The National Hot Rod Association celebrated the running of its 1000th national event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals. A proud history of delivering the world’s fastest racing events began with the first NHRA National Championship Drags in 1955 at the Great Bend Municipal Airport in Kansas. As an official NHRA Pro Class, there have been 930 Top Fuel events, 912 Funny Car events, 898 Pro Stock events, and 472 Pro Stock Motorcycle events since the first race championship race at Great Bend. The class that has competed the most at NHRA national events is Stock Eliminator with a total of 947 times. The growth of the sport prior to the pandemic is supported by the fact that the previous decade hosted 258 national events, the most in history. As for brand and model, it is really no surprise that Chevrolet tops the list with 2970 Camaros making a final round appearance. To celebrate the achievement, all competitors at The Strip for the NHRA Nationals received a commemorative poker chip.
Steve Torrence Gets 50th Top Fuel Win at The Strip in Las Vegas
Steve Torrence moved a step closer to winning his fourth straight world championship after claiming his tenth victory in 2021. Driving his 11,000 horsepower Capco Contractors dragster, Torrence reached the final round after defeating Jim Maroney, Tripp Tatum, and Justin Ashley.
Mike Salinas had reached the Finals for the second straight race by beating Doug Kalitta, Billy Torrence, and Number One qualifier Brittany Force to the finish line. Needing the win to become one of fourteen drivers with 50 national wins, Torrence was quicker off the tree (.045 RT), quicker to the finish (3.717 ET), and faster at the line (329.50 mph). Torrence enjoys a 105-point lead over Force.
Pedregon Claims Second Victory of 2021 Camping World Season
Cruz Pedregon kept himself in the Countdown to the Championship by taking out Funny Car points leader Ron Capps in the Finals at Las Vegas with a 4.257 ET at 225.03 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. In the championship round, Capps immediately had problems allowing Pedregon to claim his second victory this season and 38th Wally of his career.
After knocking off Tim Wilkerson, Ron Capps took out Number One qualifier Alexis DeJoria and rival Robert Hight to reach the Finals for the fifth time in 2021 and the 131st time in his Funny Car career. The driver of the Don Schumacher Racing NAPA Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat heads to Pomona with a 58-point lead over defending champion Matt Hagan.
Photo courtesy of NHRA.com
NEXT UP:
Auto Club NHRA Finals
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series closes out the 2021 season on Nov. 11-14 with the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
