The St. Louis marks the midpoint of the NHRA Championship countdown, and what happens this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway could very well prove to be decisive in the final outcome of the season.
looking back, Steve Torrens, driving his CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel dragster, gave himself a chance to compete in last season's championship chase by winning the St. Louis. The defending event champion enters this year's Midwest Nationals performance sitting No. 2 in the standings, some 63 points behind the incoming points leader Doug Kalitta. Just last weekend in Charlotte Kalitta took the points lead, and he did so in the first round of eliminations when he sent Torrence home. For Kalitta, the win light three laps later marked a remarkable victory as he scored his second consecutive win and moved him into the points lead for the first time since 2020.
Justin Ashley, after an incredible run in the regular season, has yet to achieve the desired result during the Countdown. He crashed out in the second round at Reading and lost the first round at Charlotte, which dropped him to No. 3 in the points. That being said, it would be a huge understatement to say that Ashley was solid on the starting line. His reaction times are consistently incredible, and that can only help his cause at this midway point in the playoffs.
Two to watch: Leah Pruett and the Dodge Direct Connect dragster – has scored a generous number of points during the Countdown with back-to-back semi-final performances – and Andron Brown, a five-time winner in St. Louis. He has a wild race car that shouldn't be measured and did 299 mph in the 1/8th mile in the Charlotte qualifier in which Mike Salinas he became the first to top it at 300 mph. Pruett is No. 4 in points right now, with Brown right back in fifth. Reigning champion Brittany Force is No. 6. He has yet to win in St. Louis and this weekend would be the perfect time to do so and gain some ground.
Robert HightHis spectacular recovery from a huge blowout in qualifying at Charlotte took him into the final round on Sunday, and although he didn't have the recipe to take down the winner Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft Quicklane Ford (which is No. 2 in the points with a car and crew that no one wants to race) Hight showed that he and his team had the grit and strength needed to chase a fourth world title. The AAA/Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Funny Car leads the points entering the St. Louis, where Hight has won three times before.
The winningest Funny Car driver in St. Louis is the reigning champion Ron Capps, and his four wins here are well within a decade. His first win at St. Louis was in 1997 and he won twice more at the storied facility before his most recent victory, which came in 2017. Capps and his NAPA Toyota suffered an alarming early exit last weekend at Charlotte that propelled him to No. 3 in the league standings, but it came after a surge – back-to-back wins and a semifinal finish – that he hopes to continue in the shadow of the St. Louis arch. Matt Hagan and his Direct Connect Dodge are tied with Capps for third place right now and a second win at St. Louis (after his title in 2021) would be an extremely positive sign on his score at this crucial juncture.
To the dismay of those who probably didn't see it coming, the Pro Stock points leader remains Matt Hartford. His Total Seal/CIP 1 Chevrolet was flying the Bass Pro Shops flag in Charlotte and aiming for a second straight Countdown win, but a second-lap finish threatened his spot at the top. teammate of KB Titan Racing Greg Anderson stopped Hartford's biggest immediate threat, defending Pro Stock champion Erica Enders, in the semi-final. While Anderson won the race in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, Dallas Glenn – the regular season winner – kept their championship hopes alive with a runner-up finish. He is currently No. 3 and Anderson is fourth.
In particular, Enders has some sort of cosmic connection to World Wide Technology Raceway and has won here six times overall – including in each of the last four seasons. It's been an unusual season for Enders and Elite Motorsports' JHG Chevrolet, but he's fought hard to climb from 14th (before Bristol) to now second in the championship standings. St. Louis has been a major event for her in the past, and that can make it a little daunting for those hoping to keep her away.
Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki rider Gaige Herrera rushed to grab the points lead behind the back-to-back winner Matt Smith (a five-time winner at St. Louis), but after a severe blow to the engines he carried to last that three-race streak, Smith temporarily returned to a Pro Stock bike and won his sixth championship of the season. Smith, who rode his DENSO Suzuki to wins at the US Nationals and Reading to take the points lead, is now back behind the wheel of the well-decorated “Red Rocket” while his wife Angie SmithThe sparkling pink DENSO Buell is in his hands Joy Gladstone (Rider Matt Smith Racing Countdown Chip Ellis could not perform the event). Gladstone's bike is ridden by a teammate Corey Reed in St. Louis, while Angie is on the black carbon bike, Ellis went for the final lap in Reading. I got it?
Eddie Kravitz hopes to move up from the No. 4 spot he currently resides in with Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki and has a solid foundation with two previous wins in St. Louis – but Hector Arana Jr. and his GETTRX Buell are third in points with no plans to give anything away. Arana races a strong bike and a 2015 win at World Wide Technology Raceway.
2022 EVENT WINNERS
Steve Torrence, Top Fuel; Robert Hight, Funny Car; Erica Enders, Pro Stock, Matt Smith, Pro Stock Motorcycle
MOST EVENT WINS
Antron Brown, 5, TF; Ron Capps, 4, FC; Erica Enders, 6PS; Matt Smith, 5, PSM
TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel – – 3.631 seconds by Clay Millican, Sept. '17; 338.43 mph by Brittany Force, Oct. '22
funny car – 3,830 seconds by Robert Hight, Sep '17; 338.60 mph by Hight, Sep. '17
Pro Stock –6.492 seconds by Greg Anderson, Sep '15; 213.47 mph by Line, Sept. '12
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.709 seconds by Matt Smith, Sep '22; 203.22 mph by M Smith, Oct '22
PROGRAM:
FRIDAY Sept. 29
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Qualifiers at 8 a.m
FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series Qualifiers at 5:00 p.m
Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown qualifying at 5:30 p.m
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifiers at 6 p.m
SATURDAY, Sept. 30
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Eliminations at 8 a.m
FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series Qualifiers at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown prelims at 4:15 and 7:15 p.m.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Qualifiers at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.
SUNDAY 1 OCT
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 11 a.m
TV
Saturday September 29: FOX Sports 1 (FS1), will televise an hour and a half of qualifying coverage at 7:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, October 1: FOX Sports 1 (FS1), will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 2:00 p.m. ET and three hours of finals coverage at 3:00 p.m. ET
You can also watch the action at NHRA.tv.
