PROCK, KALITTA & ANDERSON ROLL TO WINNER’S CIRCLE AT LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS IN BRAINERD
– Prock extends massive FC points lead
– Kalitta gets back-to-back TF victories
– Perfect weekend ends with win for Anderson
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 17, 2025) – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock rolled to his second straight win of the season on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway, defeating J.R. Todd in the final round of the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals and putting the reigning world champion on the verge of the regular-season championship.
Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also won the 13th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
In the championship round on Sunday, Prock went a blistering 3.907-seconds at 321.50 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS, easily dispatching Todd, who ran into tire smoke early in the run.
With a commanding 242-point advantage over John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman, Prock will clinch the first NHRA regular-season championship – and the $150,000 prize – during qualifying at the world’s biggest drag race, the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indy.
It will mark yet another impressive honor for Prock, who now has six wins in 13 races this season and 14 since moving to the Funny Car ranks at the start of last year. On Sunday, Prock was stellar on the starting line, averaging a .047 reaction time during eliminations, including a brilliant .043 in the final round. He defeated Jim Campbell, Matt Hagan and Chad Green to reach the finals en route to his first career victory at Brainerd International Raceway.
“That was huge. Last year, I got beat on a holeshot and that’s something you never want to do. But we got it done today. I came in here with a chip on my shoulder and went out and executed our game plan,” Prock said. “In qualifying, I had a .006-second spread in reaction times and I felt good. This morning, all the stars aligned and I attacked the Christmas Tree, and had my best driving performance in either Top Fuel or Funny Car. That really makes me feel good going to Indy and into the Countdown.
“We need to get into the playoffs and execute and just keep right on going. I don’t need to approach it any differently, but I need to make sure I’m on point. I hope this isn’t just a fluke, but I’m definitely hungry right now. Last year, I got a championship, but I wanted another one as soon as the banquet was over. That’s the mindset.”
Todd advanced to the finals for the second time this year thanks to round wins against Paul Lee, Ron Capps and Beckman, and will head to Indy sixth in points.
In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta continued his own hot streak as well, winning his second straight race in 2025 after going 3.670 at 338.77 in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster to power past Clay Millican in the final round. It was a milestone victory for the veteran as well, as it gave Kalitta Motorsports its 100th overall Top Fuel win – and the third straight in the category for the team in the process.
Kalitta, who qualified No. 1, had a dominant car all weekend, routinely running in the 3.60s, including three straight on Sunday. He defeated Terry Totten and Billy Torrence to reach the final round, going 3.665 against Torrence, and then led wire-to-wire against Millican with another standout performance to win for the second time this season and earn his 57th career victory.
The spectacular weekend also keeps the former world champion’s hopes alive for a regular-season championship, as Kalitta remained red-hot at the perfect time of the year. He pulled to within six of second-place Tony Stewart and is only 51 points back of teammate and leader Shawn Langdon heading to Indy, which will have the points-and-a-half scenario at the world’s biggest drag race.
“This car has been a pleasure to drive. AJ [crew chief Alan Johnson] had it dialed in. It’s just a matter of putting it together the same way every time,” said Kalitta, who won for the first time in Brainerd since 2005.
“We’re getting close to the Countdown and it’s also been a while since I’ve won here in Brainerd. I have a lot of history here when Connie [Kalitta] was driving and I was working on his car. This has always been a special place to race. Consistency is definitely the name of the game. We have a great shot at another championship.”
Millican reached the final round for the second time this season – and first time since March – on the strength of round wins against Justin Ashley, Jordan Vandergriff and Brittany Force, who set the track speed record earlier in the day with a massive blast of 341.25.
Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson enjoyed an absolutely flawless weekend and the reigning world champion finished it in style, defeating KB Titan Racing teammate and points leader Dallas Glenn in the final round with a run of 6.551 at 206.86 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
From the moment the car left the trailer in Brainerd, Anderson was dominant, making the quickest run of every qualifying session and every round of eliminations, including a track-record run of 6.521 in the opening round against Chris Vang on Sunday. He followed with round wins against Eric Latino and Sonoma winner Aaron Stanfield to set up another marquee matchup with Glenn.
This time, Anderson prevailed, leaving first with a .025 reaction time (to Glenn’s strong .026) and never looking back. It’s the fifth victory of 2025 for Anderson and the 111th in his career, and also his first at Brainerd since 2011 (fourth overall at the facility). Anderson also won Friday’s American Rebel Light “Battle for the Rebel Axe” and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday.
It sets up a massive showdown at Indy for the regular-season championship, as Glenn holds a nine-point advantage heading to the prestigious U.S. Nationals.
“It was flawless. Every time down the track, the car was low E.T. of the session or each round on race day,” Anderson said. “I can’t thank my guys enough. The car was a pleasure to drive. I am a lucky man.
“It was not only awesome to win, but awesome to pretty much dominate the weekend. Everyone was on point. The car was perfect. The crew chiefs were perfect and I somehow didn’t screw it up. At my age, you never know when you’re going to win another one. I lost in the first round here last year and you don’t want to stumble, especially here when you’re racing in front of your buddies.”
Glenn advanced to the finals for a whopping ninth time in 11 Pro Stock races this season, defeating Fernando Cuadra Jr., Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Erica Enders.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Aug. 27-Sept. 1 with the 71st annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
***
BRAINERD, Minn. — Final finish order (1-16) at the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. The race is the 13th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Doug Kalitta; 2. Clay Millican; 3. Billy Torrence; 4. Brittany Force; 5. Jordan Vandergriff; 6. Tony Stewart; 7. Shawn Langdon; 8. Justin Ashley; 9. Josh Hart; 10. Kyle Satenstein; 11. Will Smith; 12. Terry Totten; 13. Ida Zetterstrom; 14. Antron Brown.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Austin Prock; 2. J.R. Todd; 3. Jack Beckman; 4. Chad Green; 5. Spencer Hyde; 6. Matt Hagan; 7. Ron Capps; 8. Daniel Wilkerson; 9. Alexis DeJoria; 10. Paul Lee; 11. Cruz Pedregon; 12. Dave Richards; 13. Jim Campbell; 14. Bobby Bode; 15. Bob Tasca III; 16. Hunter Green.
PRO STOCK:
1. Greg Anderson; 2. Dallas Glenn; 3. Erica Enders; 4. Aaron Stanfield; 5. Cory Reed; 6. Eric Latino; 7. Jeg Coughlin; 8. Matt Hartford; 9. Cristian Cuadra; 10. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 11. Greg Stanfield; 12. Deric Kramer; 13. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 14. Cody Coughlin; 15. David Cuadra; 16. Chris Vang.
BRAINERD, Minn. — Sunday’s final results from the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. The race is the 13th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
BRAINERD, Minn. — Final round-by-round results from the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 13th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE — Shawn Langdon, 3.683, 334.90 def. Antron Brown, 6.742, 93.16; Clay Millican, 3.693, 330.80 def. Justin Ashley, 3.740, 336.57; Tony Stewart, 3.733, 328.54 def. Josh Hart, 3.788, 328.78; Jordan Vandergriff, 3.778, 283.97 def. Kyle Satenstein, 3.851, 316.01; Doug Kalitta, 3.721, 337.50 def. Terry Totten, 4.269, 213.37; Brittany Force, 3.692, 338.77 def. Will Smith, 4.239, 206.20; Billy Torrence, 3.706, 335.73 def. Ida Zetterstrom, 6.733, 89.99;
FINAL — Anderson, 6.551, 206.86 def. Glenn, 6.577, 206.10.
BRAINERD, Minn. — Point standings (top 10) following the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 13th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –
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