NHRA Potomac Nationals Presented by JEGS: Q1 Qualifying Order Sets Stage for Inaugural Event at Maryland International Raceway
The quarter-mile at Maryland International Raceway came alive Friday as drivers in all seven classes turned in their first official qualifying runs for the 2026 NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS. With the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series in full swing, Q1 delivered a mix of blistering performances from series veterans and surprising early struggles for several big names — setting the stage for a dramatic Saturday.
In the nitro classes, Top Fuel and Funny Car headliners wasted no time posting sub-4-second passes, while Pro Stock and the motorcycle ranks showed tight competition at the top. Lower classes featured standout runs from underdogs alongside a handful of mechanical gremlins that shuffled the order. Here’s a full breakdown of every Q1 result, exactly as recorded on the official NHRA results pages.
Top Fuel Q1 Qualifying
Doug Kalitta opened the session with authority, rocketing his car to the top of the ladder with a 3.817-second pass at 330.07 mph.
| Pos | Driver | Car No. | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Doug Kalitta | 1 | 3.817 | 330.07 |
| 02 | Maddi Gordon | 100 | 3.840 | 330.39 |
| 03 | Shawn Langdon | 2 | 3.844 | 328.38 |
| 04 | Billy Torrence | 474 | 3.891 | 323.81 |
| 05 | Shawn Reed | 8 | 3.907 | 320.66 |
| 06 | Tony Stewart | 14 | 3.915 | 324.44 |
| 07 | Leah Pruett | 777 | 3.919 | 319.52 |
| 08 | Clay Millican | 51 | 3.927 | 320.36 |
| 09 | Antron Brown | 123 | 3.950 | 312.21 |
| 10 | Will Smith | 200 | 4.016 | 256.89 |
| 11 | Spencer Massey | 421 | 4.184 | 220.80 |
| 12 | Justin Ashley | 3 | 4.401 | 191.87 |
| 13 | Josh Hart | 77 | 4.517 | 179.64 |
| 14 | Tony Schumacher | 15 | 5.386 | 144.30 |
Funny Car Q1 Qualifying
Chad Green seized the No. 1 spot in Funny Car with a strong 3.985-second run at 320.36 mph. Several heavy hitters like Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, and Cruz Pedregon found early trouble, posting times well off the pace and leaving plenty of room for improvement in Q2.
| Pos | Driver | Car No. | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Chad Green | 7 | 3.985 | 320.36 |
| 02 | Alexis DeJoria | 771 | 4.025 | 318.32 |
| 03 | JR Todd | 373 | 4.056 | 322.88 |
| 04 | Dave Richards | 139 | 4.058 | 321.42 |
| 05 | Jack Beckman | 3 | 4.063 | 311.70 |
| 06 | Jordan Vandergriff | 24 | 4.076 | 306.05 |
| 07 | Spencer Hyde | 9 | 4.083 | 303.78 |
| 08 | Austin Prock | 1 | 4.100 | 316.38 |
| 09 | Paul Lee | 6 | 4.114 | 311.13 |
| 10 | Blake Alexander | 256 | 4.175 | 250.23 |
| 11 | Del Worsham | 750 | 4.261 | 250.00 |
| 12 | Ron Capps | 28 | 4.575 | 192.22 |
| 13 | Daniel Wilkerson | 5 | 5.309 | 130.49 |
| 14 | Cruz Pedregon | 71 | 7.431 | 88.92 |
| 15 | Matt Hagan | 14 | 8.379 | 84.04 |
Pro Stock Q1 Qualifying
Greg Anderson, a perennial powerhouse, claimed the top spot with a 6.494-second pass at 211.79 mph. Erica Enders and several other top contenders had unusually slow runs, hinting at setup or mechanical challenges ahead.
| Pos | Driver | Car No. | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Greg Anderson | 2 | 6.494 | 211.79 |
| 02 | Matt Latino | 16 | 6.504 | 212.56 |
| 03 | Greg Stanfield | 445 | 6.506 | 211.23 |
| 04 | Dallas Glenn | 1 | 6.510 | 211.76 |
| 05 | Jeg Coughlin Jr | 8 | 6.512 | 211.36 |
| 06 | Cody Anderson | 17 | 6.528 | 210.87 |
| 07 | Aaron Stanfield | 4 | 6.535 | 212.06 |
| 08 | Eric Latino | 7 | 6.542 | 211.10 |
| 09 | Deric Kramer | 52 | 6.550 | 210.87 |
| 10 | Kenny Delco | 150 | 6.562 | 210.60 |
| 11 | Shane Tucker | 12 | 6.607 | 211.03 |
| 12 | Matt Hartford | 3 | 11.397 | 78.27 |
| 13 | Alan Prusiensky | 106 | 12.383 | 70.90 |
| 14 | Troy Coughlin Jr | 10 | 12.658 | 98.77 |
| 15 | Brandon Miller | 11 | 15.752 | 52.75 |
| 16 | Erica Enders | 6 | 19.906 | 40.51 |
Pro Stock Motorcycle Q1 Qualifying
Angie Smith led the two-wheeled contingent with a 6.690-second run at 202.97 mph.
| Pos | Driver | Car No. | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Angie Smith | 4 | 6.690 | 202.97 |
| 02 | John Hall | 6 | 6.746 | 202.55 |
| 03 | Richard Gadson | 1 | 6.754 | 201.31 |
| 04 | Ryan Oehler | 3284 | 6.770 | 200.32 |
| 05 | Chase Van Sant | 8 | 6.778 | 200.32 |
| 06 | Clayton Howey | 7002 | 6.788 | 198.88 |
| 07 | Jianna Evaristo | 7 | 6.811 | 199.82 |
| 08 | Kelly Clontz | 1981 | 6.832 | 198.47 |
| 09 | Brayden Davis | 5 | 6.838 | 157.39 |
| 10 | Geno Scali | 351 | 6.921 | 122.36 |
| 11 | Wesley Wells | 371 | 6.987 | 189.92 |
| 12 | Charles Poskey | 201 | 7.010 | 196.24 |
| 13 | Steve Johnson | 9 | 12.666 | 25.80 |
| 14 | Gaige Herrera | 79 | 13.389 | 59.94 |
Top Alcohol Dragster Q1 Qualifying
Anthony Troyer grabbed the top spot with a 5.295-second pass at 268.17 mph.
| Pos | Driver | Car No. | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Anthony Troyer | 7 | 5.295 | 268.17 |
| 02 | Melanie Johnson | 10 | 5.371 | 269.89 |
| 03 | John Ausherman | 16 | 5.506 | 256.70 |
| 04 | Richard Bourke | 1482 | 12.377 | 68.26 |
| 05 | Jackie Fricke | 3 | 12.861 | 83.22 |
| 06 | Jamie Noonan | 6 | 13.276 | 76.82 |
| 07 | Joey Severance | 613 | 13.423 | 77.63 |
| 08 | Matthew Cummings | 2 | 15.537 | 68.54 |
| 09 | Gary Pritchett | 389 | 16.004 | 79.28 |
| 10 | Megan Smith | 24 | 16.166 | 75.03 |
| 11 | Brandon Greco | 1490 | 18.146 | 39.46 |
| 12 | Angelle Sampey | 491 | 19.140 | 35.22 |
Top Alcohol Funny Car Q1 Qualifying
Robert Mccosh topped the class with a 5.450-second run at 267.69 mph.
| Pos | Driver | Car No. | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Robert Mccosh | 4 | 5.450 | 267.69 |
| 02 | Christopher Menapace | 7797 | 5.576 | 263.72 |
| 03 | Bruce Mullins | 207 | 5.671 | 251.30 |
| 04 | Melinda King | 226 | 5.752 | 223.36 |
| 05 | John Headley | 189 | 7.426 | 150.50 |
| 06 | Mick Steele | 238 | 11.692 | 70.31 |
| 07 | Doug Gordon | 7524 | 18.882 | 56.67 |
| 08 | Sean Bellemeur | 1 | 30.843 | 195.85 |
Top Sportsman Q1 Qualifying
Yvonne Mills led the field with a 6.283-second pass at 218.90 mph.
| Pos | Driver | Car No. | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Yvonne Mills | 1027 | 6.283 | 218.90 |
| 02 | Michael Cerro | 159M | 6.294 | 193.77 |
| 03 | Jeff Brooks | 5 | 6.398 | 218.05 |
| 04 | Ronald Riegel | 1736 | 6.708 | 205.26 |
| 05 | Michael Grafas | 124 | 6.786 | 197.19 |
| 06 | Carl Juliano | 1275 | 6.804 | 206.73 |
| 07 | Ray Bamond | 1464 | 6.816 | 204.85 |
| 08 | James Hinkle | 8 | 7.059 | 192.63 |
| 09 | Joseph Heffernan | 129 | 7.100 | 188.23 |
| 10 | Vince Fourcade | 128V | 7.118 | 191.02 |
| 11 | Robert Steward | 1768 | 7.177 | 193.21 |
| 12 | George Forster | 152A | 7.283 | 180.26 |
| 13 | Scott Weis | 201 | 7.982 | 166.29 |
| 14 | Frederick Perkins | 13 | 8.312 | 166.87 |
| 15 | Dale Koncen | 1396 | 8.338 | 115.19 |
| 16 | David Muller | 135E | 10.226 | 80.82 |
With Q1 in the books, the pressure is on for Q2 and Sunday eliminations. Will the current No. 1 qualifiers hold their ground, or will the big names who stumbled early turn it around? Stay tuned — the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is just getting started. All data sourced directly from official NHRA event results pages.