3/29/2025
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
After a scintillating start to the event on Friday where cool temperatures and a tacky track yielded great performance across all classes, fans at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals are likely in for more of the same under similar conditions Saturday.
After a scintillating start to the event on Friday, where cool temperatures and a tacky track yielded great performances across all classes, fans at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals are likely in for more of the same under similar conditions Saturday.
Brittany Force’s Top Fuel-leading 3.64, Ron Capps’ Funny Car-fronting 3.83, and Greg Anderson’s Pro Stock-topping 6.495 could all be vulnerable through the final two qualifying sessions.
Doug Kalitta qualified second in Top Fuel and beat Force in the final round of the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout and has a chance to score three wins this weekend as he’s also one of four drivers in Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge and, of course, will be in the hunt for Sunday’s Winternationals win.
The Mission Challenge, which pits drivers in rematches of the previous event’s semifinals — in this case, last weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals — will be contested in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock.
Kalitta will square off with Jasmine Salinas in a rematch of their NHRA Arizona Nationals semifinal while his Kalitta Motorsports teammate, Phoenix winner Shawn Langdon, will go off against Force.
In Funny Car, Arizona Nationals winner Paul Lee will take on Bob Tasca III while John Force Racing teammates Austin Prock and Jack Beckman will reprise their semifinal battle.
Anderson will look to parlay his Friday momentum into a Mission Challenge win beginning with his first-round match with Aaron Stanfield, while Dallas Glenn will take on Matt Hartford.
2024 EVENT WINNERS
Justin Ashley, Top Fuel; John Force, Funny Car; Dallas Glenn, Pro Stock
MOST EVENT VICTORIES
Don Garlits, 6, TF; Doug Kalitta, 4, TF (active driver); John Force, 7, FC; Matt Hagan and Ron Capps, 4 (active drivers) Bob Glidden, 7, PS; Greg Anderson, 6, PS (active driver).
TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel – 3.628 seconds by Clay Millican, Feb. ’18; 338.94 mph by Brittany Force, Nov. ‘22.
Funny Car – 3.804 seconds by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24; 341.68 mph by Prock, Nov. ’24
Pro Stock – 6.480 seconds by Erica Enders, Nov. ’14; 213.84 mph by Drew Skillman, Nov. ’15.
NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel – 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading, Pa.; 338.94 mph by Brittany Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona, Calif.
Funny Car – 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. ’17, Brainerd, Minn.; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24, Pomona, Calif.
Pro Stock – 6.443 sec. by Greg Anderson, Mar. ’25, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ’14, Englishtown N.J.
SATURDAY, March 29
Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 8:30 a.m.
Top Alcohol qualifying at 11:00 a.m. and eliminations TAD at 4:30 p.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Pro Stock qualifying at 1:45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, March 30
Pre-race ceremony, 9:45 a.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m.
TELEVISION
SATURDAY, March 29, FS1 will televise one and half hour of qualifying highlights at 8:00 p.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, March 30, FS1 will televise one and half hour of qualifying highlights at 12:00 p.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, March 30, FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 6:30 p.m. (ET)
