April 13, 2024 | By NHRA

Prock, Kalitta, Tucker top NHRA Four-Wide qualifying at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Austin Prock stayed nearly perfect in qualifying, taking his third Funny Car No. 1 qualifier in four races on Saturday during the 24th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jerry Tucker (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 at the fourth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Prock, who also won his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, rolled to the top spot in Funny Car on Saturday, going 3.904-seconds at 321.42 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to claim his second straight top spot and third in four races. The team continues to roll, as Prock made three consecutive standout runs to slip past John Force, J.R. Todd and Bob Tasca III to get to the top. He’ll be in an opening-round quad that features Jeff Diehl, Blake Alexander and Alexis DeJoria a week after picking up his first Funny Car victory.

“That Tasca team, they do a great job. We've been duking it out all year, and he made a nice run in front of me today right before that last qualifying session,” Prock said. “I'm like, 'Alright, well, the track's pretty good,' and along with my boss, John Force running [3.]90, it showed there was some potential out there to make a really good run.

“My team has done a great job in these hot conditions. We're really getting a handle on these hot weather conditions, and that was kind of our goal this year, to really dial that in because it's typically really fast when it's cool out. It’s going to cool down tomorrow so it's definitely going to be the quickest runs you'll see all weekend.”

Force took the second spot with a 3.908 at 326.79, while points leader J.R. Todd moved up to third in the final session with a 3.930 at 322.19.

In Top Fuel, Kalitta improved on his Friday performance, staying in the No. 1 position with stellar pass of 3.738 at 336.82 in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster. It’s the first No. 1 spot this year for the defending world champ and the 54th in his career. He’ll open up raceday in a quad that includes teammate and points leader Shawn Langdon and four-time world champion Steve Torrence. It makes for a tough start to Sunday, but Kalitta also knows the importance of an early-season win.

“The team it stepped it up to that 3.73 in that first session, so that was plenty strong for the conditions. I'm feeling really confident with what we got going on,” Kalitta said. “I think on that last run, we were maybe just pushing it a little, much just to see what we could do. But the track seems plenty good in all the lanes and it should be a good day tomorrow. It’s going to be a little cooler, which should play into our hand performance-wise."

Tony Schumacher qualified second with a 3.768 at 325.53 and Clay Millican’s 3.773 at 332.34 has him third.

In his second season in the Pro Stock ranks, Jerry Tucker picked up his first career No. 1 qualifier, going 6.612 at 206.61 in his Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer/SCAG Power Equipment car. It was a major moment for Tucker, who ran well right off the trailer in Las Vegas. He was the quickest of the opening session on Friday and then stepped up again to start the day on Saturday, clinching his first top qualifier in the loaded Pro Stock ranks. He’ll open eliminations in a quad featuring Chris McGaha, defending event winner Dallas Glenn and Elite Motorsports teammate Troy Coughlin Jr.

“I’m just trying to get my driving together and I think it’s finally coming together. This is the car that Erica [Enders] drove last year and I managed to make three solid runs,” Tucker said. “It takes a year or so to learn how to drive [a Pro Stock car] properly. For the first five or six races you’re just riding along. Then you start to get a feel for it, but it takes a while to really figure it out.

From 1 to 16, they are all tough. I really don’t see any difference between anyone in the field. It won’t be easy tomorrow.”

Jeg Coughlin Jr., who won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Pro Stock, qualified second after going 6.625 at 206.64 and Greg Anderson is third thanks to his 6.625 at 206.32.

Eliminations for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.


SUNDAY ELIMINATION PAIRINGS

LAS VEGAS -- First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 24th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the fourth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.


Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.738 seconds, 336.82 mph vs. Bye vs. vs. 8. Shawn Langdon, 3.798, 319.29 vs. 9. Steve Torrence, 3.800, 332.75; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.768, 325.53 vs. 15. Terry Totten, 4.092, 287.78 vs. 7. Shawn Reed, 3.793, 323.12 vs. 10. Justin Ashley, 3.800, 331.53; 3. Clay Millican, 3.773, 332.34 vs. 14. Krista Baldwin, 3.903, 316.38 vs. 6. Antron Brown, 3.792, 330.72 vs. 11. Tony Stewart, 3.807, 325.30; 4. Billy Torrence, 3.784, 332.26 vs. 13. Jasmine Salinas, 3.848, 326.32 vs. 5. Brittany Force, 3.787, 333.66 vs. 12. Josh Hart, 3.828, 324.59.


Funny Car -- 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.904, 326.95 vs. 16. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.117, 275.73 vs. 8. Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 3.963, 321.50 vs. 9. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 3.967, 319.98; 2. John Force, Camaro, 3.908, 327.74 vs. 15. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 4.056, 316.01 vs. 7. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 3.957, 319.14 vs. 10. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.972, 324.20; 3. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.930, 322.19 vs. 14. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.051, 312.64 vs. 6. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.943, 328.06 vs. 11. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.980, 324.67; 4. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.931, 332.02 vs. 13. Steven Densham, Mustang, 4.020, 308.78 vs. 5. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.939, 328.22 vs. 12. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.018, 323.50.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Terry Haddock, 4.150, 299.60; 18. Jim Campbell, 4.215, 284.27; 19. Buddy Hull, 4.236, 294.31; 20. Alex Miladinovich, 4.268, 285.17.


Pro Stock -- 1. Jerry Tucker, Chevy Camaro, 6.612, 206.61 vs. 16. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.683, 206.04 vs. 8. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.636, 205.57 vs. 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.640, 207.46; 2. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.625, 207.62 vs. 15. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.676, 206.76 vs. 7. David Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.636, 205.91 vs. 10. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.645, 205.16; 3. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.625, 206.32 vs. 14. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.675, 204.88 vs. 6. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.635, 206.39 vs. 11. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.648, 207.37; 4. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.627, 206.16 vs. 13. Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.660, 206.13 vs. 5. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.634, 205.19 vs. 12. Brandon Foster, Camaro, 6.657, 205.85.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Mason McGaha, 6.704, 207.08; 18. Matt Hartford, 6.719, 204.98; 19. Steve Graham, 6.727, 204.63; 20. Joey Grose, 6.791, 203.89.


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BROWN, PROCK AND COUGHLIN WIN FIRST FOUR-WIDE MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE IN LAS VEGAS


LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Defending event winner Antron Brown picked up a victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, holding off Tony Stewart, Shawn Langdon and Doug Kalitta to win the specialty race as part of the 24th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also won the specialty race at the fourth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the Top Fuel Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, Brown was the quickest in the talent-filled quad, going 3.792-seconds at 330.72 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster. It’s the second win in the specialty race for Brown, who won the 4-Wide Nationals a year ago in Las Vegas. In a quad that also included Stewart, Langdon and Kalitta, Brown drove around Kalitta and then held off Langdon, who went 3.798, to win as part of what the three-time world champ hopes is a double-up weekend.

“I felt Shawn around the side of us and then something happened to him right around half track and I felt us inching and inching and we drove just a little bit around them,” Brown said. “It's so incredible how tight this class is. When you have Doug Kalitta, the world champion, Shawn Langdon, a previous Top Fuel champion, then you got Tony Stewart in the final round, they’re all cars that can win on any given Sunday."

Funny Car’s Austin Prock enjoyed another impressive first in his new class, winning his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, going 3.915 at 326.95 in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. He swept both the specialty race and qualifying, getting the Mission #2Fast2Tasty win by defeating Paul Lee, Blake Alexander and Daniel Wilkerson. A week after picking up his first Funny Car win, Prock added another big moment in his Funny Car career in the first four-wide Mission #2Fast2Tasty race.

"To get the first four-wide win, that's pretty special,” Prock said. “I've been in a handful of these things [in Top Fuel] and never been able to get it done, but we did the job today. Yesterday wasn't terrible on the tree but wasn't really what I want it to be and today I just have a new aim, new focus and it worked and I had two pretty stellar lights today."

Returning to full-time racing in the Pro Stock ranks, Jeg Coughlin Jr. enjoyed a strong showing on Saturday, winning for the first time in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a run of 6.628 at 207.62 in his SCAG Power Equipment car. Coughlin posted an impressive .022 reaction time and followed with a strong run to hold off a talented quad that also included Troy Coughlin Jr., Aaron Stanfield and Dallas Glenn. J. Coughlin was the lone veteran of the group but powered past the trio to claim the specialty event win.

“Any win is very special. But being out of the car for a couple years and getting one here in qualifying at Las Vegas feels great,” Coughlin said. "Mission Foods has done so much for NHRA Drag Racing, starting the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge last year and now the Mission Foods Drag Racing series.

“We had a pretty mean quad between Aaron Stanfield, myself, Dallas Glenn and Troy Jr. We needed all the Elite Performance that I had under the hood to turn on the win light. We’ve been building some momentum the last couple of weeks. I think a lot of great things are going on and we’re just looking to game day now.”

Eliminations for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.