Langdon Maintains Speed As NHRA Hits Norwalk

NORWALK, Ohio — High Gasoline factors chief Shawn Langdon moved nearer to his third No. 1 qualifier previously 4 races, taking the provisional No. 1 place on Friday at Summit Motorsports Park as a part of this weekend’s twentieth annual Summit Racing Gear NHRA Nationals.

Ron Capps (Humorous Automobile), Greg Anderson (Professional Inventory) and Gaige Herrera (Professional Inventory Bike) are additionally the provisional No. 1 qualifiers in Norwalk on the tenth of 20 races throughout the 2026 NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Collection season.

Langdon went 3.742 seconds at 335.23 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster, making the quickest run of each classes on Friday in Norwalk. If it holds, Langdon would earn his fifth No. 1 qualifier this season and twenty seventh in his profession.

The factors chief noticed his successful streak snapped in Bristol, however he’s nonetheless superior to 6 straight closing rounds as he appears to be like to maintain rolling in Norwalk.

“We’re very happy with how the automotive ran and I feel with what we’re attempting to perform, Brian’s [Husen, crew chief] been making nice calls, and he’s been doing an amazing job getting the automotive put collectively completely, so it permits for some nice runs like that,” Langdon mentioned. “Happily, the automotive’s responding effectively and it’s fairly glued in. We’re very pleased with the setup proper now.

“I feel what you noticed as we speak is just a bit indication of the nice racing floor, with huge speeds. There’s just a little extra on the market, so so long as we will preserve that cloud cowl, and the crew chiefs begin getting extra data and getting just a little extra aggressive with it, you’ll see faster E.T.s and greater speeds.”

Tony Stewart moved into the second spot with a run of three.767 at 335.07 and rookie standout Maddi Gordon is third after going 3.793 at 335.40.

Ron Capps made probably the most of a stellar second qualifying session in Humorous Automobile, dipping into the three.80s in Norwalk with a powerful run of three.894 at 328.38 in his 12,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra.

The factors chief was the one driver within the 3.80s, but it surely was a standout session as Capps was challenged on a number of events. It was an enormous second for the three-time world champion, who’s now in place to get his third No. 1 qualifier of the season and the fortieth in his profession. Capps has been remarkably constant in a loaded Humorous Automobile class this yr and is after his second profession win in Norwalk.

“Situations clearly obtained cooler three or 4 vehicles earlier than us. I might see the cloud cowl coming, and Guido [crew chief Dean Antonelli] obtained again within the field about 4 or 5 occasions greater than regular and saved coming again,” Capps mentioned.

“This place is infamous [with weather] altering from one session to the subsequent, not to mention everyday. I’ve been doing this a very long time, and it’s not that I don’t have faith, however the Humorous Automobile area is insane this yr, and it will get that manner yearly.”

Defending occasion winner Austin Prock is second with a run of three.905 at 334.15 and Alexis DeJoria is third after going 3.918 at 330.63.

Professional Inventory’s Greg Anderson all the time appears to be like to go huge at Summit Motorsports Park and the factors chief definitely did so on Friday, going low of the day with a 6.550 at 209.36 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.

The six-time world champ had the very best run of each classes, which additionally provides him loads of momentum heading into Saturday’s GETTRX All-Star Callout. Anderson will get the primary decide in Saturday’s bonus race and the veteran, who has three wins at America’s Racetrack, has an amazing alternative for an enormous weekend at a monitor and race that’s all the time meant an amazing deal to him.

“Yeah, it was huge [the provisional no. 1 qualifier], however tomorrow’s the massive day,” Anderson mentioned. “We love particular races like this, and I’ve been lucky the previous two years, so hopefully tomorrow’s one other huge day, however we needed to set it up as we speak. I feel we obtained all of the factors we will get as we speak.

“I don’t anticipate the climate and the race to be a complete lot totally different tomorrow. It’s an amazing begin, so I positively really feel good going again to the resort tonight realizing that we’ve obtained an excellent racehorse on the monitor tomorrow.”

Reigning world champion Dallas Glenn is second with a run of 6.561 at 209.07 and Matt Hartford, who gained in Bristol, went 6.564 at 208.71, placing him third.

In Professional Inventory Bike, Gaige Herrera continued his dominant stretch from Bristol, making the quickest run of each classes on Friday in Norwalk, together with a 6.779 at 199.64 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki.

After not getting a No. 1 qualifier on the first handful of races, Herrera is now on monitor for his second straight prime spot and was solely one in every of two riders to achieve the 6.70s on Friday. He rolled to the victory in Bristol and Herrera would like to preserve it going at Summit Motorsports Park, the place he gained throughout his 2024 championship season.

“I wouldn’t say it’s again to regular, but it surely feels good. We’ve form of been struggling for a bit now, however we made some adjustments to the bike itself, so hopefully I’ll have the identical bike within the solar tomorrow,” Herrera mentioned.

“I simply had a bunch of dangerous luck, so far as elements breaking. It’s simply been one factor after one other for me. Andrew (Hines, crew chief) has been taking a look at his notes greater than something and I feel they figured one thing out with the sector.”

Joey Gladstone, who’s filling in for Matt Smith for the second straight race, is second with a 6.795 at 198.70 and Angie Smith is at present third after going 6.805 at 200.11.