Fri, 25 Sep 2026, 15:28 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Rit Pustari Runs 8.568/73.46, Now #2
Right Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 8.401/84.55, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 40 percent, barometer 30.00 inches, adjusted altitude 1,565 feet, track temperature 113 degrees.

Pustari lost traction early and clicked it off

Mercier shook and clicked it off

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Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 3.796/329.91, Now #1

Reed got it to hook up and was straight down the groove.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.928/150.91, Now #3
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.377/189.39, Now #2

Schumacher lost traction early and clicked it off.

Millican started to haze the tires on the top end and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 3.945/254.96, Now #3
Right Lane: Will Smith Runs 3.914/287.72, Now #2

Ashley with a good pass early, but started to haze the tires on the top end and clicked it off.

Smith with a nice pass, but started to spin the tires right in the lights.

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Left Lane: Maddi Gordon Runs 3.771/335.07, Now #1
Right Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.812/327.51, Now #3

Gordon launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot.

Torrence kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number three spot.

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Left Lane: Josh Hart Runs 3.833/318.92, Now #4
Right Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 8.491/79.55, Now #10

Hart with a good pass early, but dropped a cylinder on the top end, he still goes to go to the number four spot.

Pruett shook and clicked it off

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 6.433/100.16, Now #10
Right Lane: Tony Stewart Runs 3.801/333.58, Now #3

Brown is up in smoke by 330 feet and clicked it off.

Stewart kept it hooked up to go to the number three spot.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.747/338.86, Now #1
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.825/309.49, Now #6

Kalitta launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot.

Langdon dropped a cylinder early, but he stayed with it, he goes to the number six spot.