Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.140, 660ft-3.009/294.31 mph.
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