World Wide Technology Raceway delivered big-time drama at the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, as four champions added to their legacies in front of a packed house. Matt Hagan, Doug Kalitta, Greg Anderson, and Gaige Herrera all collected critical wins in the thick of the Countdown to the Championship.

Hagan showed why he’s a four-time champ, blasting to a 3.979 at 329.34 mph in his American Rebel Beer Dodge Hellcat to take down Jack Beckman in the final. The TSR driver was sharp on the tree with a .040 light and powered through a tough ladder that included Alex Laughlin, Cruz Pedregon, and Daniel Wilkerson. The win keeps Hagan second in points, just 20 markers back of Austin Prock with three races left.

Images provided by NHRA/National Dragster

“I told my guys when we came into this race, you know, we’re all chasing Austin. He won eight races this year, but no one is infallible,” Hagan said. “You just have to be ready when they mess up, and they messed up today. Damn, the kid is beatable. We just have to be able to take advantage of that, and Mike Knudsen, Phil Shuler, and Alex Conaway, they really worked hard all day and put a good racecar beneath me.

“To have American Rebel Beer here, that was cool. We won our first race here in St. Louis a couple of years ago and won the championship after that, and Andy Ross has been ecstatic ever since.”

In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta turned in a wire-to-wire weekend, qualifying number one, and finishing the job on Sunday with a 3.796 at 327.98 mph final-round victory over Ida Zetterström. Along the way, he knocked off Steve Torrence and Justin Ashley in a monster semifinal. The win was Kalitta’s third of the year, 58th overall, and fifth in St. Louis, extending his points lead over Ashley to 86.

“Each of the rounds today, my car was just on a rail. That’s really what it took,” Kalitta said. “Conditions were pretty slick out there, just going A to B, and this whole Mac Tools group, I’m just really proud of them. For me, it’s just a huge relief. You’re in the Countdown races trying to do your best, and they’re giving you a car that’s going down the track like that, it’s really special for sure.

“It was a big points day for the guys that we were racing. Getting by Justin, that was a huge round. My car went down the track, so that was huge. We’re definitely trying to get as many points as we can to try to stay ahead of these guys and keep doing what we’re doing.”

Pro Stock was all about Greg Anderson bouncing back when it mattered most. The six-time champ powered his HendrickCars.com Camaro past Matt Hartford in the final with a 6.531 at 209.33. The victory was Anderson’s sixth of 2025 and keeps him within 25 points of teammate Dallas Glenn. Hartford, meanwhile, reached his third final of the season to solidify third in points.

“Today was crazy. I’m whipped,” Anderson said. “After yesterday, I probably didn’t come in with the most confidence, but what a recovery my guys made with my racecar. It was just not happy in qualifying, and that’s not normal for us. They figured it out, and I made four very high-quality runs today and got the light I needed to get each time.

“Timing is everything, and it just all comes down to what you do when in drag racing. A lot of big rounds – second round with Dallas Glenn should have never happened, but you have to play the cards you’re dealt. It was either going to be a horrible day for me or a horrible day for Dallas, but still a great day for KB Titan. I’m proud of this race team. It’s an honor to work for them, drive for them, manage this team, and be part of it.”

Gaige Herrera picked the perfect time to rebound in Pro Stock Motorcycle. After back-to-back early exits to open the Countdown. He defeated teammate Brayden Davis in the final when Davis went red by .001. Herrera’s 6.791 at 199.61 put him back in the title fight, just 29 points behind Richard Gadson with three races to go.

“This means a lot. Moving from fourth to second in points, that’s awesome, but I’m still the hunter or a chaser. I have to chase my teammate,” Herrera said. “Brayden did me a little favor there in the semis and then Matt [Smith] did me a big favor. That’s like the best birthday present ever, him going out early. That makes it interesting.

“That’s the best part for me and Richard and everyone in the top half of the points; it just makes it a lot more fun. Getting three (wins) in a row here, it means a lot to me. I wish all the Countdown races were here, honestly. But it was an awesome day, and to get to win on your birthday, there’s just nothing like it.”

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series now heads to the Texas Motorplex for the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, where the championship battles will only get hotter.

Top Fuel — Doug Kalitta, 3.796 seconds, 327.98 mph def. Ida Zetterstrom, 4.036 seconds, 247.79 mph.

Funny Car — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.979, 329.34 def. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 4.032, 314.83.

Pro Stock — Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.531, 209.33 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.543, 209.49.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.791, 199.61 def. Brayden Davis, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light.

Competition Eliminator — Matthew Alvey, Chevy Cobalt, 8.614, 155.67 def. Scott Chamness, Dragster, 6.690, 204.01.

Stock Eliminator — Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Pontiac GTO, 10.901, 119.33 def. Dennis Lund, Chevy Camaro, 8.704, 154.30.

Super Stock — Kevin Helms, Plymouth Barracuda, 9.204, 126.30 def. Brett Speer, Chevy Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

Super Comp — Alison Prose, Dragster, 8.891, 182.97 def. Doug Miller, Dragster, 8.887, 178.21.

Super Gas — Phil Unruh, Chevy Camaro, 9.908, 171.08 def. Nathan Prose, Camaro, 9.891, 164.41.

Top Sportsman — Dan Lafferty, Chevy Camaro, 6.845, 198.88 def. Curt Fredrich, Camaro, 6.638, 211.46.

Pro Modified — Derek Menholt, Chevy Camaro, 6.468, 137.01 def. Mike Castellana, Camaro, 8.650, 103.79.

Factory Stock Showdown — Ricky Hord, Chevy Camaro, 7.767, 178.17 def. Scott Libersher, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

Factory X — Chris Holbrook, Ford Mustang, 6.946, 199.26 def. Jesse Alexandra, Chevy Camaro, 7.199, 167.43.

Mountain Motor Pro Stock — John DeFlorian Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.342, 221.85 def. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.396, 221.27.

Junior Dragster Shootout — Hailey Antonioni, Halfscale, 7.950, 77.31 def. Sarah Stewart, Dragster, 7.945, 80.23.