Kalitta, Todd, and Angie Smith Dominate After Day One in Chicago

Kalitta, Todd, and Angie Smith topped the charts after the first day of qualifying at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Chicago. Doug Kalitta posted the best time in Top Fuel, clocking a 3.788-second pass at 326.24 mph in his Mac Tools dragster.

Conditions were tough, with high winds causing a dust cloud near the track, but Kalitta delivered the only run in the 3.70s on Friday. If his time holds through Saturday’s sessions, it would mark his fourth No. 1 qualifier in six races for 2025 and the third time in a row he’s led the Top Fuel category this season. For more on Top Fuel racing dynamics, check out this NHRA official guide.

He has not qualified lower than fourth in any race this year. Justin Ashley landed second in Top Fuel after a 3.805-second run at 329.34 mph, and Brittany Force was third thanks to a 3.833 at 327.03 mph.

Kalitta said the run started well and he felt some tire shake coming, but the car handled it. He credited his team and crew chief Alan Johnson for making the right calls with both cool and hot weather setups.

Kalitta said the team would have to adjust again as Saturday was likely to bring different conditions. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd powered his DHL Toyota Supra to the No. 1 provisional spot with a 3.982 at 326.71 mph during the evening session.

Todd, the 2018 champion, is hoping to turn things around after a slow start to his season. He currently sits eighth in points but could make a big jump with a strong finish in Chicago.

Todd explained how he handled the wind after seeing Ron Capps’ car drifting in front of him and said Funny Cars never react the same way twice. He complimented his crew chief Dickie Venables for his willingness to make aggressive moves, noting that new parts put on for the second run seemed to pay off right away. More insights on the evolving Funny Car strategies can be found here.

Alexis DeJoria was second in Funny Car qualifying at 3.997 seconds and Daniel Wilkerson third with a 3.998. The standings are tight heading into Saturday with only one-thousandth of a second separating second and third place.

Pro Stock Motorcycle only got one shot at qualifying Friday due to the wind, and Angie Smith made her run count. She steered her Denso Auto Parts Buell to a 6.797-second lap at 199.29 mph, the only rider to break into the 6.70s. For further details on Pro Stock Motorcycle specifications, visit SAE International.

Smith said she felt the wind in the shutdown area but knew from the clutch release that it was a strong pass, even though fast ones can sometimes feel slow. She’s aiming for her first No. 1 of the season and third of her career.

Smith stressed that her team would need to make new changes for Saturday as the weather is expected to shift. Richard Gadson ran a 6.824 at 199.52 to sit second in Pro Stock Motorcycle, and Chase Van Sant is third with a 6.843 at 196.27.

Several big names struggled in the session, including Smith’s husband Matt Smith and reigning champion Gaige Herrera, leaving plenty of room for movement in the next round. Qualifying picks back up Saturday at noon Central Time.

With changing weather and strong fields in every category, the fight for pole positions remains wide open. The sixth event of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series in Chicago is shaping up to be a high-stakes battle from start to finish. For more on recent comeback stories in the Funny Car category, see this detailed report. For additional historical context on NHRA racing, explore the NHRA Hall of Fame.

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.