Sat, 26 Sep 2026, 15:14 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - Notes from final, round 4 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

---

Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.411/186.80, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.377/189.39, Was #15
Right Lane: Rit Pustari No Time, Now #16; Best prior run: 8.568/73.46, Was #16

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 29.89 inches, adjusted altitude 2,080 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Millican started to lose traction and clicked it off.

Pustari fired the car, but had problems again and is pushed back.

---

Left Lane: Will Smith Runs 4.128/213.37, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.786/330.40, Was #12

smith is up in smoke and clicked it off.

---

Left Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 3.806/329.19, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.772/328.71, Was #11
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.793/330.64, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.847/324.91, Was #13

Mercier is straight down the groove with another good clean pass, but will not improve.

Schumacher started mixing up cylinders around half track and then the engine let go with a huge fireball. He still make his quickest pass of the weekend. He will stay in the number 13 spot.

---

Left Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 4.118/220.80, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.747/329.91, Was #7
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.801/329.91, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.771/329.19, Was #10

Reed drives into tire smoke just past half track and clicks it off.

Brown is real loose on the top end and he will not improve.

---

Left Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 4.997/137.87, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.745/333.83, Was #6
Right Lane: Maddi Gordon Runs 4.228/203.44, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.764/335.32, Was #9

Torrence is up in smoke early and clicked it off.

Gordon started to lose traction on the top end and clicked it off early.

---

Left Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 11.718/63.25, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.734/323.74, Was #4
Right Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 3.784/326.80, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.751/332.35, Was #8

Pruett is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

Ashley is straight down the groove, but is real loose on the top end.

---

Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 9.575/83.18, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.732/334.08, Was #3
Right Lane: Josh Hart Runs 5.226/133.69, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.744/334.32, Was #5

Langdon is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off

Hart drives into tire smoke and clicked it off.

---

Left Lane: Tony Stewart Runs 11.105/72.51, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.704/336.83, Was #2
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.865/152.96, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.682/338.09, Was #1

Stewart is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off

Kalitta is up in smoke early and clicked it off.