Leah Pruett Leads Top Fuel at Thunder Valley Nationals; Hagan, Hartford, and Gadson Top Their Classes in Q3

The Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway delivered intense qualifying action through Round 3, setting up a high-stakes Sunday elimination day. With fresh pavement and challenging conditions in play, the nitro classes produced standout performances, while Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle featured razor-thin margins at the top.

Top Fuel: Pruett Asserts Dominance

Leah Pruett in the Tony Stewart Racing dragster (No. 777) claimed the provisional No. 1 spot with a strong 3.794-second pass at 332.43 mph. She continues to build momentum following her Top Fuel victory in the delayed New England Nationals final contested at Bristol on Friday.

The top of the order remained extremely competitive:

1. Leah Pruett – 3.794 / 332.43 mph
2. Antron Brown – 3.801 / 329.50 mph
3. Tony Schumacher – 3.803 / 326.16 mph
4. Tony Stewart – 3.807 / 332.10 mph
5. Billy Torrence – 3.814 / 338.17 mph (fastest speed of the session)
6. Josh Hart – 3.815 / 327.03 mph
7. Shawn Reed – 3.821 / 319.60 mph
8. Jasmine Salinas – 3.822 / 326.00 mph

Pruett’s run highlighted strong recent form for the team as they prepare for eliminations.

Funny Car: Hagan Edges DeJoria in a Photo Finish

Matt Hagan in the (No. 14) machine posted the quickest Funny Car time of the session at 4.009 seconds, just 0.001 seconds ahead of Alexis DeJoria (No. 771) at 4.010. The battle for the top spot was one of the closest of the weekend so far.

Top 5 Funny Car after Q3:

1. Matt Hagan – 4.009 / 319.60 mph
2. Alexis DeJoria – 4.010 / 326.00 mph
3. Jack Beckman – 4.017 / 318.54 mph
4. Spencer Hyde – 4.030 / 319.07 mph
5. Daniel Wilkerson – 4.126 / 309.06 mph

Several drivers later in the order encountered issues, with times climbing significantly, but the front-runners stayed clean and fast.

Pro Stock: Hartford by a Thousandth

Matt Hartford (No. 3) and Greg Anderson (No. 2) delivered one of the tightest qualifying battles of the event, separated by just 0.001 seconds.

Top 7 Pro Stock after Q3:

1. Matt Hartford – 6.658 / 206.95 mph
2. Greg Anderson – 6.659 / 206.61 mph
3. Greg Stanfield – 6.665 / 204.20 mph
4. Dallas Glenn – 6.671 / 206.32 mph
5. Erica Enders – 6.675 / 205.04 mph
6. Matt Latino – 6.676 / 205.04 mph
7. Jeg Coughlin Jr. – 6.682 / 204.91 mph

The class remains wide open heading into eliminations, with multiple drivers within striking distance of the top spot.

Pro Stock Motorcycle: Gadson Holds Off Smith

Richard Gadson (No. 1) paced the bikes with a 6.839 at 197.74 mph. Angie Smith (No. 4) stayed right with him at 6.858 / 198.17 mph — the highest speed in the class.

Top 5 Pro Stock Motorcycle after Q3:

1. Richard Gadson – 6.839 / 197.74 mph
2. Angie Smith – 6.858 / 198.17 mph
3. Gaige Herrera – 6.867 / 196.59 mph
4. Steve Johnson – 6.883 / 194.24 mph
5. Ryan Oehler – 6.884 / 198.06 mph

The class continues to showcase strong depth and close racing.

Top Sportsman: Benoit Leads the Field

In the sportsman ranks, John Benoit (No. 1357) posted the quickest Top Sportsman time of the session with a 6.369 at 218.80 mph, followed closely by Allen Firestone.

Top 5 Top Sportsman after Q3:

1. John Benoit – 6.369 / 218.80 mph
2. Allen Firestone – 6.397 / 217.63 mph
3. Jeff Brooks – 6.480 / 213.98 mph
4. Vince Hoda – 6.508 / 215.24 mph
5. Michael Chitty – 6.684 / 208.07 mph

Looking Ahead to Sunday

Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. ET on Sunday at Bristol Dragway. With provisional No. 1 qualifiers set in the nitro and pro categories, the focus now shifts to perfecting reaction times and managing the tricky new surface.

All times and speeds sourced from official NHRA qualifying order reports for Round 3.