CLERMONT, Ind — What w thrilling day it was in Monday’s final eliminations for the 69th edition of the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals. In the end, Monday looked a lot like this day in 2022 with 3 of the 4 winners backing up their wins a year ago with another triumph on a hot, humid day in Central Indiana.

Here’s how it happened.

Top Fuel

It was a pair of total opposite paths to Monday’s final eliminations. The top seeded Steve Torrence set the fastest ET time in Round 1 on Friday night and marched by Will Smith, Shawn Langdon and Doug Kalitta en route to his 85th career final round appearance.

Torrence has Langdon’s number in winning 23 of the 37 matchups. Kalitta got by Mike Salinas in Round 2 as he was only 5-12 against him head-to-head entering.

On the opposite side of the bracket, Antron Brown was the story of the day. After being on the outside looking in heading to his final run of the weekend on Sunday, he narrowly squeaked by in qualifying 15th.

That set up a rematch of last year’s final round here between Brown and Brittany Force.

Force was the No. 1 qualifier in each of the previous two years and made the final round in each. She just didn’t win. This year, she was the No. 2 qualifier. Was this her year? She had to make amends with getting by Brown first.

Brown won by just .1323 in a .054 reaction time vs. .065 for the defending Top Fuel champion. That set up a battle with Clay Millican in Round 2. Millican, like Brown, struggled to get in and once he did, he was the 10th seed.

Brown topped Millican in becoming the first 15th seed to make the semis since 2000. He had to take on points leader Justin Ashley.

Ashley beat Leah Pruett as the two were 7-7 against one another entering this matchup with Pruett being 2-1 this season. However, Ashley evened the score 2-2 this year and took the overall advantage 8-7 by beating her to head to his semifinal matchup with Brown.

Brown pipped Ashley to set up a matchup of the last 2 Top Fuel winners here, Torrence in 2021 and Brown last year.

In the final round, Brown’s unlikely march to the Wally was solidified. He topped Torrence for his fifth US Nationals crown (3 Top Fuel, 2 Pro Stock Bikes) and second straight win on the season too.

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Funny Car

Ron Capps came into last year’s US Nationals 0-for-25. He exercised the demons in scoring his first US Nationals triumph in his 26th try. A year later, Capps was back in the finals taking on Indiana native JR Todd.

After going 0-for-25, Capps now is 2-for-2 as he beat Todd by .1702 en route to his emotional victory.

Capps beat Dale Creasy Jr., Matt Hagan then Robert Hight on his march to his second straight final round appearance on the season and second straight here. It was his 146th final round appearance of his career.

The Capps vs. Hight final four matchup was a heavyweight battle of titans. It was a rematch of Sunday’s Call Out too.

Hight called Capps out despite Capps winning the 2022 Call Out and the US Nationals. He backed it up by beating him. This time, Capps got revenge keeping Hight from advancing to his 100th career final round appearance.

Hight was hopeful to do what Capps did a year ago by winning the No. 1 qualifier award, winning the Call Out and winning the Wally in the Big Go.

Capps halted those dreams.

On the other side of the bracket, Todd upset Blake Alexander in the first round, Bob Tasca III in the semifinals then Cruz Pedregon in the semis.

Todd proved you can win in any lane in the process.

In Round 1, he was the only Funny Car driver to win in the right lane. In the second round, he won from the right. In the semis, he won in the right lane again.

The Funny Car bracket went pretty much chalk until the semis as the only “upset” in Round 1 was Todd.

The second round saw the 2, 3, 4 seeds beat with the semis seeing the top seed gone.

For Todd, he lost his brakes after his semifinal run but they thrashed around to get him ready for the finals. Unfortunately, the Indiana native fell just short.

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Pro Stock

Greg Anderson and Erica Enders had one the last three US Nationals. Anderson was eliminated in the first round and Enders in the semis. That set up a new battle for Matt Hartford vs. Fernando Cuadra Jr. in the finals.

Hartford beat Mason McGaha, Camrie Caruso and Enders in his march to his 15th career final round appearance, 3 of which this season.

He was 7-22 against Enders but got the muscle ready on Monday afternoon.

On the other side, Cuadra Jr. beat Bo Butner III, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Kyle Koretsky to advance to his first ever final round appearance.

In the finals, Hartford did what he did all day by getting a great start and pulling away down the strip en route to his 7th career win and 2nd of the season. His Indy win moves him to 5-1 vs. Cuadra Jr.

Hartford’s incremental margins: 60ft (0.033), 330 ft(0.231), 660ft(0.296), 1,000ft(0.334). MOV: 0.4608 seconds (more than 100 feet).

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Pro Stock Bikes

Indy picks it’s winners and it felt like Gaige Herrera had to pay his dues first. Despite being 29-2 this season, he was upset by Matt Smith in the semifinals ending his US Nationals hopes earlier than expected.

Herrera had 7 No. 1 qualifiers in 9 races and 6 wins in the first 8 tries. This was just the second time he didn’t make the final round all season.

Smith was 0-2 against Herrera but picked up a great time for his first career win.

He was hopeful to face his wife, Angie Smith but Hector Arana Jr. moved to 17-6 against her head-to-head to get to the finals against Matt Smith.

In the finals, Smith improved to 6-1 vs. Arana Jr. and scored his first victory of the season. However, it wasn’t his first win ever. It was his 37th including two straight in the Big Go now.