There are NHRA national events, and then there’s Indy.
Winning the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals means something different, and Shawn Langdon, Jack Beckman, Dallas Glenn, and Matt Smith left Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Monday with their names added to the list of winners at drag racing’s biggest race.
Langdon finished a dominant weekend by defeating Tony Stewart for his third Top Fuel U.S. Nationals victory. Beckman completed an incredible two-day sweep by adding the Funny Car U.S. Nationals Wally to his PlayNHRA All-Star Callout trophy. Glenn won Indy for the first time and stole the Pro Stock regular-season championship in the process, while Smith capped a dominant weekend for his organization by defeating wife Angie Smith in the Pro Stock Motorcycle final.
The final race of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season also settled the championship seeding. Doug Kalitta, Matt Hagan, Glenn, and Richard Gadson will enter the Countdown to the Championship as the regular-season points leaders in their respective categories.
Shawn Langdon Finishes No. 1 Qualifying Weekend With A Win
Langdon started Monday from the No. 1 qualifying position and finished it in the winner’s circle.
The Kalitta Motorsports driver ran 3.804 seconds at 333.99 mph in the final aboard his 12,000-horsepower SealMaster dragster, beating Stewart’s 3.904 at 315.27 mph. Langdon was also sharp on the starting line with a .048 reaction time and never surrendered the lead.
The victory was Langdon’s fifth of a standout 2026 season, 27th of his career, and third at the U.S. Nationals. The win was also crew chief Brian Husen’s first U.S. Nationals victory in that role.
“It’s Indy, so it’s exciting for sure,” Langdon said. “For Brian to win his first U.S. Nationals and to step out from working with Alan Johnson the last couple of years and really make his mark makes me happy to be his driver and that I get the opportunity to be a small piece of his success.
“Also, on top of that, a few of the crew guys – it was their first Indy win, so it was special for a lot of people for a lot of reasons. These are hard to come by, and the competition is so good. It’s nice to get back in the winner’s circle, and it’s always great to win Indy.”
Langdon got the U.S. Nationals trophy, but his Kalitta Motorsports teammate collected a major prize of his own. Kalitta clinched the Top Fuel regular-season championship and its $150,000 payout Monday.
The reigning world champion will therefore enter the Countdown as the Top Fuel points leader, while Langdon slots into second. That gives Kalitta Motorsports the top two positions heading into the part of the season that determines the world championship.
Jack Beckman Completes A Monster Indy Double-Up
Jack Beckman’s Sunday was impressive, his Monday was even better.
After winning the PlayNHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout on Sunday, Beckman returned Monday and dominated U.S. Nationals eliminations in the PEAK Chevrolet SS. He defeated Jeff Arend, John Force Racing teammate Alexis DeJoria, and Austin Prock to reach the final.
Prock entered Indy trying to become the first Funny Car driver in NHRA history to win the U.S. Nationals three consecutive years. Beckman ended that bid with a stout 3.962 at 327.35 mph in the semifinals. That set up a final against Matt Hagan, and Beckman delivered again. His 3.965 at 327.35 mph secured his second victory of 2026, 39th career win, and third U.S. Nationals title.
The numbers tell the story of Beckman’s Monday. He recorded the best elapsed time in every elimination session.
Add his All-Star Callout victory from Sunday, and Beckman essentially spent two straight days turning on win lights at the biggest race of the year.
“I could truthfully tell you this is the greatest weekend I’ve ever had holding the steering wheel,” Beckman said. “This was just a phenomenal weekend. This one might be more significant because we did it in John Force’s tribute car. The car ran once and won once, and then yesterday we did the All-Star Callout, and it ran twice and won twice, and then today we start clicking off the round wins.
“We didn’t really benefit from any luck today. We went out there, and we dominated every session. In the final round, it was 127 degrees. I rolled in shallow so the car would have run a 3.96. That’s an exclamation point. Nobody gave us anything this weekend. We went out, and we earned every single win, and it’s the same trophy, but we know how much we kicked butt today.”
Hagan may not have won the final, but he still accomplished something important Monday.
The four-time Funny Car world champion reached the championship round by defeating Hunter Green, Paul Lee, and Ron Capps. His semifinal victory over Capps proved particularly important. It secured Hagan the Funny Car regular-season championship, its $150,000 payout, and the points lead entering the Countdown.
After arriving at Indy in the middle of an incredibly tight points battle, Hagan leaves as the top seed for the championship playoffs.
Dallas Glenn Pulls Off The Ultimate Indy Comeback
Dallas Glenn needed two things to happen Monday.
First, points leader Greg Anderson needed to lose early. Second, Glenn needed to win the U.S. Nationals. That’s a pretty big ask, and it all happened.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. eliminated Anderson in the second round, suddenly opening the door for Glenn to steal the Pro Stock regular-season championship, butGlenn then had to do his part. He defeated defending U.S. Nationals winner Erica Enders to reach the final, where he faced Coughlin with everything on the line.
Glenn delivered a 6.599 at 207.56 mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to collect his first U.S. Nationals victory and the regular-season championship.
“It’s been a roller coaster because we’ve been fighting the car a little bit and picking away at it. I was just trying to make sure everything was good going into Indy, and I was just coming in here just trying to win the race. I wasn’t thinking about points until Jeg eliminated Greg there in the second round, and I was like, okay, well now the pressure’s on to win the regular season championship,” Glenn said.
“To go into the final round and make another good run to make up for when I went red against Greg Anderson a few years before that, it definitely took a huge weight off my shoulders to be able to check Indy off the list.”
The victory was Glenn’s fourth of the season and 25th of his career, and it also erased some unfinished business at Indianapolis.
Glenn had previously lost an opportunity at Indy after going red against Anderson. This time, when the championship and U.S. Nationals Wally were both available, he finished the job. The regular-season championship also brought a $55,000 payday and gives Glenn the points lead when the Countdown begins. Coughlin’s runner-up performance was his first final-round appearance of 2026. He defeated Chris Vang, Anderson, and No. 1 qualifier Matt Hartford to reach the championship round.
Matt Smith Racing Owns The Pro Stock Motorcycle Final
Matt Smith said before Monday that he wanted an all-Matt Smith Racing final, he got one, and it happened to be a husband-versus-wife battle.
Smith and wife Angie Smith worked their way through opposite sides of the Pro Stock Motorcycle ladder to meet for the U.S. Nationals trophy. Matt Smith, who qualified No. 1, defeated Chris Bostick, Clayton Howey, and reigning world champion Richard Gadson.
Angie Smith took down Kelly Clontz, Geno Scali, and two-time defending Indy winner Gaige Herrera to reach her third final of the season. That left the two Smiths racing each other for one of the biggest trophies in the sport.
Matt Smith finished the job with a 6.791 at 198.58 mph aboard his Denso Auto Parts Buell, while Angie slowed to a 6.834 at 194.80 mph.
The victory was Matt Smith’s third of 2026, 45th of his career, and fourth at the U.S. Nationals. Three of those Indy victories have come since 2022.
“We wanted to come up here and win. We wanted to show how good we were and that we’re ready for this Countdown, and I think we put a point on that,” Smith said. “It’s awesome, man. You know, we worked really hard to get back here.
“We did a lot of testing since Norwalk. We did a lot of tests in Rockingham in these hot, humid conditions. We spent two days down there, just nonstop in 100-degree temperatures, and we learned a lot. We learned stuff with the clutches and it made us better for here because I was consistent.”
Considering the team qualified three motorcycles inside the top three and put two of them in the final, that testing clearly paid off.
Richard Gadson Takes The Pro Stock Motorcycle Points Lead
Smith left with the U.S. Nationals Wally, but Gadson secured the regular-season championship.
The reigning world champion advanced to the semifinals, which was enough to clinch the title and its $15,000 prize.
Gadson will begin the Countdown as the Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader as he attempts to win his second consecutive world championship.
But Smith Racing just sent the rest of the category a pretty loud message about what it has for the playoffs.
Top Fuel — Shawn Langdon, 3.804 seconds, 333.99 mph def. Tony Stewart, 3.904 seconds, 315.27 mph.
Funny Car — Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.965, 327.35 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.030, 318.84.
Pro Stock — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.599, 207.56 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.629, 206.51.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Matt Smith, Buell, 6.791, 198.58 def. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.834, 194.80.
Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.486, 266.58 def. Shane Westerfield, Camaro, 5.513, 261.42.
Top Alcohol Dragster — Richie Crampton, 5.255, 272.56 def. T.J. Tindle, 6.896, 132.95.
Competition Eliminator — Donald Thomas, Dragster, 6.950, 163.97 def. Jeff Taylor, Dragster, 21.956, 31.16.
Super Stock — Peter D’Agnolo, Chevy Camaro, 9.603, 122.53 def. Michael Reynolds, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.
Stock Eliminator — Hunter Pierdolla, Chevy Camaro, 10.259, 122.74 def. Ray Thurston, Plymouth Barracuda, 11.003, 117.08.
Super Comp — Brian Harris, Dragster, 8.906, 169.70 def. Kevin Thorp, Dragster, 8.883, 172.41.
Super Gas — Rob Kropfeld, Chevy Camaro, 9.865, 167.38 def. Jordan Pratt, Chevy Corvette, 9.862, 171.84.
Top Sportsman — Brandon Baxter, Dodge Stratus, 6.698, 179.68 def. Doug Gbur, Pontiac GXP, Broke.
Top Dragster — Zach Sackman, Dragster, 6.200, 224.02 def. Thomas Bayer, Dragster, 6.157, 231.87.
Pro Modified — JR Gray, Chevy Camaro, 5.701, 252.47 def. Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.759, 251.72.
Factory Stock Showdown — Scott Libersher, Chevy Camaro, 7.770, 178.05 def. Jonathan Allegrucci, Ford Mustang, 8.403, 176.44.
Outlaw Street — Scott Taylor, Camaro, 3.703, 205.47 def. Kyle Canion, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.
You might also like
Jason Collins’ U.S. Nationals Pro Mod Qualifying Runs Disallowed
Pro Mod racer Jason Collins faced issues at the U.S. Nationals. His qualifying runs were disallowed after a blower issue was discovered.
