Sat, 22 Aug 2026, 17:34 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Reporter

BRAINERD, Minn. -=20 Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mission= Foods Drag Racing Series, 44th annual NHRA Brainerd Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---S=
peed
    2 Matthew Cummings                      613 Joey Severance             =
 =20
E1                   0.059 10.498  80.23     ****WINNER****  0.035  =
5.224 274.22
 Qualified:             #9  5.285 270.21                        #8  5.276 2=
73.94

Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 45 pe= rcent, barometer 30.10 inches, adjusted altitude 2,555 feet, track temperature 110 degrees.

Joey Severan= ce's 56 Final rounds are the most in TAD history. Matthew Cummings has won at least 1 race in 6 consecutive = years.

Severance is 4 - 1 against Cummings in prior events.

severance with the starting line advantage and= never trailed for the win. He makes his quickest pass of the weekend for the win.

Cummings is up in smo= ke and clicks it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---S=
peed
  450 Kirk Wolf                             342 Mitch Kalitta              =
 =20
E1                   0.056  5.373 263.56     ****WINNER****  0.044  =
5.228 276.41
 Qualified:            #12  5.370 270.00                        #5  5.219 2=
74.66

Mitch Kalitta is the 2nd Kalitta family member to qualify in TAD (S. Ka= litta). Kirk Wolf is 0 - 2 this year.

Kalitta with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the = win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---S=
peed
  491 Angelle Sampey                       5807 Nick Spiegel               =
 =20
E1   ****WINNER****  0.031  5.409 269.73                     0.073  =
5.417 242.93
 Qualified:            #10  5.340 267.43                        #7  5.268 2=
75.00

Angelle Sampey is 12 - 13 in Rd. 1 in her TAD career (3 - 2 this year).= Nick Spiegel is making his 5th start.

This is the first time Sampey and Spiegel have faced each other in= eliminations.

Sampey with the starting line advantage, but Spiegel has the lead as they go by the Christm= as tree. Spiegel's car goes silent and Sampey drives back around for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---S=
peed
 6115 Mike Quayle                             7 Anthony Troyer             =
 =20
E1                   0.063  9.482  96.17     ****WINNER****  0.079  =
5.564 265.27
 Qualified:            #13  5.437 259.56                        #4  5.198 2=
77.26

Anthony Troyer is 9 - 6 in Rd. 1. Mike Quayle's 5.267 here in 2025 is = his quickest run ever at a National event.

This is the first time Quayle and Troyer have faced each other in = eliminations.

Quayle with the starting line advantage but lost traction right at the hit. troyer has a c= ylinder or two out at the hit, but stays with it for the win. He will give up lane choice to Kalitta in the n= ext round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---S=
peed
    5 Jon Bradford                         5165 Todd Bruce                 =
 =20
E1                   0.034  5.500 271.90     ****WINNER****  0.133  =
5.322 274.05
 Qualified:             #6  5.221 276.58                       #11  5.367 2=
71.35

Jon Bradford set Top Speed in Seattle (the 3rd Top Speed of his career)= .Todd Bruce is making his 2nd start this year.

This is the first time Bradford and Bruce have faced each othe= r in eliminations.

Bradford with the starting line advantage, but rattled the tires and he pedaled it. Bruc= e chased him down by half track and never trailed for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---S=
peed
   10 Melanie Johnson                      5079 Jim Lamb                   =
 =20
E1   ****WINNER****  0.068  5.265 272.23                     0.084  =
5.372 271.57
 Qualified:             #3  5.193 274.50                       #14  5.534 2=
65.06

Melanie Johnson is 2 - 3 in Rd. 1 this year. Jim Lamb is making his 1st= start.

This is the first time Johnson and Lamb have faced each other in eliminations.

Johnson with the= starting line advantage for the win. She will have lane choice over Bruce in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---S=
peed
  501 John Haley                              1 Shawn Cowie                =
 =20
E1   ****WINNER****  0.074  5.418 267.91                     0.125 1=
2.056  66.59
 Qualified:            #15  5.678 243.55                        #2  5.169 2=
78.81

Shawn Cowie has set Low E/T 27 times in his career and that is tied for= 2nd most in TAD (B. Johnson).This is John Haley's 1st race since Gainesville, 2007.

This is the first time= Haley and Cowie have faced each other in eliminations.

Haley with the starting line advantage and never = trailed for the win. Haley with no chutes and he took a ride on the rad course. He finally got it stopped aft= er some really good driving. Haley with his quickest pass of the weekend, he will give up lane choice to sampe= y in the next round.

Cowie with severe tire shake right at the hit and clicked it off.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---S=
peed
        Bye                                 530 Alan Bradshaw              =
 =20
E1                                            ****WINNER****  0.037 =
 5.168 276.75
 Qualified:                                                       #1  5.165=
 277.37

This is Alan Bradshaw's 6th #1 spot overall and 2nd this year. In his = 3 races this year Alan Bradshaw has qualified #1, 2 & 4.

Bradshaw launched hard and kept it hooked up to make= the second quickest pass of the event behind his No. 1 qualifying pass. =20 Alan Bradshaw's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.364, 660ft-3.44= 2/232.27 mph, 1,000ft-4.366.

Timing = data courtesy of CompuLink