Elimination Round 1 Delivers High-Speed Drama and Upsets at the 2026 NHRA Potomac Nationals
Maryland International Raceway played host to the first round of eliminations in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, and the action lived up to the billing. Across Top Fuel, Funny Car, and the other premier classes, fans witnessed blistering passes, mechanical failures, traction battles, and several razor-close contests that kept the outcome in doubt until the finish line. While some top qualifiers cruised through, others fell victim to smoke, broken parts, or red-light starts.
Top Fuel
Shawn Langdon posted the quickest and fastest pass of the round on a solo bye, while Shawn Reed pulled off a notable upset over Tony Stewart. Several drivers lost traction or broke early.
| Winner | Defeated | Winner ET / MPH | Loser ET / MPH | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Millican | Josh Hart | 3.823 / 330.39 | 4.026 / 268.92 | — |
| Will Smith | Maddi Gordon | 3.802 / 327.03 | 3.805 / 330.07 | — |
| Leah Pruett | Spencer Massey | 3.786 / 323.97 | 6.364 / 104.02 | Massey broke up in smoke |
| Shawn Langdon | (bye) | 3.718 / 338.00 | — | Solo run |
| Doug Kalitta | Lex Joon | 3.760 / 334.40 | 3.867 / 320.51 | — |
| Shawn Reed | Tony Stewart | 4.219 / 267.06 | 4.411 / 215.72 | Reed dropped a cylinder and smoked tires |
| Billy Torrence | Tony Schumacher | 3.997 / 286.44 | 4.877 / 150.06 | Schumacher broke up in smoke early |
| Justin Ashley | Antron Brown | 3.995 / 276.52 | 4.030 / 283.85 | Ashley spun tires in the lights |
Funny Car
Austin Prock turned in one of the strongest runs of the session to eliminate Matt Hagan, while Ron Capps edged Alexis DeJoria in a tight battle. Multiple losers suffered severe traction issues.
| Winner | Defeated | Winner ET / MPH | Loser ET / MPH | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Green | Paul Lee | 3.975 / 323.27 | 4.016 / 319.75 | — |
| Spencer Hyde | Daniel Wilkerson | 4.171 / 277.89 | 4.303 / 216.20 | — |
| Jack Beckman | Joe Morrison | 3.939 / 325.69 | 5.027 / 161.23 | — |
| Jordan Vandergriff | Dave Richards | 3.988 / 322.27 | 14.327 / 64.45 | — |
| Cruz Pedregon | Del Worsham | 4.016 / 316.60 | 4.127 / 254.23 | — |
| Austin Prock | Matt Hagan | 3.977 / 323.19 | 4.388 / 202.48 | — |
| Ron Capps | Alexis DeJoria | 4.001 / 321.12 | 4.009 / 326.56 | — |
| JR Todd | Blake Alexander | 4.015 / 328.14 | 4.878 / 165.25 | — |
Pro Stock
Pro Stock delivered some of the tightest racing of the day, with several matchups decided by just a few thousandths of a second. Kenny Delco edged Matt Hartford in one of the closest battles.
| Winner | Defeated | Winner ET / MPH | Loser ET / MPH | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeg Coughlin Jr | Erica Enders | 6.505 / 212.09 | 9.152 / 107.22 | — |
| Aaron Stanfield | Cody Anderson | 6.510 / 211.83 | 11.703 / 75.03 | — |
| Kenny Delco | Matt Hartford | 6.536 / 211.89 | 6.547 / 212.79 | — |
| Deric Kramer | Matt Latino | 6.489 / 212.23 | 6.526 / 212.63 | — |
| Greg Anderson | Brandon Miller | 6.476 / 212.26 | 6.863 / 164.91 | — |
| Dallas Glenn | Shane Tucker | 6.473 / 212.09 | 6.530 / 213.06 | — |
| Greg Stanfield | Alan Prusiensky | 6.501 / 212.73 | 7.288 / 140.81 | — |
| Troy Coughlin Jr | Eric Latino | 6.537 / 211.66 | 6.504 / 210.50 | Latino quicker ET but red-light start |
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Several riders advanced with clean runs while others were slowed by red lights or no-starts.
| Winner | Defeated | Winner ET / MPH | Loser ET / MPH | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brayden Davis | Gaige Herrera | 6.743 / 202.64 | — / — | — |
| Jianna Evaristo | Kelly Clontz | 6.702 / 204.98 | 6.786 / 201.46 | — |
| Ryan Oehler | Chase Van Sant | 10.750 / 75.57 | 6.756 / 201.61 | Van Sant red-light start |
| Chip Ellis | Geno Scali | 6.776 / 200.92 | 6.827 / 200.71 | — |
| Clayton Howey | Steve Johnson | 6.733 / 202.21 | 6.799 / 198.26 | — |
| John Hall | Charles Poskey | 6.758 / 199.82 | — / — | — |
| Angie Smith | (empty lane) | 6.715 / 203.65 | — / — | — |
| Richard Gadson | Wesley Wells | 6.716 / 201.88 | 6.924 / 194.32 | — |
Top Alcohol Dragster
Gary Pritchett took a razor-thin victory over Angelle Sampey, while several others advanced after opponents smoked the tires or clicked off early.
| Winner | Defeated | Winner ET / MPH | Loser ET / MPH | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackie Fricke | Matthew Cummings | 5.284 / 277.37 | 11.127 / 71.78 | Cummings got loose and clicked off |
| Gary Pritchett | Angelle Sampey | 5.270 / 271.95 | 5.293 / 271.90 | — |
| Richard Bourke | Brandon Greco | 5.340 / 257.14 | 6.390 / 152.02 | Greco got loose and clicked off |
| Anthony Troyer | Megan Smith | 5.257 / 276.41 | 11.897 / 83.61 | Smith up in smoke |
| Jamie Noonan | Melanie Johnson | 5.225 / 272.72 | 5.312 / 259.56 | — |
| John Ausherman | Joey Severance | 5.428 / 261.72 | 5.475 / 200.98 | Severance banged the blower |
Top Alcohol Funny Car
Fewer cars meant fewer matchups, but clean runs from Christopher Menapace and Sean Bellemeur stood out.
| Winner | Defeated | Winner ET / MPH | Loser ET / MPH | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Menapace | Bruce Mullins | 5.493 / 265.90 | 7.459 / 114.28 | — |
| Robert McCosh | John Headley | 9.859 / 106.58 | — / — | — |
| Sean Bellemeur | Doug Gordon | 5.394 / 272.34 | 5.428 / 269.62 | — |
| Mick Steele | Melinda King | 8.569 / 103.00 | — / — | — |
Top Sportsman
Multiple drivers advanced after opponents slowed dramatically or red-lit.
| Winner | Defeated | Winner ET / MPH | Loser ET / MPH | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vince Fourcade | Brian Weis | 7.158 / 184.80 | 9.385 / 97.13 | — |
| Michael Grafas | Scott Weis | 6.822 / 196.24 | 7.771 / 164.71 | — |
| Jeff Brooks | Joseph Heffernan | 6.455 / 198.29 | 7.205 / 185.46 | — |
| Ronald Riegel | Frederick Perkins | 6.755 / 196.10 | 7.569 / 179.54 | — |
| George Forster | David Muller | 7.475 / 184.02 | 6.583 / 207.59 | — |
| Yvonne Mills | James Hinkle | 9.427 / 117.90 | 7.605 / 135.59 | — |
| Ray Bamond | Robert Steward | 6.628 / 206.32 | 7.160 / 193.02 | — |
| Carl Juliano | Dale Koncen | 7.092 / 170.36 | — / — | — |
| Michael Cerro | (empty lane) | 6.132 / 227.34 | — / — | — |
Summit JDRL Shootout
The junior dragster shootout featured several red-light starts and clean reaction-time wins.
| Winner | Defeated | Winner ET / MPH | Loser ET / MPH | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Willingham | Jaxon Cusick | — / — | — / — | — |
| JoJo Gimbel | Tyler Lusby | — / — | — / — | — |
| Nazair Wallace | Kahlia Lewis | — / — | — / — | Lewis red-light start |
| Cole Rudy | Calvin Weaver | — / — | — / — | — |
| Darrien Hill | Paige Doney | — / — | — / — | — |
Round 2 is set to bring even more intensity as the field narrows. Stay tuned to NHRA.com for live updates from the Potomac Nationals!