NUMBER ONE QUALIFIERS HOLD ON TIGHT AT NAPA AUTO PARTS NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS
Last Updated on September 27, 2025 by WWTR
MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 27, 2025) – The Friday night provisional qualifiers Doug Kalitta, Austin Prock, Eric Latino and Gaige Herrera solidified their placements in front of a sold-out crowd during the final Saturday qualifying sessions at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.
The ideal weather on Friday night set the perfect conditions for record setting runs and perfect qualifying runs by some heavy hitters in the NHRA Countdown to the Championships. The ideal runs on Friday sent the “Top Hitters” of the weekend home with a chrome red baseball bat from Rawlings as well as the top starting spot for Sunday’s main event.
Kalitta’s run of 3.675 at 334.82 from Friday night secured his spot as the No. 1 qualifier for Sunday followed by Antron Brown and Tony Stewart. Kalitta currently sits first in the class for points and goes into the remaining races in the Countdown leading Justin Ashley and Shawn Langdon, who both qualified outside the Top 10.
“Conditions tomorrow will probably be pretty similar to what we had today, and we had a good run on that last run, so we should be looking good for first round,” said Kalitta.
Kalitta will go up against No. 16 qualifier Will Smith in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. The Top 5 in Top Fuel was rounded out by Shawn Reed and Brittany Force, who broke the previous speed record, set by her in 2022, with a speed of 340.47 mph on Friday night.
Reining Funny Car Champion Austin Prock solidified his No. 1 qualifying spot as his Friday run was enough to set him ahead of the 15 others in the class. The Championship standings reflect the No.1 and No. 2 qualifiers as Prock leads Hagan in St. Louis in both qualifying and points.
“To win a world championship, you have to be able to run in all conditions,” said Prock. “So to be able to go out there yesterday in the cooler conditions and make two really nice passes, we’re second quick, and then blow the weekend, and then today, you know, the race car was on a great pass, q4 and just kind of loose down there. So that’s typically a pretty easy area to fix, way down track, like that. So I’m looking forward to tomorrow. We figured out what not to do today, and we’ll be able to get after it tomorrow.”
The Saturday conditions are projected to be similar to what is ahead on Sunday at the race that is critical in the Countdown. The Top 5 for Funny Car was rounded out by Daniel Wilkerson, Bob Tasca III and Chad Green to reflect the runs from the Friday night qualifying the day prior.
Pro Stock concluded with Eric Latino keeping his top qualifying spot from his Friday night run of 6.515 at 207.75. Latino currently sits eighth in the standings for Pro Stock, but he earned his first No. 1 qualifier ahead of Championship leader Dallas Glenn in St. Louis.
The 2024 St. Louis winner, Glenn, was followed by Cory Reed, Matt Hartford and Erica Enders to cap out the Top 5. Enders has had plenty of success at WWT Raceway as she holds the record for most pro stock wins in St. Louis with a total of six.
The 2024 NHRA Midwest Nationals Pro Stock Motorcycle winner Gaige Herrera has set himself up for a great chance at a three peat at the “Palace of Power.” Herrera’s Friday night run put him ahead of his teammate and points leader Richard Gadson for the No. 1 qualifier spot at WWT Raceway.
The remaining qualifiers in the Top 5 are Brayden Davis, Angie Smith and Matt Smith. Angie Smith took the top speed of qualifying with her run at 202.09 mph.
Eliminations begin at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 28 for the NAPA Auto Parts Midwest Nationals.
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World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) is the home of NASCAR, INDYCAR and NHRA racing in St. Louis’ Metro East region. Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering 700 acres, WWTR is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. WWTR’s facilities include a 1.25-mile superspeedway; 1/4-mile drag strip; 2.0-mile road course; the Gateway Kartplex state-of-the-art karting facility; and the adjacent Gateway National Golf Links. WWTR and Owner & CEO Curtis Francois have been recognized with several awards, including: 2023 St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame induction; 2023 Innovation in Philanthropy Award by the St. Louis Business Journal; 2022 Explore St. Louis Hospitality Hero Recognition; 2022 Best in Show and Best Event & Festival from the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism; 2021 Comcast Community Champion of the Year; 2021 Jack Buck Award; 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Track Award; 2018 Innovator Award from the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission; 2017 Outstanding Facility of the Year Award from the Race Track Business Conference; and the 2017 Spirit of St. Louis Award from the St. Louis Attractions Association. Our mission: We are committed to making a difference in our community, while providing first-class entertainment and memories that last a lifetime.
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