MILLICAN, VANDERGRIFF, ANDERSON AND HERRERA TAKE MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE WINS AT ZMAX DRAGWAY

2FAST2TASTY Top Fuel Winner: Clay Millican

Langdon, Capps, Anderson and M. Smith all qualify No. 1 at NHRA 4-Wide Nationals

By: NHRA (Photos Courtesy NHRA)

CONCORD, N.C. (April 25, 2026) – Top Fuel’s Clay Millican won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge for the first time in 2026 on Saturday at zMAX Dragway, picking up the victory in the bonus race on a holeshot as part of this weekend’s 16th NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

Jordan Vandergriff (Funny), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also picked up Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victories, while Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) qualified No. 1 at the fourth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Taking on a quad that included Billy Torrence, Josh Hart and points leader Doug Kalitta, who had won the first two Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge races of the year, Millican went 3.832-seconds at 325.14 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Parts Plus dragster for Rick Ware Racing, holding off Torrence at the finish line.

Kalitta left first in the quad, but Millican was second with an .076 reaction time, which proved to be the difference against Torrence, who went 3.820 at 327.27 but struggled off the starting line. That meant Millican ended up with a much-needed victory, which he hopes can translate into another win on Sunday.

“To win on a holeshot is crazy, but we went right down the racetrack,” Millican said. “The team is slowly but surely getting better and better. We had our struggles; I had to learn to drive a canopy car. I’m still not quite there yet. This group of people is incredible and they have no quit. Winning today gets us in the mindset for race day tomorrow.

“We are planning on going back-to-back, but it’s really cool that Rick can say he won at his home race. It’s a big deal for us and it’s a big deal for Rick. The whole Rick Ware Racing family is just right down the road here. But it’s one of those things where we’ll celebrate real quick, but I promise you we’re already getting ready for tomorrow.”

Langdon claimed his second No. 1 qualifier of 2026 when Friday’s run of 3.674 at 339.19 in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster easily held up. His opening round quad includes Spencer Massey, Jasmine Salinas and Dan Mercier, as he looks for his second win of the season. Leah Pruett qualified second with a 3.700 at 333.82 and Kalitta took third after going 3.711 at 334.73.

“The car is responding really well to the things that we’re asking it to do, and Brian’s [Husen, crew chief] is making the right calls, and the guys are doing a great job putting the car together,” Langdon said. “So everything’s just kind of clicking right now. We’re just kind of doing what the car is showing us, and it’s making some really good laps.”

Funny Car’s Jordan Vandergriff went one better than Millican in his final quad in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, winning on a double holeshot over Ron Capps, J.R. Todd and Matt Hagan with a strong run of 3.933 at 325.85 in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS for John Force Racing.

It’s the first win of any kind for Vandergriff in his NHRA career and this one was a thriller, as both Vandergriff and Todd ran identical times. Capps went a quicker 3.929, but Vandergriff left slightly earlier, with his .067 reaction time proving to be the difference in a great finale.

It’s the latest standout performance for Vandergriff, who continues to make waves and show impressive progress in his fourth race in the Funny Car ranks.

“This is my first time racing four-wide, and it’s interesting, for sure,” Vandergriff said. “This last run, I was in lane two and it’s a little trickier looking across the tree, but it seemed to work out. I didn’t expect to win it. I just went up there and did what I could and that’s thanks to my Cornwell Quality Tools team giving me the right car to go out there and do it.

“I’m getting more and more comfortable in the car. It’s starting to slow down and I’m starting to get the handle on the steering wheel and feel for the car. It’s a whole lot of fun driving these cars. I never thought I would be a Funny Car driver, but I think after this, I can say I’m a Funny Car driver now.”

Capps did pick up his second No. 1 qualifier of the season thanks to Friday’s 3.883 at 333.91 in his 12,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra. Vandergriff qualified second with a run of 3.899 at 328.70 and Hagan, who is tied with Capps for the points lead, took third with a 3.901 at 326.16.

“I love having Dean [Antonelli, crew chief] as a guy to go to battle with, because he can adapt pretty quickly,” Capps said. “There’s a lot of unpredictables for tomorrow. You don’t know what Jimmy Prock’s going to do when they find what they’ve been looking for, and they will. We have Austin [Prock] in our quad. There’s a lot of tough cars in this class right now. There are legitimately 12 Funny Cars that can win on any given day and it wasn’t always that way.”

Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson enjoyed a stellar day at zMAX Dragway, clinching the No. 1 qualifier for the third straight race and winning for the first time this season in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, going 6.549 at 207.11 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro to get past Matt Latino, Aaron Stanfield and Eric Latino.

Following Friday’s 6.498 at 211.23 – which was the only run in the 6.40s – that handed Anderson his 143rd No. 1 qualifier in his career, Anderson kept that momentum going and he’ll look for a clean sweep and a flawless weekend on Sunday. Anderson, who won the most recent race in Pomona, takes on a first-round quad that includes E. Latino, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Rodger Brogdon.

“I got Dallas [Glenn] today. We got him last week in the final at Pomona and today in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, so it was a good day for GA and a good day for Hendrick Cars, and a great day for KB Titan,” Anderson said.

“The run on Friday night just matched the race track perfectly. It was a little bit loose last night, but it was fast, so that’s what I think we missed today. The race track actually got better again today, and we missed a little bit and that’s why we didn’t run as well today. We’re probably overhooked on the racetrack, which is a great problem to have.”

Reigning world champion Dallas Glenn qualified second with a run of 6.521 at 210.77 and M. Latino was third with a 6.527 at 210.64.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, two-time world champion Gaige Herrera got the best of a quad that included Matt Smith, reigning world champion Richard Gadson and John Hall with a run of 6.759 at 199.20 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Herrera had a huge starting-line advantage with an .018 reaction time and held off Smith at the finish line to take the victory in the specialty race.

“It’s a boost for the team and myself, just for working hard on, not only on the bike, but me physically,” Herrera said. “It was a tough quad between John Hall, Matt [Smith], Richard [Gadson]. I knew I had to be on the tree, but for me to run the .759 and then Matt to run the .76, that’s the kind of racing I love.

“It’s awesome Mission does this. I feel like, as a racer, after Friday, it’s basically two days of racing. It’s like, you wake up Saturday and Sunday with a different attitude, that you’re going out there to push your hardest and do your best, and this just makes it a lot more fun.”

Smith, the defending event winner on his Denso Auto Parts Buell, enjoyed a milestone moment on Saturday, as his run of 6.739 at 203.09 from Friday officially gave the six-time world champion his 60th career No. 1 qualifier, handing him the most in Pro Stock Motorcycle history. To do it at his home track meant even more for Smith, who looks to win for the first time in 2026 on Sunday.

“It’s amazing to get this 60th number one qualifier. I’ve been doing it a while, but I don’t feel like I’ve been doing it for that long, if you know what I mean, but I’ve been very successful,” Smith said. “I’ve had a good career with at least running fast and to do this at my home track makes it even more special for it to be the 60th all-time leading number one qualifier.

“I struggled quite a bit in ‘06 and I ran a couple of races in ’05, but finally got the call from George Bryson, who saw I had the potential. The very first time I rode the V-twin, I was the number one qualifier at Indy, and that was my first number one qualifier ever. I’m just happy I got to do it, and I’m proud to be here.”

Ryan Oehler qualified second with a 6.752 at 201.28 and Herrera took third with a 6.756 at 200.50.

Eliminations for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

First-round pairings for professional eliminations Sunday for the 16th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, the fourth 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. Shawn Langdon, 3.674 seconds, 339.19 mph vs. 16. Dan Mercier, 3.868, 317.94 vs. 8. Spencer Massey, 3.781, 327.98 vs. 9. Jasmine Salinas, 3.783, 331.85; 2. Leah Pruett, 3.700, 333.82 vs. 15. Justin Ashley, 3.842, 329.34 vs. 7. Will Smith, 3.775, 331.94 vs. 10. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.789, 328.14; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.711, 334.73 vs. 14. Maddi Gordon, 3.825, 326.32 vs. 6. Antron Brown, 3.761, 333.25 vs. 11. Clay Millican, 3.792, 325.14; 4. Josh Hart, 3.733, 329.26 vs. 13. Tony Schumacher, 3.812, 328.14 vs. 5. Billy Torrence, 3.748, 329.34 vs. 12. Tony Stewart, 3.808, 329.91.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Keith Murt, 3.930, 304.39; 18. Shawn Reed, 3.959, 304.32; 19. Scott Farley, 4.086, 268.33.

Funny Car — 1. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.883, 333.91 vs. 16. Austin Prock, Ford Mustang, 4.833, 176.56 vs. 8. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.941, 321.73 vs. 9. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.981, 319.67; 2. Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 3.899, 328.70 vs. 15. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.525, 198.96 vs. 7. Dave Richards, Mustang, 3.939, 332.59 vs. 10. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.993, 305.70; 3. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.901, 326.16 vs. 14. John Smith, Charger, 4.117, 308.50 vs. 6. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.933, 317.94 vs. 11. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.001, 282.84; 4. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.910, 336.40 vs. 13. Jeff Arend, Charger, 4.080, 305.15 vs. 5. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 3.932, 331.20 vs. 12. Hunter Green, Charger, 4.049, 314.17.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.498, 211.23 vs. 16. Rodger Brogdon, Camaro, 6.594, 208.23; 2. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.521, 210.77 vs. 15. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.586, 210.41; 3. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.527, 210.64 vs. 14. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.574, 210.37; 4. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.539, 209.14 vs. 13. Stephen Bell, Camaro, 6.573, 208.49; 5. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.545, 210.87 vs. 12. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.571, 209.82; 6. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.545, 210.50 vs. 11. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.566, 208.78; 7. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.545, 209.39 vs. 10. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.560, 208.23; 8. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.550, 210.28 vs. 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.555, 208.17.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Chris McGaha, 6.609, 209.79; 18. Mason McGaha, 6.617, 209.59; 19. Brandon Miller, 6.618, 208.84; 20. Shane Tucker, 6.639, 207.62; 21. Alan Prusiensky, 6.863, 203.00.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.739, 203.09 vs. 16. Michael Ray, Buell, 8.892, 98.85 vs. 8. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.793, 199.97 vs. 9. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.804, 200.11; 2. Ryan Oehler, Buell, 6.752, 201.55 vs. 15. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, 7.144, 187.29 vs. 7. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.790, 200.00 vs. 10. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.822, 200.17; 3. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.756, 200.50 vs. 14. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.902, 196.70 vs. 6. John Hall, Beull, 6.783, 201.46 vs. 11. Marc Ingwersen, Buell, 6.843, 198.44; 4. Brayden Davis, Buell, 6.759, 202.00 vs. 13. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.844, 200.02 vs. 5. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.781, 201.46 vs. 12. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.843, 195.99.