Pruett, J. Force and Stanfield Race to Provisional No.1 Spots at NHRA Four-Wide Nationals

LAS VEGAS, NV – April 2, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Top Fuel star Leah Pruett finished Friday in impressive fashion at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, picking up the provisional No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals and moving a step closer to the first Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier for the first-year Tony Stewart Racing team.

John Force (Funny Car) and Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the fourth of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Pruett, who is also married to Stewart, powered to a run of 3.741-seconds at 326.79 in her 11,000-horsepower Code 3 Associates dragster during the final qualifying session on Friday. If it holds, it would be the 13th No. 1 qualifier in her career and a major bounce back after not qualifying at the most recent race in Gainesville.

“I was super stoked to make two full pulls, and I knew the second one was even better,” Pruett said. “It’s our fourth race as a team and these are the building blocks of what’s going to take the team to the next step. We’re just enjoying this moment and we’re just going to keep picking away at it. To not qualify at a race out of the gates can be disheartening on one hand, but the attitudes these individuals have, I’ve never been around such positive-minded individuals. They’ve helped me and we’re happy right now.”

Doug Kalitta is second on the strength of his 3.759 at 325.37 to open qualifying, while four-time defending world champ Steve Torrence sits in the third spot after a run of 3.761 at 324.83.

Looking for his first No. 1 qualifier of the year in Funny Car, Force went to No. 1 on Friday with a run of 3.887 at 327.90 in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet Camaro. If it holds, it would be the 164th top spot for the 16-time world champion. It has been an up-and-down season for Force in qualifying through four events, as he’s been third once but also 16th in Pomona and 15th at the most recent race in Gainesville. But he looked strong on Friday and he also has a long history of success in Las Vegas, posting six wins at the facility.

“My car was really fast and testing, but it got to Pomona and we were off our game and couldn’t get it back in Gainesville or Phoenix,” Force said. “It just wasn’t going anywhere. It’d be quick, one run and then wouldn’t for another. It made one good run today, but there again, it didn’t do it again (in the second qualifying session), so there probably be changes in the clutch. That won’t stick for tomorrow, but it feels good to get back up here (in the No. 1 spot).”

Blake Alexander jumped to second after a strong run of 3.913 at 324.51 during the final qualifying session of the day. Matt Hagan, who won the most recent race, is currently third with his run of 3.920 at 332.92.

Pro Stock points leader Stanfield continues to roll early in the season, picking up the provisional No. 1 spot after his pass of 6.642 at 206.42 in the opening qualifying session in his Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro. If it holds, it would give Stanfield his second straight qualifier and the third one in his young career. After back-to-back final rounds to open the year, including a victory at Phoenix, Stanfield impressed in the first four-wide race of the year and is on track for another stellar qualifying effort. He hasn’t qualified out of the top two in the first three races of 2022.

“Before we ran, (crew chief) Mark Ingersoll and I talked and he said if we ran 6.63, we’d crush them and we came pretty close to that,” said Stanfield. “This is a huge adjustment from Gainesville. The air and track conditions are totally different, but our guys know what to do. Right now, I’ve got a smooth and consistent hot rod and I just need to take advantage of it. I feel pretty good (about four-wide racing), but you do have to pay attention up there.”

Greg Anderson, the reigning world champ, is currently second with a run of 6.651 at 205.88, while defending event winner Erica Enders is right behind after going 6.664 at 206.01. Both Anderson and Enders have a class-best eight wins in Las Vegas, while Anderson is also seeking his 100th career win this weekend.

Qualifying continues at 12:30 PT on Saturday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

LAS VEGAS, NV — Results Friday after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 22nd annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, fourth of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Leah Pruett, 3.741 seconds, 328.06 mph; 2. Doug Kalitta, 3.759, 325.37; 3. Steve Torrence, 3.761, 324.83; 4. Brittany Force, 3.765, 329.50; 5. Antron Brown, 3.781, 325.85; 6. Mike Salinas, 3.802, 322.42; 7. Josh Hart, 3.806, 306.60; 8. Shawn Langdon, 3.843, 314.53; 9. Justin Ashley, 3.855, 285.89; 10. Tony Schumacher, 3.879, 269.51; 11. Clay Millican, 3.992, 235.10; 12. Rob Passey, 4.133, 288.39; 13. Jim Maroney, 4.197, 225.82; 14. Austin Prock, 4.590, 172.12; 15. Cameron Ferre, 6.055, 105.85.

Funny Car — 1. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.887, 327.90; 2. Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 3.913, 324.51; 3. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.920, 332.92; 4. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.921, 331.04; 5. Ron Capps, Charger, 3.921, 324.12; 6. Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.931, 327.51; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.940, 322.50; 8. J.R. Todd, Toyota Supra, 3.943, 327.27; 9. Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 3.961, 322.81; 10. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.974, 320.97; 11. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.040, 292.77; 12. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.046, 314.53; 13. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.054, 315.19; 14. Tony Jurado, Mustang, 4.110, 300.53; 15. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 4.120, 309.56; 16. Steven Densham, Mustang, 4.216, 267.69. Not Qualified: 17. Terry Haddock, 11.894, 72.24.

Pro Stock — 1. Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.642, 206.42; 2. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.651, 205.88; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.664, 206.04; 4. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.670, 204.14; 5. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.678, 205.60; 6. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.681, 205.94; 7. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.681, 205.66; 8. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.683, 205.19; 9. Fernando Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.699, 204.66; 10. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 6.710, 204.39; 11. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.711, 203.83; 12. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.715, 205.76; 13. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.724, 205.47; 14. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.733, 204.82; 15. Steve Graham, Camaro, 6.762, 204.20; 16. John Cerbone, Camaro, 6.790, 202.79. Not Qualified: 17. Rodger Brogdon, 6.876, 202.76; 18. Cristian Cuadra, 14.347, 55.03.

To purchase tickets to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, call 800-644-4444 or visit www.lvms.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admissions areas with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.

About Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is America’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy, and our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of associates serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enables us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With over 185 locations in 40 states, Camping World, and sister company Gander RV, have grown to become prime destinations for everything RV. For more information, visit www.CampingWorld.com.

About NHRA

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 22 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown and Top Fuel Harley Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 5 to 17. With over 120 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association

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