Sun, 18 Oct 2026, 13:32 PM Top Fuel Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 41st annual Texas NHRA FallNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  200 Will Smith                             77 Josh Hart                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.040  3.746 334.65                     0.064  3.778 338.04
 Qualified:             #9  3.714 335.80                        #8  3.714 337.64

Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 56 percent, barometer 30.36 inches, adjusted altitude 761 feet, track temperature 100 degrees.

The No. 8 Top Fuel qualifier has never won this race. Will Smith has won eight rounds this year, five of them in the last two races.

Smith is 1 - 0 against Hart in prior events.

Smith with the starting line advantage and was driving away until it started to drop cylinders. I pushed him toward the centerline. He kept it in his lane for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Shawn Reed                            100 Maddi Gordon                 
E1                   0.072  3.743 331.98     ****WINNER****  0.070  3.715 340.08
 Qualified:            #11  3.727 333.78                        #6  3.701 333.43

Maddi Gordon is 11-6 in Round 1 this year. Shawn Reed is 4-12 in Round 1 this year.

This is the first time Reed and Gordon have faced each other in eliminations.

Gordon with a couple ticks on the tree and never trailed for the win. She makes another 340 mph pass here for the win.

Reed was dropping cylinders from half track on.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  182 Dan Mercier                           123 Antron Brown                 
E1                   0.043  3.789 328.44     ****WINNER****  0.058  3.715 337.99
 Qualified:            #13  3.748 329.89                        #4  3.677 335.32

Antron Brown wins 80% of his Round 1 races when he has lane choice. Dan Mercier is making his 38th start.

Brown is 3 - 0 against Mercier in prior events.

Mercier with the starting line advantage, but Brown has the difference made up by the time they go by the Christmas tree and never trails from there on for the win .

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   15 Tony Schumacher                         1 Doug Kalitta                 
E1                   0.068  3.764 335.07     ****WINNER****  0.060  3.687 341.61
 Qualified:            #14  3.755 336.68                        #3  3.668 338.80

This is the fourth time Doug Kalitta has been the No. 3 qualifier based on speed. This is the 99th meeting between these two drivers, the most between any two Top Fuel drivers.

Schumacher is 55 - 43 against Kalitta in prior events.

Kalitta with the starting line advantage and never trailed from there on for the win. He makes the quickest pass of race day and will have lane choice over Gordon in the next round. He makes a another 340-mph pass.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  421 Spencer Massey                         14 Tony Stewart                 
E1                  -0.167 16.686  84.38     ****WINNER****  0.011  3.696 338.55
 Qualified:            #15  3.758 327.80                        #2  3.668 343.70

Tony Stewart is 39-17 (70%) in Round 1 in his career. Spencer Massey beat Stewart in the semifinals at Martin.

Massey is 1 - 0 against Stewart in prior events.

Massey double stepped it and turned on the red light to give Stewart the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  666 Jake Sanders                            2 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.089  3.808 324.82     ****WINNER****  0.052  3.705 340.37
 Qualified:            #16  3.844 319.78                        #1  3.648 340.39

Shawn Langdon is 27-2 in Round 1 when qualified No. 1. Jake Sanders is making his first start in his second race.

Langdon with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will have lane choice over Smith in the next round.

Sanders is straight down the groove with his career quickest pass in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  474 Billy Torrence                        777 Leah Pruett                  
E1                   0.098  3.731 336.80     ****WINNER****  0.082  3.684 338.86
 Qualified:            #12  3.730 335.35                        #5  3.691 336.05

The only other Round 1 meeting between Pruett and Torrence was at Indy in 2022, with Torrence winning.

Torrence and Pruett have each won 5 times against the other in prior events.

Pruett with the starting line advantage for the win. She makes the quickest pass of the round for the win. she will have lane choice over Brown in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   51 Clay Millican                           3 Justin Ashley                
E1                   0.084  5.406 122.09     ****WINNER****  0.026  3.738 327.96
 Qualified:            #10  3.716 332.45                        #7  3.713 335.80

Justin Ashley "leaves first" 80% of the time overall and 83% in Round 1. Clay Millican has never "left first" against Ashley.

Ashley is 11 - 5 against Millican in prior events.

Ashley with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. He will give up lane choice to Stewart in the next round.

Millican lost traction early and clicked it off.