Mon, 07 Sep 2026, 14:59 PM Top Fuel Round 3 Eliminations

By Rick Green

INDIANAPOLIS - Results of round 3 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Shawn Langdon                         777 Leah Pruett                  
E3   ****WINNER****  0.083  3.816 332.51                     0.069  5.172 183.42
 Prior rounds:
E2    (J Ashley    ) 0.053  3.791 323.19      (M Gordon    ) 0.069  3.975 265.38
E1    (C Millican  ) 0.059  3.709 340.22      (J Hart      ) 0.070  3.713 333.66
 Qualified:             #1  3.727 334.98                        #5  3.772 326.24

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 30.07 inches, adjusted altitude 2,764 feet, track temperature 129 degrees.

Langdon is 19 - 10 against Pruett in prior events.

Shawn Langdon and Leah Pruett have raced 29 times. Langdon has "left first" 19 times. In those 29 races Langdon's average R/T is .060 In those 29 races Pruett's average R/T is .073

Leah with the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke right at the hit and pedaled it.

Langdon with a good pass early, but started mixing up cylinders on the top end. He gets the win. Langdon is advancing to eighth final round this season and 29th of his career.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Tony Stewart                            1 Doug Kalitta                 
E3   ****WINNER****  0.062  3.885 279.56                     0.058  5.473 176.42
 Prior rounds:
E2    (A Brown     ) 0.055  3.740 336.74      (T Tatum     ) 0.067  4.209 210.24
E1    (T Zizzo     ) 0.044  3.717 334.40      (W Smith     ) 0.047  3.681 341.68
 Qualified:             #2  3.744 328.22                        #3  3.746 335.82

Kalitta is 5 - 1 against Stewart in prior events.

Kalitta with a slight starting line advantage, but is up in smoke right at the hit and pedals it. Kalitta will win the season championship and $150,000 and will go into the countdown as the number one seed.

Stewart has a hole or two out on the top end, but gets the win. He will give up lane choice to Langdon in the final. He is advancing to his second final this season and eighth of his career.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink