LANGDON, DEJORIA, COUGHLIN JR. AND HERRERA SECURE PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT NAPA AUTO PARTS NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS

Last Updated on October 2, 2026 by WWTR

MADISON, Ill. (Oct. 2, 2026) – Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera led qualifying Friday at World Wide Technology Raceway during the 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.

Adding a unique twist to Friday night’s action, USEDHOTDOGS.com awarded each Q2 Top Dog winner a custom Top Dog trophy and a cash prize, with a total of $7,500 awarded across the four professional categories.

Langdon continued his hot streak in Top Fuel, holding on to the provisional No. 1 position while earning the $2,500 cash prize and Top Dog trophy in Top Fuel with a run of 3.679 seconds at 339.87 mph.

“It was good. Just a good, clean, smooth run, just really kind of what the car’s been doing lately,” said Langdon. “It’s just making good runs, and the car’s responding very well to changes that Brian makes.”

Funny Car saw a shakeup atop the leaderboard as Matt Hagan claimed the Top Dog title and $2,500, but it was DeJoria who grabbed the provisional No. 1 position with a blistering 3.882-second pass at 334.65 mph in the opening session. Hagan matched the elapsed time but settled behind DeJoria after posting a slower speed of 331.85 mph.

“Our car is set up exactly the way it should be, and this is the right time to get hot in the season. We have the consistency, but we needed to step it up,” said DeJoria. “We needed to run those faster numbers, those quicker numbers, especially on where we stand. So we’re off to a good start.”

In Pro Stock, Coughlin Jr. not only took home $1,500 and the USEDHOTDOGS.com Hot Dog Trophy, but also set a new track elapsed-time record with a run of 6.473 seconds at 211.69 mph.

“Kyle Bates and the boys have the JEGS machine flying today. They have been so diligent and haven’t given up on giving me a great race car. Our people make this possible,” said Coughlin Jr. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been low qualifier. So it feels good. Now the focus is on tomorrow, making two more solid passes that really help our race day set up. We’re gaining momentum and consistency, that’s important. I just want to make sure I can be the best for these guys. They’ve given me the race car to get the job done, I just want to be the driver than can get the job done for this team.”

Herrera continued his success at WWT Raceway, earning the $1,000 prize and the Top Dog title in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Herrera has won the past three NHRA national events at WWT Raceway and heads into Saturday as the provisional No. 1 qualifier with a run of 6.666 seconds at 202.03 mph.

“This track’s been really good today. The grip has been really high, which, you know, usually when we come here, we always fight the little cracks on the starting line,” said Herrera. “Hats off to St. Louis here—the track’s totally different than it usually is, and I’m loving it so far.”

Renewals for the 2027 event are available on-site at the WWT Raceway midway kiosk. Guests who renew will receive a limited-edition commemorative ring honoring 16-time champion John Force.

Qualifications continue at noon CT on Saturday at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Stay tuned to WWT Raceway social media channels for event updates and visit wwtraceway.com for more information.