Humorous Automotive factors chief Austin Prock powered to his fourth win of the season for John Drive Racing on Sunday at Pacific Raceways, defeating first-time finalist Paul Lee within the last spherical of the thirty fifth annual NHRA Northwest Nationals.
Steve Torrence (High Gas), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Professional Inventory) and Chase Van Sant (Professional Inventory Motorbike) additionally gained on the eleventh of 20 races in the course of the 2024 NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Collection season.
Within the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Collection, Maddi Gordon grew to become the one centesimal completely different feminine winner in NHRA historical past, choosing up her first profession nationwide occasion victory in High Alcohol Humorous Automotive. Gordon is in her rookie season within the High Alcohol Humorous Automotive ranks.
“That is superb. It doesn’t get any higher than this,” Gordon stated. “This can be a dream. I’m a model new driver and that is superb. I couldn’t be extra grateful and it simply feels nice.”
Prock went 3.875s at 334.57mph in his Cornwell Instruments Chevrolet Camaro SS within the Humorous Automotive finals to get previous Lee and choose up his eighth profession win as a part of one other unimaginable weekend. The move within the finals was his fourth consecutive run within the 3.80s on Sunday, as Prock, who was additionally the No. 1 qualifier, defeated Cruz Pedregon and J.R. Todd earlier within the day.
The primary-year Humorous Automotive standout grew to become simply the fourth driver in NHRA historical past to win in each Humorous Automotive and High Gas in Seattle, following up his 2019 High Gas win on the facility, which was his first profession victory.
“This entire Cornwell Instruments crew is simply doing such an ideal job and given me a possibility to exit and compete for wins each weekend, and we’ve been going a number of rounds these days. I simply hope we are able to stick with it all through the remainder of the 12 months,” Prock stated.
“I didn’t drive all that sizzling this weekend. I used to be constant however constantly gradual on the beginning line, in order that they did an excellent job and so they actually carried the crew. They’ve been doing an ideal job of that this 12 months and it positive has been enjoyable.”
In advancing to his first profession last spherical, Lee acquired previous Jeff Diehl, defending world champion Matt Hagan and Blake Alexander.
In search of his first win of the season, High Gas’s Steve Torrence merely had to return to Seattle, because the four-time world champion gained for the second straight 12 months at Pacific Raceways with a wild run of three.963s at 279.79mph in his Capco Contractors dragster within the finals towards Shawn Langdon. It’s the fifty fifth profession win for Torrence, however the Texan had not gained since his Seattle triumph a 12 months in the past.
However he modified that after a spectacular weekend, qualifying No. 1 after which rolling via Ron Smith and defending world champion Doug Kalitta to achieve the ultimate spherical. Each Torrence and Langdon bumped into issue in the course of the run, however Torrence had sufficient on the end line to say the victory, transferring to 3rd in factors. It is usually Torrence’s third profession win in Seattle.
“I feel we left fairly shut to one another and I may hear him proper there with me, after which I heard him begin to go away. However you’re making an attempt to carry it straight and also you’re ready on that mild on the wall to return on and it took me ceaselessly to lastly see it. We’ve been making an attempt to win one in all these for a very long time,” Torrence stated.
“Our automobile undoubtedly has proven a number of promise to go on the market and throw down when it must go quick. We’ve had a tough time managing the facility, so I feel this weekend was exemplary of what we are able to do and what we have to do.”
Langdon, who struggled in qualifying, rebounded in a giant on Sunday, advancing to the finals for the third time in 2024 and the forty third time general with spherical wins towards Justin Ashley, Josh Hart and Clay Millican. Langdon is second in factors whereas Kalitta stayed comfortably within the factors lead.
In Professional Inventory, Jeg Coughlin helped proceed a powerful streak for Elite Motorsports, driving to his third victory of the season by taking down factors chief Dallas Glenn within the last spherical with a run of 6.536s at 209.95mph in his Scag Energy Gear/Outlaw Mile-Excessive Mild Beer/Elite Motorsports automobile. It’s the 68th profession victory for the five-time world champ and in addition handed Elite Motorsports its fifth consecutive victory.
Coughlin has been an enormous a part of that dominant stretch with two victories in that span and was on his recreation on Sunday, getting round Jerry Tucker, Eric Latino and Chris McGaha within the last spherical. He adopted that with an 0.010s response time within the last spherical towards Glenn, getting his second profession victory at Pacific Raceways, with the primary coming 22 years in the past in 2002.
“It feels incredible. It’s simply form of a corny assertion, however the crew, as a complete has clearly executed very nicely,” Coughlin stated. “We’ve gained all however three of the occasions this 12 months, which is an actual testomony to our stamina and our skills.
“We’ve been fighting some consistency and we actually really feel like we’ve turned the nook in a number of methods within the final two or three weeks, not as a result of we’ve gained the occasions, however as a result of the automobiles have turn into extra environment friendly, they’re accelerating higher, and printing higher time slips. So, you understand, an actual tip of the hat to our entire crew.”
Glenn, who stayed within the factors lead, superior to the finals at his dwelling observe for the sixth time this season and the twenty third time in his profession because of spherical wins towards teammate Greg Anderson, Matt Hartford and Troy Coughlin Jr.
Chase Van Sant made his personal historical past and in addition ended a historic run in Professional Inventory Motorbike on Sunday, choosing up his first profession victory with a run of 6.720s at 201.31mph on his Trick Instruments Suzuki over defending world champion Gaige Herrera within the last spherical. It snapped Herrera’s record-breaking run of 12 straight victories and 46 consecutive spherical wins, a string that dated again to final September.
Van Sant, although, was spectacular all through eliminations, taking down Brandon Litten, John Corridor and Matt Smith. Van Sant left first on Herrera and led wire-to-wire in a rematch of the ultimate spherical in Chicago this 12 months. This time, although, Van Sant, the 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Yr, acquired the very best of Herrera, denying him any likelihood of an undefeated season and choosing up a victory he gained’t quickly overlook. Van Sant additionally moved to fourth in factors with the win.
“I acquired right down to the highest finish and noticed my win mild on and I used to be simply shaking my head,” Van Sant stated. “We have been down within the shutdown and Gaige yelled one thing at me and he pointed and I used to be like, ‘Man, I don’t know. Like is that this actual?’ I’ve gone up towards Gaige 5 instances and misplaced all 5 instances, so to chop a light-weight and get away early and outrun him simply speaks volumes to how onerous this crew has been working form of silently within the midst of all of the drama in Professional Inventory Motorbike.
“Gaige and I’ve identified one another for some time and each time we raced, it’s been a number of enjoyable and I’ve loved it. I used to be tremendous glad for him breaking all of these information, however I advised him “If I can finish your streak, I would be the happiest particular person on the planet.’”
Herrera maintained a dominant factors lead, advancing to his seventh last this season and nineteenth in his profession after defeating Eiji Kawakami and Jianna Evaristo.
The NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Collection returns to motion July 26-28 with the thirty sixth annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
