The Sunday action at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals delivered a full slate of eliminations, with tight margins, mechanical problems, and strong reaction times shaping the path to the finals. Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle all produced standout runs at Route 66 Raceway as drivers and riders battled for lane choice, survival, and late-round momentum.
The event featured several side-by-side races that came down to the starting line and others decided by tire smoke or engine trouble. That mix created a busy and unpredictable day, with familiar names such as Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon, Erica Enders, Greg Anderson, Matt Smith, and Alexis DeJoria all moving deep into eliminations.
Top Fuel brings close races and major momentum shifts
Top Fuel round one opened with Antron Brown edging local favorite T.J. Zizzo, 3.777 to 3.798, in front of an energized crowd. Tony Stewart also posted one of his best runs of the weekend with a 3.742, holding off Tony Schumacher’s 3.785 in a strong early matchup.
Josh Hart advanced over Justin Ashley in one of the closest races of the round, winning by just .004 second after both drivers left well. Ashley cut a .044 light, but Hart’s .035 reaction time helped him secure a 3.790 to 3.785 holeshot win as Ashley’s SCAG entry suffered an engine explosion in the lights.
Maddi Gordon also moved on after Krista Baldwin stayed close early before her car lost traction. Will Smith continued his strong starting-line form with a 3.776 to beat Billy Torrence, while Shawn Langdon’s 3.739 sent him past Shawn Reed and into a pairing with teammate Doug Kalitta.
The quarterfinals kept the pressure high as Brown defeated Gordon, 3.774 to 3.804, in a battle between rival tool companies. Hart followed by advancing after Stewart smoked the tires, and Leah Pruett reached the semifinals when Will Smith lost traction early.
Langdon then beat Kalitta with a 3.789 after Kalitta’s dragster lit the tires before the finish line. That result sent Langdon into the final round and also put him back in the points lead.
Funny Car sees Prock and DeJoria push through
Funny Car eliminations opened with a strong showing from Alexis DeJoria, who moved past Spencer Hyde after Hyde smoked the tires at the hit. DeJoria kept her run of consistent first-round progress alive, advancing past round one in five of six races since joining John Force Racing this season.
Austin Prock also showed signs of a turnaround with a 3.934 over Jeff Arend. It marked his first round win of the season and his first eliminations pass in the threes, an important step for the Motorcraft team after a difficult start.
Low qualifier Jack Beckman drove to a 3.945 to defeat Chris King, while Dave Richards advanced when Cruz Pedregon lost traction. J.R. Todd posted the top speed of the round at 334.48 mph in his win over Daniel Wilkerson, and Chad Green used a strong start to edge Jordan Vandergriff in a close race.
The second round kept the drama going. Green survived after both he and Ron Capps shook the tires, and he peddled his way to a 6.102 win. Matt Hagan advanced when Beckman lost traction early, while Prock’s comeback continued with a win over Todd after Todd smoked the tires.
DeJoria posted the cleanest run of the round at 4.005 to beat Richards, setting up a semifinal matchup with Hagan. Green also advanced to the final round with a 3.969 over Prock, giving him another shot at a big result after his Gainesville win.
Pro Stock turns on reaction times and engine drama
Pro Stock round one featured several runs decided by starting-line execution. Deric Kramer opened with a win over Eric Latino, and Aaron Stanfield beat Matt Hartford on a holeshot with a .008 reaction time. Dallas Glenn then ran his best e.t. of the weekend, a 6.588, to edge Troy Coughlin Jr. by .004 second.
Greg Anderson also moved forward in another father-son matchup against Cody Anderson, while Erica Enders took advantage of a red light from Derrick Reese and continued to show consistency with a 6.576 at 208.52 mph. Jeg Coughlin Jr. posted a 6.584 to set up a second-round meeting with Aaron Stanfield.
The second round brought more chaos. Greg Stanfield advanced when Glenn red lit, and Aaron Stanfield later beat Jeg Coughlin Jr. after both drivers had to pedal. Enders stayed sharp with a 6.604 over Deric Kramer, and Anderson moved on when Matt Latino red lit by -.053 after producing the low e.t. of the round, a 6.600.
The semifinals produced one of the day’s most dramatic moments when Aaron Stanfield defeated his father, Greg, 6.639 to 6.646. Greg’s engine let go right after the finish line and filled the area with smoke and flames, while Aaron headed to the final with a mix of emotion and humor about tuning his father’s car.
Enders and Anderson also delivered a close semifinal. Anderson won by nine thousandths with a 6.597 to Enders’ 6.603, setting up a final-round meeting with Aaron Stanfield.
Pro Stock Motorcycle runs through wind and close calls
Pro Stock Motorcycle round one tested both riders and machines as the Chicago wind became a major factor. Chase Van Sant beat Clayton Howey in a close early battle, while Brayden Davis advanced after Kelly Clontz had to abort the run.
Matt Smith moved past teammate Jianne Evaristo despite her stronger reaction time, and Richard Gadson survived a difficult race against Steve Johnson after both riders fought drift and lift. Ryan Oehler posted a 6.084 and gained lane choice over teammate Davis, while Angie Smith and Gaige Herrera each produced 6.70-second runs in winning efforts.
Round two kept the same theme. Gadson’s .005 reaction time helped him beat John Hall, Angie Smith outran Van Sant with a 6.809, and Matt Smith survived a wild run against Gaige Herrera. Smith’s bike kept drifting toward the wall, and he later said, “These steel-toed Corral boots just saved me,” after the bike pulled him toward the barrier.
The semifinals set up an all-Smith final-round possibility before Angie Smith beat Gadson with a 6.774 at 200.35 mph, and Matt Smith moved on when Brayden Davis’s bike shut off at the starting line. That left Angie Smith with lane choice over her husband in the final, a matchup that added another layer to an already unpredictable day at Route 66 Raceway.
Across all four categories, Sunday’s eliminations showed how quickly momentum can change at the NHRA level, with strong starts, clean passes, and mechanical survival all proving decisive at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals.