Fri, 02 Oct 2026, 19:35 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Reporter

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Charles Loftin Runs 10.778/64.65, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 30.14 inches, adjusted altitude 1,371 feet, track temperature 97 degrees.

Loftin is making his debut in NHRA Top Fuel. He is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Brian Inouye Runs 4.159/247.47, Now #1
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 9.480/95.71, Now #2

Inouye is making his Top Fuel debut driving Luigi Novelli's car.

Inouye is making good pass early and then drops a cylinder around half track and the car pushed out of the groove toward the wall. He clicked it off.

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

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Left Lane: Kyle Wurtzel Runs 3.778/329.67, Now #1
Right Lane: Keith Murt Runs 3.887/307.09, Now #2

Wurtzel launched hard and kept it hooked up to make a good looking pass. Kyle Wurtzel's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.168, 660ft-3.045/287.66 mph.

Murt with a good pass early, but started to haze the tires on the top end.

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Left Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 4.169/228.34, Now #5
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.775/328.30, Now #1

Ferre started to lose traction and clicked it off.

Massey kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.037/287.41 mph.

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Left Lane: Jasmine Salinas Runs 3.741/327.11, Now #1
Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 3.771/329.50, Now #2

This was a good side-by-side drag race.

Salinas launched hard and was on a good looking pass, it appeared to go silent right before the finish line. She still ges to the number one spot. Jasmine Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.142, 660ft-3.013/292.39 mph.

Reed kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number two spot. Shawn Reed's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.160, 660ft-3.039/290.01 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.842/320.20, Now #6
Right Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 3.737/331.36, Now #1

Schumacher kept it hooked up with a good pass.

Ashley with a great looking pass early, but then is dancing around a lot on the top end. He stays with it to go to the number one spot. Justin Ashley's incremental times: 60ft-0.830 sec., 330ft-2.134, 660ft-3.009/291.89 mph.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 5.822/109.44, Now #11
Right Lane: Will Smith Runs 3.756/323.43, Now #3

Millican lost traction early and clicked it off by 330 feet.

Smith was on a good pass, but appeared to burn a head gasket around half track. He stayed with and goes to the number three spot.

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Left Lane: Maddi Gordon Runs 3.757/332.67, Now #5
Right Lane: Josh Hart Runs 3.717/333.41, Now #1

Gordon is flying the NAPA colors this weekend. Gordon kept it hitting on all eight all the way down the track to go to the number five spot.

Hart launched hard and kept the candles lit to go to number one spot. Josh Hart's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.124, 660ft-2.995/292.84 mph.

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Left Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.723/334.82, Now #2
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.726/335.90, Now #3

Torrence with a good clean pass, straight down the groove to the number two spot.

Brown is right there with Torrence to go to the number three spot.

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Left Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 3.730/331.69, Now #4
Right Lane: Tony Stewart Runs 3.742/332.59, Now #7

Pruett with a good pass early, but got real loose on the top end. She stays with it to go to the number four spot.

Stewart is straight down the groove with a good pass to move into the top half of the show.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.728/333.66, Now #5
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.679/339.87, Now #1

Kalitta kept it hooked up to go to the number five spot.

Langdon launched hard and kept it hooked up and goes to the number one spot. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.824 sec., 330ft-2.105, 660ft-2.965/296.50 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink