Mon, 21 Sep 2026, 12:01 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations |
By Rick Green |
MARTIN, Mich. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 474 Billy Torrence 3 Justin Ashley E1 ****WINNER**** 0.085 3.736 312.07 No Time Qualified: #9 3.736 334.57 #8 3.733 333.58Weather conditions: air temperature 59 degrees, relative humidity 75 percent, barometer 30.17 inches, adjusted altitude 987 feet.
13 of the 14 Top Fuel wins this year have come from the top half of the field. Shawn Langdon's win in Chicago (#9) is the only Top Fuel win this year from the bottom half of the field.
Justin Ashley will not be racing today in observance of Yom Kippur Billy Torrence is 6-5 in Round 1 when starting ninth (0-2 this year).
torrence starts to lose
traction on the top end and clicks it off early.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 15 Tony Schumacher 421 Spencer Massey E1 0.046 4.206 187.27 ****WINNER**** 0.024 3.722 329.67 Qualified: #7 3.729 338.86 #10 3.736 330.15In his last 11 starts, Tony Schumacher is 2-9 in Round 1. Spence Massey is 2-0 against Schumacher in Round 1. Their last Round 1 meeting was in Topeka in 2014.
Massey is 15 - 10 against Schumacher in prior events.
Massey with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win.
Schumacher started to lose traction and clicked it
off.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 14 Tony Stewart 386 Kyle Wurtzel E1 ****WINNER**** 0.034 3.725 289.95 0.049 3.714 332.84 Qualified: #6 3.714 339.62 #11 3.739 334.08Tony Stewart has qualified in the top half of the field at 13 of his 15 races this year. This is Kyle Wurtzel's first race since St. Louis last year.
Stewart is 2 - 0 against Wurtzel in prior events.
Stewart with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win in a close one. Tony Stewart's MOV: 0.0040 seconds (approximately 23 inches).
Wurtzel with his season quickest pass in the losing effort.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
8 Shawn Reed 77 Josh Hart
E1 -0.005 4.276 304.88 ****WINNER**** 0.057 9.296 74.22
Qualified: #15 3.801 333.58 #2 3.671 329.19
Since his win in Gainesville, Josh Hart has only advanced past the second round twice.
Shawn Reed is 2-11 in Round 1 this year.Reed is 1 - 0 against Hart in prior events.
Reed goes
red and Hart goes up in smoke, but still get the win. He will give up lane choice to Massey in the
next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 Doug Kalitta 1980 Kyle Satenstein
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.028 3.661 333.09 0.014 5.006 122.65
Qualified: #1 3.660 338.86 #16 7.888 81.48
Doug Kalitta has won 36 rounds this year. He won 39 rounds during his entire 2025 championship
season.
This is the fourth start for Kyle Satenstein.This is the first time Kalitta and Satenstein have faced each other in eliminations.
Satenstein with a great light and then started to mix up cylinders by 330 feet. The engine lets go around half tack with a big fireball.
Kalitta launched
hard and kept it hooked up to make the second quickest pass of the weekend. He will have lane choice
over Torrence in the next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 123 Antron Brown 51 Clay Millican E1 ****WINNER**** 0.015 3.682 339.62 0.059 9.899 78.58 Qualified: #3 3.673 338.09 #14 3.762 334.08Antron Brown has won 20 rounds this year. In his first 14 races last year, he won 16 rounds. Clay Millican's average E.T. in his last seven losses is 6.233.
Brown is 36 - 9 against Millican in prior events.
Brown with a great light and makes his career fastest pass for the win. He will
have lane choice over Stewart in the next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
2 Shawn Langdon 100 Maddi Gordon
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.044 3.652 344.04 0.018 4.861 171.17
Qualified: #4 3.698 339.37 #13 3.746 336.57
Shawn Langdon's 34 round wins are already the fourth-most he has recorded in a single season. He
is the only Top Fuel driver to "sweep" an event this year (MIR).
Maddi Gordon's 17 round wins are the sixth-most in Top Fuel this year.Gordon is 2 - 1 against Langdon in prior events.
Gordon with a great light, but starts to shake right at the hit and pedaled it. she couldn't get it to hook up and clicked it off.
Langdon launched hard and kept it
hooked up and make the quickest pass of the weekend for the win. He makes the second fastest pass in
Top Fuel History.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 200 Will Smith 777 Leah Pruett E1 ****WINNER**** 0.008 3.699 336.83 0.023 3.766 318.47 Qualified: #5 3.706 335.32 #12 3.743 328.23This is just the second time in his 23 races that Will Smith has qualified in the top half of the field. Leah Pruett is 136-96 in Round 1 races.
Pruett is 4 - 0 against Smith in prior events.
Smith with a great light and makes his career quickest and fastest pass for the win. He will give up lane choice to langdon in the next round.
Pruett with a great light and good clean pass in the losing
effort.
Ready to take your order at 1-800-230-3030 | Customer Service 1-800-517-1035