Sun, 02 Nov 2025, 14:30 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 25th annual Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Antron Brown                           51 Clay Millican                
E1                   0.064  3.791 333.58     ****WINNER****  0.077  3.750 333.74
 Qualified:             #7  3.750 333.16                        #8  3.758 328.62

Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 20 percent, barometer 30.05 inches, adjusted altitude 3,549 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Since Sonoma Antron Brown is 2 - 4 in Rd. 1. Clay Millican's 35 losses against Brown are the 2nd most losses for him against any opponent (37 vs. Schumacher)

Brown is 35 - 8 against Millican in prior events.

Brown with the starting line advantage, but Millican had the difference made up by 330 feet. He never trailed from there on for the win

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Justin Ashley                          77 Josh Hart                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.042  5.667 119.55                     0.069  6.895  94.68
 Qualified:             #6  3.744 333.41                        #9  3.779 333.16

Justin Ashley "leaves first" 81% of the time in Rd. 1. Josh Hart's last round win was in Sonoma.

Ashley is 9 - 5 against Hart in prior events.

Ashley with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win is a coasting contest.

Hart had a cylinder out right at the hit and then started to lose traction. The car went silent.

Ashley started to lose traction and then the car went silent, but he wins the coasting contest. He keeps his championship hopes alive.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Shawn Reed                             15 Tony Schumacher              
E1                   0.109  3.959 240.42     ****WINNER****  0.077  3.794 335.32
 Qualified:             #4  3.737 329.10                       #11  3.900 305.63

This is the 13th time in 16 starts this year that Sean Reed has been in the top half of the field. Tony Schumacher is 5 - 9 in Rd. 1 when starting 11th.

Schumacher is 5 - 1 against Reed in prior events.

Schumacher with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. After the finish line the car banged the blower with a quick flash of flames. He makes his quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Brittany Force                             Bye
E1   ****WINNER****  0.084  3.758 337.24     
 Qualified:             #1  3.697 338.85                     Bye

Brittany Force has won 22 rounds here and that's the most for her at any event.

Force is straight down the groove and has another big top end speed. She will give up lane choice to Millican in the next round by 0.008 seconds.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Doug Kalitta                          723 Rob Passey                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.080  3.743 338.00                     0.152  4.047 287.29
 Qualified:             #2  3.711 337.24                       #13  4.278 227.46

Doug Kalitta's 4 wins this year are tied for the most for him in a year since 2006. Rob Passey's 1st race was the Winternationals in 2001.

Kalitta is 3 - 1 against Passey in prior events.

Kalitta was out of the gate first and never trailed for the win. He makes the quickest pass of the round. He will have a bye in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Langdon                        7728 Kelly Harper                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.081  5.183 222.36                     0.110  6.517  91.14
 Qualified:             #3  3.715 336.57                       #12  3.958 298.47

Shawn Langdon wins 72.2% of his Rd. 1 races when he has lane choice. This is Kelly Harper's 2nd start (Both at this event)

This is the first time Langdon and Harper have faced each other in eliminations.

Langdon with the starting line advantage, but was up in smoke right at the hit. He lets the car settle down and gets back on it. He loses traction again and is off and on the throttle two or three more times to get the win. He will have lane choice over Ashley in the next round.

Harper was up in smoke by 330 feet and was then off the throttle.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Tony Stewart                          182 Dan Mercier                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  3.856 293.22                     0.099  4.695 163.71
 Qualified:             #5  3.741 330.72                       #10  3.791 328.54

Tony Stewart is 25 - 13 in Rd. 1 races. This is Dan Mercier's 9th race this year

This is the first time Stewart and Mercier have faced each other in eliminations.

Stewart with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He uses up an engine on the top end, but gets the win. He will give up lane choice to Schumacher in the next round.

Mercier is up in smoke by half track and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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