Brainerd NHRA Nationals Race Results

Last Updated on August 23, 2026 8:33 pm

• Sunday NHRA Brainerd Nationals Final Eliminations Results
• Sunday NHRA Brainerd Nationals Live Updates
• Saturday NHRA Brainerd Nationals Qualifying & Eliminations Results
• Saturday NHRA Brainerd Nationals Live Updates
• Friday NHRA Brainerd Nationals Qualifying & Eliminations Results
• Friday NHRA Brainerd Nationals Live Updates
• Thursday NHRA Brainerd Nationals Qualifying Results
• Thursday NHRA Brainerd Nationals Live Updates

NHRA Brainerd Nationals Sunday Final Eliminations Results

Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway was host to an incredible Sunday of Eliminations action at this year’s NHRA Brainerd Nationals. The Right Trailers Outlaw Street class put on an amazing show with incredibly close racing all weekend. Scott Taylor drove Goldie to the Outlaw Street victory defeating “Murder Nova” Shawn Ellington 3.709 to 3.717. The Brainerd Nationals saw a repeat winner in the Top Alcohol Dragster class with Anthony Troyer earning a Wally for the second straight season, in an all Team McPhillips Final Round over Melanie Johnson. The Top Alcohol Funny Car Final was anti-climatic as Christine Foster was unable to make the call after a lot of damage in her Semi-Final victory, so California’s Shane Westerfield took home the Brainerd Wally. The biggest story in the Lucas Oil Sportsman classes was Cody Lane earning a Huge Win in Competition Eliminator to put himself into title contention as he tries to chase down Joe Carnasciale. Another great story was Curt Fredrich earning the Top Sportsman victory for the second Sunday in a row at Brainerd as he also won TS at the Division 5 event last weekend. Jack Beutler earned the Super Stock victory in a rare Heads-Up Final Round. Beutler outperformed Mike Graham in an all-GT/KA Final Round 10.181 to 10.340. Other Winners at Brainerd on Sunday include Kendra Larson (Top Dragster), Jamey Picht (Stock), Jeff Cheney (Super Comp), Greg Maaninga (Super Gas) and Richard Hill (Super Street). The NHRA National Event Tour takes one weekend off before heading to Indy for the US Nationals.

Right Trailers Outlaw Street

• Winner – Scott Taylor
• RU – Shawn Ellington
• Semis – Carson Baker
• Semis – Ryan Martin
• Final Round: Taylor .004, 3.709/202 def. Ellington .037, 3.717/203
• #1 Qualifier – Scott Taylor 3.723

Top Alcohol Dragster

• Winner – Anthony Troyer
• RU – Melanie Johnson
• Semis – Angelle Sampey
• Semis – Joey Severance
• Final Round: Troyer .053, 5.220/276 def. Johnson .048, 5.250/274
• #1 Qualifier – Alan Bradshaw 5.165

Top Alcohol Funny Car

• Winner – Shane Westerfield
• RU – Christine Foster
• Semis – Jake Slater
• Semis – Jim Whiteley
• Final Round: Westerfield .080, 5.523/264 def. Foster NT-DNS
• #1 Qualifier – Jake Slater 5.458

Top Dragster

• Winner – Kendra Larson
• RU – Bob Fischer
• Semis – Donna Patterson
• Semis – Rusty Baxter
• Final Round: Larson .000, 6.929 (6.91) def. Fischer .024, 6.828 (6.81)
• #1 Qualifier – Scott Murray 6.124

Top Sportsman

• Winner – Curt Fredrich
• RU – Chris Roe
• Semis – Michael Freischel
• Final Round: Fredrich .029, 6.587 (6.58) def. Roe -.001, 6.369 (6.35)
• #1 Qualifier – Jim Thorp 6.259

Competition Eliminator

• Winner – Cody Lane
• RU – Bruce Schmiedl
• Semis – Kelly Rutz
• Semis – Bruno Massel
• Final Round: Lane .026, 7.348 (-.432) def. Schmiedl .139, 7.351 (7.83)
• #1 Qualifier – Doug Engels (D/DA) 7.306 (-.664)

Super Stock

• Winner – Jack Beutler
• RU – Mike Graham
• Semis – John Harder
• Semis – Brad Haugaard
• Final Round: Beutler .048, 10.181/128 def. Graham .013, 10.340/126 (GT/KA Heads-Up Final)
• #1 Qualifier – Brett Speer (SS/JA) 10.000 (-1.000)

Stock Eliminator

• Winner – Jamey Picht
• RU – Dirk Olson
• Semis – Al Corda
• Final Round: Picht .005, 11.140 (10.95) def. Olson -.005, 10.051 (10.08)
• #1 Qualifier – Lance Line (C/S) 10.226 (-1.124)

Super Comp

• Winner – Jeff Cheney
• RU – Jim Glenn
• Semis – Travis Nygaard
• Semis – Steven Michaels
• Final Round: Cheney .016, 8.947 (8.90) def. Glenn .004, 8.961 (8.90)

Super Gas

• Winner – Greg Maaninga
• RU – Dale Evens
• Semis – Keith Kuehn
• Final Round: Maaninga .039, 9.917 (9.90) def. Evens -.002, 9.914 (9.90)

Super Street

• Winner – Richard Hill
• RU – Donnie Durenberger
• Semis – Christopher Takacs
• Final Round: Hill .002, 11.225 (10.90) def. Durenberger -.020, 10.848 (10.90)

🏆NHRA Brainerd Nationals Sunday Live Updates🏆

Live Updates Wrapup

And this Wraps up DRN’s Live Coverage of the NHRA Brainerd Nationals. If you enjoyed our Reports, be sure to send us a note through one of our Social Media Platforms (X, Facebook, Youtube) or send an email to info@dragracing.news. We will have our Normal Race Day Recap posted later this evening.

Top Alcohol Dragster Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Anthony Troyer def. Melanie Johnson. Troyer earns the Brainerd Nationals Wally for the 2nd Year in a Row defeating his teammate Johnson in the Final Round. Melanie left first 048 to 053, but Troyer had the performance 5.220 to 5.250 for the Victory.

Top Alcohol Funny Car Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Shane Westerfield def. Christine Foster. Foster was unable to return after her fire last round. Shane makes a strong A to B run at 5.523/264MPH to earn the Brainerd Nationals Wally.

Top Sportsman Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Curt Fredrich def. Chris Roe. Curt earns a trip to the Brainerd Winners Circle for the Second Sunday in a row after Chris Roe turned it 001 Red in the Final Round. Fredrich was 029 Green + Dead 7 (6.587 on 6.58 Dial) to back up his D5 Win from Last Week with the Brainerd Nationals Wally.

Competition Eliminator Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Cody Lane def. Bruce Schmiedl. Lane earns a Big Win in Brainerd as he tries to track down Joe Carnasicale in the National Points battle. Lane had nearly a tenth of a second advantage in RT (026 to 139) and was able to save some Index by going 43 Under to Bruce’s 47 Under for the Holeshot Win.

Super Stock Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Jack Beutler def. Mike Graham. In a rare Super Stock GT/KA Heads-Up Final Round, Beutler had the horsepower to earn the Brainerd Nationals Wally. Jack was behind in RT 013 to 048, but he was much quicker on track 10.181 to 10.340 for the Win.

Super Comp Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Jeff Cheney def. Jim Glenn. Both Drivers left Green with Glenn having the edge 004 to 016. At the Finish Line, Cheney would get there first by 002 for the Victory in a 8.947 to 8.961 Decision.

Super Gas Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Greg Maaninga def. Dale Evens. Another Final Round decided by a Red Light as Evens lets go 002 Early handing the Victory over to Maaninga.

Top Dragster Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Kendra Larson def. Bob Fischer. Larson gets the job done in Brainerd with a clutch Perfect 000 RT in the Final Round. She took 023 at the Finish Line to be 1 Above (6.929 on 6.91 Dial) to take the Wally home.

Stock Eliminator Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Jamey Picht def. Dirk Olson. Olson’s Giant Killer run ends with a 005 Red in the Final Round. Picht was 005 Green and Lifted Early for the Brainerd Nationals Win.

Super Street Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Richard Hill def. Donnie Durenberger. Donnie’s back-to-back Brainerd Nationals run ends in the Final as he turns it 020 Red. Hill was going to be tough to beat with a 002 Green Light to earn the Wally.

Outlaw Street Final Round

• Final Round Pairing
  • Scott Taylor def. Shawn Ellington. Taylor scores the Brainerd Nationals win in an excellent battle with Murder Nova. Scott chopped the tree down 004 to Shawn’s 037, and went 3.709/202 (Low ET of the Weekend) for the Victory.

Super Gas E5 (2:50PM)

• Notable Pairing
  • Greg Maaninga def. Keith Kuehn. These two were close in RT with Kuehn leaving first 038 to 040, but he would take too much stripe to end up 8 Thou Under (9.892) sending the W Light over to Maaninga’s Lane (9.943).
• Final Round Matchup
  • Greg Maaninga vs. Dale Evens

Super Stock E5

• Notable Pairing
  • Jack Beutler def. Brad Haugaard. Beautler was in full control of this one with the Better RT 013 to 066 and 1 Above (10.231 on 10.22 Dial) to set up a Heads-Up GT/KA Final Round against Mike Graham.
• Final Round Matchup
  • Mike Graham vs. Jack Beutler

Super Comp E5

• Notable Pairing
  • Jeff Cheney def. Travis Nygaard. Nygaard lets go 009 early & hands the Win over to Cheney, who was 015 Green + 8.852 on the 8.90 Class Index. This sets up an excellent Final Round between Jeff Cheney and Jim Glenn.
• Final Round Matchup
  • Jeff Cheney vs. Jim Glenn

Stock Eliminator E6

• Notable Pairing
  • Dirk Olson def. Al Corda. Olson continues his Weekend of being Giant Killer with a win over Stock Eliminator Veteran Corda. Olson was better in RT 030 to 032, and took 006 Stripe to be 4 Above (10.086 on 10.04 Dial) to earn a trip to the Final Round.
• Final Round Matchup
  • Dirk Olson vs. Jamey Picht

Super Street E5

• Notable Pairing
  • Donnie Durenberger def. Christopher Takacs. Donnie was in Full Control of this one with a 016 to 049 RT advantage, and turns on the Win Light with a 1 Above Run (10.913 on 10.90 Index). Durenberger will try to Win the Brainerd Nationals for the second year in a row.
• Final Round Matchup
  • Donnie Durenberger vs. Richard Hill

Top Sportsman E4

• Notable Pairing
  • Chris Roe def. Michael Freischel. Roe is adjusting well to Top Sportsman going to his first Final Round already at the Brainerd Nationals. Frieschel left first 022 to 027, but took 050 stripe to be 001 Under (7.509 on 7.51 Dial) sending Chris to the Final Round.
• Final Round Matchup
  • Chris Roe vs. Curt Fredrich

Competition Eliminator E3

• Notable Pairing
  • Cody Lane def. Bruno Massel. Lane earns a crucial round win here in his National Championship Chase. Cody was better in RT 006 to 049, and he hangs it out to 62 Under (7.274) to defeat Bruno’s 52 Under Lap. Cody loses 12 going into the Final Round.
• Final Round Matchup
  • Cody Lane vs. Bruce Schmiedl

Top Dragster E4

• Notable Pairing
  • Kendra Larson def. Donna Patterson. Donna leaves 020 Early handing the win to Kendra, who is 025 Green and a Little Under (6.913 on 6.93 Dial).
• Final Round Matchup
  • Kendra Larson vs. Bob Fischer

Top Alcohol Dragster E3

• Notable Pairing
  • Anthony Troyer def. Joey Severance. Troyer makes it an all-Team McPhillips Final Round with a 5.226 ET to defeat Joey Severance. Anthony will have Lane Choice over Melanie Johnson in the Final Round.
• Final Round Matchup
  • Anthony Troyer vs. Melanie Johnson

Top Alcohol Funny Car E3

• Notable Pairing
  • Shane Westerfield def. Jim Whiteley. Shane won this one wire to wire having a RT edge 042 to 053, and 5.489/265MPH to defeat Jim’s 5.544/262MPH. Shane will have Lane Choice over Christine Foster in the Final.
• Final Round Matchup
  • Shane Westerfield vs. Christine Foster

Outlaw Street E2 (12:55PM)

• Notable Pairings
  • Shawn Ellington def. Ryan Martin. Murder Nova Shawn takes out his good friend and teammate in a great Drag Race. Shawn’s Holeshot win started with a 018 to 069 RT edge, and a 3.722/203MPH for Shawn to Ryan’s Quicker but Losing 3.717/208MPH.
  • Scott Taylor def. Carson Baker. Baker had the Better RT 002 to 020, but made an immediate right turn towards the center line forcing him to lift. Taylor drove right down the center of his lane to a 3.717/202MPH victory, and Lane Choice over Murder Nova in the Final Round.
• Final Round Matchup
  • Scott Taylor vs. Shawn Ellington “Murder Nova”

Top Alcohol Dragster E2

• Notable Pairings
  • Joey Severance def. Alan Bradshaw. Severance takes out the Top Qualifier in this matchup as Joey runs 5.226/278 in the Supercharged Entry to defeat Bradshaw’s 5.295/272. Alan looked to be the car to beat heading into today’s Final Elims, but the field is now wide open.
  • Anthony Troyer def. Mitch Kalitta. Defending Event Winner Troyer makes a statement in E2 as he records Low ET of the Round by 6 Numbers with a 5.166/275MPH lap to defeat Mitch’s solid 5.247/275 + 000 RT. Troyer’s 061 RT got him to the Stripe first by 020. He will have Lane Choice over Severance in the Semis as the McPhillips teammates attempt to sweep Brainerd with Melanie Johnson facing Angelle Sampey.
• Semi-Final Round Matchups
  • 8. Severance vs. 4. Troyer LC
  • 10. Sampey vs. 3. Johnson LC

Top Alcohol Funny Car E2

• Notable Pairings
  • Jake Slater def. Chris Foster. The Blown Nitro combo continues to show its potential as Slater records a 5.452 at 291 MPH (another new MPH Record) to defeat Foster’s solid 5.54/263MPH.
  • Shane Westerfield def. Stan Sipos. The closest race of the round right here as Shane used a 018 to 044 Starting Line advantage to get just enough real estate to stay ahead at the Stripe in a Holeshot victory 5.502 to 5.495. Shane will have Lane Choice over Jim Whiteley in the Semi-Final Round.
• Semi-Final Round Matchups
  • 1. Slater LC vs. 4. ChristineFoster
  • 13. J.Whiteley vs. 9. Westerfield LC

Top Sportsman E3 (9:40AM)

• Notable Pairing
  • Michael Freischel def. Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson. Michael lays down the Run of the Round with a 005 RT and 1 Above (7.522 on 7.51 Dial) for 17 Total to advance to the Semis. Lynsi wasn’t bad herself on the other side of the track with an 020 RT taking 001 Stripe to be 004 Under (6.526 on 6.53 Dial).
• Key E4 Matchup
  • Michael Freischel vs. Chris Roe

Top Dragster E3

• Notable Pairings
  • Rusty Baxter def. Isaac Wilde. An incredible race to start this Round of TD. Baxter had the RT edge 004 to 010, and that would be the difference as both racers landed Dead 8 giving Rusty the Stripe and Win by six-thousandths of a second (006).
  • Kendra Larson def. JR Baxter. This race had National Championship implications, and Larson rose to the occasion. Baxter had a small starting line advantage 008 to 014, but Larson would take the stripe with a 3 Above Lap (6.937 on 6.90 Dial) to advance to the Semis. Baxter got behind by 011 with his 6.154 on 6.10 Dial at only 195MPH. JR was 3.933/185 to the 1/8 so he had to kill quite a bit to get to 6.10, just barely missed where he needed to be. JR now sits 2nd in Top Dragster National points, just 13 points behind Holden Laris with plenty of racing to go.
• Key E4 Matchup
  • Kendra Larson vs. Donna Patterson

Super Gas E4

• Notable Pairing
  • Dale Evens def. Corey Bentley. In the valuable 2-for-1 matchup of the round, Bentley left first 007 to 037. Corey would take the stripe by 034 to come up short in a Double Breakout Decision 9.889 to 9.893 (9.90 Index). Evens will be on the Semi-Final Round Bye.
• Key E5 Matchup
  • Greg Maaninga vs. Keith Kuehn

Super Stock E4

• Notable Pairing
  • Mike Graham def. Ryan Montford. Both racers reacted 032 to the Tree, but at the Finish Line Montford would take 019 Stripe to breakout by 004 (8.916 on 8.92 Dial) sending Graham to the Semi-Final Round.
• Key E5 Matchup
  • Mike Graham vs. John Harder

Super Comp E4

• Notable Pairing
  • Jeff Cheney def. Craig Schultz. Schultz’s tough morning continues as he exits in both classes. Craig was 001 better in RT (024 to 025), but takes 031 Stripe to breakout 005 (8.895) sending last year’s National Top 5 Runner Cheney to the Semis.
• Key E5 Matchup
  • Jim Glenn vs. Steven Michaels

Stock Eliminator E5

• Notable Pairing
  • Jamey Picht def. Jason Line. Perennial D5 Championship Contender Picht takes out the Former Pro Stock World Champ here in the Quarter-Finals. Line had a much better 021 to 048 RT edge, but at the stripe Picht sent Jason through to a breakout by 014 (11.616 on 11.63 Dial). And when I said sent, Jamey dropped to 11.012 at only 105MPH on the 10.92 Dial. Picht will now have the Bye Run to the Final Round.
• Key E6 Pairing
  • Al Corda vs. Dirk Olson

Super Street E4

• Notable Pairings
  • Donnie Durenberger def. Craig Schultz. Donnie keeps his Back-to-Back Brainerd Nats Dream alive by taking out the only Double Up Candidate in Schultz. Durenberger lets go Perfect 000 and takes 006 Stripe in a Double Breakout decision 10.879 to 10.854 on the 10.90 Class Index.
  • Christopher Takacs def. Dustin Jones. Takacs lays down a lap to start off Sunday with an 014 RT and Dead 7 Lap taking 005 Stripe to advance to face Durenberger in the Semis.
• Key E5 Matchup
  • Donnie Durenberger vs. Christopher Takacs

NHRA Brainerd Nationals Saturday Qualifying and Eliminations Results

Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway featured a full day of racing during Saturday’s program at this year’s NHRA Brainerd Nationals. The Outlaw Street class makes its second NHRA National Event appearance of the season this weekend. Scott Taylor earned the Top Spot in Qualifying, and has advanced to the Semi-Finals. Fans are eagerly awaiting the Outlaw Street Semi-Final round matchup between Shawn Ellington “Murder Nova” and Ryan Martin of Fireball Camaro fame. Top Alcohol Dragster saw Alan Bradshaw earn the #1 Spot in Q3 with a 5.165 ET, then record Low ET of E1 with a 5.168. Defending TAD National Champ & Current #2 in Points Shawn Cowie was defeated in Round 1, a major blow to his Title Defense. Jake Slater’s Blown Nitro combination ended Qualifying in the #1 Spot in Top Alcohol Funny Car with a 5.458 ET. #2 Qualifier Doug Gordon stepped up in E1 to a 5.469 for Low ET of the Round to defeat Kyle Smith’s strong 5.47. The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Sportsman classes raced down to the Quarter-Final Round on Saturday. Craig Schultz is the only racer with a shot at a National Event Double as he is still alive in both Super Comp and Super Street. Top Dragster Racer JR Baxter is one to watch on Sunday as he could leave with the National Points Lead by reaching the Final Round. JR will start off Sunday with a tough matchup against Kendra Larson. To watch the NHRA Brainerd Nationals Livestream, go to NHRA.tv at https://www.nhra.tv/.

Top Alcohol E2 Pairings

• Top Alcohol Dragster E2 Matchups
  • 1. Bradshaw LC vs. 8. Severance
  • 4. Troyer vs. 5. Kalitta LC
  • 15. Haley vs. 10. Sampey LC
  • 3. Johnson LC vs. 11. Bruce
• Top Alcohol Funny Car E2 Matchups
  • 1. Slater vs. 8. ChrisFoster LC
  • 4. ChristineFoster vs. 5. Gordon LC
  • 13. J.Whiteley vs. Bye
  • 3. Sipos LC vs. 9. Westerfield

NHRA Brainerd Nationals LODRS Sunday Quarter-Final Round Pairings

🏁NHRA Brainerd Nationals Saturday Live Updates🏁

Evening Wrapup

An excellent Day of Drag Racing is in the books at the Brainerd Nationals. Eliminations for LODRS should start at 9AM (CST) in the morning. Thank you for reading along with our coverage this weekend.

Stock Eliminator E4

• Notable Pairings
  • Jason Line def. Jeff Cheney. Jason advances to Sunday’s Quarter-Finals over last year’s Top 5 Runner Cheney. Both racers missed the bulb with Line reacting better 077 to 082, but at the stripe Jason let Cheney cross first. That was the right call as Jeff breaks it out 007 (10.733 on 10.74 Dial).
  • Dirk Olson def. Joe Santangelo. Olson is looking like this weekend’s Giant Killer now as he takes out National Points Contenders in Parker Theobald and now Joe Santangelo. Olson was behind in RT 025 to 033, but put the pressure on at the stripe to earn the win on a Double Breakout decision. Joe was 014 Under (10.306 on 10.32 Dial) to Dirk’s Winning 007 Under (10.003 on 10.01 Dial). Dirk earns the Bye with 5 Cars Left to start Sunday morning off.
• Key E5 Matchup
  • Jamey Picht vs. Jason Line

Top Sportsman E2

• Notable Pairings
  • Curt Fredrich def. David Scutt. Fredrich continues to turn on Win Lights. Both racers let go 032 Green, and Curt hung a wheel on David to take 011 Stripe with a 2 Above lap (6.583 on 6.56 Dial).
  • Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson def. Jim Thorp. Lynsi lays down a lap here as she is 027 Green + Dead 6 (6.536 on 6.53 Dial) to defeat Jim’s 036 + Dead 0 Run (6.230 on 6.23 Dial) for a three-thousandths of a second MOV.
• Key E3 Matchup
  • Curt Fredrich vs. Wade Kiefer

Top Dragster E2

• Notable Pairings
  • Kendra Larson def. Michael Kritzky. Kendra is on a roll as she lets go 005 and puts it 3 Above (6.932 on 6.90 Dial) for the W.
  • JR Baxter def. Randy Dahlberg. JR racks up another Win Light for his points total as Dahlberg lets go 005 Red. JR was ready at 022 Green + Dead 8 (6.108 on 6.10 Dial).
  • Isaac Wilde def. Sean Parker. Both of these racers are more well known for their big money Bracket Racing efforts, and this battle did not disappoint. Wilde was behind in RT 019 to 026, but used a 2 Above lap (6.381 on 6.36 Dial) to get to the stripe by one ten-thousandth of a second (.0001) MOV for the victory.
• Key E3 Matchup
  • JR Baxter vs. Kendra Larson

Super Gas E3

• Notable Pairings
  • Tim Moore def. Trevor Larson. Primetime matchup here & Moore rises to the occasion. Tim lets go 004 and is 050 ahead as Larson is 054 Green. Moore lands it Dead 1 (9.901) at the Finish Line to be 5 Total for the Win.
  • Corey Bentley def. Bill Cawsey. Bentley was in control 027 to 048 on the tree and made the right decision to let Cawsey take the stripe for a 9.895 Breakout. Corey’s 9.930 moves on to Round 4.
• Key E4 Matchup
  • Corey Bentley vs. Dale Evens

Super Stock E3

• Notable Pairings
  • Ryan Montford def. Don Keen. This was an excellent matchup with both racers putting it Dead-On the Dial. Montford was better in RT 023 to 040, and puts it Dead 7 (8.937 on 8.93 Dial) to defeat Keen’s Dead 5 Lap (10.185 on 10.18 Dial).
  • Nick Bredemus def. Tyler Bohannon. Tyler missed it for the first time this weekend with a 055 Bulb, and paid for it. Nick was 033 Green and set it Dead 8 (9.638 on 9.63 Dial) to advance to Round 4.
  • John Harder def. Joe Santangelo. Joe loses a big opportunity to gain ground in the National Points chase. Santangelo had the Better RT 047 to 050, but gets 002 Behind (38MPH spread at the stripe) as Harder earns the victory with a 1 Above Lap (8.283 on 8.27 Dial).
• Key E4 Matchup
  • Ryan Montford vs. Mike Graham

Super Comp E3

• Notable Pairings
  • Cal Belden def. Jordan Pratt. Last Friday’s D5 Winner Pratt lets go 004 Red taking him out of Brainerd Nationals contention. Cal is 026 Green and 8.882 to move on.
  • Travis Nygaard def. Tanner Theobald. This is a tough one for National Points Contender Theobald as he turns it 001 Red ending his trip to Minnesota from the West Coast in Round 3. Nygaard was 033 Green + Dead-0 (8.900) to advance.
  • Jeff Cheney def. Rick Milinazzo. Cheney is heading to E4 in two classes (Stock Eliminator also). Jeff was 011 Green and 1 Above (8.915) to lock out Rick’s 028 Bulb.
• Key E4 Matchups
  • Jeff Cheney vs. Craig Schultz (Both Still in Two Classes)
  • Alaia Isenhower vs. Jim Glenn

Super Street E3

• Notable Pairings
  • Craig Schultz def. Nathaniel Ruiz. The first pair of the round was excellent with both racers setting it Dead-On the Index. Schultz cut him in half on RT 015 to 030, and set it Dead-On 3 in a 10.903 to 10.908 decision at the 1320′ Finish Line.
  • Donnie Durenberger def. Derrick Mooridian. Donnie getting warmed up now, and this is when he’s unstoppable. He lets go 005 and takes a safe 018 stripe to be 4 Above (10.947) to earn a ticket to Round 4.
• Key E4 Matchup
  • Donnie Durenberger vs. Craig Schultz

Stock Eliminator E3

• Notable Pairings
  • Hannah Line def. Cody Lane. Line rings up 9 Total to defeat National Points Contender Lane. Hannah reacts 005 on the tree and puts it Dead 4 (10.574 on 10.57 Dial) to lock out Cody’s 035 Bulb.
  • Joe Santangelo def. Logan Wernet. Joe continues to add to his National Points Total with a Round 3 victory as Reigning D5 Champ Wernet launches 004 Red.
• Key E4 Matchups
  • Joe Santangelo vs. Dirk Olson
  • Jeff Cheney vs. Jason Line

Top Sportsman E1

• Notable Pairings
  • Curt Fredrich def. Michael Scott. Fredrich keeps up his momentum from last week’s D5 victory with a Round 1 W. Curt was 032 up front and 1 Above (6.586 on 6.57 Dial) to advance on to Round 2.
  • David Scutt def. Rich Smith. This one was a heartbreaker for Smith as he let go 001, but got in trouble & had to lift just past 60′. Scutt would drive on by for the win with a safe lap.
• Key E2 Matchup
  • Jim Thorp vs. Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson

Top Dragster E1

• Notable Pairings
  • JR Baxter def. Nicholas Gilbertson. Baxter is in the National Points hunt & has a clean claim this Weekend in Brainerd. He turns on the E1 Win light with an 018 Light and safe shut off as Gilbertson had troubles early & was out of power way before the finish line.
  • Sean Parker def. Holden Laris. Big upset here as National Points Leader Laris goes out in Round 1. Parker cut him in half in RT (013 to 026) and sets it 1 Above (6.902 on 6.89) to lock out Laris. This makes Holden’s Championship journey a little tougher as the season continues on.
• Key E2 Matchups
  • JR Baxter vs. Randy Dahlberg
  • Kevin Thorp vs. Dan Narusiewicz
  • Sean Parker vs. Isaac Wilde

Top Alcohol Funny Car E1

• Notable Pairings
  • Doug Gordon def. Kyle Smith. Both racers were set on kill with their Best Runs of the Weekend by a lot as Gordon takes the win in a 5.469 to 5.477 decision.
  • Shane Westerfield def. Sean Bellemeur. Shane does what has only been done once this season, and that is stopping the Bellemeur & Bartone team. Westerfield had the Better RT 014 to 028, and got to the stripe first 5.505 to 5.529.
  • Stan Sipos def. Jesse Clark. Good runs on both sides of the track as Sipos earns the W in a 5.473 to 5.541 battle.
• Key E2 Matchup
  • Stan Sipos vs. Shane Westerfield
• Top Alcohol Funny Car E2 Pairings
  • 1. Slater vs. 8. ChrisFoster LC
  • 4. ChristineFoster vs. 5. Gordon LC
  • 13. J.Whiteley vs. Bye
  • 3. Sipos LC vs. 9. Westerfield

Top Alcohol Dragster E1 (4:30PM)

• Notable Pairings
  • Joey Severance def. Matt Cummings. Two Perennial Title Contenders squaring off in Round 1. Joey finally gets ahold of the track like we know he can & puts down his Best Run of the Weekend 5.224/274MPH, while Cummings had trouble early in the Run and will make an E1 exit.
  • Mitch Kalitta def. Kirk Wolf. Kalitta looks like an Old Pro as he earns his First Top Alcohol round win in a victory over Wolf 5.228 to 5.373. Mitch was 044 on the Tree, which is solid in an A/Fuel car. The Bracket/Index racing has paid off for him.
  • Todd Bruce def. Jon Bradford. Upset Alert! #11 Qualifier Bruce turns on the Win Light with a solid A to B lap 5.322/274MPH to Bradford’s pedaling 5.500/271MPH.
  • John Haley def. Shawn Cowie. MAJOR UPSET! Homestate Hero Haley takes out the Defending National Champion Cowie. Cowie has trouble at the hit, and John records a solid 5.418/267MPH blast to advance to Round 2 in his Return to the category. Shawn’s Title Defense takes a major hit with this Round 1 Loss.
  • Alan Bradshaw – Bye. Bradshaw makes a statement on his Bye Run backing up his #1 Qualifying effort of 5.165 with a 5.168 ET at 276MPH for Low ET of the Round. Alan looks to have the Car to beat this weekend in Brainerd.
• Key E2 Matchup
  • Alan Bradshaw vs. Joey Severance
• Top Alcohol Dragster E2 Pairings
  • 1. Bradshaw vs. 8. Severance
  • 4. Troyer vs. 5. Kalitta LC
  • 15. Haley vs. 10. Sampey LC
  • 3. Johnson LC vs. 11. Bruce

Outlaw Street E1 (2:10PM)

• Notable Pairings
  • Scott Taylor def. Bobby Ducote. Taylor is the picture of consistency with a 3.734 to defeat Bobby’s Best Run of the Weekend 3.901.
  • Carson Baker def. Chris Rankin. Baker uses a 015 RT and 3.721 for Low ET of the Weekend en route to the E1 Victory.
  • Ryan Martin def. Kyle Canion. Canion had a huge RT edge 014 to 086, but ran into trouble around Halftrack & Martin drove around for a 3.738/208MPH Round Win.
• Key E2 Matchup
  • Shawn Ellington vs. Ryan Martin
• Outlaw Street E2 Pairings
  • 1. Taylor vs. 4. Baker LC
  • 2. Ellington LC vs. 6. Martin

Competition Eliminator E1

• Notable Pairings
  • Bruce Schmiedl def. Doug Engels. The #1 Qualifier doesn’t escape the opening round as Schmiedl goes 52 Under to get around Engels, who could only muster 31 Under after a big RT advantage.
  • Cody Lane def. Shaun Vincent. Vincent lets go 012 Red handing the easy W to the D6 Hitter Lane.
• Key E2 Matchups
  • Pat Nahan vs. Bruno Massel
  • Cody Lane vs. Kayla Mozeris

Outlaw Street Q3

• Notable Runs
  • Chris Rankin starts the round with the run he’s been looking for in Brainerd, 3.745/202MPH to move to the #4 position currently.
  • Murder Nova Shawn Ellington follows suit with his Best ET of the Weekend by a bunch at 3.725/201MPH with a strong .938 60′ to move to the #2 position in the order.
  • Scott Taylor was in the Last Pair out, and he improved his #1 spot by one-thousandth of a second with a 3.723/202MPH blast.
• Session Recap
  • Scott Taylor nudged his Top Spot ET down by 001 with a 3.723 to earn the #1 Qualifier award at the Brainerd Nationals.
  • Top 5: Taylor (3.723), Shawn Ellington (3.725), Kyle Canion (3.734), Carson Baker (3.735) and Chris Rankin 3.745
• Key E1 Matchup
  • Kyle Canion vs. Ryan Martin
• E1 Pairings
  • 1. Taylor vs. 8. Ducote
  • 4. Baker vs. 5. Rankin
  • 2. Ellington vs. 7. Cole
  • 3. Canion vs. 6. Martin

Top Alcohol Funny Car Q3

• Notable Runs
  • Shane Westerfield and the RJM Team kick off the round with the run they have been looking for all weekend, 5.543/265MPH. That puts him in the #5 Spot at the moment.
  • Christine Foster lays down an excellent run at 5.515/264MPH to move into the #2 spot. Alongside, Steve Macklyn in the B&J Transmissions entry went a solid 5.574/256MPH lap.
  • Jake Slater lowers the Boom on the competition with a 5.458/279MPH blast in the Supercharged Nitro Funny Car for Del Worsham and Team. We will see if one of the Blown Alcohol cars can touch that number later in this session.
  • Annie Whiteley gets all of it with a 5.513/266MPH lap to move up to the #2 spot for the YNOT Team. On the other side of the track, most eyes were on the Bellemeur / Bartone FC but he had troubles at the hit and had to lift.
  • All eyes were on the Last Pair to see if anyone could hang with the Blown Nitro combo. Incoming #1 Qualifier Sipos could not match his earlier ET as he ran 5.523/262, just short of his prior 5.514. Doug Gordon had trouble early in the run & had to click it off.
• Session Recap
  • Jake Slater shakes up the Top Alcohol Funny Car world with a 5.458 ET in the Blown Nitro combo to be the only car in the 40’s this weekend & earn the #1 Qualifying spot.
  • Top 5: Slater (5.458), Annie Whiteley (5.513), Stan Sipos (5.514), Christine Foster (5.515) and Doug Gordon (5.523).
• Key E1 Matchups
  • Sean Bellemeur vs. Shane Westerfield
  • Bob McCosh vs. Chris Foster
  • Annie Whiteley vs. Jim Whiteley
• E1 Pairings
  • 1. Slater vs. Bye
  • 7. McCosh vs. 8. ChrisFoster
  • 4. ChristineFoster vs. 11. Macklyn
  • 5. Gordon vs. 10. Smith
  • 2. A.Whiteley vs. 13. J.Whiteley
  • 3. Sipos vs. 12. Clark
  • 6. Bellemeur vs. 9. Westerfield

Top Alcohol Dragster Q3

• Notable Runs
  • Great Bend Regional Winner Nick Spiegel gets it together early in Q3 with a solid 5.268/275MPH to jump all the way to #4 for now.
  • Anthony Troyer makes a statement for Team McPhillips and FENDT with a 5.198/277MPH Blast to land in the #1 Spot. We will see if the Supercharged contingent has anything for this later in the session.
  • Team McPhillips showed they have Brainerd figured out with Melanie Johnson putting their other car atop the sheet at 5.193/274MPH. Nearly identical to her teammate Troyer’s run.
  • Mitch Kalitta for Randy Meyer Racing goes up to #4 Currently at 5.219/274MPH, while alongside Jon Bradford runs 5.221/276MPH to place him right behind Kalitta in the order.
  • The Final Pair sees 5.16’s on both scoreboards to top the Final Qualifying Sheet. Alan Bradshaw in the Injected Nitro Car earns the #1 spot at 5.165/277MPH to Cowie’s Supercharged Entry’s 5.169/278MPH.
• Session Recap
  • Alan Bradshaw jumps to the Top of the Sheet at 5.165 with Shawn Cowie right behind him at 5.169.
  • Top 5: Bradshaw (5.165), Cowie (5.169), Melanie Johnson (5.193), Anthony Troyer (5.198) and Mitch Kalitta (5.219).
• Key E1 Matchups
  • Joey Severance vs. Matt Cummings
  • Mitch Kalitta vs. Kirk Wolf
• E1 Pairings
  • 1. Bradshaw vs. Bye
  • 8. Severance vs. 9. Cummings
  • 4. Troyer vs. 13. Quayle
  • 5. Kalitta vs. 12. Wolf
  • 2. Cowie vs. 15. Haley
  • 7. Spiegel vs. 10. Sampey
  • 3. Johnson vs. 14. Lamb
  • 6. Bradford vs. 11. Bruce

Super Gas E2

• Notable Pairings
  • Tim Moore def. Tom Carlson. A great race between two Top Ten Runners in Division 5 Super Gas on a yearly basis. Moore left first 003 to 024 and managed the stripe just right for a 9.924 to 9.925 victory.
  • Jeremy Demers def. Rodger Sauder. Another battle of D5 Power Players, and this one was over on the starting line as Sauder met the Bulb coming on for a 021 Red Light. Demers was solid in the other Lane at 018 Green and 9.889 to Advance.
  • Trevor Larson def. Randy Nygaard. This could get dangerous, the competition is letting Larson get warmed up. Larson was in full control of this one 016 to 034 on the tree to win a 9.937 to 9.939 race at the Stripe. The Super Gas contingent better get Larson under control, or he could be just getting started on another late season championship tour.
• Key E3 Matchups
  • Trevor Larson vs. Tim Moore
  • Bill Cawsey vs. Corey Bentley

Super Stock E2

• Notable Pairings
  • Ryan Montford def. Larry Dyck. This was a Heads-Up FSS/D Battle with Montford having the Horsepower for the Win Light in a 8.922 to 9.023 decision.
  • Joe Santangelo def. Larry Hodge. Joe continues to show why he is a Championship Contender every year with a killer 010 RT to take a 2 Hundredths advantage off the line. And Santangelo would carry a safe lead thru the stripe to be 5 Above (9.811 on 9.76 Dial) to advance to Round 3.
• Key E3 Matchup
  • Ryan Montford vs. Don Keen

Super Comp E2

• Notable Pairings
  • Tanner Theobald def. Jason Kenny. We start off the Round with two of the Best at the .90 Game. Theobald left first 012 to 032 and was in full control taking a Double Breakout Decision 8.881 to 8.863 on the 8.90 Class Index.
  • Mark Meier def. Trene Cressonie. Another excellent race early in the round as Meier earns the Win with a 15 Total Lap (013 RT + Dead 2). Cressone was better in RT (007), but put it 2 Thou Under (8.898) for the Breakout Loss.
• Key E3 Matchups
  • Rick Milinazzo vs. Jeff Cheney
  • Jim Glenn vs. Kevin Dyck

Stock E2

• Notable Pairings
  • Joe Santangelo def. Scott Dugdale. This race was as expected with both racers chopping the tree down. Dugdale was better 006 to 015, but he would be fed 076 Stripe to break out 053 (11.357 on 11.41 Dial) handing the win to Joe’s 1 Above Run (10.356 at only 113MPH on 10.34 Dial).
  • Jason Line def. Dan Zrust. Yes, THAT Jason Line is going rounds in Stock Eliminator this weekend as Zrust launches 037 Red. Jason was the 3rd Line Family member of the Round to advance to E3.
• Key E3 Matchup
  • Joe Santangelo vs. Logan Wernet

Super Street E2

• Notable Pairings
  • Aaron Milton def. Scott Berghammer. Milton crushes the tree 001 and puts it 1 Above (10.912) to win the Key E2 Matchup.
  • Donnie Durenberger def. Neal Hanson. Last Year’s Winner Durenberger gets away with one again as he was behind in RT 035 to 058, but it was a Double Breakout decision in his favor 10.849 to 10.835 on the 10.90 Index.
• Key E3 Matchup
  • Dustin Jones vs. Aaron Milton

Morning Update

Lucas Oil Series Racers are on track this morning, starting with Round 2 Eliminations.

NHRA Brainerd Nationals Friday Qualifying & Eliminations Results

The Brainerd Nationals at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway lit up with a full day action on Friday. The Top Alcohol categories hit the track for Two Qualifying sessions. Shawn Cowie dominated Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying with 5.21’s on each pass. Meanwhile in Top Alcohol Funny Car, Stan Sipos jumped to the top of the Sheet in Q2 with a 5.514/264MPH Lap. The Right Trailers Outlaw Street category is back in action this weekend with Scott Taylor sitting atop the List with a 3.724 ET. Top Alcohol and Outlaw Street both have one Qualifying session remaining on Saturday. Qualifying wrapped up for Top Dragster, Comp and Top Sportsman on Friday with #1 Qualifying spots earned by Scott Murray (Top Dragster), Jim Thorp (Top Sportsman) and Doug Engels (Comp). Round One Eliminations took place for the rest of the Lucas Oil Series Sportsman categories on Friday. A full day of on-track activity is on the docket for Saturday in Brainerd. To follow along with the NHRA Brainerd Nationals Livestream, go to NHRA.tv at https://www.nhra.tv/.

• NHRA Brainerd Nationals LODRS Top Qualifiers
  • Top Dragster – Scott Murray 6.124
  • Top Sportsman – Jim Thorp 6.259
  • Competition Eliminator – Doug Engels (D/DA) 7.306 (-.664)

🏁NHRA Brainerd Nationals Friday Live Updates🏁

End of Day Update

This concludes DRN’s Live Updates from the NHRA Brainerd Nationals. Our normal end of day recap will be up later this evening.

Outlaw Street Q2

• Session Recap
  • Scott Taylor continues to set the pace with a 3.733 ET for Best Run of the Session. Carson Baker was right behind him at 3.735 to move to #2 on the Sheet.
  • Top 5: Taylor (3.724), Baker (3.735), Kyle Canion (3.740), Ryan Martin (3.746) and Shawn Ellington (3.763).

Outlaw Street Q1

• Session Recap
  • Scott Taylor and the Right Trailers Team throws down Low ET of Q1 with a 3.724/201MPH blast.
  • Top 5: Taylor, Kyle Canion (3.760), Cason Baker (3.786), Ryan Martin (3.802) and Shawn Ellington (3.804).
  • 8 Cars Made an Attempt Q1

Top Alcohol Dragster Q2

• Notable Runs
  • Alan Bradshaw makes a statement recording a 5.243 Lap to jump all the way to #2 in the Qualifying Order. Melanie Johnson alongside goes 5.299/272MPH to sit #4 currently.
  • Randy Meyer Racing’s Matt Cummings puts up a strong 5.285/270MPH to jump into the Top 5.
  • This Weekend’s 2nd Randy Meyer Racing entry is driven by Mitch Kalitta, and his first weekend of Top Alcohol Dragster action is going smoothly with a 5.274/264MPH lap in Q2 to move into the Top 3.
  • Defending World Champ Shawn Cowie continues to show his strength with Low ET of the Session again at 5.218/277MPH. Joey Severance was right alongside on pace for a Low 20 lap before having issues just before 1000′.
• Session Recap
  • Top 5: Cowie, Bradshaw, Jon Bradford, Kalitta and Severance.
  • Shawn Cowie’s 5.218 was Low ET of the Session. Bradshaw (5.243) and Bradford (5.261) round out the Top 3 from Q2.

Top Alcohol Funny Car Q2

• Notable Runs
  • Shane Westerfield’s struggles continue in Q2 with another early shut off run in the 10 second range. Look for Shane and the Team to bounce back in Q3 tomorrow.
  • Kyle Smith jumps up to #6 with a strong 5.567 ET at 257MPH run.
  • Jake Slater thunders to a 5.563 at a Booming 286.68MPH. This is by far the Fastest MPH ever seen in TAFC. He was 3.813/214MPH to the 1/8 Mile. Keep in mind, Slater is running the New Blown Nitro combo. He now sits #5 in the Q Order.
  • Stan Sipos goes all the way to the Top Spot with a 5.514/264MPH. Sipos was 3.662/210MPH to halftrack on this run.
  • Sean Bellemeur goes 5.529/262MPH to move up to the #3 Position with the 2nd Quickest Lap of the Round.
• Session Recap
  • Top 5: Sipos, Doug Gordon, Bellemeur, Bob McCosh and Annie Whiteley.
  • Quick 3 from Q2: Sipos (5.514), Bellemeur (5.529) and McCosh (5.533).

Top Sportsman Q2

• Session Recap
  • Jim Thorp lowered his #1 Qualifying ET to 6.259 in Q2 to lock in the Top Spot.
  • Top 5: Thorp, Chris Roe, Rich Smith, Michael Chitty and Alan Hiebert.
• Key E1 Matchups
  • Curt Fredrich vs. Michael Scott
  • Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson vs. Chris Bishop

Competition Eliminator Q2

• Session Recap
  • Doug Engels jumps to the #1 Spot by 004 with a .664 Under Lap in his D/Dragster Automatic. Pat Nahan was alongside Doug on this pass and went .660 under for the #2 Position.
  • Top 5: Engels, Nahan, Cali Neff, Cody Lane, Bruno Massel.
• Key E1 Matchups
  • Bruno Massel vs. Joey Arrowsmith
  • Cody Lane vs. Shaun Vincent
  • Cali Neff vs. Shane Heckel

Top Dragster Q2

• Session Recap
  • Scott Murray edges out Kevin Thorp for the Top Spot by 001 with a 6.124 Lap.
  • Top 5: Murray, Thorp, Prescott Dean, Ross Laris and Roland Rang.
  • Bill Franck ends up on the Bump Spot at 7.196. Three DNQ’s: Al Kenny, Todd Bruce and Darryl Forest.
• Key E1 Matchups
  • Holden Laris vs. Sean Parker
  • Matt Kreft vs. Mark Grame

Top Alcohol Dragster Q1

• Notable Runs
  • Mitch Kalitta makes his First Lap in NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster competition to start the session. Driving for Randy Meyer Racing, Mitch sets the early pace at 5.412/262MPH.
  • Melanie Johnson records a strong 5.276/265MPH blast to jump to the Top Spot with One Run left in the Session.
  • The Final Pair leaps to the Top 2 positions with Shawn Cowie earning the Provisional Pole at 5.211/277MPH, followed by Joey Severance at 5.276/273MPH.
• Session Recap
  • Top 5: Cowie, Severance, Jon Bradford ,Todd Bruce and Mitch Kalitta. Melanie Johnson’s 3rd Quickest Run was DQ’ed.
  • 15 Cars Made an Attempt in Q1. Dead Dubbin’s new Front-Engine Dragster is entered, but did not make an attempt.

Top Alcohol Funny Car Q1

• Notable Runs
  • Jake Slater starts off the Round with the First Pass of the new class legal Blown Nitro combo in Del Worsham’s FC. Slater goes A to B 5.589 at what would be a National Record 282.54MPH.
  • Annie Whiteley throws down a great 5.543/263MPH to jump to the Top Spot, while Bob McCosh is 004 Behind her with a 5.547/262.
  • Last Pair of the Session. Doug Gordon goes to #1 with 5.523/264MPH. Next to him, the new Bartone Bros Racing FC goes 5.545/261MPH to end Q1 in the Third Position.
• Session Recap
  • Top 5: Gordon, A.Whiteley, Bellemeur, McCosh and Chris Foster.
  • 13 Cars Made an Attempt in Q1.

Super Gas E1

• Notable Pairings
  • Scott McMasters def. Jason Kenny. This Round saw a lot of Red from the Super Gas contingent, and D1 Hitter Kenny fell victim to letting go early. Jason was 006 Red to end his run at the Brainerd Nationals title.
  • Bill Cawsey def. Kevin Dyck. Last Week Friday’s D5 Winner Cawsey gets a good start this Weekend with a Double Breakout victory over Dyck. Cawsey had the Better RT 016 to 038, and took the W 9.893 to 9.890 on the 9.90 Class Index.
• Key E2 Matchup
  • Rodger Sauder vs. Jeremy Demers
  • Bill Cawsey vs. Chris Bishop
  • Tim Moore vs. Tom Carlson

Super Stock E1

• Notable Pairing
  • Tyler Bohannon vs. Jason DeForrest. This one lived up to the hype. Tyler knocks the tree down 004 and locks Jason out with a Dead 7 Lap (9.297 on 9.29 Dial) to ring him up 11 Total. DeForrest was 020 up front and 12 Thou Under (8.948 on 8.96 Dial).
• Key E2 Matchups
  • Joe Santangelo vs. Larry Hodge
  • Ryan Montford vs. Larry Dyck (FSS/D Heads-Up)

Super Comp E1

• Notable Pairings
  • Jim Glenn def. Holden Laris. The first pair of Super Comp matched what we have seen all morning with a Double Breakout decision. Glenn is 008 take 008 Stripe to be 5 Under (8.851 on 8.90 Index) to defeat Laris’ 7 Under (8.839 on 8.90 Index).
  • Trene Cressonie def. James Cowie. In an extremely close race, Cressonie earns the Double Breakout victory 8.876 to 8.872 with a 000 Finish Line Stripe after 010 to 014 RT’s.
  • Rick Milinazzo def. Christopher Dodd. Former World Champ Dodd is always a major threat to win in Super Comp, but he would come up a few thou short in an excellent battle. Dodd was better in RT 015 to 019, but Milinazzo puts it Dead 4 (8.904) to take 004 Stripe over Christopher’s 8.912/188MPH lap.
• Key E2 Matchups
  • Jason Kenny vs. Tanner Theobald
  • Jim Glenn vs. Bob Fuller
  • Tony Pontillo vs. Jeff Cheney

Stock Eliminator E1

• Notable Pairings
  • Dirk Olson def. Parker Theobald. Theobald had a great Weekend at the Brainerd Divisional, but it came to an end early at the Nationals leaving 008 too soon handing the W to Olson.
  • Joe Santangelo def. Marlene Nelson. In a round with a lot of Breakouts, Santangelo made the right call against Nelson and cut her loose forcing the Breakout. Joe was Better in RT 036 to 071 and put it 4 Above on the brakes (10.401 on 10.36 Dial) to Marlene’s Breakout (11.752 on 11.80 Dial). Santangelo joins Cody Lane as National Points contenders advancing to E2.
• Key E2 Matchups
  • Joe Santangelo vs. Scott Dugdale
  • Jeff Cheney vs. Chris Knudsen
  • Jamey Picht vs. Don Keen

Super Street E1

• Notable Pairings
  • Nathaniel Ruiz def. Logan Diggs. Ruiz takes out Last Weekend’s Sunday D5 Winner in a great race. Ruiz is 018 Green and Dead 7 (10.907) to defeat Diggs’ Breakout effort 025 Green and 10.880 on the 10.90 Class Index.
  • Donnie Durenberger def. Gaerth Senkow. Last Year’s Event Winner Durenberger dodges a bullet here in Round 1. Senkow had a much better RT 017 to 050, but breaks out by 001 More 10.897 to 10.898 handing the win to Donnie.
  • Jimmy Denham def. Michael Chitty. Two excellent Racers and both missed the Index by a mile. Denham turns on the W Light in a Double Breakout decision 10.822 to 10.788 on the 10.90 Index.
• Key E2 Matchup
  • Scott Berghammer vs. Aaron Milton

NHRA Brainerd Nationals Thursday Qualifying Results

The NHRA Brainerd Nationals is underway at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway with Qualifying and Time Trial action for Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series categories on Thursday. Weather played havoc on the day’s on-track activity with a late start, and an early end before all day’s action was complete. Both Sessions were able to be completed in Stock Eliminator with Lance Line earning the Top Spot in his C/Stock Mustang. Brett Speer leads Super Stock into Eliminations with his SS/JA Camaro running exactly 1 Second Under the Class Index. Top Dragster, Competition Eliminator and Top Sportsman will get one more Qualifying attempt on Friday. Provisional Polesitters in those categories are: Kevin Thorp (Top Dragster), Pat Nahan (Competition Eliminator) and Jim Thorp (Top Sportsman). Action kicks off bright and early on Friday with E1 for Super Street, Stock, Super Comp, Super Stock and Super Gas. To follow along with this Event’s Livestream, head over to NHRA.tv at https://www.nhra.tv/.

• NHRA Brainerd Nationals LODRS Top Qualifiers
  • Top Dragster – Kevin Thorp 6.125 (After 1 of 2 Sessions)
  • Top Sportsman – Jim Thorp 6.288 (After 1 of 2 Sessions)
  • Comp – Pat Nahan (E/DA) 7.360 (-.620) (After 1 of 2 Sessions)
  • Super Stock – Brett Speer (SS/JA) 10.000 (-1.000)
  • Stock – Lance Line (C/S) 10.226 (-1.124)

NHRA Brainerd Nationals Thursday Live Updates

Final Thursday Update

Rain rolled into the area during TT2 for Super Comp ending the day’s on-track activities. Super Street, Stock, Super Comp, Super Stock and Super Gas will kick off Friday’s racing with E1. Top Dragster, Comp and Top Sportsman will run Q2 in the morning as well.

• Super Class E1 Potential Bye Run Holders
  • Super Comp – Bob Fuller .001 RT
  • Super Gas – Greg Maaninga .003 RT
  • Super Street – Taad Larson .001 RT

Stock Eliminator Q2

• Session Recap
  • Lance Line stayed atop the Qualifying Sheet after Q2 with his 10.226 ET from the first session. Lance earns the E1 Bye Run in the 65-Car Field.
  • Top 5: Line, Randy Mans, Larry Curtis, Tracy Fairchild and Brad Koivisto.
• Key E1 Matchups
  • Tim Barrett vs. Al Corda
  • Logan Wernet vs. Steve Hutar

Top Sportsman Q1

• Session Recap
  • Texas Racer Jim Thorp put his Supercharged 2025 Camaro atop the Qualifying List with a 6.288/226MPH run.
  • Top 5: Thorp, Chris Roe, Rich Smith, Alan Hiebert and Rob Meservier.
  • 21 Cars Made an Attempt Q1.

Competition Eliminator Q1

• Session Recap
  • Sunday’s Division 5 Points Race Winner Pat Nahan leads the pack in Q1 of Comp Qualifying at .620-Under (7.360) in his E/Dragster Automatic.
  • Top 5: Nahan, Doug Engels, Cody Lane, Bruno Massel, Shane Heckel.
  • 12 Cars Made an Attempt Q1.

Top Dragster Q1

• Session Recap
  • Kevin Thorp tops the Early Q Sheet with a 6.125/225MPH Blast.
  • Top 5: Thorp, Prescott Dean, Roland Rang, Jim Thorp and Matt Kreft.
  • 33 Cars Made an Attempt in Q1. Al Kenny is on the Bump Spot at 25.378 Seconds.

Super Stock Q1

• Session Recap
  • Brett Speer put his SS/JA Third Gen Camaro atop the Q Sheet going exactly 1.000-Under the SS/JA Index.
  • Top 5: Brett Speer, Rylee Speer, Mike Johnston, Sean Marconette and Jay Storey.
  • 60 Entries made an attempt in Q1.
  • The Day was rained out before Q2, so the Ladder is set after Q1.
• Key E1 Matchup
  • Jason DeForrest vs. Tyler Bohannon

Stock Eliminator Q1

• Session Recap
  • It wouldn’t be a Division 5 Event without a Line at the top of the Stock Qualifying Sheet. Lance Line goes 1.124 Under (10.226) in his C/Stock Mustang for the Provisional #1 Spot.
  • Top 5: Line, Randy Mans, Larry Curtis, Tracy Fairchild and Brad Koivisto.
  • Only Line and Mans were more than 1 Second Under the Class Index.
  • 65 Entries made an attempt in Q1, making this a 7 Round Race.

Rain Delay (12:15PM)

Rain has Delayed the Start of Thursday at the NHRA Brainerd Nationals. Forecast shows the weather should move out & allow for some on track action later this afternoon.

Morning Preview

Super Street to the Lanes with a 9AM Local (Central) Start Time. 2 Qualifying/Time Trial Sessions are on the schedule for all Lucas Oil Series classes.

Event Preview

• NHRA Brainerd Nationals
• August 20-23, 2026
• Brainerd International Raceway – Brainerd, MN
  • Series/Classes: NHRA National Event. Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Categories, including Top Alcohol classes and Super Street. NHRA Outlaw Street.
  • Last Year’s Event Winners: Anthony Troyer (Top Alcohol Dragster), Sean Bellemeur (Top Alcohol Funny Car), Mark Grame (Top Dragster), Michael Chitty (Top Sportsman), Matt Harris (Comp), Jason DeForrest (Super Stock), Ryan Hutar (Stock), Brian Johnson (Super Comp), Jason Kenny (Super Gas) and Donnie Durenberger (Super Street).
  • Current Points Leaders: Jamie Noonan (Top Alcohol Dragster), Sean Bellemeur (Top Alcohol Funny Car), Holden Laris (Top Dragster), Rick McDonough (Top Sportsman), Joe Carnasciale (Comp), Jody Lang (Super Stock), Michael Brand (Stock), Trey Vetter (Super Comp) and Nathan Vrooman (Super Gas).
  • Schedule: Qualifying/Time Trials (Thursday). Qualifying/Early Elims (Friday & Saturday). Final Eliminations (Sunday).
  • Live Streaming: NHRA.tv at https://www.nhra.tv/ for the entire weekend.
  • For More Info: www.NHRADiv5.com or https://www.facebook.com/nhrad5

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