The NHRA’s first trip to Maryland International Raceway was special. Austin Prock headlined a historic weekend at the NHRA Potomac Nationals that also saw Shawn Langdon continue his Top Fuel dominance, Greg Anderson add another Pro Stock victory to his legendary resume, and Angie Smith earn both an emotional win and a place in NHRA history with the 200th victory by a woman in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
Austin Prock Delivers Statement Win For Tasca Racing
After enduring a frustrating start to the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, the back-to-back Funny Car world champion finally returned to the winner’s circle Sunday, capturing his first win with Tasca Racing at the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway.
Prock entered the season with championship expectations after winning consecutive Funny Car world titles at John Force Racing. But his transition to Tasca Racing came with challenges, including a DNQ at Gainesville and no round wins through the first five races of the season.
That changed dramatically at Maryland International Raceway.
Driving the PPG Ford Mustang, Prock defeated former John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman in the final round with a 3.956-second pass at 324.20 mph, holding off Beckman’s 3.971-second effort.
Along the way, Prock defeated Matt Hagan, Spencer Hyde, and points leader Ron Capps before sealing the victory with his strongest run of the weekend. The performance followed a Saturday victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and may signal the beginning of another championship-caliber run.
“It means a lot,” Prock said. “It’s like winning your first race all over again, because all of the work that we put in and everything that we learned. So, to be seven races in and win the Mission Challenge this weekend and win the diamond Wally, I think it says a lot about this race team and what we’re capable of. I’m just very proud of this whole Ford Racing team. It was a great weekend, but this is just the beginning of the new era of the Prock Rocket.
“As a competitor, you’re just kind of beat down, and then the race car started coming alive again, and I felt like I was behind the race car at times, where the race car was performing better than I was. After (Chicago), I was really, really hard on myself after the semifinals. I didn’t leave good enough to even put us in contention. I wanted to come in here this weekend and prove to myself that I’ve still got it, and I feel like I did that.”
Beckman advanced to his second final round of the season after defeating Joe Morrison, J.R. Todd, and teammate Jordan Vandergriff. Ron Capps leaves Maryland with a 16-point Funny Car lead over Todd, while Chad Green remains third.
Shawn Langdon Wins Thriller In Top Fuel
If there was any doubt who currently owns the momentum in Top Fuel, Shawn Langdon erased it in Maryland.
The Kalitta Air driver earned his third consecutive victory and fourth win in six races by defeating teammate Doug Kalitta in one of the closest Top Fuel finals in NHRA history. Langdon’s 3.762-second run at 334.90 mph narrowly edged Kalitta by an astonishing .0002 seconds, approximately one inch at the finish line.
Kalitta gained a slight advantage at the starting line, but Langdon tracked him down before the stripe to secure another dramatic victory.
“I knew I had to hit the Tree better in the final because Doug had a little bit on me all weekend long, and I mean, Alan Johnson’s Alan Johnson for a reason, because in the final rounds he performs, and Doug’s been there, and had had one of the best cars over the last couple years. Brian [Husen, crew chief] was trying to run a little bit better than that in the final, and fortunately, I pulled just enough out of somewhere,” Langdon said.
“Three wins in a row means a lot because of all the hard work that’s gone into this team over the last couple of years. When Brian came over and revamped everything within the team, the guys just all got together and they’ve done such a fantastic job. It just makes my job a lot easier. I just have to go out there and hit the gas on time and hold the thing straight. When you have confidence in your team and confidence in your car, it makes it a lot of fun.”
Langdon also qualified No. 1, won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and reset the track record with a blistering 3.718-second pass at 338.00 mph. He now holds a 76-point advantage over Kalitta in the championship standings.
Greg Anderson Continues Pro Stock Excellence
Greg Anderson added another chapter to his Hall of Fame-worthy career by collecting his 114th career Pro Stock victory.
The six-time world champion defeated points leader Dallas Glenn in the final round with a 6.472-second pass at 212.46 mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. The victory improved Anderson to an incredible 10-1 record against Glenn in final-round matchups.
After posting multiple 6.40-second runs throughout eliminations, Anderson delivered another strong performance at a facility where he has extensive testing experience.
“You can’t try to be Superman, no matter what the competition’s doing, and that’s a hard thing,” Anderson said. “It’s easy to say, but it’s hard to do when you’re going up there, and you got Aaron Stanfield and Dallas Glenn, and you know the reaction time is going to start with a zero or one. It’s just the way it is, and I’m not that guy anymore.”
“I told myself before that final round, do not make a mistake like you did last weekend, and obviously went too far the other way, and I had a horrible light. But thank God Dallas’ car didn’t make it, so just my day, my lucky day. My car was fantastic all day long, and it’s just a good, a good feeling racetrack for me.”
Although Glenn maintains an 11-point championship lead, Anderson continues to apply pressure as the season approaches its midpoint.
Angie Smith Makes NHRA History
Few victories carried more significance than Angie Smith’s breakthrough win in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
After enduring heartbreak in Chicago when mechanical issues cost her a victory in the final round, Smith bounced back in spectacular fashion at Maryland International Raceway. Riding her Denso Auto Parts Buell, Smith defeated Ryan Oehler in the final with a weekend-best 6.683-second run at 201.52 mph.
The victory was her fourth career win and the historic 200th NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series victory by a female competitor. The accomplishment became even more remarkable considering husband and six-time world champion Matt Smith was hospitalized earlier in the weekend but continued tuning the team’s motorcycles remotely before returning Sunday.
“I was just ecstatic because at 7 a.m. Friday, we were running zero bikes, we were taking the Tree and getting our 30 points, packing up and going home,” Smith said. “At 10 a.m. Matt said, ‘We’re running all four bikes, I believe in you, and you can do it.’ So that’s what we did. It was tough, and it was not easy, and it’s one of those things when your team believes in you, and your husband believes in you.”
“Matt is a remarkable person for him to just navigate running four motorcycles, lining four people up. It was just a challenge, and as a team, we had to step up to the plate. I was very thankful that Matt made it back before first round. He didn’t want to be at the hospital; he wanted to be there with us.”
“It means everything (to get the 200th). From Erica to Shirley to Angelle, to all of those ladies who have paved the way for me to come out here, and I get to call some of them my really good friends, and that’s what means so much to me. We have such a close relationship, and I will always be the 200th. I’m glad I can represent the women of NHRA.”
The victory moves Smith to second in the championship standings, just 26 points behind Richard Gadson.
Top Fuel — Shawn Langdon, 3.762 seconds, 334.90 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 3.766 seconds, 334.24 mph.
Funny Car — Austin Prock, Ford Mustang, 3.956, 324.20 def. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.971, 323.50.
Pro Stock — Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.472, 212.46 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 14.576, 58.85.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Angie Smith, Buell, 6.683, 201.52 def. Ryan Oehler, Buell, 6.741, 201.91.
Top Alcohol Dragster — Jackie Fricke, 5.478, 274.33 def. Gary Pritchett, 7.077, 258.91.
Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.393, 270.92 def. Bob McCosh, Camaro, 5.453, 268.38.
Competition Eliminator — Steve Szupka, Spitzer, 6.923, 173.72 def. Joseph Arrowsmith, Pontiac GTO, 7.834, 172.85.
Top Sportsman — Ronald Riegel, Chevy Camaro, 6.725, 202.91 def. Vince Fourcade, Camaro, 7.137, 187.68.
Junior Dragster Shootout — Cole Rudy, Mike Bos, 7.990, 77.27 def. Jordyn Willingham, Strikeforce, 7.908, 82.18.
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