NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS Saturday preview

Day two of the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS will set the fields for final eliminations Sunday at Maryland International Raceway after the final two sessions of qualifying.

Day two of the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS will set the fields for final eliminations Sunday at Maryland International Raceway after the final two sessions of qualifying.

With two rounds already under their safety belts Friday – where a number of teams said they had underestimated the racing surface – and cooler weather predicted, all four of Friday’s low qualifiers said that they expected their opening runs would not survive the day.

Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon, already a three-time winner in the season’s first six events, hold the No. 1 spot with his Friday went 3.758 at 336.23 mph in the Kalitta Air dragster knows that he’ll have to run quicker than that to stave off teammate Doug Kalitta, veteran Leah Pruett, hard-charging Tony Stewart, and and rookie Maddi Gordon to lock down what would be the 25th No. 1 qualifier of his career.

Langdon will also be one of four drivers competing in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge – rematches of the semifinals form the Chicago event two weeks ago – and will take on Gatornationals winner Josh Hart in round one. Pruett, meanwhile, will square off with Chicago runner-up Antron Brown.

Cruz Pedregon is in the hunt for his 66th No. 1 qualifying effort in qualifying in his Snap-on America 250 Dodge Hellcat after a 3.951 at 323.19 mph Friday. Pedregon predicts it will take at least a 3.91 to end qualifying atop the field, which would be his first since last year’s Norwalk event.

He’;ll probably gt his strongest challenges from 2025 Rookie of the Year Spencer Hyde, who clocked a 3.953 Friday in Jim Head’s entry, and Valdosta winner Jordan Vandergriff, who ran 3.970 in the Cornwell Quality Tools/John Force racing machine.

Chicago winner Chad Green will take on two-time and reigning world champ Austin Prock in the Mission Challenge, while Chicago runner-up Alexis DeJoria faces off with Matt Hagan.

Greg Anderson, the No. 1 qualifier at four of the season’s first six events, is atop the Pro Stock pack once again halfway through qualifying after charting a 6.494 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. Just a few ticks quicker than his KB Titan teammates, world champ Dallas Glenn and Matt Latino, who registered respective passes of 6.497 and 6.504. Anderson said Friday that he expects a lot more company in the 6.40s today.

Anderson will face fellow six=time world champ Erica Enders in round one of the Mission Challenge, while Aaron Stanfield will take on his father, Greg, in the other race.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, all eyes will again be on the four Matt Smith Racing Buells. Yesterday, with Smith in the hospital suffering from a gallstone flare-up and tuning the bikes remotely, his wife, Angie, raced to the No. 1 spot with a career-best 6.690 at 202.97 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell.

Her husband’s “Red Rocket” Denso Buell is being wheeled in his absence by veteran Chip Ellis, who qualified the bike No. 3 with a 6.734 on his lone pass Friday, with only points leader and world champ Richard Gadson between them after a run of 6.729.

Elli, who is earning points for Matt Smith under the Driver Replacement Policy, will also take his place in the Mission Challenge, where he will take on Brayden Davis. Angie Smith, meanwhile, will face Gadson.

SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, May 30
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series qualifying and eliminations at 10:00 a.m. and eliminations 5:00 p.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

SUNDAY, May 31
Pre-race ceremony at 10:00 a.m.
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 11:00 p.m.

TELEVISION

Saturday, May 30: FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 9:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, May 31: FOX will televise three hours of finals coverage at 3:00 p.m. ET

TRACK RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.758 sec. by Shawn Langdon, May '26; 336.23 mph by Langdon, May ’26
Funny Car - 3.951 sec. by Cruz Pedregon, May '26; 326.87 mph by Matt Hagan, May '26
Pro Stock – 6.494 sec. by Greg Anderson, May '26; 212.56 mph by Matt Latino, May '26
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.690 sec. by Angie Smith, May '26; 202.97 mph by Smith, May '26

NATIONAL RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading, Pa.; 345.00 mph by Shawn Langdon, May ’26, Adel, Ga.
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd, Minn.; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24, Pomona, Calif.
Pro Stock – 6.443 sec. by Greg Anderson, March ‘25, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ’14, Englishtown, N.J.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.627 sec. by Gaige Herrera, Oct. ‘23, Dallas; 205.04 mph by Matt Smith, July ’21, Sonoma, Calif.