NHRA 2025. Round 4. Las Vegas. Finals. Part 2

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Transcript

00:00:00I said I'm just going to go right in for it. I'm ready to go. Went in. You know this is four wide, right? I've been watching it for years. First time ever doing it. I just thought I'd roll in. Count. One, two, three. Felt comfortable. Light came down. Good to go. I couldn't be more grateful to my sponsors. Bear Gryll's here. This win is definitely for them. It's my mom's birthday. So this win is definitely dedicated to my mom. My family's at home watching. Like I said, Bear Gryll, Air IQ, Wright Trailers. These guys are making it happen for me. KB Titan power all the way, baby.

00:00:26Tony, Matt's been impressive. And we've seen him a couple of times this year and he has not missed a beat. Well, you can hear in his voice that he knew exactly what he was doing. He's very calculated and great execution. This is the pit area of Josh Hart is R&L Carrier's top fuel team servicing the engine, servicing the car. As we heard from Josh at the top end a little while ago with Bruno said, hey, listen, maybe a little lady luck playing his way there. All he needs to do is be second again to make the final. Yeah. And I mean, the competition ramps up for Josh Hart, but he's well aware of that. He's going to let the

00:00:56team do what they have to do right now. You can see the services near completion. They're putting that valve cover on. They're going to torque that. They're going to put the spark plugs in once they lift that titanium shield. And the reason they have that on there that says hemi is occasionally if these these plugs, they fail. Well, that crimp will actually, because of the massive amount of cylinder pressure, sometimes it had a tendency to shoot the plug out. Well, who knows where those plugs went, but they knew they were firing out. So that shield is going to contain those spark plugs.

00:01:23So that is the top fuel engine being buttoned up on the other side of the service schedule right now is the pro stock teams, which are making their way back into the pit. The Getrex pit camera showing the total seal piston rings rolling back in. And this is where a bunch of things happen, Tony. It's a smaller crew. But first, Eddie Granacci on the left side. He's going to get the data from the computer. Matt on the right side. Here's his brother, Adam, his wife, Amber. They're going to start servicing the race car.

00:01:47Yeah. And it's a really interesting dynamic. Of course, the crew chief, he knows the engine, but he's really a clutch specialist. He's worked very closely with Bonifani over the years. The clutch discs, they manufacture them. Matt Hartford, you know, this guy sets his engine up.

00:02:01You know, he does it in tandem with his crew chief. But of course, they're going to download the information. Eddie is going to take a look at it. He's going to read it. He's going to monitor it. He's going to share that with Matt Hartford.

00:02:10But Eddie, you can see him instantly already taking some of that shielding off of that clutch area because they want to pull the clutch out. He's going to surface those discs or replace them.

00:02:20Meanwhile, Matt Hartford, once he gets the feedback and looks at what his shift points were and where the fuel curve was, he's going to start making adjustments to the changing weather conditions.

00:02:29When they look at the quad they will compete in next round, Matt Hartford should be satisfied. Greg was quickest at 661. He was second quick at 63, which gives him 300s over Quadrant in 600s.

00:02:40Over at Corey Reed's run. The alcohol funny car category is happening this weekend. The alcohol funny car category. Tony, these cars are great.

00:02:49Blown alcohol burning engines. You can also run an injected nitro burning combination in these cars. They run a multi-speed transmission.

00:02:56They can run a clutch or a torque converter. In this case, they run a clutch. So when she stages this car, she's bringing the RPMs up with her foot and swapping feet.

00:03:04Yeah, and that's something, you know, we talked about a lot of the professional drivers in nitro funny cars.

00:03:08I mean, you can really go back to the 90s with Cruz, Pedragon, you know, Ron Capps. Of course, Ron drove an injected nitro car.

00:03:15And there weren't very many of them around, of course. They were introduced last year into this class.

00:03:20So you have the nitro injected cars that are competing against these supercharged cars.

00:03:24We see Mandy Gordon here, but in that number one lane is Sean Bellamore. That's Tony Bartone's car and has won so many championships that is now burning nitro methane.

00:03:32And this is Brian Howe, the Cascade truck body and trailer sales machine out of the great state of Oregon.

00:03:37Howe won at the Winter Nationals in this category. He tunes the car with his wife, Mindy, for the first time in years.

00:03:43And there you can see the Gordon family now standing behind Maddie, who is about to make this run.

00:03:48Bellamore's injected car set every record known to man in Gainesville, but the heat has been unkind to the injected nitro combination.

00:03:54Maddie Gordon wheels up a 24 reaction time.

00:04:01But look at Bellamore, he's hanging in there, finish line stripe.

00:04:04It is going to be a whole shot victory for Gordon.

00:04:075-54-4, outruns the 52-2 of Bellamore, and a Haug win as well at 5-55-7, the two advance.

00:04:14Yeah, and Bellamore, I mean, they changed the nitro percentage for those cars coming in.

00:04:19They had a pretty impressive advantage over the cars.

00:04:22However, the timing may not have been best for the injected cars because they're at elevation, but they also leave it at idle.

00:04:29So it was slower reacting than Maddie Gordon here, as well as Brian Howe in that number four lane.

00:04:36Talk about this is how you earn yourself a ride in a top fuel dragster.

00:04:39Leave 24, carry the front wheels a couple hundred feet, and then keep the thing stuck to the center of the racetrack.

00:04:44Look, you can't see that good.

00:04:46She really can't see over the injector, so a funny car driver, they're looking at the horizon, but you use your peripheral vision.

00:04:53She's also having to pang a couple of gears in between all of this.

00:04:56Of course, we have a Quadra boy going on to the semifinal round in Pro Stock, and Bruno caught up with him.

00:05:03Christian Quadra is looking over the AT slip and realizing how close a race that quad just was.

00:05:07You go to the car, didn't think you hit the tree that well, but a whole shot win advances you.

00:05:11What's it going to take to continue on here today?

00:05:13I need to repeat this reaction time.

00:05:150-12, I think I can do it, so everybody's working really hard in our team.

00:05:20Frank is giving me the power, so I think we just need to focus and hit the tree.

00:05:25Congratulations.

00:05:26Thank you.

00:05:27That is the combination.

00:05:29That is that magical combination, the one-two punch, if you will.

00:05:32And you can see now the top fuel dragster of Tony Stewart is buttoned up.

00:05:36We've got our Pro Stock Motorcycle category back in Charlotte, and our coverage of the American Rebel Light.

00:05:41Four wide nationals kicks off Saturday, April 26th at 10 p.m. Eastern on FS1.

00:05:46Then Sunday at 11 a.m. for final qualifying and final rounds of eliminations at 7 p.m. Eastern on FS1.

00:05:52The Pro Stock Motorcycle category, the last time we saw them was at the Gator Nationals,

00:05:57and it came down to, once again, the two premier names in the category.

00:06:00A rivalry that has taken on pretty epic proportion over the last couple of years.

00:06:04I never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss Matt Smith.

00:06:07I miss some of the conflict and the drama that comes with it.

00:06:10I can't wait for them to get back out on the track.

00:06:13Gage did continue to dominate at Gainesville.

00:06:15Gage Herrera has never lost a round in his career at Gainesville.

00:06:19He has won the first season at 23 when he was a rookie.

00:06:22Last year, 24.

00:06:23This year, 2025.

00:06:24It is Gageville, Florida.

00:06:26Officially, he's got more Golden Gators than, well, anybody else that's been on top of one of these things for three years.

00:06:31And the fun doesn't seem to have any sort of relent coming.

00:06:34A person who's making a great impression this weekend, of course, is Maddie Gordon, and she is with Bruno.

00:06:42Maddie Gordon just beat the world champ on a whole shot.

00:06:44You're having a pretty good week here in Vegas so far.

00:06:46The big announcement the other day, you're heading to the final round.

00:06:49Your driving's been on point.

00:06:50One more step.

00:06:51What do you got to do with the final?

00:06:52Oh, my gosh.

00:06:53You know what?

00:06:54This team, I'm so biased, but we have the best team here.

00:06:57My whole family, my grandma, my dad, my papa, my sister, my mom.

00:07:01You know, we're all out here.

00:07:02We just broke a main cap last run, so we're changing motors.

00:07:05I was literally getting my suit on as we're putting the belly pan up.

00:07:09So it was pretty gnarly thrashed last round.

00:07:11But to get it done on a whole shot, you know, my team's done so much for me.

00:07:14But to be able to get this one done for my team is just so dang excited.

00:07:18We lost this race by four inches last year, and I'm hoping to win it by hopefully more than four inches this year.

00:07:24Well, hold on a second.

00:07:25You're not keeping score, obviously.

00:07:26You're keeping track of everything that's going on.

00:07:28We're all keeping track of what you've got coming down in the road in the future in the top fuel car.

00:07:31How hard is it going to be for you to give up that ride for that long, skinny one?

00:07:35You know what?

00:07:35The hardest thing is going to be leaving my family.

00:07:37My grandpa gives me the biggest fist pump every time I get in the car, and that's going to be one of the hardest things to leave.

00:07:42But I'm grateful for the opportunity.

00:07:44I can't wait, and they're going to be supporting me all the way through.

00:07:46So it's going to be exciting.

00:07:49It certainly will be, and it already has been.

00:07:52In her rookie season last year, she was in contention for a championship.

00:07:55The work being done now on Matt Hagen's Nitro Funny Car, as this team has four or five guys on top.

00:08:01We've got a guy on the header.

00:08:02We've got a guy on the header.

00:08:03They've got to put the lifters in first, and those inner head nuts, they're not easy to work with.

00:08:07You know, you've got a lot of oil you're dealing with.

00:08:09You don't want to drop them in to any of those holes that those lifters go in.

00:08:14Yeah, that ends in tears every single time.

00:08:17When we come back, we'll dive right back into the pit area here at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

00:08:22Wrenching under the sun here at Vicks.

00:08:25The Toyota display was packed this weekend.

00:08:32Fans experiencing all the interactive exhibits, but also having gone with a massive lineup of Toyota drivers signing autographs.

00:08:39Whether it's Antron Brown, Torrance, Bodie.

00:08:41Of course, we had Justin Ashley there, Doug Coletta, Sean Langdon, and the like.

00:08:45They had plenty of time to spend with their fans.

00:08:47You know, Clay Milligan had a great Pomona.

00:08:49Unfortunately, his Las Vegas race came to a very abrupt ending in the first round.

00:08:54It is a quiet pit area, but Clay's not always quiet.

00:08:57When we talk to this guy, we always learn something about him, especially his Top Fuel career.

00:09:00And this brings us to the Top Fuel Eliminator final round.

00:09:12Well, when you've made as many runs as I have, a lot of times you're able to overcome them.

00:09:18And you're able to complete a run that probably shouldn't have even happened to begin with.

00:09:24Is it Stewart or is it Milligan because of the much more experience in these tense moments?

00:09:30Clay Milligan, with flames trailing behind his dragster, picks up a Winter Nationals victory.

00:09:36Now, these are few and far between, but I have made thousands of runs in a Top Fuel car.

00:09:42So there's not much I haven't seen.

00:09:45And because I have that experience, I might be able to overcome a problem that some of the younger drivers can't because they don't know what to do.

00:09:53And here comes Clay Milligan from Drummond's, Tennessee.

00:09:58Now he has run the U.S. Nationals 15 times.

00:10:02He has never won it.

00:10:04To quote Don the Snake Perdom, you're only as good as your last time, Snow.

00:10:09The final round of Top Fuel, the big goal.

00:10:12They leave.

00:10:13Steve's out first.

00:10:14He smokes the tires.

00:10:15Clay Milligan wins the U.S. Nationals.

00:10:17I think of the movie for the love of the game.

00:10:23You've got to be able to clear the mechanism.

00:10:27With Kevin Costner on the mound, he can hear all the noise.

00:10:30He hears the fans booing.

00:10:31He hears the fans cheering.

00:10:34But you've got to clear all of that.

00:10:36You need to be in that moment, present with your race car and what your job is.

00:10:43And you need that focus to just come down to this.

00:10:46It's you, the Christmas tree, the groove on the racetrack, and making sure you do your job.

00:10:57The U.S. Nationals is the largest drag race in the world.

00:11:02I spent 20-plus years going there trying to win it.

00:11:07Winning Indy for me is second to winning Bristol on Father's Day.

00:11:16When that wind light come home, I knew that Father's Day was okay.

00:11:29That was a gift from Baltimore to me.

00:11:32Nineteen years, a pile of five wins, and no wins.

00:11:42Things happened for a reason, and that was supposed to happen that day that way.

00:11:47It was a present, and it was Dad.

00:11:54Don't be sad on Father's Day.

00:11:56I'm still your kid, and I still love you.

00:12:00But that's why Bristol will always be the biggest.

00:12:04A few more poignant stories have been recorded than that over the last several years

00:12:11as we now go into Matt Hagen's pit area as they continue to finish up the service

00:12:15on the Dodge Direct Connection funny car.

00:12:17It's work as usual.

00:12:19We're not seeing too much out of order here.

00:12:20The team has the cylinder heads put back on the engine.

00:12:22They're getting ready for the semifinal round.

00:12:25And for Matt Hagen, this is a guy who's certainly a next-level personality

00:12:29in the sport of drag racing.

00:12:30We sent Bruno to hang with Hagen.

00:12:34So Matt Hagen and I came out a little early for a little competitive fun.

00:12:37You know what I mean?

00:12:38We both like going straight, and we're pretty good at it.

00:12:40But when it comes to turning, I'm a little suspect.

00:12:42So, you know, a lot of people don't realize that you and I have a lot in common.

00:12:45We're both four-time world champs, right?

00:12:48My car's probably a little faster than yours.

00:12:49No, man.

00:12:50Mine's like at least 100 miles an hour faster than yours.

00:12:52Come on.

00:12:52All right, that's fair.

00:12:52Both like to work out, though.

00:12:55Look at this, man.

00:12:56He's got abs.

00:12:56He's a little bigger than I am.

00:12:57He's got abs.

00:12:57There's less about problems.

00:12:58And if you notice real quick, he'll pick this up.

00:13:01He talks even faster than I do, which is hard to believe.

00:13:03So today, it's about redemption for me.

00:13:05We're going to go on some carter at Radford, and we're going to have a lot of fun,

00:13:08and I'm going to whoop his you-know-what.

00:13:22So, Matt, how did you actually get into racing?

00:13:24I never asked you that.

00:13:25Oh, man.

00:13:25You know, I was like 13 years old, and one of my family friends took me to a drag race,

00:13:30an NHRA Bristol race, and, man, I heard the funny cars fire off for the first time.

00:13:34I was like, what is that, bro?

00:13:37Started drag racing a four-wheeler, man, and won a little bit of money doing it,

00:13:39and I was just like, all right, at 13 years old, I won 100 and some bucks.

00:13:43Finally started getting old enough to get my license and started stealing cars off my dad's car lot

00:13:46and bringing them back with the transmissions and out of them and different things, man.

00:13:50Oh, he was loving that.

00:13:50Oh, man.

00:13:51I've got to tell you something.

00:13:52Before we became friends, I was a fan of yours.

00:13:55Oh, really?

00:13:55I was sitting at home watching.

00:13:57I watched you lose the championship to John Forrest.

00:13:59Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:13:59That was a tough one.

00:14:00And I sat there, and they went tight on you.

00:14:02You were down behind the funny car.

00:14:03I'll never forget it.

00:14:04The agony of defeat, and you painted that picture.

00:14:06I actually thought to myself, they better watch out because they just shook the bear.

00:14:09Because this guy's coming back after.

00:14:10Well, you know.

00:14:11What was like that experience for you?

00:14:13Because then you went on to win a championship afterwards.

00:14:14Yeah, the next year we won the championship.

00:14:16but, like, absolutely had my heart ripped out of me.

00:14:19You know what I mean?

00:14:19And I was the second year in a funny car, still trying to learn to drive the thing.

00:14:22It really drove me to, like, make me go harder the next year.

00:14:25You know, really get on the tree, lose some more weight.

00:14:27You know, do different things that I needed to do to be more competitive.

00:14:30So when you get up top, you know, you don't want to ever have that feeling again, you know?

00:14:33Well, you're going to have that feeling in about a minute.

00:14:35No, no, man.

00:14:36I'm going to give it to you.

00:14:37This is hard to go down.

00:14:46Do you have nitro in the tank in that thing?

00:14:52That's about as much fun as you can have with it.

00:14:54Do you see who got across the line first?

00:14:56I think you did.

00:14:56I love redemption, finally!

00:14:58Full contact go-kart racing.

00:15:03That's what drag racers do.

00:15:05For Matt Hartford at the GetTrak's pit camera,

00:15:08where he's finishing up the spark plug change in his engine,

00:15:10Harry Houdini's probably the most famous escape artist who ever lived,

00:15:13but Matt Hartford was one during the first round of Pro Stock,

00:15:16and David Freiberger talked to him about it.

00:15:20Matt just got out of the first quad in Pro Stock

00:15:23with nearly a quarter-second reaction time.

00:15:25Not your fault.

00:15:26Walk us through the fiasco of four-wide staging up there.

00:15:30So the thing is that everybody has to pre-stage.

00:15:33Once everybody's pre-staged, well, you can stage at any time,

00:15:35but we had four pre-stage bulbs on.

00:15:38The minute that someone puts on the second bulb so they're fully staged,

00:15:42you now have seven seconds that starts auto-start.

00:15:45So in seven seconds, the tree's going to activate regardless.

00:15:48And so I went into the second bulb,

00:15:50and I seen two of the other guys were into the second bulb,

00:15:52and the fourth one hadn't been lit yet,

00:15:55and I'm sitting there, and I counted to about five in my head,

00:15:57and I just matted it.

00:15:58So I was on the chip for a long time.

00:16:00It felt like an eternity.

00:16:01Not good on the engine either.

00:16:02But then the light came on and I let the clutch out.

00:16:04Obviously, one of the opponents didn't stage.

00:16:07But you've got to be ready for that in four-wide.

00:16:09It's not like two-wide racing.

00:16:10If you're not prepared to go on the chip early,

00:16:13you're probably going home.

00:16:14He got out of the starting line.

00:16:17A lot of horsepower in that car.

00:16:18He is into the semifinal.

00:16:20Our Fent record-setting performances.

00:16:22The track records here all set in the fall,

00:16:24which, of course, will come back to wide action.

00:16:26But you can see Brittany Forrest, Robert Hyde, Jack Beckman,

00:16:29Kyle Koretsky, and Eric Anders are the record holders on ET and Speed

00:16:33throughout the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series professional categories.

00:16:37This week's Fent record-setting performances.

00:16:39Tony, we're getting close.

00:16:40Austin Brock and the team have warmed up their Cornwell quality tool Chevrolet Camaro.

00:16:45They are ready to throw down here eight remaining cars.

00:16:47We're going to cleave it in half and make four right after this

00:16:50as the Nitro fills the air one more time.

00:16:59The NHRA Youth and Education Services, or YES, program was a big hit this weekend.

00:17:04Thousands of local area high school kids came through the racetrack

00:17:07to check out opportunities with places like the United States Air Force,

00:17:10Gerber, Collision, and Glass, places like Carlisle Tools.

00:17:14Tony, this is a great way for racers to talk to kids.

00:17:17I mean, Bob Tasker III is a big part of this thing,

00:17:19talking about opportunities that Ford has for them as well.

00:17:21It is.

00:17:21They're just one step away from the workplace.

00:17:23There's so much influence that they can acquire here.

00:17:26And, look, we're both tied into the automotive industry.

00:17:29And it's across the board.

00:17:31Everyone says the same thing.

00:17:32We are in need.

00:17:33There's a high demand for technicians.

00:17:34And you can see that interactive display the United States Air Force has had all weekend long.

00:17:39Our K&A key storylines.

00:17:40Jasmine Salinas advances for the fourth consecutive race to the second round.

00:17:44Tony Stewart is one step closer to back-to-back finals if he can make this last quad.

00:17:49For Bob Tasker III, it was horrible disappointment

00:17:51as the car failed to back up in the first round after do not qualifying in Pomona.

00:17:56And, finally, Matt Hagen advances for the bottom half of the field

00:18:00into the semifinal quad this weekend.

00:18:03The top two ladder shows us it will be Coletta, Ashley, Torrance, and Stewart.

00:18:07That is an all-star lineup if there ever was one.

00:18:09On the opposite side, Sean Reed, Josh Hart, Antron Brown, and Jasmine Salinas.

00:18:17And we return to the starting line.

00:18:19We will see Jasmine Salinas in lane four, Sean Reed in lane three,

00:18:22Josh Hart in lane two, and Antron Brown in lane number one.

00:18:26Tony, when we look at the performances of the cars and drivers coming in here,

00:18:30I have to be looking at lanes one and four as the two favorite to advance.

00:18:33Well, you have to.

00:18:34That is, of course, Antron Brown and Sean Reed, the second-quickest car coming into this set.

00:18:39You can't deny Jasmine Salinas.

00:18:41You look at her laps time.

00:18:42It's a 393.

00:18:44Only 290 miles per hour.

00:18:45That means that car was spinning the tires near the end of the track.

00:18:48She had to shut it down early.

00:18:49She did advance.

00:18:50She is in this heat.

00:18:51So it's not going to take a lot for them to address how those tires slip at the end of the track.

00:18:56Summoner 18 equipment on board is going to carry us through the water box with Antron Brown.

00:19:08You're a Dubinel pond in your shoe leather between rounds here to get information.

00:19:11What you got on Antron?

00:19:12That is right, Brian.

00:19:13I'm down here working hard.

00:19:14I talked to Antron Brown before this round.

00:19:16The story in the first round was Jasmine Salinas facing former champions in Antron Brown and Sean Knight.

00:19:21Well, now Antron, our defending champion in top fuel, is in this quad with three drivers that have never won a championship.

00:19:27And I asked Antron Brown how he talks about that.

00:19:29He says, look, everybody is dangerous.

00:19:32You cannot let your guard down.

00:19:33I am the defending champ.

00:19:34And when people race speed, they raise their level, their game.

00:19:37Josh Hart's capable of cutting light.

00:19:39Sean Reed's been running quick.

00:19:40And Jasmine in the first round hit that 40 light.

00:19:43Antron wants to win this round and also run quickly in choice.

00:19:46It's hot out here, guys.

00:19:48The final round lane play is going to be super important.

00:19:50Well, the temperature's increased to 85 degrees.

00:19:52However, on the racetrack, it went from 117 in the first round to now 130 degrees.

00:20:08And look at this.

00:20:09Lane's one and four.

00:20:10Jasmine Salinas is going to the final quad.

00:20:13399, 4 at 307.

00:20:15Antron was a quicker.

00:20:163903 at 313 miles an hour.

00:20:19But the two cars in the middle up in smoke.

00:20:22Well, it wouldn't have taken a lot to predict the outcome of this race.

00:20:25It was the two cars on the outside lanes.

00:20:28And Antron Brown, we talked about him.

00:20:30He was the second quickest car in that first round.

00:20:33And he was the best.

00:20:34And Jasmine Salinas, you can see the two cars in the center up in smoke.

00:20:37The more smoke off those rear tires was Josh Hart in that number two lane.

00:20:41And take a look at the number three lane.

00:20:42And it was Sean Reed.

00:20:43You can see his car really starts to black track.

00:20:46It's spinning the tires.

00:20:47You can see it actually spins the tires.

00:20:49He gets off the throttle back in it.

00:20:51Jasmine Salinas, only seven cylinders from the eighth mile to the finish line.

00:20:55But the target for every team is going to change.

00:20:58When we talk about a better than 10 degree increase on the racetrack,

00:21:02I mean, the tuners are going to have to slip the clutch more.

00:21:03For the second time in two quads, Jasmine Salinas was the quickest car to leave the blocks.

00:21:10For Antron Brown, you saw that thing dropping holes like a B-52 by the time it got to the finish line.

00:21:15But he got it done as Jasmine Salinas continues on what has been a very, very strong start to her season.

00:21:20Depending on how things go in this final quad, Jasmine may actually find herself within the top five in points.

00:21:26And we know that coming through this season with a regular season championship introduced in 2025,

00:21:31these early season successes could be very profitable later on down the line.

00:21:35And the elapsed times right now reflect more of what we saw on Friday when we saw temperatures like this.

00:21:40So what they saw in the first round is going to be quite a bit different than what it is now.

00:21:46So for Jasmine Salinas, who has had a breakout start to 2025, she has been thrust into this role.

00:21:52Really, last year, she was planning on having a bit of a development season, running some races.

00:21:57Her father had a medical issue, and she was in the car full-time for the second race of the year.

00:22:02The 2022 Division III Top Alcohol Dragster Champion in that central region of the country, hometown of San Jose, California,

00:22:09has a degree in Global Studies, University of San Francisco.

00:22:12Her experienced scrappers team, led by Rob Glenn and Troy Faschick, has been doing a bang-up job this season.

00:22:18And Tony Stewart, Steve Torrance, Justin Ashley, and Doug Coletta line up.

00:22:24This is a true clash of heights.

00:22:27As all four cars have completed their burnouts, this is a rematch of the 2024 final last year.

00:22:42Justin Ashley, unsurprisingly, left the starting line first.

00:22:46Tony Stewart, second, and Steve Torrance, third.

00:22:50And, you know, Tony, what's funny is we talk about, you know, Tony Stewart and the Racer Dean Foundation car,

00:22:55that final round they made last week, that is the most intimidating, hasn't-won-a-race-yet car in this group.

00:23:00It is, because it gets down the track.

00:23:02Not the quickest, they don't want to be the quickest, they just want to be able to repeat.

00:23:06You know, there's another team right there, Steve Torrance, that, you know, they made some good qualifying runs.

00:23:10They're good in the heat, they're good and quick when it's cold.

00:23:12There's a look at Tony Stewart.

00:23:14Now you see the tuner raising his arm.

00:23:16They want everybody to be in sync.

00:23:18When all the teams have made the last-minute adjustments to the idle, they're going to walk away from the car.

00:23:22Now it's on the drivers to pre-stage the stage.

00:23:24U.S. Air Force drone showing us the scene here at the starting line.

00:23:33A double step for Doug Coletta.

00:23:36Coletta is out of here, and if it's going to be Tony Stewart, Stewart goes across the finish line.

00:23:41A 303-mile-an-hour shot of 394 as both Steve Torrance and Justin Ashley's car began to falter at mid-course,

00:23:49and Doug Coletta blinked.

00:23:50Yeah, that does it to the best of them, and that's proof right there.

00:23:54It just got a little too antsy, had the best car in the previous round, the number one qualifier,

00:24:01but even the most experienced right there.

00:24:03You've got three formidable opponents.

00:24:05You have one right next to you that is the quickest off the starting line.

00:24:09He has the quickest average.

00:24:10And it was so egregious for Doug Coletta in that number one lane that it disrupted what Steve Torrance did.

00:24:16So the quickest car of the four is packing it up along with Doug Coletta,

00:24:22and the recipients are right there in that number two lane.

00:24:24It was Justin Ashley.

00:24:25As well as Tony Stewart, they were able to hold their bearings and stay focused.

00:24:30You can see for Tony Stewart, there's one of his problems that slowed that car down with seven cylinders,

00:24:35but none of that mattered, and you can listen at how uncoordinated this is at the starting line.

00:24:40Yeah, it's called a double step.

00:24:57It's very classic for a driver to hit the throttle.

00:25:02You know, their foot says to go, and their brain catches it, so they hit the throttle.

00:25:07They try to get back on it, but you can see how much it slowed down Steve Torrance in that number three lane.

00:25:14And for that reason, he's out of competition as well.

00:25:17We have spent so much unburnt nitro in the air this weekend, depending on which way the wind's blowing.

00:25:21They may be eyes watered in downtown Vegas.

00:25:29Immediate seating, no waiting, baby.

00:25:30We are back here with Funny Car Action.

00:25:32The second round of eliminations here at the Las Vegas Four Wide Nationals.

00:25:36Paul Lee, J.R. Todd, Matt Hagen, and Dan Wilkerson are on the drag strip right now.

00:25:42The first of the two quads that will make up the second of three rounds of eliminations here.

00:25:46The direct connection dodge of Matt Hagen.

00:25:49That cool paint scheme this year with the red-blue split sides of DHL GR Supra for J.R. Todd.

00:25:57You know, Tony, we keep saying this car keeps hanging around.

00:25:59I mean, we're seeing it now race after race.

00:26:01It's in there.

00:26:01It's not necessarily blowing the scoreboards over, but it is not leaving in the first round.

00:26:05No, no, and they're here.

00:26:06That's what's important, and it's another opportunity for them to try to get the clutch right.

00:26:11It seems to be okay early in the run.

00:26:13It'll get beyond 300, 400 feet.

00:26:15It seems like at about the eighth mile is where it starts to spin the tire.

00:26:18And Paul Lee, one of the quicker runs of the first round, however, his car, like so many other ones,

00:26:23is they got loose down track.

00:26:24So this is a track that is just, you know, sometimes they're good early.

00:26:28They're marginal in the middle.

00:26:30And depending on how they have their car set up, it just seems to be very tricky for funny cars as well as dragsters.

00:26:35Paul Lee continues to be a car that is an intimidator here.

00:26:38We'll see if he can move on to this final group of four.

00:26:50Todd's car falls off at the end.

00:26:51It's going to be Todd and Lee going to the final.

00:26:55Rather, Hagen and Lee going to the final.

00:26:574-12 at 3-0-4 for Hagen.

00:26:59A 4-14 at 2-89 for Paul Lee.

00:27:02For Wilkerson and Todd, they couldn't complete the runs.

00:27:04Yeah, and again, the performance target has changed considerably.

00:27:08We saw some high 390s by the cars that advanced.

00:27:11Those were some of the best runs of the round.

00:27:14But now we're looking at, you know, something in the mid-4-0s.

00:27:17We didn't even get that.

00:27:18And the reason that J.R. Todd got out to an early lead, because he was the quickest off of the starting line.

00:27:24You can see the incremental numbers.

00:27:26He, as well as Paul Lee, they were the best to 330 feet.

00:27:30But you can see that yellow car in that number two lane.

00:27:33As soon as that car gets to about the eighth mile, it's going to start to spin the tire.

00:27:37And look at Paul Lee.

00:27:38Only seven cylinders right there.

00:27:40But, again, on a hot day like this, where you have a loose and slippery track,

00:27:44it could take enough power away that it doesn't get those tires loose.

00:27:48So, for Paul Lee, making this final quad continues what has been a very strong march for this car

00:27:52that began late in the 2024 season and has not really relented since.

00:27:57Bruno Massel is at the top end.

00:27:58Let's go down and talk to him.

00:28:03So, Antron Brown won his second straight quad, advancing to the final round.

00:28:07You know, you dodged a bullet there because you put a hole out and you're still able to win.

00:28:10How do you fix that for the final?

00:28:12All we got to is getting hot out here.

00:28:13So, when you lay down low like that, it makes it a little bit easier where you're not pulling the cars hard.

00:28:18So, you've got to adjust the fuel map.

00:28:19That's what Brian Karate comes in at.

00:28:20That's where he's a master at.

00:28:21So, we'll get better from that run.

00:28:24We'll keep on working.

00:28:24We've got the IBW people out this weekend.

00:28:26We just want to show and prove to do good for them.

00:28:28and all of our macro troubles at Expo coming up.

00:28:30So, keep our head down.

00:28:32Stay at work.

00:28:33And the main thing is we're in the final, so we have a chance now.

00:28:36Absolutely has a chance.

00:28:37There is a lane swap happening.

00:28:38And in a four-wide situation, Tony, this can often cascade because of the fact you have a hierarchy of decision-making here.

00:28:46So, when the person with lane choice wants to dislocate somebody else, if they outrank somebody, they can then choose a different lane.

00:28:52As we can see, it is Spencer Hyde, Pedregon, Prock, and Richards in this.

00:28:57And the next race on the tour is the American Rebel Light.

00:28:59Four wide nationals in Charlotte at ZMAX Dragway.

00:29:02Qualifying coverage Saturday, April 26th at 10 p.m. Eastern here on FS1.

00:29:06The final qualifying coverage will end at A.M. Eastern on FS1 on April 27th.

00:29:11And you'll watch the elimination runs, 7 p.m. Eastern here on FS1, Sunday, April 27th.

00:29:19Cars are fired.

00:29:20Bodies are down.

00:29:21Dave Richards in lane four.

00:29:23Spencer Hyde in lane one.

00:29:26Drew Pedregon, two.

00:29:28Austin Prock in lane three.

00:29:29Bit of a moment here with Prock's body still up.

00:29:32Has not been lowered.

00:29:33Now it comes down.

00:29:33It would, to me, Tony, be a bit of a shocker here if we saw somehow Spencer Hyde's day get derailed.

00:29:44Really not day, weekend.

00:29:45I mean, they won the mission too fast, too tasty race yesterday.

00:29:48The car has been the quickest of the machines so far today.

00:29:51Yeah, you know, and it falls on two things.

00:29:54You know, what is Jim Head going to do to the car to slow it down?

00:29:57I mean, he kept the field in the first round.

00:29:59He was quicker, not by a little bit, by a bunch.

00:30:01Only car, some four seconds, they ran a three, something in a 399 or in that range.

00:30:07You know, and Jim Head, he's done it so many times.

00:30:10And I can see it all the years for Jim Head.

00:30:12This is probably the best car that he has had in a long, long time.

00:30:16That is a factual statement there.

00:30:18The body's going to come down for Cruz Pedregon in lane two.

00:30:21Look, it would be a very important moment, I think, for that snap-on team to make their way to a final quad

00:30:25and just kind of establishing themselves and really planning their feet this season.

00:30:29Well, they've had you look back at the history of this car.

00:30:31Even when they're not hitting on eight cylinders, they seem to be to go into the late rounds at this four-wide.

00:30:36Austin Prock, he's, you know, second quick time coming into this session or this round right here.

00:30:42And Dave Richards didn't come this far just to come this far.

00:30:45We'll find out if he could turn the tide on some champions.

00:30:48Oh, Hyde's car blazes the tires.

00:30:56The parachute's out for Richards, but who's going to come across second?

00:30:59It is going to be Richards.

00:31:014.35 outruns Pedregon's 4.44 as Hyde goes up in smoke.

00:31:05And Austin Prock runs a 3.96 seemingly out of nowhere.

00:31:09Well, that's what happens when the track temperature changes.

00:31:11As good as that Jim head car has been, how good it was in qualifying, as good as it was in the first round.

00:31:18When that temperature climbs, you have to make the right adjustments.

00:31:21And it's clearly Jimmy Prock.

00:31:24And don't look now, but look at the performance, Brian.

00:31:27You may have missed that.

00:31:27This guy just ran a 3.96.

00:31:29So I think they're back on track where they need to be.

00:31:32The race, once Spencer Hyde got in trouble, was between the snap-on car as well as Dave Richards.

00:31:39And you can see what slowed them down.

00:31:40It was the parachute.

00:31:42The parachute created a lot of drag.

00:31:43It seemed like it started to spin the tires, but was still enough to hold off that snap-on car

00:31:49who spun the tires right there at the eighth mile.

00:31:51And that pretty much did them in.

00:31:54Amazing to see Dave Richards in this final quad as we watch Hyde's car.

00:31:57I mean, just no shot there.

00:31:59And unfortunately for Pedregon, that's when his car began to kick sideways as well.

00:32:03Yeah, the problem started earliest for Spencer Hyde.

00:32:07And this is something that he'll get better at.

00:32:09And if he lacks one thing, it's just experience and getting a feel for the car.

00:32:14He'll straighten this out.

00:32:15It got pretty sideways there, but I'm sure that as he gets experience, gets seat time,

00:32:20and you can see that the snap-on car is already out of power.

00:32:23And he probably didn't realize in that other lane, that number four lane,

00:32:26it was Dave Richards who the car literally had the tongue hanging out for real this time

00:32:31because that parachute was just creating all that drag, slowing it down.

00:32:34Jasmine Salinas is with Bruno.

00:32:36She's in the final four.

00:32:39Jasmine Salinas for the second straight quad.

00:32:41She is the first one to leave the starting line.

00:32:44Reaction times are crushing.

00:32:45You've got a car that's running consistent, keeping you in the final round.

00:32:48How close are you to getting that first-ever Wally in a top-field car here this weekend?

00:32:52I'm going to sound like a broken record, and it's going to be really annoying.

00:32:55I'm really not trying to think about anything else.

00:32:57The past is the past.

00:32:59The future is yet to be written.

00:33:00Sorry, now I'm just trying to stay present.

00:33:02It is hot.

00:33:03I'm slutty.

00:33:03I don't feel like I am doing that great of a job, but we're doing pretty good.

00:33:08One run at a time, like I keep saying.

00:33:11Let's do this one more time.

00:33:12Thank you.

00:33:13And so our final four in funny car, Lee, Hagen, Prock, and Richards, the 1, 12, 2, and 11 qualifiers

00:33:22have woven their way through the qualifying and now the hot elimination rounds for this final quad

00:33:28at our Lucas Oil competition ladder.

00:33:32Tony Stewart and Justin Ashley are with Bruno Massel.

00:33:37Justin Ashley and Tony Stewart are talking about what just went down there.

00:33:40We saw an early red light by Doug Gletta.

00:33:44It kind of threw everybody off.

00:33:45It's throwing me off here on the top end.

00:33:4724 on the reaction time.

00:33:48The number looks good, but what's the real story?

00:33:50I'll tell you the real story.

00:33:51The real story is, you know, I heard Doug jump and tried to do my best to stay disciplined

00:33:56and patient, so my hope is that the 24 was probably really a 44 or a 54.

00:34:00But when that happens, it's all about discipline.

00:34:02I'm sure Tony will tell you the same thing.

00:34:03It's not easy up there, especially when there's four cars, but nothing's intentional.

00:34:06We're all up on the wheel, especially with that kind of quad.

00:34:08It's so good.

00:34:09You got this guy next to us.

00:34:11It's unbelievable.

00:34:11So for everybody at Skag Power Equipment and Toyota, we're going to try and keep this

00:34:15thing rolling.

00:34:16Tony Stewart, he's advancing to the final round for the second straight race.

00:34:19You won that quad.

00:34:21Going into the final round here, what is it going to take?

00:34:22I know that your conditions are tricky for you to go ahead and get that final wally.

00:34:25Like I said on Friday, I thought this weekend's weather conditions were going to play

00:34:29into our favor.

00:34:30So I really think they are.

00:34:31I believe that.

00:34:32You know, cutting good lights this weekend.

00:34:34So, I mean, the guy that you just spoke to is the best in the business here.

00:34:37So, and Doug's no slouch either.

00:34:39That's just a rare mistake by Doug Coletta.

00:34:41So we got to take these opportunities when guys are making mistakes.

00:34:45And we got a hot rod here.

00:34:46So we just got to do it one more time.

00:34:47One guy stopped him in Pomona a week ago.

00:34:51Maybe three guys can't stop him today.

00:34:54It is pro stock time.

00:34:55And we come back.

00:34:55Matt Harper's got his shades on.

00:34:57And the Robs Automotive Collision Total Sealed Piston Race Camaro is headed for the starting

00:35:01line.

00:35:07The Dodge pit cam showing Tony Stewart's team.

00:35:10You can see the smoke still rolling off of the clutch as they're getting ready to pull

00:35:13that thing apart.

00:35:13The pressure plate actually, I believe, heading into the trailer right now.

00:35:16The engine's coming apart.

00:35:18This is not light work as Lee is unstringing the parachute there.

00:35:21Let's go to the top end of the racetrack.

00:35:25Paul Lee wins Phoenix.

00:35:26He's number one qualifier here heading to another final round.

00:35:29Things definitely trending in the right direction for you and your team.

00:35:32From a performance standpoint, what is it going to take to bring hold of Wally today?

00:35:35Oh, get down the track is the main thing for one.

00:35:38And I think, you know, anything in the 4.0s, low 4.0s, probably going to get it done here.

00:35:42I mean, as you can see, it's very, very tricky today.

00:35:44But hats off to Johnny and the guys.

00:35:45That dropped the cylinder there, Bab, the whole time.

00:35:47He didn't shut me off because, obviously, it's race day.

00:35:49But we'll take it.

00:35:50Thanks.

00:35:51They continue to turn on wind lights.

00:35:53And that McLeod clutches Dodge, our pro stock ladder for the final two quads.

00:35:58Anderson, Quadra, Hartford, and Reed.

00:35:59On the other side, Kramer, Latino, Glenn, and McGehee.

00:36:02And that quad involving Kramer, Latino, Glenn, and McGehee is the one on the racetrack.

00:36:07The global emission systems in-car camera here for Matt, and we saw what Matt did.

00:36:11We heard the top-end interview when he rolled up.

00:36:13He said, hey, I watched all three other guys pre-stage.

00:36:16And I went and turned both bulbs on.

00:36:18It was a great strategy for him.

00:36:20It worked perfectly.

00:36:20He has Dallas Glenn to his left, Mason McGehee to his immediate right,

00:36:24and Derrick Kramer to the far right on this four-lane drag strip.

00:36:28Dallas Glenn, Tony, obviously the performance favorite driver,

00:36:31but the other three are a very tight match.

00:36:33Well, I think for Dallas Glenn, he's got to realize that the competition ratchets up,

00:36:37and he can't ease up on the starting line as much.

00:36:40Mason McGehee.

00:36:40A 12 reaction time in the last round got him into this position.

00:36:48His car sideways early.

00:36:50He's rowing gears.

00:36:51Latino again is lights out at 019, and we can see Dallas Glenn getting a nose out there.

00:36:56It is a, wow, a whole shot for Latino around the outside of Kramer to move him ahead,

00:37:01and Dallas Glenn a devastator at 663.6.

00:37:04Well, there's one for you, Mom.

00:37:05This guy might be the real deal.

00:37:07He really is.

00:37:08Look, he did it to his dad a couple of weeks ago.

00:37:09He did it in the first round, and here he does it again.

00:37:12First off the line makes Dallas Glenn pay the price.

00:37:16Looks like the luck ran out for Mason McGehee.

00:37:19He was pretty late compared to what he was in the first round,

00:37:21but again, Dallas Glenn, the horsepower allowed him to finish just behind that whole shot by Matt Latino.

00:37:27Yeah, Matt Latino is putting on a show here.

00:37:29He's going to get a look at these first two lanes,

00:37:31and again, the two things that worked in their favor, especially Latino,

00:37:34not only was he quick, but the car was locked down.

00:37:36We saw McGehee's car get sideways.

00:37:37Yeah, and you can see the car drift to the inside of the lane.

00:37:41Nice correction by Dallas Glenn.

00:37:42I'm sure he could see Latino outside of his window,

00:37:46not realizing who or what they were doing in lanes three and four.

00:37:51But when you get to the end of the track, you see that light on the wall light up.

00:37:54That's always a good sign.

00:37:55And the one thing for Matt Latino we saw there,

00:37:57he was making the shifts as the shift light came on.

00:37:59You'll see a lot more anticipation out of the more experienced drivers.

00:38:02Let's go back to the top end.

00:38:03Dave Richards was good in the final quad.

00:38:05He's Bruno.

00:38:08So Dave Richards is advancing to his first final ever behind the wheel of a funny car.

00:38:11What is the emotion like?

00:38:12Man, this is unreal.

00:38:14I mean, it's one of these days I've just been calm all day.

00:38:16It's pretty cool.

00:38:17I like the odds with the four wide conditions for us,

00:38:20and it's a tricky track out there.

00:38:21But I'm just excited, man.

00:38:23This is really cool.

00:38:23Our Bluebird Turf Mustang, it's, you know, we're getting better and better,

00:38:26and this is really the momentum we really need to keep this thing going.

00:38:29One of his opponents in the final round will be Austin Procfier.

00:38:31Step over a second, Austin.

00:38:33The last round, you talked about the same black track,

00:38:34and it didn't seem to black track.

00:38:36You're on a 390-something, right?

00:38:37Yeah, 96, 322.

00:38:38This thing was hooked up all the way down there.

00:38:40So, yeah, we got a good Chevrolet SS right now.

00:38:43Really proud of this team and just happy to be driving a race car, man.

00:38:47This thing, it's not, this job isn't as fun when you're not doing good,

00:38:50and we're so competitive as a family and as a team at John Forrest Racing.

00:38:53So it feels really good to turn on wind lights for all our sponsors.

00:38:56We got Powers Affordable Housing on the car again in Graham-Ray Hall,

00:39:00so happy to be turning on wind lights for them as well.

00:39:03And for Austin Procfier, again, it is that energy,

00:39:06that energy that just kind of rolls off him naturally

00:39:08as we now see Greg Anderson, Corey Reed.

00:39:12We see Quadra and Hartford, the final four cars on this side of the ladder.

00:39:26Oh, huge red light for Reed.

00:39:31He is done for.

00:39:32Hartford is second to the quickest off the blocks,

00:39:35and Greg Anderson is going to move on with Matt Hartford

00:39:37as Quadra has his share of problems.

00:39:39And look at this.

00:39:40Hartford a 663 at 205.

00:39:42Three down behind the bosses, 663.5.

00:39:45Well, right on the money with Greg Anderson,

00:39:47and they were so far apart,

00:39:49and what an optical illusion that happened in lanes two and three.

00:39:52It was way too early for Corey Reed,

00:39:55and that must have created a distraction for Christian Quadra,

00:39:58who was very late off the starting line,

00:40:01and the two drivers that were most solid,

00:40:03that had the most solid setup on the car,

00:40:05will advance to the final.

00:40:08We're going to take a ride here with Greg Anderson,

00:40:10and watch his timing on the shift light as we take this ride with him.

00:40:12Corey Reed, of course, finished the race first,

00:40:14but he left far too early.

00:40:19Notice his hand is moving before the light comes on.

00:40:21We saw the run of Matt Latina, which was good.

00:40:24That's where you find those magical couple of hundreds of a second,

00:40:27that level of accuracy.

00:40:28Watch this.

00:40:30Look at the difference.

00:40:30You saw the digital dash in the Greg Anderson vehicle,

00:40:33and you can see that RPM gauge in the car of Matt Hartford.

00:40:36He's thrown down with the OG autometer monster tack in there.

00:40:39I can appreciate that.

00:40:42Analog gauges in that total seal piston ring

00:40:44as we go into the Paul Lee's pit area.

00:40:46The clutch is getting serviced as it does between every round,

00:40:50and this car is so good.

00:40:52Well, they put that flywheel back on,

00:40:54and you can see the fresh grindings on those facings right there.

00:40:57That's one of the things that we saw just a few minutes ago

00:41:00when they disassembled that.

00:41:02They take it in the trailer.

00:41:03They put it on a surface grinder.

00:41:04They want to make sure it is flat.

00:41:06They would much prefer to use that same flywheel,

00:41:08which it does appear that they're using.

00:41:10The pressure plate, the same thing.

00:41:11They have that tape around those stands

00:41:13because they want those adjusters to stay on.

00:41:16When they put that pack on,

00:41:17those adjusters are already pretty close,

00:41:19so they know exactly what to adjust them

00:41:21because the pack that they're putting in

00:41:23is about 80,000ths thicker.

00:41:25That's how much clutch wear will wear off in the course of a run.

00:41:29So, new pack, they'll make the adjustments, they'll set it.

00:41:31They're going to try to do this

00:41:33as they're putting that engine in time and turning it over.

00:41:36The meanest mustache in Pro Stock drag racing in 2025

00:41:39is currently with Bruno Massel.

00:41:41Greg Anderson is going to another final.

00:41:46The record is at Pro Stock for consecutive matchups in a final round,

00:41:49but Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson have got to be getting close

00:41:51for the fifth straight time.

00:41:53You're going to race against your teammate.

00:41:53Now you're going to have two other cars alongside of you guys,

00:41:56but separated by one foul, Greg, in the final.

00:41:58Is it retribution? Is it a comeback today for you?

00:42:00I hope so, Bruno, because yesterday was a throwaway,

00:42:03and I said I better get my head in the game,

00:42:04and honestly, first round wasn't too sharp, a little better there.

00:42:07I need to get better in the final or I'll go home.

00:42:09So, it's going to be tough.

00:42:10A lot of cars, they tough, a lot of KB Titan cars.

00:42:12So, thank God for the team.

00:42:14Thank you, Ken Black.

00:42:15Love racing in front of you, buddy.

00:42:17And yes, the great Ken Black,

00:42:19the man who was the original team owner of KB Racing

00:42:22that has become KB Titan.

00:42:23Tony, he used to race, they used to run races

00:42:25out on Route 91 back here in the day.

00:42:27They used to, you know, Sheen, Nevada.

00:42:29They used to call it Sheen International Raceway.

00:42:31It was the highway.

00:42:32Ken Black used to race out there.

00:42:34Pretty great history.

00:42:35Let's talk to Dallas Glenn, who's now with Bruno.

00:42:40Dallas Glenn trying to double up here this weekend.

00:42:42You had the performance that round.

00:42:44You had the entire quad covered by 6 100ths of a second.

00:42:46Where does that performance come from?

00:42:48We didn't really make that good run

00:42:50because of my mistake on the last one.

00:42:52So, that was a really nice run.

00:42:53We've been picking away at it the whole weekend.

00:42:55We've been knocking on the doorstep,

00:42:57and I think we just laid a pretty good one down there.

00:42:59Greg still definitely got the car to beat,

00:43:01so I'm going to have to step it up.

00:43:02But I think we got something for him in the final.

00:43:05He certainly seems to have just that in his performance.

00:43:08As we get a look at the continued service

00:43:11happening in Justin Ashley's pit area,

00:43:13it looks like a brand-new clean engine block in that baby.

00:43:15Well, it does.

00:43:15So, what they're doing is they're putting the generators in.

00:43:18They're going to get those close to time when they start the engine.

00:43:20They're still going to put a timing gun on it,

00:43:22but they have to re-hook all the electronics,

00:43:25the triggers, the coils.

00:43:27But likely, they either did some damage to the engine

00:43:29or the short block that we call what we're looking at here

00:43:32without the cylinder heads just ran its course.

00:43:35And typically, they'll put maybe six to eight runs

00:43:38before they just switch that engine out.

00:43:40I'm going to make a deal.

00:43:41You're going to have two minutes to go run yourself,

00:43:42grab a beverage, grab something comfortable to sit down with

00:43:45because we're going deep into the thrash here in the pit area

00:43:47in Las Vegas when we come back.

00:43:53When you look at racing,

00:43:54there is an impression that it looks so easy.

00:43:56The cars look kind of smooth.

00:43:58There's a part of it that's like,

00:44:00oh, I can do that.

00:44:01No, you can't.

00:44:05We're not rivals until we're on the racetrack.

00:44:07We're friends until then.

00:44:08Good luck.

00:44:09Good luck.

00:44:10My biggest fear of the race is that my friends

00:44:12are going to root for Keanu more than me.

00:44:14and there goes the green.

00:44:16We are racing here in Indianapolis.

00:44:19Stomp on it.

00:44:22And then I disappeared.

00:44:26Driven by Speed, a behind-the-scenes look at Keanu Reeves

00:44:29and Dude Perfect's Cody Jones' quest to compete professionally

00:44:31in the high-stakes 2024 Toyota GR Cup

00:44:34at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

00:44:36You can check it out tonight at 9.30 p.m. Eastern here on FS1.

00:44:39Tony, we know the phases of a pit thrash,

00:44:41and right now there's a bunch of teams,

00:44:43in fact, 12 of them working on their own.

00:44:45Well, phase one, what we call phase one,

00:44:47is the initial teardown.

00:44:48That involves removing the fuel lines,

00:44:50removing the supercharger.

00:44:51That comes with the intake,

00:44:53the valve covers, rocker assembly,

00:44:55and the cylinder heads.

00:44:56Meanwhile, there's a bottom-end specialist.

00:44:58They're draining the oil.

00:44:59That is a 70-weight, full synthetic.

00:45:01It's scalding hot.

00:45:02Oil lines, oil pan, the rod caps,

00:45:04they hold the connecting rods

00:45:06and the crankshaft.

00:45:07You have to inspect the main caps.

00:45:09They harness the crankshaft

00:45:10into the engine block.

00:45:11All along that this is happening,

00:45:13there's someone removing the clutch,

00:45:15a clutch specialist, assistant,

00:45:17the pressure plate, hot disc floaters.

00:45:19They're going to resurface the flywheel

00:45:21as well as the pressure plate

00:45:22and reinstall everything.

00:45:23And right now, you see them boiling up

00:45:25and putting some of that 70-weight,

00:45:27full synthetic,

00:45:28and putting those lifters back into the block.

00:45:30And Tony, during the week,

00:45:31you can make banana bread in that.

00:45:32It's nice.

00:45:34You can really put a lot of use

00:45:35out of these bananas.

00:45:37So you can see the lifters

00:45:38going back in the engine,

00:45:39the pistons comfortably

00:45:40in their respective cylinder bores.

00:45:43Bottom-end work is done.

00:45:44Now that top-end assembly is happening,

00:45:46and the cylinder heads

00:45:47will be not too far to follow here

00:45:49to end up on top of the block.

00:45:51Our Skagg power equipment,

00:45:53close-cut margins of victories.

00:45:55When we talk about

00:45:55how tight things have been this weekend,

00:45:58it was Tony Stewart and Doug Coletta

00:46:00earlier this weekend

00:46:01and that was, of course,

00:46:02in the Mission 2 Fast 2 Tasty Challenge

00:46:04with Tony Stewart

00:46:04running down the racetrack,

00:46:06but then it was Doug Coletta

00:46:07catching it by 2 thousandths of a second

00:46:09at the finish line.

00:46:11Stripe.

00:46:11We look at the rest

00:46:12of those tight margins.

00:46:14It is Hagen and Lee

00:46:15in round two

00:46:15of Nitro Funny Car Eliminations,

00:46:1732 thousandths of a second.

00:46:19Anderson and Latino,

00:46:21triple, or rather,

00:46:22001 round one

00:46:24in Brostock.

00:46:25A big announcement happening

00:46:26kind of out of nowhere

00:46:26this afternoon

00:46:27by the Skagg Power Equipment people.

00:46:29We sent Jordan Vandegrift

00:46:30out here.

00:46:31This one is actually

00:46:31going to shock you

00:46:32a little bit in a good way.

00:46:35My heart is pounding,

00:46:36my legs are shaking,

00:46:37and no,

00:46:38it's not because of the Nitro.

00:46:39It's because I'm standing next

00:46:40to UFC legend Randy Couture.

00:46:41Randy,

00:46:42it is my understanding

00:46:43you have a huge announcement

00:46:44out here in NHRA drag racing.

00:46:46Absolutely.

00:46:46I've been a fan of NHRA drag racing

00:46:48for over 10 years.

00:46:50One of my best friends,

00:46:50Ben Carey,

00:46:51introduced me to this sport.

00:46:52They do the Legends Nitro Series here.

00:46:54I got an offer to be a driver

00:46:58and I'm going to take that on.

00:47:01It's not something

00:47:01I ever saw myself doing,

00:47:03just like fighting or acting,

00:47:04but here we are.

00:47:05And so we're going to reveal

00:47:06our car in Chicago

00:47:07and my first race

00:47:09is going to be in Virginia.

00:47:10I'm very excited

00:47:11to be part of the Skagg team.

00:47:13Obviously,

00:47:13they're having a great day today.

00:47:14They've got two cars

00:47:15in the finals today,

00:47:16so everything is banging.

00:47:18Everything is going

00:47:19very, very well.

00:47:19And what kind of car is this?

00:47:21It is a 1937 Chevy.

00:47:24Pro Mod, Skag Pro Mod.

00:47:26We're going to make a mark there.

00:47:29That is a plot.

00:47:30Listen,

00:47:31we've had a couple of plot twists

00:47:32this weekend,

00:47:33but the NHRA Pro Mod class,

00:47:34we're talking five-second,

00:47:36250-mile-an-hour door slammers,

00:47:38big nitrous engines,

00:47:39turbochargers,

00:47:40roots and screw blowers,

00:47:41everything from 1960s and 70s

00:47:43muscle car bodies

00:47:44to late model style bodies.

00:47:46We have already seen

00:47:47two Pro Modified races

00:47:49of the NHRA Congruity

00:47:50HR Pro Mod Series this year.

00:47:52They were both contested

00:47:53in Phoenix,

00:47:54even the Gator Nationals

00:47:54because of all the rain we had.

00:47:56And Ricky Smith,

00:47:58the man himself,

00:47:58made the first final round

00:48:00against Mike Stavrino.

00:48:01They call him tricky

00:48:01for a reason.

00:48:02I don't know if he's going

00:48:03to be tricky here in this final,

00:48:04but he sure was getting

00:48:05to this point.

00:48:06It was neat

00:48:06to see a nitrous engine

00:48:07competing in the hot,

00:48:09dry conditions of Arizona

00:48:11spoke to his ability,

00:48:12but for Mike Stavrino's

00:48:14of Florida,

00:48:14this was a moment

00:48:15he had dreamed

00:48:15his whole life for.

00:48:17A 575 earned him

00:48:18his first Wally.

00:48:19That is a car

00:48:20that is owned

00:48:20by Sheik Khaled Al Thani

00:48:21from Qatar.

00:48:23He tunes it along

00:48:23with Todd Tuttero.

00:48:25Got the Golden Gator.

00:48:26Got the Wally.

00:48:28The next day,

00:48:29we began eliminations

00:48:30for the Phoenix race,

00:48:32and lo and behold,

00:48:33Mike Stavrino's decided

00:48:34he was going to

00:48:35stomp everybody,

00:48:35and Ricky Smith said,

00:48:36wait a second, pal.

00:48:37I'm back.

00:48:40Well, you know,

00:48:40it's no accident

00:48:41that these cars,

00:48:42I mean,

00:48:42they're just,

00:48:43you look at the body styles

00:48:44and all the diversity

00:48:45and the different ways

00:48:46they can make power

00:48:47with this Stavrino's car.

00:48:48It really is exciting

00:48:50to watch,

00:48:50and it carries the front end

00:48:51for a couple of hundred feet

00:48:53before it sets them down.

00:48:54That 48 reaction time

00:48:55to Smith,

00:48:5669,

00:48:56and then he flat out

00:48:57paced him 572.

00:48:59He's a 578.

00:49:00So Mike Stavrino's,

00:49:01the first back-to-back winner

00:49:03that we have had

00:49:03in years in NHRA Pro Mod,

00:49:05and the first time

00:49:06we've not had

00:49:06a different winner

00:49:08in nearly a dozen races

00:49:09spanning over

00:49:10a couple of seasons.

00:49:11So Stavrino's did the job.

00:49:13The next time,

00:49:13you will be able to check out

00:49:14our Pro Mod coverage

00:49:15Thursday, April 17th

00:49:17at 9 p.m. Eastern

00:49:17on FS2.

00:49:19Collect all

00:49:19and watch all the action,

00:49:20I should say,

00:49:21from that Phoenix race.

00:49:22So for Randy Couture,

00:49:24the idea that they're going

00:49:24to debut that car

00:49:25in Chicago,

00:49:26he is going to have

00:49:27a busy late spring

00:49:28for himself.

00:49:29It is the next race

00:49:30we're going to be having

00:49:30to Pro Mods at

00:49:31is just in two weeks

00:49:32at those American Rebel Light

00:49:34four wide nationals

00:49:35in Charlotte,

00:49:36Chicago,

00:49:36and Bristol.

00:49:38It is going to be

00:49:38a steep learning curve

00:49:39for Randy.

00:49:39He's never raced

00:49:40anything this fast,

00:49:41but we have seen

00:49:42what he can do

00:49:43with the ring

00:49:43with his fist,

00:49:44so I'm not going

00:49:44to question the man's

00:49:45ability to do anything.

00:49:46Look,

00:49:46if there's any dust

00:49:47up if he beats you,

00:49:48I'm not getting out

00:49:49of the car

00:49:49and arguing with that guy.

00:49:51We will be back

00:49:52with more here.

00:49:53The final rounds

00:49:54are coming up

00:49:54as the crash continues

00:49:55in the pit area

00:49:56across both the

00:49:57Nitro Burning Funny Car

00:49:58and Top Fuel Pits

00:49:59and Pro Stock.

00:49:59It's the four wide

00:50:00nationals here at Vegas.

00:50:07The U.S. Air Force

00:50:08AIM-I top speeds

00:50:09of the weekend.

00:50:10We kick it off

00:50:11at Top Fuel

00:50:11with the Graham-Rahall

00:50:13performance.

00:50:14Chevrolet Top Fuel

00:50:14Dragster of Brittany

00:50:15Force,

00:50:16who under the cloudy

00:50:17skies of Saturday

00:50:18managed a 333.16

00:50:20mile per hour

00:50:21trap speed

00:50:22in that dragster.

00:50:24That was during

00:50:24final qualifying.

00:50:25That was qualifying

00:50:26session four.

00:50:27For Paul Lee,

00:50:28he was the big speed guy

00:50:29in qualifying session

00:50:30two of Money Car

00:50:30326.

00:50:31Mace McGay,

00:50:32206.51 miles per hour

00:50:34in the first round

00:50:35of Pro Stock

00:50:36qualifying this weekend.

00:50:37and as we weave

00:50:39our way through

00:50:39to this final round,

00:50:41we have to look at

00:50:41Tony Stewart now

00:50:42for the second race

00:50:43in a row.

00:50:43He finds himself

00:50:44in the last run

00:50:45of the afternoon.

00:50:46And for Tony Stewart

00:50:46and Swalton,

00:50:47it started with a very

00:50:48strong qualifying effort

00:50:49starting in that

00:50:50number five position,

00:50:51but in the first round,

00:50:52he had a couple of

00:50:52pretty tough opponents,

00:50:54Steve Torrance,

00:50:54advancing with him

00:50:55on a hole shot,

00:50:56so he did get to the final,

00:50:58rather to the finish line,

00:50:59ahead of Steve

00:51:00with a slower lapsed time.

00:51:01High level of motivation

00:51:02after last week's

00:51:03falling short

00:51:04to Clay Milligan

00:51:05in the semifinal.

00:51:05He was in lane

00:51:06at number four.

00:51:08Doug Coletta

00:51:08double-stepped his car.

00:51:09He had cylinders

00:51:10out of so many cars

00:51:11it had today.

00:51:12Still goes a 52 grade

00:51:13and a 394 to move on.

00:51:15Yeah,

00:51:15it really wasn't

00:51:16the two quickest cars,

00:51:17or rather the quickest car

00:51:18was out of competition.

00:51:19Doug Coletta,

00:51:20because of that double-step,

00:51:21was automatically

00:51:22disqualified both

00:51:23for Steve Torrance,

00:51:24again,

00:51:24advancing ahead

00:51:26of Justin Ashley.

00:51:27Neil Strasbaugh

00:51:28as the crew chief

00:51:28for the race for Dean

00:51:29at Tony Stewart,

00:51:30Top Fuel Dragster.

00:51:31We talked to him.

00:51:32Being the crew chief

00:51:33of Tony Stewart

00:51:34is a blessing

00:51:34and a curse

00:51:35all at the same time

00:51:35because with that chore

00:51:36comes a whole lot

00:51:37of pressure.

00:51:38Neil,

00:51:38you've been feeling that

00:51:39for the better part

00:51:39of a year,

00:51:40and now this thing

00:51:41is starting to come around.

00:51:42What has been the change

00:51:42for you that's really

00:51:43lifted this program up?

00:51:45Well,

00:51:45it's the entire group.

00:51:47You know,

00:51:47we've got great help.

00:51:49You know,

00:51:49we've got Phil Schubert

00:51:50that came in

00:51:50on the funny car side.

00:51:52He came in

00:51:52with a fresh set of eyes

00:51:53on the Top Fuel car as well.

00:51:55A lot of behind-the-scenes

00:51:56work with the entire group

00:51:57just trying to get us

00:51:59all back on track.

00:52:00So you're heading

00:52:00to your second straight final

00:52:01as a tune-up for Tony Stewart.

00:52:03How much pressure

00:52:04are you feeling right now

00:52:04to try and get him

00:52:05that first Wally?

00:52:06Honestly,

00:52:07the first rounds

00:52:08are the ones

00:52:09that I absolutely hate.

00:52:10Going into a final round,

00:52:12you know,

00:52:12we're kind of in stride

00:52:14at that point

00:52:14by the time we've gone

00:52:15through rounds on Sunday.

00:52:16So we all want it.

00:52:18We want it.

00:52:18You know,

00:52:19I've been asked a million times,

00:52:20when's Tony going to get

00:52:21his first win?

00:52:22Well,

00:52:22as soon as we turn on

00:52:24a win light

00:52:24on the final round of the day.

00:52:25And they hope

00:52:27that is the day

00:52:29that this happens today.

00:52:30The Top Alcohol Funny Car

00:52:31final round.

00:52:32We showed you

00:52:32Maddie Gordon

00:52:33doing some pretty

00:52:34interesting stuff

00:52:34earlier in the day

00:52:35with a big

00:52:36wheel-standing

00:52:37killer launch.

00:52:38Well,

00:52:38she made her way

00:52:39into the Funny Car

00:52:39final quad,

00:52:40the Beta Motorcycles machine.

00:52:42And guess what,

00:52:43Tony?

00:52:43She delivered the goods

00:52:44again,

00:52:44her second career

00:52:45national event victory.

00:52:46Yeah,

00:52:46the competition

00:52:47was very good.

00:52:48She wasn't the first

00:52:48off the line,

00:52:49but she had the quicker car.

00:52:50She was able,

00:52:52able to drive around

00:52:53Ray Martin,

00:52:53who had the quickest

00:52:54reaction time.

00:52:55Bruno Massel caught up

00:52:56with her,

00:52:56and Ron Capps is waiting

00:52:57for her at the top end

00:52:58as well.

00:53:00And the celebration

00:53:01is just starting to begin

00:53:02for Maddie Gordon.

00:53:03It has been what a week

00:53:04for her and this team.

00:53:05The young girl

00:53:06who drives for the family,

00:53:07and she's got

00:53:07a very, very important

00:53:09team owner.

00:53:10They've been watching

00:53:10in the lurks,

00:53:11trying not to jinx her.

00:53:12What is this like

00:53:13for you to hold that trophy

00:53:13knowing you're going to be

00:53:14driving for that guy

00:53:15next year?

00:53:16This is unbelievable.

00:53:18You know,

00:53:18we didn't have radios

00:53:19that round.

00:53:19We always got radios,

00:53:21and so dad,

00:53:22I couldn't hear dad,

00:53:23and I saw the wind line,

00:53:24but I didn't know

00:53:24if it was the second wind line

00:53:25or the first wind line.

00:53:26I didn't know,

00:53:27but oh my God,

00:53:28riding this corner

00:53:29and getting this trophy,

00:53:31you know,

00:53:31it's second national

00:53:32I've ever won in my life,

00:53:34and this is right here.

00:53:35It's exactly what dreams

00:53:36are made of.

00:53:37Just to everybody,

00:53:39Beta Motorcycles,

00:53:40Lucas Oil,

00:53:40Hoosier tires,

00:53:41NJK Spark plugs

00:53:42that we couldn't do

00:53:43without them,

00:53:43but you know what?

00:53:44Without this team

00:53:45that we have,

00:53:45my family,

00:53:46my sister,

00:53:47my mom,

00:53:47my dad,

00:53:48my grandma,

00:53:48my grandpa.

00:53:49It is 100% impossible

00:53:50without them,

00:53:51and this is,

00:53:52this looks different,

00:53:53but it's freaking cool.

00:53:55Congratulations.

00:53:56Thank you.

00:53:57Woo!

00:54:00And that is a career

00:54:02that has already

00:54:02launched like a rocket,

00:54:04and there's a second stage

00:54:05booster that's about

00:54:06to hit for Patty Gordon.

00:54:07I think she is ready

00:54:08for anything

00:54:09that comes her way

00:54:10on the starting line

00:54:11or otherwise.

00:54:11When we come back,

00:54:13it'll be the final

00:54:13three quads

00:54:14of the Las Vegas

00:54:15Four Wide Nationals,

00:54:16and will we finally

00:54:17be able to answer

00:54:18the question

00:54:18of when this man

00:54:19collects his first

00:54:20top fuel victory?

00:54:26We are back here

00:54:27in the city of Las Vegas.

00:54:28It is time

00:54:28for the final quads,

00:54:30the final rounds,

00:54:31if you will,

00:54:32of the NHRA

00:54:33Four Wide Nationals

00:54:34here at the Strip

00:54:34at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,

00:54:36a day that has been filled

00:54:38with the kind of

00:54:38topsy-turvy action

00:54:39that this race

00:54:40has been defined by,

00:54:41and our Four Wide Racing

00:54:42has been defined by

00:54:43for many years.

00:54:44First of three

00:54:44of these Four Wide events

00:54:45we have in 2025,

00:54:47the next one coming

00:54:48in just two weeks

00:54:48in Charlotte

00:54:49at ZMAX Dragway.

00:54:50We won't have the

00:54:51fighter jets in Charlotte,

00:54:52but we will have cars

00:54:53like the Pro Stockers

00:54:54that are lined up

00:54:55four wide

00:54:55on this starting line.

00:54:57Greg Anderson

00:54:57seeking win 109,

00:54:59Hartford seeking win

00:55:00number nine,

00:55:00Matt Latino,

00:55:02his first venture

00:55:03into the last run

00:55:03of the afternoon

00:55:04on a Sunday,

00:55:04and for Dallas Glenn,

00:55:06he has been part

00:55:06of this relentless show

00:55:07with Greg Anderson

00:55:08to start off the year.

00:55:09Well, Brian,

00:55:10you mentioned something

00:55:10that looked like Greg Anderson

00:55:12had been in that

00:55:13number one lane.

00:55:14He's had the quickest car.

00:55:15He's been able

00:55:16to pick his lane,

00:55:17so they must have seen

00:55:18something in that

00:55:18number four lane

00:55:19that they like better.

00:55:20So there's three cars

00:55:21that come into this matchup

00:55:22with nearly identical times.

00:55:23That was Dallas Glenn,

00:55:26that's Greg,

00:55:26and that's Matt Hartford.

00:55:27All with the 663s,

00:55:30Matt Latino's got

00:55:30about six hundredths

00:55:31of a second to make up.

00:55:33So Matt Hartford

00:55:34in lane three

00:55:35has not turned on

00:55:35the pre-stage bulb yet.

00:55:39He has still yet

00:55:43to turn on.

00:55:44Now he's in.

00:55:53Best reaction time

00:55:54is Matt Latino

00:55:55at 018.

00:55:56Look at this.

00:55:57This is a classic

00:55:58final round,

00:55:59a sprint to the finish line

00:56:00stripe,

00:56:00and the win light

00:56:01is Dallas Glenn

00:56:02on a hole shot.

00:56:03Six sixty-four,

00:56:04nine to two hundred

00:56:05and six miles per hour.

00:56:06Dallas Glenn gets it done.

00:56:08Matt Hartford comes in

00:56:10second at 663.8.

00:56:11Well, the hole shot

00:56:12wasn't on Greg Anderson.

00:56:13Greg Anderson's car

00:56:14for some reason

00:56:15just slowed down.

00:56:16It was the hole shot

00:56:17win was over Matt Hartford.

00:56:18He was the quickest car

00:56:20in that number three lane,

00:56:22and that's where

00:56:22it really pays off.

00:56:23Again, Matt Latino

00:56:24really just didn't have

00:56:25quite the horsepower

00:56:26to compete.

00:56:28It was close

00:56:28to a couple of hundredths

00:56:29of a second

00:56:29off of Greg Anderson,

00:56:31but it was Hartford

00:56:32and Dallas Glenn

00:56:33that were maintaining

00:56:34their performance,

00:56:35and this was one

00:56:35off of the starting line.

00:56:37But a very impressive day

00:56:38for Matt Latino

00:56:39in terms of his poise

00:56:40in this four-wide format.

00:56:41He'd never done it before

00:56:42and he was very quick

00:56:43every round.

00:56:44For Matt Hartford,

00:56:45a car,

00:56:45a very high-performing car,

00:56:47but for Dallas Glenn,

00:56:48he has now split the wickets,

00:56:49if you will,

00:56:50with Greg Anderson.

00:56:51He won the Gator Nationals.

00:56:52Anderson went back-to-back.

00:56:54Dallas Glenn gets him

00:56:55here in Vegas

00:56:55and the story will continue

00:56:57in Charlotte,

00:56:57but first it will continue

00:56:58with Bruno Massel.

00:57:01So Dallas Glenn goes

00:57:03back-to-back this weekend,

00:57:04gets the Mission Foods

00:57:05victory yesterday,

00:57:06gets the whole shot win today.

00:57:08Dallas, you were on fire

00:57:10today in the heat.

00:57:11I mean, what does it take

00:57:12to maintain that level

00:57:13of concentration

00:57:14when you've got all that

00:57:15stuff going on

00:57:15on the starting line?

00:57:16Oh, I told Tammy Lynn

00:57:18with Rad Torque,

00:57:19I just need one good light

00:57:20and four good shifts

00:57:21on that run.

00:57:22Thankfully, KB Titan,

00:57:24all the crew chiefs,

00:57:24Dave Connell did a fantastic job.

00:57:27Car felt awesome.

00:57:27I felt like I actually

00:57:28drove good on that one,

00:57:29although I thought

00:57:29I was a little better

00:57:30than 30 on the tree.

00:57:31But, you know,

00:57:33this KB Titan team,

00:57:35I mean, the hard work

00:57:37is really paying off

00:57:37right now.

00:57:38I mean, you can't deny

00:57:40this kind of performance,

00:57:43but, you know,

00:57:43we've had a lot of racing

00:57:45loss this week.

00:57:46You know, a lot of friends

00:57:47from back home,

00:57:47back in Washington,

00:57:49passed away.

00:57:49My uncle passed away

00:57:50a couple weeks ago

00:57:51from cancer.

00:57:52And then my main sponsor,

00:57:54Dan Provost,

00:57:54he goes and hurts himself

00:57:56here at the Fling

00:57:56last week,

00:57:57but he's doing better.

00:57:58He's still here.

00:57:59So, you know,

00:58:00but this is for

00:58:01all the people

00:58:02who couldn't be here

00:58:03who wanted to be.

00:58:04This one's for them

00:58:05and for Summit,

00:58:07Rad Torx Systems,

00:58:08DPF Parts Direct

00:58:09and Bell Helmets

00:58:11and everybody at KB Titan.

00:58:14The KB Titan stop continues.

00:58:17Dallas Glenn hoisting

00:58:18his second one of the year.

00:58:19When we come back,

00:58:20it's time for the Nitro Finals.

00:58:21Funny car at Top Fuel,

00:58:22a weekend that has,

00:58:24as it always is

00:58:24in an IndyTree National

00:58:25that wall-to-wall,

00:58:26whether it's entertainment

00:58:27on the Midway Stage,

00:58:28Nitro School,

00:58:29the NHRA Insider Live,

00:58:31the autograph sessions,

00:58:32the food,

00:58:32the fun,

00:58:33the wrenching,

00:58:34everything there is

00:58:35to see and do

00:58:35at the NHRA

00:58:36is open to all.

00:58:37We'll be back

00:58:37with a fun.

00:58:41The NHRA

00:58:42for White Nationals

00:58:44is sponsored

00:58:44by Mission Foods.

00:58:46Make today delicious

00:58:47with Mission Foods.

00:58:48Now that's too fast,

00:58:49too tasty.

00:58:50And by Toyota.

00:58:51Let's go places.

00:58:55And the place

00:58:56we have gone

00:58:56is into the final quad

00:58:58of Nitro Funny Car

00:58:59here at the Strip

00:59:00of Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

00:59:01Paul Lee,

00:59:02Matt Hagen,

00:59:02Austin Prock,

00:59:03and Dave Richards.

00:59:04One of the unique things

00:59:05about this afternoon

00:59:06is every quad

00:59:07in the finals

00:59:07has somebody

00:59:08that's never won a race before.

00:59:09Dave Richards,

00:59:10is that somebody

00:59:10in this one

00:59:11of the Bluebird turf

00:59:12Ford Mustang?

00:59:14Richards will be

00:59:14in Lane 2,

00:59:15Matt Hagen in Lane 1,

00:59:16the Dodge

00:59:17Direct Connect Charger.

00:59:19Austin Prock in Lane 3,

00:59:20the Portmobile Quality

00:59:21Tools Camaro.

00:59:22Paul Lee,

00:59:22the Dodge Body,

00:59:23McLeod clutches.

00:59:25FTI Performance

00:59:26Transmissions

00:59:27and Converters

00:59:27Machine.

00:59:29Tony,

00:59:29we had Thomas Prock

00:59:30on the show

00:59:31as part of our

00:59:33Cornwell Quality Tools

00:59:34Crew Chief

00:59:34Confidential segment.

00:59:36And he said

00:59:36something very interesting,

00:59:37especially in the context

00:59:38of this moment.

00:59:39He said,

00:59:39hey, listen,

00:59:40there are times

00:59:40we think we can run

00:59:41this thing,

00:59:41go down the racetrack

00:59:42and it does

00:59:43what we want it to do,

00:59:44but then the next run

00:59:44it doesn't repeat.

00:59:45They need it to repeat now.

00:59:46Yeah,

00:59:47and I think,

00:59:47fortunately,

00:59:48for the three opponents

00:59:49that are having to deal

00:59:49with Austin Prock

00:59:50right now,

00:59:51the temperature

00:59:51has crept up a little bit.

00:59:52So 138 degrees,

00:59:53that's as hot

00:59:54as we have seen

00:59:55it all weekend.

00:59:56So it really takes us

00:59:57back to Friday's qualifying.

00:59:58And that's where Paul Lee

00:59:59was really one of the

01:00:00best cars out here.

01:00:01So I think that for them,

01:00:02they have to go back

01:00:03to that setup.

01:00:04For Dave Richards,

01:00:04they need to keep

01:00:05the parachute in this car,

01:00:06but they are here.

01:00:07They have been steady.

01:00:08They're not that quick,

01:00:10but on hot days like this,

01:00:12things happen,

01:00:13cars lose traction.

01:00:15But in the final round,

01:00:16I just don't know

01:00:17that you want to rely

01:00:18on your opponent

01:00:20slipping up

01:00:20because you can't rely,

01:00:22maybe one or two of them

01:00:23may get the tires loose,

01:00:24but not three of them.

01:00:25So I think for Paul Lee,

01:00:27I think for Matt Hagan,

01:00:28Matt Hagan has to step it up.

01:00:29The quickest

01:00:29that they have run

01:00:30all weekend

01:00:31is a 407.

01:00:32They have to improve.

01:00:45finish line stripe.

01:00:47Austin Proc

01:00:48drives his way down

01:00:49to a 4009

01:00:50at 316 miles an hour.

01:00:52And Proc

01:00:52is back in the winner's circle.

01:00:54The second place finisher

01:00:55is Paul Lee

01:00:56at 404.2, 311.

01:00:58That moment in time

01:00:59we have expected

01:00:59all season long

01:01:00has come to fruition

01:01:01in Las Vegas.

01:01:02Yeah, and this really

01:01:02became a two-man race early.

01:01:05It was against Austin Proc.

01:01:06It was against Paul Lee.

01:01:08And Paul Lee

01:01:09was in the hunt

01:01:10because his car

01:01:11was right alongside,

01:01:12nearly identical

01:01:13at 330 feet

01:01:14in terms of performance.

01:01:15But Paul Lee,

01:01:16because he got off

01:01:17the starting line,

01:01:18like he is so good at doing,

01:01:20sometimes these drivers

01:01:21can fudge the car in.

01:01:22But it truly looks

01:01:24like Paul Lee

01:01:24was wide open throttle

01:01:26quicker than Austin Proc

01:01:27and was well in this race

01:01:29up until these cars

01:01:30approached the finish line.

01:01:32And it looked like

01:01:33Paul Lee's car

01:01:34was just sputtering,

01:01:35maybe spinning the tire,

01:01:36maybe fluttering

01:01:37the cylinder

01:01:38slightly more

01:01:39than Austin Proc.

01:01:40And of course,

01:01:41to add to the history books,

01:01:42that is now

01:01:42Funny Car Win 301.

01:01:44for John Forrest Racing.

01:01:46And Austin Proc

01:01:47will be celebrating

01:01:47handily at the top end

01:01:49and excitedly as he should.

01:01:50It is definitely

01:01:51a weight off this team's back.

01:01:52Listen,

01:01:52this car wasn't lost

01:01:53or messed up,

01:01:54but we had such a high bar

01:01:55for it to hit,

01:01:56they've hit it again.

01:01:57Yeah,

01:01:57and you know,

01:01:58when we least expected it,

01:01:59you know,

01:01:59Jack Beckman came

01:02:00into this race,

01:02:01one of the best cars,

01:02:02and you know,

01:02:02their car got loose

01:02:03on the qualifying runs

01:02:04on Saturday

01:02:05and really didn't show us

01:02:06anything after that.

01:02:07but here comes

01:02:07Austin Proc.

01:02:08My life be like

01:02:09My life be like

01:02:14My life be like

01:02:14His dad tuning the car,

01:02:19it just seems like

01:02:20it's,

01:02:21their time has arrived.

01:02:22Jordan Vandegrift

01:02:23is at the starting line

01:02:24as Austin Proc

01:02:25jumps off his funny car.

01:02:30Jimmy Proc,

01:02:31a win for Jimmy Proc,

01:02:33Thomas Proc,

01:02:33and Austin Proc,

01:02:34your first of 2025.

01:02:36Jimmy,

01:02:36is this the return

01:02:37to dominance?

01:02:38It's too early

01:02:39to say that,

01:02:40you know,

01:02:40we've been having

01:02:41to work on this thing

01:02:42to try to get it

01:02:43to act like we want

01:02:44and it was good

01:02:45to make some runs

01:02:46this weekend

01:02:47and get some more

01:02:48information

01:02:48and we're getting

01:02:50it closer,

01:02:51so we just got

01:02:51to keep working on it.

01:02:52You got to keep

01:02:52your head down

01:02:53and just keep digging

01:02:54and tuning on it

01:02:55and we'll see where it goes.

01:02:59So Austin Proc

01:03:00is a winner again

01:03:01and he's with Bruno Massel.

01:03:03Well, the title defense

01:03:05for Austin Proc

01:03:05is back in full effect.

01:03:07You know,

01:03:07it's been a struggle

01:03:08early for you in the year

01:03:09and you've wore those

01:03:09emotions on your shoulder.

01:03:10The consistency

01:03:11that you guys have searched for

01:03:12it looks like you guys

01:03:13have finally found it.

01:03:14Congratulations.

01:03:15Well, man,

01:03:15we're getting close,

01:03:16that's for sure.

01:03:16This Proc rocket

01:03:17ain't perfect yet,

01:03:18but it's heading

01:03:18in the right direction

01:03:19and that's what we need

01:03:20to be proud about right now.

01:03:21That was an ugly win,

01:03:22but like I said earlier

01:03:23this morning,

01:03:24if they were ugly all day

01:03:25but the wind light

01:03:25was coming on,

01:03:26I didn't give a crap.

01:03:27So really proud

01:03:28of this John Force racing team.

01:03:29I love having John Force

01:03:30out at the racetrack.

01:03:31He just gasses you up

01:03:32every time you get in

01:03:33one of these

01:03:33and he told me

01:03:34he was proud of me

01:03:35this week

01:03:35and that means a lot.

01:03:36So really proud

01:03:38to drive this Cornwell Tools

01:03:39Chevrolet SS

01:03:40with HendrickCars.com,

01:03:41Power Solar,

01:03:42Graham Rahal Performance,

01:03:43GRP having that on board

01:03:44is just so cool.

01:03:46Hopefully Graham's doing

01:03:47good in his race

01:03:48and hopefully Kyle Larson

01:03:48can get a dub too.

01:03:50Woo!

01:03:51Right here.

01:03:52As always,

01:03:53the passion coming

01:03:54through his voice there,

01:03:55sharing those thoughts

01:03:56that John Force

01:03:56shared with him

01:03:57over the week.

01:03:57That is a big moment

01:03:59for this team again

01:03:59to reassert themselves

01:04:00on top of the category.

01:04:02It is now time

01:04:03for the top fuel final

01:04:04and this one carries

01:04:05with it a multitude

01:04:06of storylines.

01:04:07For Jasmine Salinas,

01:04:09is it her opportunity

01:04:10for a first victory?

01:04:11Antron Brown

01:04:12of the Macbo Tools car

01:04:13in lane number three.

01:04:14Justin Ashley,

01:04:15who has in some ways

01:04:16fallen uphill this week.

01:04:18The Skag Power Equipment car

01:04:19has not necessarily

01:04:20done much

01:04:21in terms of performance,

01:04:22but here they are

01:04:22and for Tony Stewart,

01:04:24it is his second race

01:04:25in a row

01:04:25with the opportunity

01:04:26to win his first.

01:04:27Yeah,

01:04:29and I think like,

01:04:29a lot like Austin Park,

01:04:31I mean,

01:04:31really Antron Brown,

01:04:32that last qualifying shot

01:04:33that they made,

01:04:34they've been pretty good

01:04:35in the heat,

01:04:36making the adjustments

01:04:37to the increase

01:04:38in track temperature.

01:04:39And you look at

01:04:40Justin Ashley,

01:04:41Tony Stewart,

01:04:41should they be here,

01:04:42should they not?

01:04:43Well,

01:04:43they are here.

01:04:44It's a reality.

01:04:45It was Doug Coletta

01:04:45that double-stepped.

01:04:47He was the number one qualifier.

01:04:48When the enemy makes mistakes,

01:04:49don't interrupt him.

01:04:50But right now,

01:04:51I think they really

01:04:52have to take the fight

01:04:53to Antron Brown

01:04:54and don't discount

01:04:55Jasmine Salinas.

01:04:56That car's been getting

01:04:57to the finish line.

01:04:58Tony Stewart was vicious

01:04:59on the starting line

01:05:00against Clay Milliken

01:05:01in the final of Pomona,

01:05:02but the car gave up traction.

01:05:03He was 36 green.

01:05:05He is going to need

01:05:05to be that

01:05:06because we know

01:05:07that Justin Ashley,

01:05:08by right of average,

01:05:09is going to be

01:05:10somewhere around 40.

01:05:10Whether the car sticks or not,

01:05:12you can't let this guy off early,

01:05:13nor can he with Antron.

01:05:15And let's be real,

01:05:16Jasmine's been the quickest

01:05:16out of both of her quads.

01:05:18Yeah,

01:05:18and I think Tony Stewart

01:05:19respects the fact that

01:05:20he knows that

01:05:21Justin Ashley's

01:05:21right alongside.

01:05:22We know what happened

01:05:23to Doug Coletta

01:05:23the last time

01:05:24somebody was next

01:05:25to Justin Ashley.

01:05:29They pile off

01:05:30into the afternoon.

01:05:31Ashley's got cylinders

01:05:31on.

01:05:32Explosion for Salinas.

01:05:33Explosion for Brown.

01:05:34It's Tony Stewart.

01:05:35Stewart wins

01:05:36in a totally chaotic final.

01:05:38387 to 317.

01:05:40He's broken through.

01:05:41Yeah.

01:05:45Woo!

01:05:46Woo!

01:05:47Woo!

01:05:48Woo!

01:05:49Woo!

01:05:50Woo!

01:05:51Woo!

01:05:52Woo!

01:05:53Woo!

01:05:54Woo!

01:05:55Woo!

01:05:56Woo!

01:05:56At once it seemed like

01:05:57an inevitability,

01:05:58but that is the way.

01:05:59If this guy was going to win

01:06:00a first race,

01:06:00it was going to be people

01:06:01on fire, parts flying,

01:06:03and Jordan Vandegrift down

01:06:04with Leah.

01:06:07Leah Pruitt,

01:06:08Tony Stewart's first career

01:06:10NHRA win.

01:06:11Describe this moment for me.

01:06:13Unbelievable right here.

01:06:14I mean,

01:06:14we came into this final round

01:06:16up in the lounge,

01:06:17and we said,

01:06:17this is all at war.

01:06:18It's not just a battle,

01:06:19and I want to say for the

01:06:20Race Redeemed Foundation,

01:06:21that's the fight against

01:06:22addiction.

01:06:22We're fighting against all

01:06:23these other competitors out

01:06:24here, but for Dodge and

01:06:26just for Tony,

01:06:27oh my goodness,

01:06:28he's wanted this,

01:06:28and he loves the four wide,

01:06:30and I think he proved it

01:06:31right here.

01:06:31For the second race in a row,

01:06:34a guy in the other lane

01:06:34was on fire.

01:06:35This time,

01:06:36Tony was in front of him.

01:06:37Well,

01:06:37it was a good jump

01:06:38for Justin Ashley.

01:06:39It looked like it was going

01:06:40to be a pretty good race

01:06:41across the board.

01:06:43They were pretty close

01:06:44by 300 feet,

01:06:46and then by about

01:06:46the eighth mile,

01:06:47things started to happen,

01:06:49but you know,

01:06:49Tony Stewart,

01:06:50he really embraced this.

01:06:51We've been bombarding

01:06:53this guy sometimes

01:06:54with the same question.

01:06:55It just seems like

01:06:57he understood

01:06:58and had the discipline

01:07:00and had the patience

01:07:01to let everything

01:07:02come together.

01:07:03When we least expected it,

01:07:04because we looked at Antron,

01:07:06it seemed like he was

01:07:07the favorite.

01:07:08Here comes Tony Stewart

01:07:09just outlasting

01:07:10some pretty good opponents.

01:07:12An absolute battle

01:07:13that Tony Stewart

01:07:14has prevailed upon everybody.

01:07:17Let's go talk to him.

01:07:19Tony Stewart's passion

01:07:20for the sport of NHRA drag racing

01:07:21is something that is

01:07:22truly undeniable.

01:07:23At this track,

01:07:24about a year and a half ago,

01:07:25or two years ago,

01:07:26you got your first wallet

01:07:27behind the wheel

01:07:27of an alcohol drag,

01:07:28so it's almost fitting

01:07:29that the big one

01:07:30comes today here in Vegas.

01:07:31Tony,

01:07:32the struggles you've had

01:07:33over the last year and a half

01:07:35have almost made this

01:07:36even sweeter.

01:07:37What's the emotion

01:07:37you're feeling right now?

01:07:38I think you sure as hell

01:07:39learn to appreciate it more

01:07:40when you struggle like that,

01:07:41but man,

01:07:42I'm so appreciative

01:07:43of our guys,

01:07:44and like I said,

01:07:45we got Kevin Rudine

01:07:47and his family here.

01:07:48Race,

01:07:49you did this one

01:07:49for us today, buddy.

01:07:50This is all you,

01:07:51but it's the highest

01:07:53of highs

01:07:54and lowest of lows.

01:07:55Our Rush Truck Center's

01:07:56family, Rusty Rush,

01:07:57we lost his wife, Jenny,

01:07:59this week,

01:08:00and then literally

01:08:0015 minutes before

01:08:02we rolled out

01:08:03for the final here,

01:08:03I got a message

01:08:04from Bakersfield, California

01:08:05from a friend of mine,

01:08:06Brian Landgraf,

01:08:07and we just lost his father.

01:08:09So, you know,

01:08:10I heard Dallas Glenn

01:08:11talking about it too.

01:08:12We've lost a lot of people

01:08:13this week,

01:08:13and it's been tough,

01:08:14but my God,

01:08:15I am so proud of our guys.

01:08:17Dodge,

01:08:17Direct Connection,

01:08:19Race Rudine Foundation,

01:08:21Renai,

01:08:22everybody at Mobile 1J,

01:08:23thank you so much.

01:08:25Just so many great partners here.

01:08:27I've got a great teammate

01:08:28standing there.

01:08:29I have a feeling

01:08:29I'm going to be really hurting

01:08:30in the morning here,

01:08:31but it's going to sure

01:08:32as hell be worth it.

01:08:33Congratulations,

01:08:34sir.

01:08:34Thank you.

01:08:35Yeah, buddy.

01:08:37A top fuel final

01:08:38that presented itself

01:08:39like a Michael Bay movie

01:08:40with stuff blowing up,

01:08:42raw fuel pouring out

01:08:43of the pipes,

01:08:44and an absolute

01:08:45American racing legend

01:08:46claiming his first

01:08:47top fuel victory.

01:08:47It officially places

01:08:49Tony Stewart

01:08:49into a place

01:08:50that not a single

01:08:51American motorsport

01:08:52competitor has ever been

01:08:53with wins in IndyCar,

01:08:55NASCAR,

01:08:56sprint cars,

01:08:57and now top fuel drag racing.

01:08:59Nobody has ever done it.

01:09:01It is an amazing winner's circle.

01:09:02He's greeted very happily

01:09:04by his wife down there,

01:09:05Austin Brock,

01:09:06at Dallas Glenn.

01:09:07Congratulations.

01:09:08You joined Tony Stewart

01:09:09in a very historic moment.

01:09:11We'll see you all

01:09:11in Charlotte, North Carolina

01:09:12in just two weeks.

01:09:13Thanks to Bruno.

01:09:14Thanks to Jordan.

01:09:15Thanks to Freiburger.

01:09:16and thanks to Tony.

01:09:17We'll see you in Charlotte.

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