The rain-delayed conclusion of the NHRA New England Nationals delivered a pair of emotional victories Friday night at Bristol Dragway. Leah Pruett earned her first NHRA Top Fuel win since 2023, while Jack Beckman collected his first Funny Car victory of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
The unique circumstances created one of the most unusual championship rounds in recent NHRA history. After weather postponed the New England Nationals finals in Epping, New Hampshire, the championship rounds were completed nearly a week later during qualifying for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.
Leah Pruett Returns To The Winner’s Circle
Leah Pruett entered the final round against NHRA Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon knowing an opportunity like this doesn’t come around often. The veteran driver delivered when it mattered most, piloting her 12,000-horsepower Dodge//SRT dragster to a winning pass of 3.794-seconds at 332.43 mph.
Langdon posted a solid 3.852-second run at 328.54 mph, but it wasn’t enough to stop Pruett from securing her 13th career NHRA victory.
The win carried extra significance for Pruett, who stepped away from full-time competition after the 2023 season to start a family with husband Tony Stewart before returning to Top Fuel competition in 2026.
While she showed flashes of championship-caliber performance throughout the first seven races, including a runner-up finish in Phoenix, a victory had remained elusive.
That changed in Bristol.
“I’m happier than I thought I would be,” Pruett said. “Now I finally get to take a breath and enjoy it. This race didn’t come by accident. It didn’t come by somebody falling short or smoking the tires. We earned this.
“To see the smiles on my crew and my crew chiefs’ faces, that’s all-time. The Diamond Wally is super cool, but seeing what this means to my team means even more. We’re chipping away at it, and that’s what gave us confidence coming into this final round. I think I’m in a better spot than I’ve ever been as a driver.”
The victory not only ended a nearly three-year wait for a win, but it also established Pruett as the provisional No. 1 qualifier for the Thunder Valley Nationals heading into Saturday’s qualifying sessions.
Beckman Breaks Through In Funny Car
Jack Beckman has spent much of the season reminding competitors that his PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car was getting closer to its full potential. Friday night proved he was right.
Beckman defeated John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff in the delayed Funny Car final with a run of 4.017 seconds at 318.55 mph to secure his first victory of the season and the 38th win of his NHRA career.
The victory continued a strong stretch for the PEAK team. Beckman entered the final after a runner-up finish at the inaugural Potomac Nationals and has steadily improved over the past several race weekends.
The former Funny Car world champion credited consistency as the key to the team’s resurgence.
“Before you can be quick, you have to be consistent, and to be consistent, you have to be predictable. I think we’re back in that window right now,” Beckman said. “To get a win like this, it was very gratifying.
“I wouldn’t have cared if we ran this final round Friday night or next Tuesday. Our PEAK team left with the trophy, and that’s all that matters. We hadn’t won in over a year. We had some struggles, but now we’ve made it down the track on 14 of our last 17 runs. That’s the kind of consistency that wins races.”
The unusual format added another layer of challenge.
“I’ve never raced a final round at a completely different venue a week later. I’ve raced late Sundays and Mondays, but never this. It was definitely unique.”
The win made Beckman the sixth different Funny Car winner during the 2026 season, highlighting the depth and competitiveness currently found in the category.
Hagan Leads Thunder Valley Funny Car Qualifying
As soon as the delayed New England Nationals finals concluded, attention quickly shifted to the Thunder Valley Nationals. Matt Hagan wasted little time making a statement.
The four-time Funny Car world champion powered his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position with a 4.009-second blast at 319.60 mph. If the performance holds through Saturday, it would give Hagan his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 55th of his career.
Hagan was especially impressed by Bristol Dragway’s newly resurfaced racing surface.
“The racing surface itself is a massive improvement from what we’ve had in the past. I couldn’t even feel the bumps for the tunnel or anything like that,” Hagan said.
“Hats off to the whole group that put a really good racetrack under us. I think it will only get better as we go. As the rubber comes around and we’re able to apply more power to it, you can really see those lanes starting to fill in. This track is a really good track now, and as these crew chiefs get more runs under their belt with it, you’ll see faster numbers.”
Beckman currently sits second, while Spencer Hyde occupies the third position heading into Saturday.
Greg Anderson Continues Bristol Dominance
The new racing surface didn’t slow down Greg Anderson.
The six-time NHRA Pro Stock champion grabbed the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 6.673 seconds at 204.11 mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Anderson has built an impressive legacy at Bristol Dragway, earning his first career NHRA victory there in 2001 and recording his 1,000th career round win at the facility last season.
Friday’s performance put him in position for his sixth No. 1 qualifier in just nine races this season.
“I don’t care how much we did it by, we squeaked by, but we did it,” Anderson said. “It was a perfect day, and you can chalk it up to Bristol. You really don’t feel anything going down the racetrack anymore. We asked for a smooth racetrack, we begged for a smooth racetrack, and now we’ve got it. We’re going to run well all weekend here.”
Matt Latino sits second, while Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn currently holds the third spot.
Herrera Rebounds In Pro Stock Motorcycle
After suffering a rare early-round exit at the previous Pro Stock Motorcycle event, Gaige Herrera quickly reminded the class why he’s still one of the category’s biggest threats.
The two-time world champion posted the quickest motorcycle run in both qualifying sessions Friday, highlighted by a 6.667-second pass at 196.59 mph aboard his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
The effort puts Herrera in line for what would be his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 32nd of his career.
“This whole season, I would say luck has not been on my side for a lot of things,” Herrera said. “It’s been a rough go this season for us, as far as me, with parts-wise and just failures, little mishaps. I’m glad to be on the pole at the moment, but it could change at any minute.
“The first run for me was picture perfect, really. I had to make very little corrections. I kind of adjusted the bike too much in Q2 and had to ride it quite a bit. I didn’t think it was going to run an .88 or .80 anything, so I was happy with that.”
Ryan Oehler and Maryland winner Angie Smith rounded out the provisional top three.
You might also like
Leah Pruett And Matt Hagan Face Massive Opportunity At NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Leah Pruett could leave Thunder Valley with a lot of hardware. Matt Hagan is looking for a win at one of his favorite tracks on the tour.
