Saturday at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals had a little bit of everything.
Austin Prock, Leah Pruett, Cody Anderson, and Gaige Herrera collected victories in the final Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the 2026 season at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Ron Capps, Matt Hartford, and Herrera also made moves to the top of their respective qualifying sheets, while Shawn Langdon maintained his grip on the No. 1 position in Top Fuel.
The matchups for Sunday’s PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout were also set, adding yet another layer to a U.S. Nationals weekend already loaded with specialty races, bonus points, and championship implications. With more qualifying still ahead, Saturday gave several racers exactly the kind of momentum they were looking for at the Big Go.
Austin Prock Keeps Rolling At Indy
Austin Prock has been one of the hottest Funny Car drivers in the NHRA over the past few months, and that continued Saturday.
The back-to-back world champion defeated J.R. Todd in the final of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, running 3.921 at 317.87 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Ford Racing Mustang. Todd followed with a 4.006 at 325.06 mph. It was Prock’s third Mission Challenge victory of 2026 and secured the overall Mission #2Fast2Tasty title along with 16 bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship.
The turnaround for Prock’s team has been impressive. After going winless through the opening six Mission Challenge races, Prock advanced to five Challenge finals beginning in May.
“We went the first six races without winning a single round, and then after Chicago, we made it to our first semifinal round, and I think we’ve been almost we’ve been in every Mission #2fast2Tasty Challenge except one. It just shows how far this team’s come. Those are the kind of stats that’ll win you a third championship in a row,” Prock said.
“Both runs that we’ve made were full pulls that had a few cylinders out, and the E.T. board still shows we’re second quick, we’re third quick. We’re making impressive runs on six cylinders in this Ford Mustang. There’s a lot of racing to go and I guarantee you this Ford Mustang will be dialed in on Monday.”
The Mission Challenge victory could be just the beginning of a massive weekend for Prock. He has won the U.S. Nationals the past two seasons and is trying to become the first Funny Car driver in NHRA history to win the Big Go three consecutive years.
Ron Capps Jumps To The Top Of Funny Car Qualifying
Capps also made a statement Saturday in his Carlyle Tools/NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra.The veteran moved into the provisional No. 1 qualifying position with a 3.914 at 332.18 mph.
Capps entered Indy in the thick of the Funny Car championship battle, making every qualifying point valuable as the regular season winds down. He’ll have plenty on his plate Sunday as well. In addition to trying to protect his qualifying position, Capps will square off against DeJoria in the opening round of the All-Star Callout.
Leah Pruett Gets A Big Win Over Doug Kalitta
Leah Pruett couldn’t have picked a much better place to earn her first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory of the season.
Pruett defeated reigning Top Fuel world champion and current points leader Doug Kalitta in the final, running 3.873 at 319.98 mph in her 12,000-horsepower Dodge dragster. The win gives Pruett a boost as she prepares for the Countdown and continues chasing her first Top Fuel U.S. Nationals victory.
It wasn’t necessarily a perfect run from the driver’s seat, though.
“I barely even hit the light, I was like, ‘That sucked,’ and I am not happy at all. I’m just waiting for Doug to just scream on by at 340-mph and he didn’t. That car saved that round. I saved our first round against Maddi, and yeah, it’s it all comes back to unity and team,” Pruett said.
“To get a win like that at Indy with the crowd, with the changing variables, the history, the pageantry, everything about it is fulfilling. I’m embracing it because all this is emotional warfare in preparation for the biggest, baddest Big Go that there could ever be. That’s where I’m at.”
Shawn Langdon Remains No. 1 In Top Fuel
Nobody was able to knock Shawn Langdon from the top of the Top Fuel qualifying order Saturday. Langdon’s 3.727 at 334.98 mph from Friday night in the 12,000-horsepower SealMaster dragster remained the quickest pass of the weekend.
Tony Stewart holds the second position with his 3.744 at 328.22 mph, while Pruett’s Friday run of 3.772 at 326.24 keeps her third. For Langdon, staying on top is especially important with the regular-season championship still in play. He entered Indy trailing Kalitta in the standings and needs to maximize every opportunity available during the U.S. Nationals.
Cody Anderson Earns His First NHRA Victory
Saturday was a milestone day for Pro Stock rookie Cody Anderson.
Anderson earned the first victory of his young career by defeating veteran Greg Stanfield in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge final. The Troy Humphrey Motorsports/Daiken/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ran 6.642 at 204.91 mph, with Anderson cutting an impressive .020 reaction time to help seal the victory.
“It’s super special, and any win feels good,” Cody said. “This place is extra special and iconic since it’s Indy. This win gives me a lot of confidence. It’s hard to win one round, especially on race day, and just to get two win lights is a huge confidence boost, and to be able to leave on Greg Stanfield is a big deal. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going for race day.”
The moment was also special for Cody’s father, six-time Pro Stock world champion and current points leader Greg Anderson. Greg captured the overall Mission #2Fast2Tasty season title, but Saturday belonged to his son.
Added Greg: “It’s pretty damn cool. I felt so bad when I crossed the finish line in the first round of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty round and got my butt whipped. Cody held up his end of the bargain. I’m so very, very proud of the boy. It’s pretty cool to see, and for it to happen at Indy means more since I’ve said all my career, I love this place more than anywhere else.”
Matt Hartford Takes Over The Pro Stock No. 1 Spot
Matt Hartford made his own move Saturday, putting his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro into the provisional No. 1 position.
Hartford recorded a 6.626 at 205.54 mph to move ahead of the rest of the Pro Stock field.
With conditions potentially changing through the remaining qualifying sessions, the ladder isn’t set yet. But Hartford has put himself in an excellent position heading deeper into the weekend.
Gaige Herrera Doubles Up Saturday At Indy
Gaige Herrera accomplished two things with one run in the Pro Stock Motorcycle Mission Challenge final.
He won the race and went to No. 1. Herrera faced Richard Gadson in the final, but the race ended immediately when Gadson went red by just .002-second. Herrera wasn’t relying on a red light to get the job done. He ripped off a 6.842 at 196.50 mph aboard his RevZilla/Vance & Hines Suzuki, which moved him into the provisional No. 1 qualifying position.
The victory also secured the overall Mission #2Fast2Tasty title for Herrera.
“This was kind of how I saw it playing out that one of us was going to possibly go red,” Herrera said. “I mean, that’s how it’s been with us. I feel like we’re both going to lay it all out there. I won’t lie. I went up there and squeezed my [clutch] lever a little extra tighter than normal to make sure I wasn’t the one to go red. We go out there to cut each other’s head off and it’s live or die by the sword.
“I’m also very happy to get this Mission [2Fast2Tasty overall win. This is a great deal and it makes it a lot more fun to race on Saturdays.”
Like Prock, Herrera has an opportunity to accomplish something special during Monday eliminations. Herrera has won the Pro Stock Motorcycle portion of the U.S. Nationals the past two seasons. A victory this year would make it three consecutive Indy wins, something only Dave Schultz has accomplished in the category.ls
The U.S. Nationals is a marathon, and Saturday proved why. Prock, Pruett, Anderson, and Herrera walked away with Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victories. Langdon, Capps, Hartford, and Herrera ended the day as provisional No. 1 qualifiers.
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NHRA U.S. Nationals Friday Qualifying: Langdon And Beckman Lead The Big Go
Qualifying kicked off Friday at the U.S. Nationals. Langdon, Beckman, Stanfield, and Smith took the provisional No. 1 qualifying spots.
