News & Notes: Sunday Race Day at NHRA New England Nationals

It’s race day, and fans are already streaming through the gates at New England Dragway for the final eliminations of the 2025 NHRA New England Nationals. From the sound of Top Fuel and Funny Car warm-ups echoing through the pits to the sharp focus in the staging lanes, it’s clear: we’re in for an unforgettable day of racing.

The cool New England air—hovering in the 50s to 60s—is perfect for record-setting runs, and crews are eyeing every ounce of traction as they prepare for one of the quickest tracks on the NHRA tour. With low humidity and great cloud cover forecasted for much of the afternoon, conditions are ideal for power-making and edge-of-your-seat eliminations.

Every pass today matters. With Countdown implications and points on the line, each driver knows there’s no room for error. In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta, Brittany Force, and Tony Stewart are among the drivers carrying momentum from strong qualifying runs. But don’t count out upset-minded competitors like Ida Zetterström, Scott Farley, or Rit Pustari, all looking to turn heads and break brackets.

Funny Car delivers another loaded field as Austin Prock, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, and J.R. Todd seek to convert low E.T.s into a Sunday win light, while Pro Stock continues its dogfight between elite powerhouses like Greg Anderson, Erica Enders, and Dallas Glenn with a new challenger in the mix—Cody COughlin

New England Dragway is packed with history and horsepower. It’s the farthest point from NHRA’s Southern California roots, yet today, it feels like the center of the drag racing universe.

Don’t miss it.

Early Top Fuel Eliminations Deliver Records and Redemption

The first round of Top Fuel eliminations in Epping wasted no time rewriting the record books. Ida Zetterström got the action started with a clean, confident win over Steve Torrence, clocking a 3.720 at 332.18 mph—marking a career-best ET and speed for the European rising star.

Then came Doug Kalitta, who launched a 3.646 at 338.34 mph—resetting the New England Dragway Top Fuel track record in both elapsed time and speed. It was the kind of performance you expect from a reigning champion and Saturday’s No. 1 qualifier.

📺 Tune in tonight at 6 p.m. ET on FOX for full race coverage, including the fastest passes and fiercest battles from a track built on grit and speed.

But moments later, Brittany Force answered the call. Her 3.692-second run wasn’t the quickest of the round, but her 339.87 mph blast set a new Top Fuel track speed record, topping Kalitta’s mark and adding another record-breaking run to her résumé.

📺 Tune in tonight at 6 p.m. ET on FOX for full race coverage, including the fastest passes and fiercest battles from a track built on grit and speed.

Meanwhile, Tony Stewart ran 3.699 at 331.45 mph in his winning effort over Rit Pustari, and Antron Brown clocked a 4.229 at 259.56 mph in his victory, despite a big move off the line that forced Mike Bucher to abort his run.

Funny Car Round 1: Fast Track, Big Moves, and the Wildest Pedalfest of the Year

The early eliminations at the NHRA New England Nationals proved once again that New England Dragway’s fast surface can be both a blessing and a trap. With excellent air and strong grip, crew chiefs leaned in—but in several matchups, too much power pushed teams over the edge.

Big Upset: Tasca’s Hopes Flame Out

New England’s own Bob Tasca III was riding momentum into race day after a strong qualifying effort, but his early launch against Phil Burkart turned disastrous. Tasca’s machine struck the tires hard, slowing to a 7.569 at just 94 mph, while Burkart powered through to a clean 4.172-second run at 304.67 mph for the upset.

A dejected Tasca exited early, leaving local fans stunned and opening up the field.

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Highlights from Round 1:

• Jack Beckman vs. Daniel Wilkerson: Easily the wildest pedalfest of the year, Beckman and Wilkerson wrestled their hot rods down the track in a display of skill and instinct. Beckman finally got the best of it, taking the win with a 6.397 at 298.93 mph to Wilkerson’s 6.835 at 146.72 mph. This was as pure and gritty as drag racing gets. 📺 Tune in tonight at 6 p.m. ET on FOX for full race coverage, including the fastest passes and fiercest battles from a track built on grit and speed.

• JR Todd Resurrects the Weekend: After blowing up an engine in Saturday night qualifying, JR Todd rebounded in stunning fashion with his quickest run of the weekend, a 3.890 at 332.84 mph to take down Cruz Pedregon. It was a crucial turnaround that could change the trajectory of Todd’s race day. 📺 Tune in tonight at 6 p.m. ET on FOX for full race coverage, including the fastest passes and fiercest battles from a track built on grit and speed.

• Alexis DeJoria stuns Ron Capps: With a .056 reaction time and a 3.926 at 324.98 mph, Alexis DeJoria upset veteran Ron Capps in the first pair down the track. Capps ran into trouble early and coasted to an 8.903.

• Matt Hagan edges Spencer Hyde in a nail-biter: In one of the tightest races of the round, Hagan’s 3.893 at 334.74 mph narrowly defeated Hyde’s 3.863 at 333.25 mph by just .0042 seconds.

• Blake Alexander goes low ET of the round: With a blazing 3.846 at 335.05 mph, Blake Alexander made a statement with the best pass of Funny Car Round 1, dispatching Chad Green, who couldn’t get past 5.198.

• Austin Prock survives Hull’s challenge: Buddy Hull gave Prock a scare, but the reigning champ advanced with a smooth 5.046-second pass despite some mid-track struggles.

• Paul Lee powers past Richards: Lee posted a clean 4.384 at 199.29 mph to move on, as Dave Richards struggled to a 6.709-second run.

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Fast Track = High Risk

With near-perfect air and solid grip, Epping’s surface continues to tempt crew chiefs to pour on the power, but the line between domination and disaster is razor-thin. We’ve seen blazing times—but we’ve also seen tire smoke, wild pedal-fests, and heartbreak.

Round 2 promises even more as the field narrows and the conditions stay ripe for record-setting speed—or bracket-busting drama.

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Pro Stock Round 1: Connolly Returns, Hartford Surges, and Enders Keeps Charging

The KB Titan cars are quick, but Sunday’s Pro Stock battles at the NHRA New England Nationals proved it takes more than horsepower to win.

In a bracket packed with champions and rising stars, Round 1 of Pro Stock eliminations delivered tight racing, high speeds, and some big statements.

Dave Connolly, stepping back behind the wheel this weekend, made it clear he’s not just playing around. The veteran driver and seasoned crew chief looked razor sharp in a 6.493-second, 210.60 mph win over Greg Stanfield, leaving the competition wondering if they’d rather see him back tuning engines than beating them on the tree.

Matt Hartford flexed hard with a holeshot win over Jeg Coughlin Jr. in one of the round’s headline matchups. With a perfect .000 light and a 213.40 mph blast, Hartford outdrove “The Natural” to a narrow .0235-second margin of victory, proving that experience and poise still count when the lights come down.

Erica Enders, the six-time champ, kept her weekend alive with a solid 6.500-second pass at 211.06 mph to take out Deric Kramer and KB Titan horsepower. Her .014 reaction time sealed the deal, showing why she’s still one of the fiercest in the field.

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Additional Highlights:

• Cody Coughlin continues to impress, posting a clean 6.489 at 212.26 mph to take out Brandon Miller in his first-round matchup. The rookie is adapting quickly and showing real poise under pressure.

• Dallas Glenn held off Troy Coughlin Jr. with a 6.505 at 211.99 mph to advance by just .0251 seconds in a close contest.

• Cory Reed stunned Mason McGaha with a 6.546 at 210.57 mph

• Aaron Stanfield took care of business with a 6.554 at 211.46 mph to advance past Chris McGaha.

• Greg Anderson, another KB Titan heavyweight, ran 6.489 at 212.03 mph to oust Kenny Delco, matching Coughlin’s ET to show the strength and depth of the Titan stable.

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With ETs tightly grouped and speeds soaring over 213 mph, Round 2 of Pro Stock promises even closer battles. Experience, reaction times, and tuning finesse are setting the stage—not just sheer horsepower.

And yes, Dave Connolly is still in it. Good luck to anyone in the other lane.

Top Fuel Round 2: Antron Advances, but Engine Gremlins Linger

The semis await, but not without concern for Antron Brown and the Matco Tools team.

Antron Brown punched his ticket to the semifinals with a 4.707-second pass at 175.64 mph, taking down Dan Mercier, who had early trouble and slowed to a 6.978 at just 88.25 mph. While the win moves Brown forward, it didn’t come without issues.

At the top end, a reflective Brown said:

“We can’t get past that area where there are rounds where things go wrong [with the engine]. I believe in all my team—we’ll go back and look at it. The plus is we are in the semis.”

Brown’s 60-foot time of .856 and 330-foot split of 2.385 were solid, but the car clearly dropped cylinders past half-track, with speed falling off dramatically. Still, a win is a win, and in the high-stakes game of NHRA eliminations, surviving and advancing is what counts.

Tony Stewart continued his red-hot campaign with a decisive win over Justin Ashley, advancing to the semifinals for the fifth race in a row. Stewart’s 3.733 at 330.96 mph was more than enough to overcome Ashley’s troubled 5.893 run. At the top end, crew chief Neal Strasbaugh didn’t mince words:

“I’d be lying if I said we weren’t afraid of those guys [Justin Ashley] every time we line up next to them.”

Brittany Force lit up the boards with the quickest ET of the round, clocking a clean 3.690 at 338.26 mph to dispatch Shawn Reed. The win marked back-to-back strong runs for Force, who’s showing that her Monster team is getting back into the groove after early-season struggles.

In the closest matchup of the round, Doug Kalitta edged out Ida Zetterström in a thrilling side-by-side run. Kalitta’s 3.680 at 330.31 mph just barely held off Zetterström’s 3.720 at 330.55 mph, with a razor-thin .0474 margin of victory. Both cars were quick, but Kalitta’s launch and early numbers proved the difference.

Kalitta now heads to the semifinals in pursuit of another Epping Wally, while Zetterström’s strong performance reinforces her growing status as a serious player in the Top Fuel ranks.

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➡️ Semifinalists:

• Tony Stewart

• Brittany Force

• Doug Kalitta

• Antron Brown

 

Heartbreak for Burkart

The toughest moment of the round belonged to Phil Burkart, whose car refused to go into reverse after the burnout. In a moment of pure grit and desperation, Burkart’s team—along with help from tuner Dan Wilkerson—tried to push the car back to the starting line manually. It wasn’t enough.

 

 

JR Todd staged and took a solo pass, clocking a clean 3.939 at 329.50 mph, earning a spot in the semifinals the hard way—by staying ready. The run may not have been needed to win, but it was proof that the DHL Toyota is running strong.

Burkart had shocked the field by defeating Bob Tasca III in Round 1, and his early exit left fans wondering what could’ve been.

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Other Highlights:

• Jack Beckman won one of the best side-by-side battles of the round with a 3.878 at 328.14 mph, holding off Blake Alexander, who ran 3.934. Margin of victory: just .0472 seconds. Beckman looks sharp and composed—like he never left.

• Alexis DeJoria got the win over Paul Lee after Lee got a slight jump at the tree but went up in smoke early. DeJoria’s car started spinning the tires and even pushed out a head gasket at the top end, but her 4.232 at 221.13 mph was enough to move on.

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Semifinal Matchups:

Here’s your Pro Stock Round 2 Recap for NHRA.com, with results and storylines setting the stage for the semifinals:

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Pro Stock Round 2: Erica Survives, Anderson Prevails, and Connolly Bows to Anderson

Two red lights and one intra-team showdown define a dramatic Round 2 in Epping.

Erica Enders may not have had her best run of the season, but it was more than enough to advance. Her 9.045 at 112.38 mph came after Cory Reed fell into major trouble, coasting to a 28.751 ET after early issues. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective—and Enders remains alive heading into the semifinals.

Two of the other matchups were decided at the tree, as Cody Coughlin and Dallas Glenn both red-lit in heartbreaking fashion. Coughlin jumped the start by a massive -.180, handing the win to Aaron Stanfield, who ran a solid 6.506 at 213.10 mph. Glenn’s -.012 red light gave Matt Hartford a pass, even though Hartford’s car struggled with a 13.448 ET. That’s drag racing—reaction time is everything.

In the most intriguing pairing of the round, Dave Connolly—who’s been exceptional all weekend—lined up against none other than his boss, Greg Anderson. Connolly left first with a .018 light and was quicker to the 60-foot mark, but Anderson pulled ahead with a smooth 6.499 at 211.16 mph, getting the nod over Connolly’s 7.683. It’s always tough when the guy signing your paycheck also signs your time slip, but Connolly’s run through Round 1 reminded everyone he’s still a driver to be reckoned with.

Semifinal Matchups:

Top Fuel Semifinals: Brittany Blazes to History, Stewart Outduels Antron

It’s Brittany vs. Tony in the New England Nationals final after two very different but equally electric semifinal wins.

Tony Stewart continues to prove he belongs in Top Fuel’s elite, earning his way into another final with a 3.711-second pass at 332.34 mph—and doing it with the kind of starting-line precision that leaves veterans shaking their heads. Paired with three-time champ Antron Brown, Stewart posted a sharper .054 reaction time and never looked back.

“Antron is one of the guys who was ahead of us in reaction time,” Stewart said. “So that’s a big feather in my cap today to beat him off the line.”

Antron ran a competitive 3.738 at 333.66 mph, but Stewart’s edge at the hit made the difference—just .0377 seconds in margin of victory.

Meanwhile, Brittany Force scorched the record books.

With Doug Kalitta smoking the tires at the hit, Force thundered down the track to the fastest run in the history of New England Dragway—a blistering 341.42 mph pass on a 3.681-second run. That terminal speed is less than two-tenths of a mile per hour shy of the national record, and a massive statement as she powers into the final.

“I’ve got to move and get out of the way of Brittany Force,” Stewart said, laughing after hearing her numbers.

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Final Round Set:

Brittany Force vs. Tony Stewart

Speed vs. strategy. Veteran firepower vs. rising star confidence.
This one’s for the Wally—and maybe the record books, too.

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Funny Car Semifinals: JR Todd Charges Forward, Spencer Avoids Disaster as Beckman Hits the Wall

High emotion, high drama, and one final-round ticket left in pieces.

JR Todd launched hard and clean in his semifinal matchup against Alexis DeJoria, delivering a .060 reaction time and a stout 3.889 at 333.08 mph to eliminate DeJoria, who trailed with a 3.971 at 324.90 mph. Todd’s crisp leave crushed DeJoria’s .116 light, giving him a definitive .1387 margin of victory.

The second semifinal? It was chaos.

Jack Beckman and Spencer Hyde both struggled for traction at the hit, but the two drivers had wildly different outcomes. As Beckman attempted to pedal the car, it struck so violently that he lost visibility inside the Funny Car cockpit. Disoriented and unable to regain control quickly enough, Beckman’s car crossed the centerline and made hard contact with the opposite wall.

Spencer Hyde, meanwhile, kept his car straight and ahead of Beckman, avoiding a catastrophic collision. Despite his own traction issues, Hyde recorded a 4.325 at 305.77 mph and a safe, clean pass into the final.

Beckman was quick to exit the car under his own power—immediately signaling to fans that he was okay. His body language said it all: frustration, not fear.

INCIDENT REPORT: NHRA New England Nationals

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series: During the third round of eliminations at the NHRA

New England Nationals at New England Dragway, Jack Beckman’s Funny Car crossed the

center line and hit the wall before coming to a stop.

Beckman was alert and exited the car under his own power

 

Funny Car Final Round:

JR Todd vs. Spencer Hyde

Pro Stock Semifinals: Erica and Greg Set Up a Classic Final

Elite Motorsports and KB Titan are back to trading punches as the Pro Stock rivalry reignites in Epping.

Erica Enders is having a resurgent weekend after the month-long break, and her team is making the most of it. With “Happy Birthday Mark Ingersoll” written on the back of her car, Erica is delivering a celebration-worthy performance for her longtime crew chief.

Her semifinal win over Aaron Stanfield wasn’t easy. Both drivers got into a full-on pedalfest after spinning the tires at the hit. Erica recovered quicker, muscling her way down the groove for the win in a wild and gritty race that showcased her driving instinct.

“I have no idea what’s going on today,” Erica said with a laugh. “But I think it’s a very important turnaround that Elite needed. Epping has always held a special place in our hearts. After our Dodge years, this was where we got our first win together in 2017—me and Chase Freidman.

Man, we lose a lot of races we should win. And it rarely works out that you win the ones you shouldn’t. But I’m stoked, Amanda [Busick, of NHRA on FOx]—it feels like I haven’t been to a final in 27 years. But we’re going!”

Meanwhile, the other half of the bracket saw Matt Hartford leave first on Greg Anderson, but it wasn’t enough. Greg powered around Hartford at the top end with a clean, composed run that reminded everyone why he’s a legend in this class.

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Final Round:

Erica Enders vs. Greg Anderson
The rivalry is alive. And the Pro Stock final in Epping is exactly what fans hoped for.

📱 Stay locked to NHRA.tv, NHRA.com and NHRA social channels all day for round-by-round results, highlights, and driver interviews.

📺 And tune in tonight at 6 p.m. ET on FOX for full race coverage, including the fastest passes and fiercest battles from a track built on grit and speed.

It’s Sunday. It’s race day. Let’s go.