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Fri, 21 Aug 2026, 13:07 PM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Reporter

BRAINERD, Minn. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 44th annual NHRA Brainerd Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

Right Lane: Jacob Slater Runs 5.589/282.54, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 64 percent, barometer 29.99 inches, adjusted altitude 2,816 feet.

This is Jacob Slater first race overall. Has raced a series of Nostalgia cars (Nitro & Alky).
Has worked with Del Worsham on his FC.
Has been the clutch specialist on several Funny Cars.
This is a debut of the new Alcohol Funny Car combo of Del Worsham.

Slater is straight down the groove with a great pass for the new combo. Jacob Slater's incremental times: 60ft-0.999 sec., 330ft-2.612, 660ft-3.810/211.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.787.

Left Lane: Steve Macklyn Runs 5.916/194.74, Now #3
Right Lane: Stan Sipos Runs 5.573/262.69, Now #1

This is Steve Macklyn 12th race overall, his first race at this event.
Best starting spot of his career is #5 (Seattle, 2018).
Average starting spot of his career is 10.0.
This is his first race since Las Vegas-2, 2025 and just his third race since 2021.
He starts the event with an overall record of 1 - 10.

Stan Sipos has four National event wins, last win was Memphis, 1992.
This is his 34th race overall, his second race at this event, First was 2025. Qualified #8 here in 2025, best starting spot of his career is #1 (5 times) Average starting spot of his career is 5.1.
Sipos' overall record at this event is 0 - 1.
He starts the event with an overall record of 48 - 26.
This is his second race this year (Norwalk).
His first race in TAFC was Pomona-1, 1990.

Macklyn clicked it off early.

Sipos is straight down the groove with a good pass.

Left Lane: Kyle Smith Runs 9.180/88.71, Now #5
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.598/260.41, Now #3

Kyle Smith has one National event win, Brainerd, 2021, last Final was Dallas, 2022 (R/U).
This is his 20th race overall, his sixth race at this event, First was 2019.
Best starting spot at this event is #1 (2021), best starting spot of his career is #1 (2 times).
Average starting spot at this event is 5.6, average starting spot of his career is 6.9.
Smith's overall record at this event: 5 - 4, won this race in 2021 (Beat B. McCosh).
This is his first race this year, his first race since Dallas, 2024.
His first race was at this event in 2019.

Jim Whiteley has 24 National event wins (23 in TAD and one in TAFC) last win was Las Vegas-2, 2025.
This is his 92nd race overall, his 23rd race in TAFC. This is his eighth race at this event, First was 2009.
This is his 4th race at this event in TAFC Best starting spot at this event is #1 (2013 in TAD), best starting spot of his career is #1 (19 times, all in TAD).
His average starting spot at this event is 5.1, average starting spot for his career is 4.6.
Whiteley's overall record at this event is 15 - 5, won this race in 2011 in TAD (Beat M. Taliaferro), 2012 in TAD (Beat C. Copeland) and runner-up here in 2013 in TAD (Lost to G. Gingles).
He starts the event with an overall record of 175 - 66, he also has two wins in Pro Mod.
Smith shook and clicked it off.

Whitely kept it hooked up with a good clean pass.

Left Lane: Jesse Clark Runs 10.945/111.50, Now #7
Right Lane: Christine Foster Runs 7.597/118.55, Now #5

This is Jesse Clark fourth National event in TAFC.
This is his second race at this event, First was 2025.
Qualified #13 here in 2025, best starting spots of his career is #5 (Chicago, 2026).
Clark's overall record at this event is 0 - 1, starts the event with an overall record of 0 - 3.
He has competed in several Divisional races.
Has competed in Funny Car Chaos events.
His first National race in TAFC was at this event in 2025.
Clark's career best are 5.626 seconds, 257.97 mph.

This is Christine Foster 21st race overall.
This is her third race at this event, First was 2024.
Best starting spot at this event is #5 (2025), best starting spot of her career is #2 (3 times). Her average starting spot at this event is 8.0, average starting spot of her career is 8.1.
Foster's overall record at this event 0 - 2.
She starts the event with an overall record of 5 - 18.
This is her third race this year.

Clark with severe tire shake and clicked it off.

Foster drove into tire shake and clicked it off.

Left Lane: Chris Foster Runs 5.567/261.72, Now #1
Right Lane: Shane Westerfield Runs 11.187/117.62, Now #9

Chris Foster has two National event wins, last win was Brainerd, 2015.
This is his 93rd race overall, his 10th race at this event, First was 2007.
Best starting spot at this event is #2 (2014), best starting spot of his career is #1 (Charlotte-1, 2013).
Average starting spot at this event is 6.3, average starting spot of his career is 8.3.
Foster's overall record at this event is 4 - 8, won this race in 2015 (Beat J. Payne).
He starts the event with an overall record of 55 - 82.
Has won 18 Divisional races.

Shane Westerfield has 18 National event wins, last win was Indy, 2025.
This is his 124th race overall, his seventh race at this event, First was 2014.
Best starting spot at this event is #1 (2019 & 2025), best starting spot of his career is: #1 (8 times).
His average starting spot at this event is 4.2, average starting spot for his career is 5.7.
Westerfield's overall record at this event is 13 - 4, on this race in 2019 (Beat D. Gordon) & 2022 (Beat B. McCosh).
Starts the event with an overall record of 201 - 101, his 201 round wins are 10th most in TAFC.

Foster kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. Chris Foster's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.694/208.68 mph, 1,000ft-4.709.

Westerfield shook and clicked it off.

Left Lane: Annie Whiteley Runs 5.543/263.51, Now #1
Right Lane: Bob McCosh Runs 5.547/262.95, Now #2

Annie Whiteley has six National event wins, last win was Brainerd, 2018.
This is her 126th race overall, her 12th race at this event, First was 2012.
Best starting spot at this event is #1 (2014 & 2018), best starting spot of her career is #1 (18 times).
Average starting spot at this event is 4.6, average starting spot for her career is 3.8.
Whiteley's overall record at this event is 14 - 10, won this race in 2018 (Beat J. Payne) and was runner-up here in 2012 (Lost to F. Manzo) & 2016 (Lost to J. Lindberg).
She starts the event with an overall record of 140 - 116.
Her 14 round wins here are second most for her at any event (Indy - 19).

Bob McCosh has two National event wins, last win was Brainerd, 2024.
This is his 82nd race overall, his sixth race at this event, First was 2021.
Best starting spot at this event is #2 (2021, 2023 & 2024), best starting spot of his career is #1 (Charlotte-2, 2021).
Average starting spot at this event is 4.2, average starting spot for his career is 6.0.
McCosh's overall record at this event is 13 - 4, won this race in 2024 (Beat S. Bellemeur) and was runner-up here in 2021 (Lost to K. Smith), 2022 (Lost to S. Westerfield), 2023 (Lost to D. Gordon) & 2025 (Lost to S. Bellemeur).
He starts the event with an overall record of 79 - 71.
His 13 round wins here are the most for him at any event.

Whiteley with a big top end charge to go to the number one spot. Annie Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.503, 660ft-3.687/209.79 mph, 1,000ft-4.692.

McCosh launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number two spot. Bob McCosh's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.491, 660ft-3.681/208.65 mph, 1,000ft-4.692.

Left Lane: Doug Gordon Runs 5.523/264.34, Now #1
Right Lane: Sean Bellemeur Runs 5.545/261.02, Now #3

Doug Gordon has 29 National event wins, including three this season, last win Seattle, 2026.
This is his 198th race overall, his fourth race at this event, First was 2019.
Best starting spot at this event is #2 (2019), best starting spot of his career is #1 (24 times).
Average starting spot at this event is 3.7, average starting spot of his career is 5.8.
Gordon's overall record at this event is 6 - 2, won this race in 2023 (Beat B. McCosh) and runner-up here in 2019 (Lost to S. Westerfield).
Starts the event with an overall record of 301 - 157, his 301 round wins are sixth most in TAFC.

Sean Bellemeur has 52 National event wins, four wins this season, last win was MIR, 2026.
This is his 161st race overall, his fourth race at this event, First was 2023.
Best starting spot at this event is #1 (2023 & 2024), average starting spot at this event is 3.7.
Best starting spot of his career is #1 (48 times), average starting spot for his career is 5.4.
Bellemeur's overall record at this event is 8 - 2, won this race in 2025 (Beat B. McCosh) and was runner-up here in 2024 (Lost to B. McCosh).
Starts the event with an overall record of 299 - 97, his 299 round wins are seventh most in TAFC.

Gordon launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.486, 660ft-3.668/210.64 mph, 1,000ft-4.672.

Bellemeur with a new car here. He kept it hooked up and is straight down the groove with a good pass to go to the number three spot. Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.481, 660ft-3.671/208.20 mph, 1,000ft-4.685.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink