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Langdon, Pedregon, Anderson & Smith Lead NHRA Potomac Nationals Debut
Highlights
- Shawn Langdon earned No.1 qualifier with 3.758 seconds at Maryland.
- Doug Kalitta and Tony Stewart took second and third positions.
- Cruz Pedregon led Funny Car qualifying with 3.951-second run.
- Greg Anderson topped Pro Stock with 6.494 seconds at 211.79 mph.
- Angie Smith set fastest Pro Stock Motorcycle time amid family struggles.
- Qualifying continues Saturday in seventh race of 2026 NHRA series.
Shawn Langdon sets the pace on Friday at Maryland International Raceway, taking provisional Top Fuel pole for the inaugural Potomac Nationals with 3.758 seconds at 336.23 mph.
The Kalitta Air driver arrives off back-to-back wins, and this becomes his third No.1 of 2026 and 25th career, reinforcing Kalitta Motorsports’ current momentum.
Langdon’s 3.758 seconds at 336.23 mph is his third No.1 of 2026 and the 25th of his career.
Teammate Doug Kalitta slots second with 3.774 at 333.91, while Tony Stewart’s 3.790 at 333.33 underlines a tightly matched opening session and sustained Kalitta group strength.
In Funny Car, Cruz Pedregon lays down 3.951 at 323.19 in the Snap-on America 250 Dodge Hellcat, suggesting a reset after early-season inconsistency.
Cruz Pedregon leads Funny Car with 3.951 seconds at 323.19 mph as conditions promise quicker runs Saturday.
Spencer Hyde is close behind on 3.953 at 323.58, with Valdosta winner Jordan Vandergriff third on 3.970. Track evolution should invite quicker Funny Car times on Saturday.
Pro Stock tilts toward experience as Greg Anderson leads with 6.494 at 211.79 in his HendrickCars Chevrolet Camaro, targeting gains at sea level and in points.
Dallas Glenn’s 6.497 and Matt Latino’s 6.504 confirm a compressed Pro Stock bracket, where incremental setup efficiency could decide lanes, especially as Maryland cools into late afternoon.
Angie Smith delivers the standout motorcycle run, a career-best 6.690 at 202.97 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell, achieved while husband Matt Smith remains hospitalized and unavailable.
Angie Smith fires a career-best 6.690 seconds as Matt Smith recovers, with remote tuning aiding the program.
Chip Ellis substitutes on the second bike, with Richard Gadson second and Ellis third on the timesheets. Remote tuning input from Matt Smith helps stabilize the team’s approach.
Saturday’s sessions should tighten fields as the surface rubbers in and air improves, pivotal at a new venue where teams gather data quickly and NHRA Potomac Nationals narratives evolve.
This seventh round of 20 in 2026 continues at Maryland International Raceway, a new stop adding variables and jeopardy to early-season formbooks.
Visual Summary
3.758s/ 336 mph
🏁1
Shawn Langdon
3rd No.1 this year
The Need for Speed: Qualifying Day Drama
Shawn Langdon rockets to the provisional No. 1 at NHRA Potomac Nationals with a blazing 3.758 sec run.
Drag racing’s elite battle for top spots at Maryland’s first-ever NHRA national event.
Drag racing’s elite battle for top spots at Maryland’s first-ever NHRA national event.
Top Fuel
1️⃣ S. Langdon
3.758s
3.758s
2️⃣ D. Kalitta
3.774s
3.774s
3️⃣ T. Stewart
3.790s
3.790s
Funny Car
1️⃣ C. Pedregon
3.951s
3.951s
2️⃣ S. Hyde
3.953s
3.953s
3️⃣ J. Vandergriff
3.970s
3.970s
Pro Stock
1️⃣ G. Anderson
6.494s
6.494s
2️⃣ D. Glenn
6.497s
6.497s
3️⃣ M. Latino
6.504s
6.504s
Pro Stock MC
1️⃣ A. Smith
6.690s
6.690s
2️⃣ R. Gadson
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—
3️⃣ C. Ellis
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Opening Quals Excitement
Peak
Angie Smith’s career-best ride amid husband’s hospitalization shows the heart behind the horsepower.
#QualifyingDay #PotomacNationals #DragRacing75 #Breakthroughs
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.
