Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Sunday Preview

The day has arrived. It's Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals and the drivers and teams of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series have only one thing on their mind: winning a trophy at historic Brainerd International Raceway.

Funny car

Qualifying ended with a good result for Funny Car's Austin Prockwho had the most success of any driver on Saturday, driving the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro to the top of the qualifying round and clinching the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge title along the way. Future points leader Prock has yet to win at Brainerd, but he'll be aiming for a clean sweep when he begins the day with a first-round clash with Jim Campbell.

Jack Beckmandrives the Peak Chevrolet Camaro for John Powermade a strong comeback to racing after a four-year hiatus, qualifying in the No. 6 position. Beckman, who won this race in 2018, will face young Bobby Bode in the first elimination round. Bode's father, Bob Bode, won this race in 2010. Pronto-backed Blake Alexander, who was fastest of all on Friday night, will face Dave Richards and the Bluebird Turf/Versatran Funny Car.

No. 4 Qualifier Ron Cappsdriver of the Napa Toyota Supra, has won this event more times than any other Funny Car driver currently competing. The defending champion will begin his quest for an eighth Brainerd trophy with a morning match with the reigning world champion and 2021 Lucas Oil Nationals winner. Matt Hagan and his American Rebel entry. Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford driver Bob III, who qualified in position No. 2 and is No. 2 in the Funny Car standings, won this race in 2022. He will face Jack Wyatt in the first round.

Alexis DeJoriaNo. 5 on the qualifying sheet, has already made some strong passes this weekend representing Bandero Tequila and will begin her day alongside Daniel Wilkerson in the Scag Power Equipment Ford. Snap-On's Cruz Pedregon, the 1992 Funny Car winner at Brainerd, will face Chad Green and the BP Fuels Mustang on the first lap, while Nos. 8 and 9 qualifiers – FTI Performance's Paul Lee and former DHL Toyota Funny Car champion JR Todd, who has yet to win this race – round out the Funny Car field.

Top Fuels No. 1 Qualifier, Steve Torrenshas already won this race twice in back-to-back seasons (2021 and 2022). He will roll the Capco Contractors dragster to the starting line to face JCM Racing's newest driver, European FIA Top Fuel champion Ida Zetterström, who is making her highly anticipated debut here in Brainerd. With 14 cars in the field, the winner of this round will receive a bye to the semifinals, and while VP Racing Fuels/Edelbrock/Comp Camps Dodge driver Zetterström has long dreamed of seeing the lights on American soil, Torrence currently sits 3rd in the points standings with only this race and the next to make up before the fields are set for the countdown to the championship.

Leatherwood Distillery finish Tony Schumacher has the most wins of any Top Fuel driver currently competing in Brainerd (three) and is a lucky 13th for Sunday. His challenger will be Tony Stewart in the Mihandra rail, who finished second in the Denso Sonoma Nationals. Stewart, No. 8 overall, would love to have another go at the trophy, but eight-time world champion Schumacher wants the points that would help him in the championship fight.

Defending champion Antron Braun won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge and the last event (Sonoma) yesterday, so the next logical step would be to take the Matco Tools Toyota to the winner's circle here at Brainerd for the seventh time. He already has two Top Fuel wins at the Lucas Oil Nationals and four on a Pro Stock Motorcycle. However, Brown has to get past reigning world champion and future points leader Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools track, and Kalitta probably believes he deserves it — he hasn't won Brainerd since taking trophies here in 2003 and 2005.

Shawn Langdoncurrently No. 2 in Top Fuel points with his Kalitta Air Careers dragster, will face Shawn Reed and the Reed Trucking and Excavating dragster. 2018 winner Billy Torrence will take on championship contender Justin Ashley and his Scag car and Brittany Force is here to fight for her second win at Brainerd after winning a trophy in 2016. She will face Clay Millican, who is supported by Parts Plus, with her Monster Energy dragster. Jasmine Salinas qualified in the No. 6 position with her Scrappers Racing car and after two round wins in Norwalk and Seattle, she's hoping for more. She will face Josh Hart, who is with R+L Carriers and enters the race just outside the top 10 in the Top Fuel standings.

After securing the second No. 1 qualifying prize of his career, Jerry Tucker and his Outlaw Mile-Hi Light Beer-branded Chevrolet will try to win against Mason McGaha and the blue car of Harlow Sammons Racing. McGaha used the final qualifying round well to push his way to the front and secure a shot at the trophy.

The title of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge went to Minnesota’s own Greg AndersonDriver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, and he is fully focused on leaving his home track with two victories. With three previous wins at Brainerd International Raceway, Anderson has the second most wins of any Pro Stock driver on the leaderboard. His quest for another victory begins with a match against Jeg Coughlin Jr.a driver he has raced against many, many times in the brand battle between Summit Racing and JEGS. Coughlin is the winningest driver at Brainerd with four wins (Bruce Allen, Bob Glidden, Kurt Johnson and Warren Johnson also have four wins each).

The Cuadra boys are back this weekend after being away for a few races to focus on the family business, and they put in strong performances throughout qualifying. Older brother Fernando Cuadra Jr. is No. 4 and twins Cristian and David are fifth and eighth, respectively. Representing Corral Boots/Cuadra, Fernando Jr. will face off against teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. of Elite Motorsports, Cristian will face off against Matt Hartford of Rottler/GETTRX, and David will face Deric Kramer and the GetBio Fuels entry.

Reigning World Champion Erica Enderstwo-time winner in Brainerd, is determined to collect points for the countdown to the championship. She is number 3 behind number 2 Anderson and leader of the table Dallas Glenn. Your day in the JHG/Melling Chevy begins with a first-lap meeting with Chris McGaha, the only driver outside of the Elite and KB Titan Racing teams to top speed at an event this year, with the best mileage in Seattle.

Points leader Glenn took home the Brainerd title last year in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet. He qualified 7th and will face KB Titan teammate Eric Latino and his GESi machine in the first round. Aaron Stanfield and his Johnson's Horsepowered Garage Chevrolet have won three of the last four events, so he comes to Brainerd with high expectations. He will start sixth and face the class newcomer Cory Reedwho is in top form himself after taking the final lap at Sonoma in his second career race in a Pro Stock car. He also finished second last night in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge driving his KB Titan stable's J&A Service Camaro.

WINNER OF THE 2023 EVENT: Antron Brown, Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Funny Car; Dallas Glenn, Pro Stock

MOST VICTORIES: Joe Amato, 6, TF; John Force, 11, FC; Bruce Allen, 4, Jeg Coughlin, 4, Bob Glidden, 4, Kurt Johnson, 4, Warren Johnson, 4

SUCCESS RECORDS

Top fuel – 3.640 seconds by Leah Pruett, August 2017; 338.26 mph by Mike Salinas, August 2023

Funny car – 3.793 sec by Robert Hight, Aug '17; 338.00 mph by Hight, Aug '17

Per Stock – 6.541 sec by Erica Enders, August 2015; 211.39 mph by Shane Gray, August 2015

SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, 18 August
Pre-race ceremony, 9:30 a.m. NHRA MISSION FOODS SERIES eliminations at 10:30 a.m.

TV

SUNDAY, 18 August
FS1 will broadcast the qualifying round for one hour on Sunday, August 18th at 1:00 p.m. (ET). FOX will broadcast the finals live for three hours at 3:00 p.m. (ET).

TICKETS

To purchase tickets for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, click here or call 800-884-6472