Exciting Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals Saturday Preview

Racing is back at Bristol Dragway this Saturday for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series brought its high-powered action to Tennessee, where Friday’s events saw some impressive early performances before a rain delay cut qualification short.

Shawn Langdon set the pace in Top Fuel with a run of 3.800 seconds in his Kalitta Air Careers dragster. Josh Hart followed closely behind at 3.860, but the Top Fuel field lost out on their second qualifying session because the rain didn’t let up.

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In Funny Car, Alexis DeJoria led the field. Driving for Bandero Café, she posted a 3.948 while Ron Capps was a fraction back with a 3.960.

Both Jack Beckman and Austin Prock also delivered strong passes, each qualifying in the three-second bracket, though all were also limited to one run due to the weather. Pro Stock proved to be tight, with Dallas Glenn claiming the top spot at 6.645 seconds and Troy Coughlin Jr. currently sitting outside the top four but still in the mix with a 6.714.

Well-known names like Greg Anderson, Aaron Stanfield, and Erica Enders rounded out the leading group. Saturday now brings tough competition for three drivers—Deric Kramer, Chris McGaha, and Brandon Miller—who must battle for their place in the Pro Stock grid as they stand unqualified after Friday’s sessions.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, rookie Brayden Davis grabbed attention with his Vance & Hines bike, clocking a 6.870 and edging out teammate Richard Gadson by just nine-thousandths of a second. Angie Smith, Gaige Herrera, and Matt Smith completed the top five after two runs.

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Excitement continues with the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, featuring semifinalists from last weekend’s Epping event. In Top Fuel, Brittany Force, Tony Stewart, Antron Brown, and Doug Kalitta will race head-to-head.

The Funny Car bracket will see J.R. Todd, Alexis DeJoria, Spencer Hyde, and Jack Beckman compete. Pro Stock’s field includes Erica Enders, Greg Anderson, Aaron Stanfield, and Matt Hartford.

Pro Stock Motorcycle opens its contested Challenge based on Chicago’s latest semifinalists, among them Gaige Herrera and Matt Smith. Watchers of the Congruity Pro Mod series saw Mason Wright take the lead after Friday with a single qualifying run of 5.87 seconds, narrowly ahead of Mike Stavrinos’ 5.888.

Bristol holds a significant place in NHRA history, with track records including a blistering Top Fuel pass of 3.667 by Steve Torrence and a Funny Car time of 3.884 by Ron Capps. Last year’s event winners—Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel, Austin Prock in Funny Car, Jeg Coughlin Jr. in Pro Stock, and Gaige Herrera in Pro Stock Motorcycle—are all names to watch this weekend.

Saturday’s schedule begins with Lucas Oil Series eliminations at 9:00 a.m., followed by Mission Foods Series qualifying sessions at 12:30 p.m. and again at 3:00 p.m. Fans can catch qualifying highlights on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET.

Sunday offers pre-race ceremonies at 11 a.m. with eliminations underway at noon, plus three hours of finals coverage on FS1 starting at 3 p.m. The Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals delivers a packed weekend of racing with top drivers and tight fields as every run counts toward Sunday’s eliminations.

Every class looks competitive and records are within reach as teams adapt to changing conditions at one of drag racing’s most famous tracks. For fans interested in seeing high-level competition in other motorsports, the recent Ferrari Lewis Hamilton verdict has stirred plenty of discussions.

The intense battles and controversies involving major players like Verstappen and Russell have been making headlines too, with incidents and clashes detailed in the latest Verstappen Russell clash report.

Meanwhile, McLaren’s impressive performance has set new benchmarks, as showcased in the recent Piastri McLaren record, highlighting the level of skill and engineering pushing motorsport forward.

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.