NHRA Results: 2025 Joliet Saturday Qualifying

Kalitta sets track record to qualify No. 1 in Chicago; Beckman and Herrera also take top spots at Route 66 Raceway

JOLIET, Ill. (May 17, 2025) – The Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel duo of points leader Shawn Langdon and Doug Kalitta enjoyed a banner day on Saturday at Route 66 Raceway, as Langdon won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus race and Kalitta grabbed his third straight No. 1 qualifier with a track-record run at the 25th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) qualified No. 1 at the sixth of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Remarkably, Kalitta Motorsports stayed perfect in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in the Top Fuel ranks, with Langdon winning for the third time after going 3.704-seconds at 332.10 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air Careers dragster to defeat Tony Stewart. He won the first two bonus races of the season and Kalitta followed by winning the Challenge in Las Vegas and Charlotte.

Langdon, who won the 1,000th Top Fuel race in NHRA history at the most recent event in Charlotte, had the winning recipe on Saturday, as the points leader continued to roll during his 2025 season.

“I’m part of a great team,” Langdon said. “Connie Kalitta sets the tone and he gives us what we need to be competitive. Winning also fixes a lot. It solves problems but we know we always have a good foundation.

“I’ve been racing almost nonstop since last year and I think that helps. After the 2024 season, I took a couple of weeks off and then headed to the Middle East and I raced for two months and then went right to Bradenton to start the season. All of that helps.”

Kalitta, meanwhile, stayed atop the Top Fuel field heading into Sunday’s eliminations, putting on a show in the process with a track-record run of 3.661 at 335.23 in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster. Kalitta has been dominant in qualifying this season, collecting his third straight top qualifier and fourth in the first six races. He’ll open eliminations against Lex Joon, looking for his first win of the season.

“We’re definitely focused on going rounds tomorrow, but we’re starting from a great spot,” Kalitta said. “I love racing here in Chicago. We’re really proud of what we’ve got going on and we’ve just got to keep it going.

“Today the track was cooler and that allowed us to really get after it. Everyone stepped up but we managed to make the best run. So far, so good. I’m focused for tomorrow, and I hope we can get to the final with a chance to win it.”

Stewart qualified second after a career-best 3.679 at 332.43 and Langdon’s 3.687 at 335.65 has him third. Antron Brown is fourth and set the track speed record with a blast of 338.09.

In Funny Car, defending event winner Matt Hagan continued to find success at Route 66 Raceway, this time taking the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory with a run of 3.880 at 331.85 in his 12,000-horsepower Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat to slip past Ron Capps.

Hagan was certainly in race mode during the specialty race, posting a stellar .055 reaction time to keep Capps at bay and earn his first win in the Challenge in 2025. Hagan and his team have been solid all season, currently sitting third in points, and now he’ll attempt to get back-to-back wins in Chicago and get his first victory of the year.

“That was a great race. I could hear him but I couldn’t see him. Ron and I go way back, 20 years at least. When we got to the end he said, ‘We should do that more often,’” Hagan said. “I’ve won championships with two different crew chiefs and I’d love nothing more than to win a third with Mike Knudsen. He’s earned it.”

Jack Beckman climbed into the No. 1 spot for John Force Racing, delivering an impressive pass of 3.859 at 332.75 in his 12,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet SS. It’s the second top qualifier of the season for Beckman and the 30th in his standout career. After back-to-back first-round losses in Las Vegas and Charlotte, Beckman is after a big day on Sunday, opening raceday against Dave Richards.

“This is a track that isn’t run on much so yesterday we had to reel the cars back and then today it was 20 degrees cooler so our guys went back to the data and took a look at [past] runs and the car did exactly what they said it would and as a driver, that gives you so much confidence,” Beckman said. “We get a lot of winds in Las Vegas and you just have to be aware. You have no control over the wind, but you do have a steering wheel.”

Paul Lee qualified second with a 3.866 at 325.77 and Hagan’s 3.880 puts him third. J.R. Todd went 336.40 in the final session to set the track speed record.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera kept Vance & Hines flawless in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, defeating Matt Smith in the final round of the bonus race with a run of 6.722 at 201.67 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki.

After Richard Gadson won in Charlotte, Herrera, the defending event winner and back-to-back world champion, followed it up with a terrific Saturday, making two strong runs in the Challenge to get the victory.

“For Richard to get the Mission win (in Charlotte) and then for me to get this one, it’s just awesome for our whole team,” Herrera said. “It’s awesome that Mission puts this on each Saturday and it’s just something for us and the fans to get excited about.”

Herrera also qualified No. 1 with a 6.717 at 202.33, getting a third straight top spot to open the 2025 campaign. Smith is second after going 6.727 at a track-record 204.26 and Gadson’s 6.737 at 202.27 put him third.

Eliminations for the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK begin at 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday at Route 66 Raceway.

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JOLIET, Ill. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 25th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway, the sixth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.661 seconds, 335.40 mph vs. 16. Lex Joon, 4.099, 249.35; 2. Tony Stewart, 3.679, 332.43 vs. 15. Terry Totten, 4.003, 271.02; 3. Shawn Langdon, 3.687, 335.65 vs. 14. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.937, 242.50; 4. Antron Brown, 3.691, 338.09 vs. 13. T.J. Zizzo, 3.784, 330.72; 5. Justin Ashley, 3.697, 337.50 vs. 12. Brittany Force, 3.780, 327.03; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.715, 333.74 vs. 11. Spencer Massey, 3.776, 322.27; 7. Shawn Reed, 3.720, 334.82 vs. 10. Dan Mercier, 3.755, 334.24; 8. Josh Hart, 3.735, 329.02 vs. 9. Clay Millican, 3.743, 330.55.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Will Smith, 4.159, 231.08.

Funny Car — 1. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.859, 332.75 vs. 16. Dave Richards, Ford Mustang, 4.085, 311.49; 2. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.866, 329.42 vs. 15. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.057, 319.98; 3. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.880, 331.85 vs. 14. Blake Alexander, Charger, 4.040, 321.04; 4. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.884, 336.40 vs. 13. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.029, 325.69; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.887, 335.15 vs. 12. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.998, 319.22; 6. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.889, 330.88 vs. 11. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 3.997, 324.05; 7. Austin Prock, Camaro, 3.910, 333.58 vs. 10. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.957, 322.96; 8. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.938, 324.83 vs. 9. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.945, 302.48.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Chris King, 5.546, 130.34; 18. Justin Schriefer, 6.193, 195.79; 19. Dale Creasy Jr., 6.758, 98.74.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.717, 202.36 vs. Bye; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.727, 204.26 vs. 15. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.227, 186.79; 3. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.737, 202.27 vs. 14. Lance Bonham, Buell, 7.075, 188.46; 4. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.789, 201.31 vs. 13. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.991, 194.27; 5. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.794, 200.02 vs. 12. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.865, 198.44; 6. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.796, 200.77 vs. 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.847, 197.86; 7. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.800, 201.82 vs. 10. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.839, 200.14; 8. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.812, 199.05 vs. 9. John Hall, Beull, 6.836, 199.40.

JOLIET, Ill. — Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge final results from the 25th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.

Top Fuel Challenge — Shawn Langdon, 3.704 seconds, 332.10 mph def. Tony Stewart, 5.501 seconds, 123.10 mph.

Funny Car Challenge — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.880, 331.85 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.889, 330.88.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Challenge — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.722, 201.67 def. Matt Smith, Buell, 8.567, 103.29.

JOLIET, Ill. — Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge final round-by-round results from the 25th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Tony Stewart, 3.679, 332.43 def. Antron Brown, 3.691, 336.23; Shawn Langdon, 3.687, 335.65 def. Justin Ashley, 3.697, 337.50;

FINAL — S. Langdon, 3.704, 332.10 def. T. Stewart, 5.501, 123.10.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.895, 325.77 def. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 4.548, 182.48; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.886, 331.45 def. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 4.400, 199.70;

FINAL — M. Hagan, 3.880, 331.85 def. R. Capps, 3.889, 330.88.

MISSION #2FAST2TASTY PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.717, 202.33 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.907, 196.79; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.727, 204.26 def. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.746, 201.85;

FINAL — G. Herrera, 6.722, 201.67 def. M. Smith, 8.567, 103.29.