Sun, 04 Oct 2026, 11:28 AM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations |
By Reporter |
MADISON, Ill. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals:
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 14 Tony Stewart 77 Josh Hart E1 ****WINNER**** 0.054 5.322 229.24 0.088 7.912 93.86 Qualified: #11 3.733 337.50 #6 3.717 333.41Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 70 percent, barometer 30.19 inches, adjusted altitude 756 feet, track temperature 82 degrees.
Josh Hart is 8-8 in Round 1 this year and 52-58 in his career. Tony Stewart beat Hart in Round 1 at Brainerd.
Stewart is 4 - 3 against Hart in prior events.
Stewart with the starting line advantage, then was up in smoke right at the hit. He pedaled and got it to hook up enough to get the win. the car did backfire on the top end.
Hart was up in smoke right at the hit
and pedaled it, but was back up in smoke.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 421 Spencer Massey 616 Jasmine Salinas E1 0.084 4.988 143.03 ****WINNER**** 0.082 3.716 337.92 Qualified: #4 3.715 332.67 #13 3.741 327.11Spencer Massey “leaves first” 82% of the time in Round 1. Jasmine Salinas is 11-19 in Round 1 in her career.
This is the first time Massey and Salinas have faced each other in eliminations.
Salinas with a slight starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. She makes her quickest pass of the season and her career fastest pass for the win.
Massey is up in smoke early and clicked it off.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 100 Maddi Gordon 200 Will Smith E1 0.061 4.847 151.51 ****WINNER**** 0.056 3.722 333.00 Qualified: #3 3.708 335.90 #14 3.742 332.75Maddi Gordon is 11-5 in Round 1 this year. In both of his races against Gordon, Will Smith “left first.”
Gordon and Smith have each won 1 times against the other in prior events.
Smith with the starting
line advantage and never trailed for the win. He makes his quickest and fastest pass of the weekend 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 51 Clay Millican 123 Antron Brown E1 0.073 4.529 173.45 ****WINNER**** 0.061 3.735 336.15 Qualified: #15 3.760 323.19 #2 3.704 334.90Antron Brown wins 80% of his Round 1 races when starting from the top half of the field. Clay Millican is 6-19 (24%) against Brown in Round 1.
Brown is 37 - 9 against Millican in prior events.
Brown with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win.
Millican is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked
it off.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 15 Tony Schumacher 2 Shawn Langdon E1 0.080 3.749 331.94 ****WINNER**** 0.065 3.680 341.68 Qualified: #16 3.842 320.20 #1 3.679 339.87Shawn Langdon’s 416 round wins in TF are the 9th-most in class history. The No. 16 TF qualifier has never won a round at this event.
Schumacher is 22 - 19 against Langdon in prior events.
Langdon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He makes the quickest pass of race day for the win. He has a big top end speed to set the track speed record. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.831 sec., 330ft-2.111, 660ft-2.971/297.48 mph.
Schumacher with a good pass early but then pushes out a head gasket
just past half track, but stayed with for his quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
3 Justin Ashley 474 Billy Torrence
E1 ****WINNER**** 0.035 3.766 332.02 0.096 3.708 338.43
Qualified: #12 3.737 331.36 #5 3.716 333.91
Billy Torrence starts the event in 6th place, his highest starting position of the year. Justin Ashley
starts the event in 11th, marking the first time he has been outside the Top 10 since Gainesville in
2024.Ashley with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. Justin Ashley's MOV: 0.0033 seconds (approximately 20 inches). He will give up lane choice to Salinas in the next round.
Torrence with his quickest and fastest pass in the losing effort.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
1 Doug Kalitta 8 Shawn Reed
E1 0.076 4.683 157.76 ****WINNER**** 0.092 3.706 336.15
Qualified: #10 3.728 333.66 #7 3.721 331.69
Shawn Reed has never “left first” against Kalitta. Doug Kalitta already has 41 round wins this year, his
most since 2016.Kalitta is 6 - 3 against Reed in prior events.
Kalitta with the starting line advantage, but is up in smoke early.
Reed kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight with his quickest and fastest pass
for the win. He will have lane choice over Brown in the next round.
Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed 386 Kyle Wurtzel 777 Leah Pruett E1 0.151 3.733 333.00 ****WINNER**** 0.077 3.735 328.30 Qualified: #9 3.723 332.59 #8 3.722 327.35Leah Pruett is 9-8 in Round 1 when starting No. 8. The No. 8 TF qualifier is 9-5 in Round 1 at this event. This is Kyle Wurtzel’s 38th start; his first came at this race in 2014.
Pruett is 3 - 0 against Wurtzel in prior events.
Pruett with the starting line advantage and the power to hold on for the hole shot win. She
will give up lane choice to Langdon in the next round
Ready to take your order at 1-800-230-3030 | Customer Service 1-800-517-1035