CLERMONT, Ind — The No. 1 qualifiers from Saturday remained the same on Sunday as Steve Torrence, Robert Hight, Matt Hartford and Gaige Herrera will take the No. 1 seeds into Monday’s Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals final eliminations.
Here’s what happened on Sunday with a look at each ladder.
Top Fuel
Steve Torrence’s Friday night run of 3.708 ET stood four rounds of qualifying for the four-time Top Fuel champion to earn the green hat award on Sunday. Torrence only went 4.588 ET on his first run on Sunday afternoon and 6.039 ET later on in the day. It didn’t matter though as he’ll be the top qualifier for the 16 driver ladder.
Torrence won the 2021 Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals and hopeful of a second Wally in 3 years here.
He just narrowly topped Force on Friday who went 3.709 ET (333.25 mph) which was good enough for P2 in her dragster. Force is the defending Top Fuel world champion halting Torrence’s four-year reign last Fall. She also has been the No. 1 qualifier here in each of the last two years too. However, she’s not won a Wally while doing so either.
Now, she’ll be the No. 2 seed.
Justin Ashley went from 3.733 ET (6th) on Friday to 3.714 ET on his final run on Saturday moving him up to 3rd.
The top 3 drivers in Top Fuel right now are 1-2-3 currently.
3 drivers towards the bottom narrowly got in by late runs.
Antron Brown battled clutch issues all weekend and was on the outside looking in heading into the fifth and final qualifying round. He narrowly got back in by going 3.806 ET moving him from 17th to 15th. With Lex Joon and Buddy Hull going slower on their runs, last year’s winner was in.
We’ll see a rematch of last year’s final round of Brown vs. Force in Round 1.
Clay Millican also went from the bottom to 10th as he was 6.860 on Friday to 4.705 ET on Saturday’s first run. That took him from 18th to 16th. He went 4.589 ET on his second run on Saturday which had him last among the 19 qualifiers. Then on his first run on Sunday, he went 3.777 ET to bump his way back in.
A day prior, Tony Schumacher bumped his way in too. Schumacher went from the outside looking in, to even worse at 6.382 ET on his second run to 11th with going 3.784 ET on a clutch Q3 run to give him a nice cushion heading into the final day of quals on Sunday. He’d end up P12.
8 of the top 9 times were set on Friday.
Monday’s Matchups
16 Will Smith vs. 1 Steve Torrence
9 Shawn Langdon vs. 8 Josh Hart
12 Tony Schmacher vs. 5 Mike Salinas
13 Spencer Massey vs. 4 Doug Kalitta
11 Austin Prock vs. 6 Leah Pruett
14 Doug Foley vs. 3 Justin Ashley
10 Clay Millican vs. 7 TJ Zizzo
15 Antron Brown vs. 2 Brittany Force
Funny Car
Robert Hight’s run of 3.853 ET on Saturday held up to score his fourth top qualifier of the season. In fact, a matchup of he and Matt Hagan a day ago were really the only big movers of the weekend with Hagan going from P5 to P4.
No one would speed up on Sunday with most of the ladder saying the same.
The last time out, Hight scored his 99th career final round appearance in Brainerd. The next time he gets to the starting line with a win in sight, it will move him to the century mark. Maybe that happens on Monday.
Hight has made the final round in 7 of his 17 years of trying here. 3 of those were wins with the other 4 runner-ups. One of those second-place finishes came just last year to Ron Capps. Can he get redemption on Monday afternoon?
Hight sits third in points. He had 2 wins in the first 5 races but none in the last 9.
The top half of the bracket is a tough one. In Round 2, it could shape up a battle of 2021 winner Tim Wilkerson vs. top seeded Robert Hight. That winner could take on the winner of Matt Hagan vs. Ron Capps.
Capps, Hagan and Hight are 1-2-3 in points entering Monday and only 1 of them could make the finals.
Monday’s Matchups
16 Paul Lee vs. 1 Robert Hight
9 Chad Green vs. 8 Tim Wilkerson
12 Dale Creasy Jr. vs. 5 Ron Capps
13 Alex Laughlin vs. 4 Matt Hagan
11 John Force vs. 6 Cruz Pedregon
14 Bobby Bode vs. 3 Alexis DeJoria
10 JR Todd vs. 7 Blake Alexander
15 Terry Haddock vs. 2 Bob Tasca III
Pro Stock
Matt Hartford’s Friday time stood the test and scored him the No. 1 seed. He used Saturday to test out for Sunday and has confidence even though he has a tough first round matchup against Mason McGaha.
Fernando Cuadra went quicker on his final run (6.727 ET) but it wasn’t enough as McGaha (6.704 ET) barely got in.
The top 9 times were all from Friday.
Monday’s Matchups
16 M McGaha vs. 1 Hartford
9 Caruso vs. 8 Cristian Cuadra
12 Kramer vs. 5 Glenn
13 Chris McGaha vs. 4 Enders
11 Anderson vs. 6 Koretsky
14 Latino vs. 3 Stanfield
10 Butner III vs. 7 Fernando Cuadra Jr.
15 Tucker vs. 2 Coughlin Jr.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Gaige Herrera’s time on Friday (6.746 ET) was so good that despite fast passes on Saturday, they were the top times each but not good enough to top his Q1 time either.
4 of the top 5 times at the end of Day 2 were set in Q2 on Saturday afternoon and those stood on Sunday. Herrera’s ET in Q2 was better than all four. His Q3 time was better than that.
Herrera has won 6 of the 8-race weekend’s so far this season and eyeing his 8th No. 1 qualifier in the 9th race of the year.
Eddie Krawiec (6.800 ET) ended up P2 with Hector Arana Jr. (6.828 ET), Matt Smith (6.877 ET) and Chase Van Sant (6.878 ET) rounding out the top five.
Krawiec and Arana Jr. were P2 and P3 on Friday too and improved their times on Saturday to remain the same. Smith and Van Sant each moved up a spot.
Steve Johnson (6.881 on Friday) dropped to sixth after not improving at all in either of his two runs on Saturday.
Monday’s Matchups
16 Cory Reed vs. 1 Gaige Herrera
9 Ron Tornow vs. 8 Jianna Evaristo
12 Ryan Oehler vs. 5 Chase Van Sant
13 John Hall vs. 4 Matt Smith
11 Kelly Clontz vs. 6 Steve Johnson
14 Chris Bostick vs. 3 Hector Arana Jr.
10 Marc Ingwersen vs. 7 Angie Smith
15 Bud Yoder vs. 2 Eddie Krawiec
