Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals Sunday Preview Excitement

The Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Illinois, enters its final day with fans and racers focused on eliminations across multiple classes. This event is the sixth stop in the 20-race Mission Foods NHRA pro series calendar, attracting top talent in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock Motorcycle, as well as Holley EFI Factory X, FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, Top Fuel Motorcycle, and five Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series sportsman categories.

Today’s schedule also includes the third edition of the Peak Street Car Shootout, which features some of the fastest street-legal cars in the world.

Saturday’s qualifying saw numbers fall as track records were broken. Doug Kalitta led Top Fuel with a 3.661-second run in his Mac Tools dragster.

Antron Brown, the reigning champion, delivered a track record 338.09 mph pass in his Matco Tools machine. The weather conditions in Joliet helped push Funny Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle crews to record-setting speeds.

Jack Beckman took the No. 1 spot in Funny Car with a 3.859-second run despite missing the final session due to mechanical trouble with his Peak Camaro.

Sunday’s opening round features high-profile matchups. Kalitta races Lex Joon, aiming to close in on his teammate and points leader Shawn Langdon.

Brittany Force, who struggled in qualifying and landed 12th, lines up against Justin Ashley, who ran a strong 3.697 for fifth. Langdon comes in as the No. 3 qualifier after winning Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and faces Kyle Wurtzel.

Tony Stewart, the No. 2 qualifier and most recent Las Vegas winner, will take on Terry Totten.

Funny Car competition will see Beckman race Dave Richards and Bob Tasca III meet Daniel Wilkerson, a local favorite. Austin Prock starts from seventh and meets Bobby Bode in an all-Illinois matchup.

The motorcycle class is paced by defending champ Gaige Herrera, who ran 6.717 seconds and will have a bye due to a short field. Matt Smith, winner in Charlotte and the No. 2 qualifier with a 204 mph record, faces Wes Wells.

Richard Gadson, showing strong form, lines up against Lance Bonham after qualifying third at 6.737 seconds.

The day also features finals in Congruity Pro Mod, Holley EFI Factory X, FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, and the Lucas Oil Series categories. Fans will also see the finale of the PEAK Street Car Shootout, highlighted by Tom Bailey’s 263 mph pass in a street-legal Camaro, a record for a full-bodied vehicle at an NHRA event.

Winners from the 2024 event include Antron Brown for Top Fuel, Matt Hagan in Funny Car, and Gaige Herrera in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Notable records set at this track involve Kalitta’s 3.661 seconds, Brown’s 338.09 mph, and Matt Smith’s 204.26 mph in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

On the national stage, Brittany Force continues to hold the Top Fuel elapsed time record at 3.623 seconds and a speed record at 341.59 mph, as recognized by the NHRA official records database.

Race day begins early with Lucas Oil eliminations, followed by pre-race ceremonies and Mission Foods Series rounds. Television coverage runs on FS1, offering qualifying highlights at 11 a.m. ET and finals from 2 p.m. ET.

Fans and teams are watching closely to see if the performance streaks continue, with classes wide open after a record-breaking qualifying day. As drivers reset for final eliminations, anticipation grows for more track records, close racing, and some of the most competitive matchups seen in the 2025 NHRA season. For additional context on event progression, see the Friday coverage.

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.