Adjusting to a weather shift from cooler Friday conditions to an unseasonably warm track on Saturday, Top Fuel driver Brittany Force leaned on Friday’s 3.690-second qualifying pass, to secure her top spot going into Sunday’s elimination rounds. While she struggled in the third round of qualifying, the John Force Racing veteran posted a 3.776-second final qualifying pass on Saturday.
“We just needed our car to go down the race track. We picked up some points and had a good run in the heat. It’s going to be even hotter tomorrow, so that [3.776-second pass] was actually more important of a run than our 3.69 [second pass] last night,” Force said. “Anyone can run great in the cool conditions but can you repeat that on a race day? Today’s runs were the ones that really mattered.”
Following suit, Shawn Reed ran his quickest time of 3.7 seconds on Friday to clock in the second quickest of the weekend. Reed will go up against Billy Torrence, while No. 1 qualifier Force will go head-to-head with Top Fuel newcomer Ida Zetterstrom.
Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all solidified top qualifying positions in their respective categories, setting the ladder for elimination Sunday at the Bellagio of Drag Strips.
Hagan Holds Top Spot
Like the rest of the field, Hagan struggled with Saturday’s warmer temperatures during the final two qualifying sessions of the NHRA Carolina Nationals. Unlike the rest of the field, Hagan had a Friday run of 3.832 seconds, good enough to earn the No. 1 qualifying spot in Sunday’s eliminations.
“I think we got something to work off of,” Hagan said of Saturday’s two sessions. “It’s always a tough field out there. We’re glad to be able to pull down the No. 1 qualifier – second time this year. Hopefully we can build on that in these upcoming races… I think that performance [Friday] night, having two runs back-to-back when the conditions were great, that was a great shot in the arm for us. Tomorrow’s, it’s going to be 90 degrees, back to probably pedaling the race car some and figuring out how to get down a greasy race track.”
Currently fifth in the point standings, Hagan will line up against Dave Richards in the first round of eliminations, with the winner of that battle getting a crucial Round 2 bye. Points leader Austin Prock, who qualified second on the weekend, will face Alexis Dejoria.
Anderson Improves; Enders Endures
Hometown favorite Greg Anderson made his best run of the weekend in Q3 with a 6.580-second pass to improve his qualifying position to second, but it was Enders who kept her perfect weekend alive posting the fastest qualifying effort in each of the four sessions to claim her 40th career No. 1 spot heading into Sunday’s eliminations.
“My head engine builder came across the radio and said, ‘that’s what you call a clean sweep,’” Enders said after her final qualifying pass. “That part is really exciting. On the other side of things, it weighs on you because now it’s in your hands. I promise there’s nothing worse than posting a really fast time and the guy next to you posting a slower time and still turns a win light on. It happened to me last week. So I’ve got my work cut out for me, but I’m very confident in my equipment and my team.”
With a win on Sunday, Enders would earn her 50th career victory, a mark she has been chasing for the last 14 events. She’ll face Derrick Reese in the first round, while Anderson will line up beside Kenny Delco as he looks to gain ground in his championship pursuit. Points leader Aaron Standfield will face Chris McGaha in the opening round.
Smith, Herrera Stand Apart
Throughout the first two days of competition, Matt Smith and Gaige Herrera have emerged as the clear front runners in the Pro Stock Motorcycle division. Matt Smith surpassed current points leader Gaige Herrera by 0.013 seconds, locking up the top spot in Sunday’s bracket with a time of 6.799 seconds.
Herrera, who clocked in a time of 6.812 seconds, is set to face Marcus Hylton in the first round of Sunday's elimination race. Smith is looking forward to tomorrow's bracket rounds with lane choice as a concern. He is set to face the winner of Angie Smith and Geno Scali’s race in Round 2.
“Lane choice is going to be big for me tomorrow. I'm going to stay in the left lane as long as I can, and then I have to figure out how to go down the right lane if I lose the choice tomorrow,” Smith said.
Richard Gadson (6.830 seconds), Hector Arana Jr (6.834 seconds), and Jianna Evaristo (6.950) complete the top five in the Pro Stock Motorcycle category.
Action continues Sunday with pivotal eliminations as drivers continue to chase their world championship. The SealMaster Track Walk and pre-race ceremonies begin at 10:45 a.m., with the first round of eliminations scheduled for noon.
TICKETS:
Tickets for Sunday’s NHRA Carolina Nationals eliminations are available online at charlottemotorspeedway.com, by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or at the gate.
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