LANGDON, PROCK, ANDERSON & GADSON GRAB PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 10, 2025) – Top Fuel’s Shawn Langdon made the quickest run on Friday at Texas Motorplex, racing to the provisional No. 1 spot at the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals and earning the $15,000 bonus check as part of “JEGS Friday Night Live.”
Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 18th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Langdon went 3.684-seconds at 338.88 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air 25th anniversary dragster as he looks to qualify No. 1 for the first time this season and 22nd time in his career. Langdon won Dallas’ “Battle for the Saddle” against a loaded Top Fuel field and will need a big weekend – including his first career victory at Texas Motorplex – to stay in the championship hunt.
He’s currently third in points behind Justin Ashley and teammate Doug Kalitta, and Langdon likely needs a win to stay in the championship mix.
“We know our team’s capable of it. We just ran into certain situations throughout the year, and just kind of got behind a little bit here and there,” Langdon said. “Brian [Husen, crew chief] is doing a really good job with the car. We felt like tonight was important. Brian felt like he could go 3.68 and that was his target, and that’s what it ran, so it gives me a lot of confidence because it shows he’s got a handle on the car.
“There’s three races left and we’re in the position we’re at however many points back, so we just need to go win. We’ve got to get a couple wins in there.”
Shawn Reed is currently second and right behind Langdon after going 3.685 at 333.56 and defending event winner Ashley is third with a run of 3.688 at 338.02.
It puts more than $40,000 in bonus money on the line for drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The low qualifier under the lights on Friday night will net Top Fuel and Funny Car stars $15,000 each in bonus money, with $7,500 going to the quickest qualifier in Pro Stock and $5,000 in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
In Funny Car, reigning world champion Austin Prock went back-to-back with the “JEGS Friday Night Live” and “Battle for the Saddle,” cashing in with another $15,000 bonus check thanks to his standout run of 3.876 at 336.07 in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS.
After an early-round loss in St. Louis, this was a much-needed run for the points leader and his team. Prock saw his points lead close to 20 points over Matt Hagan, but after a season that has already produced eight wins, Prock remains confident as he looks to win for the first time at Texas Motorplex.
“It’s whoever wins the most in these last three races,” Prock said. “I’m not even counting points at this point. It’s so close. We just got to go out there and try and win the next three races, and if we do that, we’ll be back-to-back world champions, and that’s got a nice ring to it.
“The mindset this weekend was to just go out there and kill it, and getting this No. 1 qualifier, this should hold on for the rest of the weekend. The track is going to continuously get better throughout the rest of the weekend and hopefully we can do some damage on Sunday. I’m ready for the fight.”
Ron Capps is second after going 3..889 at 334.55 and Jack Beckman is third thanks to a run of 3.892 at 330.83.
Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson continued to enjoy immense success at Texas Motorplex, earning the $7,500 bonus check with an outstanding run of 6.497 at 209.88 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. For the second straight year, the reigning champion ruled the “Battle for the Saddle,” delivering a strong run under the lights and making another pass in the 6.40s. It also puts him in a spot to pick up a seventh No. 1 qualifier in 2025.
Dallas has always been great to the six-time champion and he’s after his seventh career victory at the standout facility. Coming off a win in St. Louis, Anderson has also closed the gap on teammate and points leader Dallas Glenn, knowing full well this weekend is another chance to make a move.
“I’ve done this a while and there’s not that much gets my heart ticking, but it did tonight,” Anderson said. “When you look around and the lighting is just perfect, absolutely perfect out there, it’s magical. It feels fantastic and you just tell yourself over and over and over, focus, man, focus, so it really felt nice.
“The run was very nice. I saw Dallas’ [6.507] scoreboard ahead of me, and I knew that was going to be tough to get around and let alone Cory Reed in the other lane. I’m just super proud of the KB Titan team. They did a great job.”
Reed finished Friday second with a 6.504 at 210.99 and Glenn’s 6.507 has him third.
Points leader Richard Gadson made a strong impression in Pro Stock Motorcycle under the lights on Friday, taking the top spot with a run of 6.747 at 201.59 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Gadson made the quickest run in each session, with the run at night netting him a $5,000 bonus for “JEGS Friday Night Live.” If it holds, Gadson would also earn his second No. 1 qualifier of the year.
That was a noteworthy achievement for Gadson, who continues to have a banner year in his second season in the class. The two strong runs add to his points lead, with Gadson confident in what he can accomplish over the stretch run.
“From the championship standpoint, obviously, I’m counting every point I can find. I’m just feeling good about the bike, feeling good about the performance, and you know, I’m holding on for dear life [to the points lead] right now, so I’ll take anything I can get,” Gadson said. “I’m 29 points ahead with three races to go.
“Championship battle aside, I’ve always wanted to have a specialty low qualifier Friday. We have a few of them throughout the year, but none of them are like the Stampede of Speed, where you get to get up there on the [saddle]. I’ve always wanted to sit up there. I don’t think I ever have. So, this was pretty cool.”
Defending world champ Gaige Herrera, who is after his third straight win in Dallas, is second with a 6.767 at 200.35 and rookie Brayden Davis is third after going 6.772 at 200.53.
Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.
***
ENNIS, Texas — Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.
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