Route 66 NHRA Nationals Friday Highlights and Updates

The NHRA is hosting its 25th event at the historic Route 66 Raceway this weekend, drawing attention to Joliet, Illinois, just south of Chicago. This track is an important location in the drag racing world, standing alongside the rich motorsports heritage of the Chicago area.

Hall of Famers like Chris “the Greek” Karamesines and the legendary Chi-Town Hustler team have strong ties to the region. The Route 66 Raceway has been open since 1998, when Kenny Bernstein, Whit Bazemore, Mike Thomas, Matt Hines, and Larry Kopp each won in their respective categories during the inaugural professional event.

Antron Brown has become the most successful racer at Route 66 Raceway, collecting six victories, including two in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Brown is also the reigning event winner, having defeated championship leader Shawn Langdon in the 2024 final round.

This year’s event is packed with action, with Thursday dedicated to a full day of Lucas Oil Series qualifying. Friday launched sportsman eliminations and saw early qualifying rounds for the Holley EFI Factory X and FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown classes.

The schedule also highlighted Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle, and the Peak Street Car Shootout added excitement by featuring an eight-car lineup with standout street-legal drag and drive cars. Notable entries included Alex Taylor’s six-second ‘55 Chevy, Tom Bailey’s 250-mph Camaro, and the rarely seen AMC Javelin of Bryant Goldstone.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, 15 bikes are entered, meaning every qualifier will move to Sunday eliminations. John Hall broke the six-second barrier first with a 6.906-second, 195.82-mph pass on his Matt Smith-tuned Buell.

Angie Smith then raised the standard by running a 6.797, taking the Q1 lead on her Denso Buell. Richard Gadson posted a 6.824 on his RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki.

During interviews, Angie Smith shared that her smooth run made her question the timing slip’s accuracy. Gaige Herrera and Matt Smith, both title contenders, hit trouble during the final pair after their bikes moved toward the guardwall.

Matt Smith shut off at 7.314 seconds, and Herrera coasted to an 8.171. Smith later commented that he struggled to get the bike under control and hoped data from this session would help in the next round.

The Funny Car field faced a difficult first qualifying session due to the track’s relatively limited use. Route 66 Raceway only hosts major nitro events once a year.

Bobby Bode III found grip with a 4.005-second run in his family-owned ArBee car, which held on to the best time during Q1. Bode said he was pleased with the result, wanting to drop his time to 3.95 on Friday afternoon.

Closest challengers were Jack Beckman and Paul Lee, each posting 4.143. With 19 Funny Cars vying for just 16 positions in Sunday eliminations, the competition remains tight and the remaining qualifying rounds are expected to be fiercely contested. Buddy’s Funny Cars nomination has sparked additional interest in this fiercely competitive field.

Top Fuel teams faced challenges adjusting to the Joliet surface as well. The first half of Q1 saw teams searching for the right setup, but Josh Hart and Ron Douglas broke through with a 3.879-second pass in the R+L Carriers machine.

Clay Millican soon improved on that with a 3.863 at 325.61 mph in his Parts Plus dragster. The top time came from Tony Stewart, who took the Q1 lead and three bonus points with a 3.847 behind the wheel of his Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters entry.

Friday’s news at Route 66 includes many drivers overcoming a tricky racing surface and a full range of vehicles, from nitro-powered machines to premier street-legal drag cars. With packed grandstands, strong local roots, and a dynamic roster of events, the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals has again established itself as a highlight on the NHRA calendar.

Upcoming qualifying sessions will set the final race day lineups, and teams are working to find an edge as they look for better performance on Saturday. Fans are watching closely to see who will claim the top spots going into Sunday’s eliminations at this landmark NHRA venue, especially after a tricky Tipster session at Route 66 that tested all competitors.

Nicholas Rivera

Nicholas Rivera delivers NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car news, including eliminator-round results and reaction-time stats. He brings track-side interviews, contender profiles, and championship-point breakdowns straight from drag-racing’s biggest national events.