Stewart, Prock, Glenn, and Davis Dominate Bristol Qualifying Spots

Tony Stewart, Austin Prock, Dallas Glenn, and Brayden Davis took the top qualifying spots at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals held at Bristol Dragway. Stewart made headlines on Saturday by earning his first career No. 1 qualifier in Top Fuel and also securing a win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge specialty race.

The NASCAR Hall of Famer powered his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage dragster to a 3.803-second run at 324.05 mph in the final, breaking a run of six straight specialty race wins by Kalitta Motorsports. Stewart’s day included a strong qualifying pass of 3.755 seconds at 325.77 mph.

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He will now start eliminations against Cody Krohn as he hopes to earn his first NHRA win at Bristol, adding to five straight final rounds this season. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd kept his momentum rolling, scoring his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the year.

Todd drove his DHL Toyota GR Supra to a 4.004 at 326.24, beating Jack Beckman in the final. That result extended Kalitta Motorsports’ string of Mission Challenge wins, signaling a comeback for Todd and his crew chief Dickie Venables.

The weather conditions shifted all through Saturday, making tuning adjustments crucial for teams. Alexis DeJoria took the second qualifying spot with a 3.948 at 328.14, just ahead of Ron Capps, who ran a 3.960 at 324.51.

Dallas Glenn claimed the GESi Pro Stock No. 1 Qualifier Award thanks to his 6.645-second pass at 205.60 mph during Friday’s session in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro. This marked his seventh career top qualifier honor.

Glenn’s consistent performance gives him a strong chance to pick up a fourth win this season. He will face Fernando Cuadra Jr. in the first round.

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In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge for Pro Stock, Aaron Stanfield got his first victory of the season, edging out Matt Hartford by less than a hundredth of a second with a run of 6.668 at 204.85. Stanfield and the Elite Motorsports team have worked to regain form, and this bonus race win may provide a spark for the rest of the year.

The Pro Stock Motorcycle field was led by rookie Brayden Davis, who delivered a standout 6.834 at 197.59 mph on his Powertrain/RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki. This was Davis’ first No. 1 qualifier in only his second NHRA event.

His teammate Richard Gadson qualified second with a 6.859, followed by Matt Smith in third at 6.871. Davis said he felt nerves before his first run, but with help from crew chief Andrew Hines, he delivered when it counted most.

With eliminations ahead, Davis expects a tough fight but is ready for the challenge. Among other results, Justin Ashley clocked a 3.762 at 330.80 to qualify second in Top Fuel, while Shawn Langdon took third at 3.800.

Bristol continued to favor Austin Prock as well, who secured the No. 1 spot in Funny Car for the second straight year with a 3.931 at 328.30 in his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet. That run marked his third No. 1 of the year and the 21st of his career.

Prock is now set to face Buddy Hull in eliminations. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues a busy 2025 season, with Bristol marking the eighth stop of twenty scheduled races. The next events will visit tracks in Richmond, Norwalk, Seattle, and other cities, giving fans opportunities to watch top drivers compete throughout the summer and fall. Race days at each event bring new challenges with changing weather and track conditions, keeping teams and drivers on alert for every round. More on the challenges faced by drivers can be seen in the McLaren Lewis Hamilton Monaco coverage.

As eliminations begin, racing fans watch to see if Stewart, Prock, Glenn, and Davis can turn their No. 1 qualifying efforts into final round appearances and victories. With several teams hitting their stride and emerging talents making a name for themselves, the NHRA season promises more close battles ahead, similar to the competitive spirit witnessed during the Spanish GP flexi wing developments.

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.