As NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series trucks chug southbound from New Hampshire to Tennessee for the 23rd annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, it’s time to take stock of the season thus far. Seven races have been run and the meat of the season is upon us, with four races scheduled in five weeks.
This weekend’s trip to Bristol, TN is the second of those four and, once again the series is set to have all four professional classes competing: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The latter were absent from the New England Nationals held last weekend at Epping. In addition to the four Mission Foods pro classes, Congruity Pro Mod holds the fifth of its ten races, while Lucas Oil’s Super Stock Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas, Mountain Motor Pro Stock, Top Dragster and Factory Stock Showdown are set to compete this coming weekend.
Many eyes will be on Justin Ashley, who made an uncharacteristic first-round departure at Epping, as did his Toyota teammate Antron Brown, who earned his 75th career NHRA victory in Joliet mid-May. Ashley, looking for a third consecutive victory at the Thunder Valley Nationals, swept that weekend last year by winning the rain-postponed Epping round, the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus race and the Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. While Ashley can’t do all of that this weekend, he can earn the No. 1 and win the race, while he’ll have to sit out the Mission bonus event this time around.
While Bristol Dragway could be one of the most beautiful on the NHRA trail, a track that contains both noise and nitro scents beautifully, this weekend it will serve as the site where three-time NHRA Top Fuel champ Shirley Muldowney is enshrined as a Legend of Thunder Valley. Brittany Force is looking to add her name as the second woman to win this race. The two-time champ is having a challenging season she hopes to turn around, but she’ll have to contend with the balance of the top ten ahead of her: Ashley, Kalitta, Langdon, Steve Torrence, Antron Brown, Clay Millican, Billy Torrence, Tony Schumacher and Tony Stewart. Force is 264 points behind Ashley, but in this class, change is the name of the game.
The balance of the Top Fuel field are an improving Josh Hart and Jasmine Salinas, whose skills in father Mike’s dragster improve with every outing. Salinas, driving the same car her father used to triumph at Bristol in 2019 and 2021, hasn’t raced at Bristol before, but is definitely looking forward to the quick turnaround. Shawn Reed, Cameron Ferre, Doug Foley and Cody Krohn complete the Top Fuel field.
NHRA’s Funny Car environment is no less a battle than its nitro cousin. Last year’s race here belonged to three-time champ Ron Capps and his Toyota GR Supra. Capps is having [what we might call] a character-building year as he holds seventh-place points in the current standings. Top of that heap belongs to John Force Racing, with Robert Hight’s stand-in Austin Prock and team leader John Force, the duo who were paired in last weekend’s finals at Epping with their Chevrolet Camaro SS floppers.
Force assumed the alter ego of Superman at this track 25 years ago and certainly looks like the Man of Steel every time he’s come to the water box in 2024. There haven’t been many failures; there have been plenty of successes, including two 2024 victories. While plenty of attention in this class has gone to newcomer Daniel Wilkerson, who took over the driving duties from dad Tim in 2024 and has shown he’s nearly ready to earn his own Wally winner’s trophies. Sitting sixth in the points game, “D Wilk” has shown he can both tune a Ford Mustang (he worked with Chad Green as crew chief last year and led that driver to his first Funny Car win) and drive one, as well.
Wilkerson will be part of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus round, along with Prock, Force and J.R. Todd, the 2018 champion driving Kalitta Motorsports’ Toyota GR Supra. This quartet will also contend with the balance of the Funny Car top 10: Matt Hagan in Tony Stewart Racing’s Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, Bob Tasca III’s Ford Mustang, Alexis DeJoria’s Toyota GR Supra, Chad Green and Blake Alexander’s Ford Mustangs. In addition, the entry list includes other heavy hitters: two-time champ Cruz Pedregon’s Buddy Hull for Jim Dunn, John Smith and Paul Lee, all driving Dodge Chargers, Dave Richards’ Toyota, Jim Campbell’s Chevy and Bobby Bode III in his Mustang. It’s a stout and competitive field.
Elite Motorsports’ Erica Enders won Pro Stock at Bristol Dragway last year, en route to her sixth class championship. After falling to teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. on a holeshot last weekend in Epping, she’s 44 points behind KB Titan Racing’s Dallas Glenn, as the two doorslammer power houses continue to do battle. Greg Anderson of KB Titan is third, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Aaron Stanfield, Jerry Tucker, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Cristian Cuadra of Elite take fourth through eight spots, while KB Titan powered Brandon Foster and Elite’s David Cuadra complete the top 10 in Pro Stock.
With 19 Pro Stock Camaros and Mustangs prepping to do battle this weekend, winning at Bristol Dragway will be quite an accomplishment. The full complement of Cuadra brothers are back on the circuit with Elite Motorsports, with Cristian and David joining Fernando Jr., the sole Mexican family member competing last week. They’re joined by KB Titan’s Matt Hartford, maybe Camrie Caruso, Brandon Foster, veteran Larry Morgan, Deric Kramer, Kenny Delco, Eric Latino, Mason and Chris McGaha.
As Enders competes for her 50th career Pro Stock victory, recall that she earned her 44th last year at this track. Unlike her 2023 campaign that truly took time to build to its happy climax, Enders has been strong since her first pull at the Gatornationals in March and has been in the hunt for victory at every track except Joliet, where she was upset in the first round. That is, in part why she’s lagging Glenn in the standings, but his steady hand on the wheel has helped the 10-time Pro Stock winner keep his eyes on the prize.
It’s Gaige Herrera’s party in Pro Stock Motorcycle, but veteran Steve Johnson, who also rides a Suzuki (albeit not one from Vance & Hines Motorsports like Herrera’s) is the man who won this race last year, and he’s been improving his Suzuki since the start of the season. Herrera, on the other hand, has won every race held thus far in the short Pro Stock Motorcycle season and looks hard to overcome on the track with his Suzuki Hayabusa3.
The Thunder Valley Nationals could be a good place for other riders to get a move towards beating Herrera, as conditions here can be very good for the two-wheel set. Still, Herrera has a 142-point lead on 2010 champ LE Tonglet, who uses the same equipment he’s using for his Suzuki. The three Matt Smith Racing Buell riders are next up on the top 10 rider list, with Matt Smith ahead of wife Angie and John Hall, the latter rider having his best season to date. Herrera’s teammate Richard Gadson has sixth-place points, followed by 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant’s WAR Suzuki, Hector Arana Jr.’s Buell, Johnson and Marc Ingwersen on his Buell, 259 points back.
Although she’s in 11th position, Jianna Evaristo, Jasmine Salinas’ sister, has been coming to terms with her new Buell motorcycle. This weekend marks the return of Kelly Clontz’ Suzuki, Chris Bostick’s all-white WAR Suzuki, another attempt to make the field by Eiji Kawakami, Ron Tornow and Ryan Oehler on their Buell motorcycles.
The weather is looking like it might cooperate in Thunder Valley this weekend, although the area is slated to have afternoon showers on Sunday. That forecast follows high-70s for Friday and Saturday, with cooling temps in the evenings. Two qualifying sessions are set for Friday and Saturday and the latest Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus race takes place during the third and fourth qualifying sessions on Saturday.
While NHRA scheduled racing to start at noon ET on Sunday, weather forecasts have changed that timing for an earlier start of 10am, with pre-race ceremonies – including the SealMaster Track Walk – set for 9am. Gates will open for fans at 9am, NHRA and Bristol Dragway stated. One thing for sure: racing fans in this area of the world love NHRA competition, so the hillside stands should be full.
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