MADISON, Ill. — Funny Car’s Jack Beckman powered to the top in front of a sellout crowd on Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway, securing his third No. 1 qualifier of 2026 for John Force Racing at the 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 17th of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Beckman went 3.866 seconds at 332.59 mph in his 12,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet SS to open Saturday, holding off the field to get his 36th career top qualifier.
The veteran and past world champion will open eliminations against Dale Creasy Jr., looking to win in St. Louis for the second time in the past three years. He also entered the weekend fifth in points for John Force Racing and 126 points behind leader Matt Hagan, which puts the standout in the position where he needs a win – and to get some help along the way.
“Relative to the conditions, that pass was probably one of the best runs of the year,” Beckman said. “We weren’t pushing to run an .86. We got everything there was out there — maybe a little bit more. The racing gods gave us a hundredth in Q3. We weren’t pushing to run an .86, but we got everything there was out there.
“We’ve got a car that’s basically good enough to win all the time. It’s just about eliminating that small stuff — that hundredth of a second, that five-thousandth of a second that can eat you alive. Every qualifying run matters. We’ve got to keep doing stuff like that.”
Alexis DeJoria, points leader Matt Hagan and Austin Prock all ran identical 3.882, but it was DeJoria who qualified second with the best speed of the trio. Hagan is third and Prock follows in fourth.
Searching for his fourth straight victory in the midst of a spectacular Top Fuel season, points leader Shawn Langdon secured his seventh No. 1 of the season when Friday’s stellar run of 3.679 at 339.87 in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster held up through Saturday’s two sessions.
Langdon has won the first two races of the Countdown to the Championship and has three straight victories dating back to Indy. It’s his second three-race winning streak of the year, but a fourth consecutive victory would go a long way to handing Langdon, who made a strong run in the third qualifying session, his second world title. He’ll open eliminations against Tony Schumacher, looking to pick up an eighth win this year and keep his playoff run perfect.
“The car’s been really consistent making good runs, so in Q4 we pressed it a little bit to see where the threshold was,” Langdon said. “It had good early numbers. We were trying to go probably low .70s there, and it just smoked the tires down track.”
Antron Brown qualified second with a 3.704 at 334.90 and Maddi Gordon’s 3.708 put her third. The rookie’s 340.65 during qualifying also set a track speed record.
In Pro Stock, Troy Coughlin’s incredible resurgence in the Countdown to the Championship continued in St. Louis, as he picked up his first No. 1 position in three years thanks to Friday’s stout, track-record run of 6.473 at 211.69 in his JEGS Pro Stock car for Elite Motorsports.
Coughlin got back on track in a major way to open the playoffs, winning the Countdown opener in Martin and that momentum has continued in St. Louis as he looks to remain a threat in the championship conversation. He delivered quick and consistent runs throughout qualifying and will attempt to get his second win in three races on Sunday.
The first round of eliminations means a matchup with Chris Vang, and Coughlin is eager to keep this hot streak going.
“It feels awesome. To be at this facility — this place is so much fun to race at — this one will definitely go down as a good one in our hearts. We can’t wait for race day,” Coughlin said. “It’s a lot of fun to see everybody’s work pay off. Everything comes and goes in cycles, and to see the perseverance, persistence and consistency these guys possess is fantastic.
“It’s difficult to struggle, but struggle brings growth. Those are stepping stones for growth, and I think that’s the way we all view it. The fruits of their labor are starting to show, and the grins are getting bigger and bigger. What a great time to really turn the corner like this.”
Points leader Greg Stanfield qualified second with a 6.474 at 210.93 and six-time world champ Greg Anderson is third after going 6.470 at 210.50.
Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera already had the track record at World Wide Technology Raceway, but the two-time world champion decided to blow the doors off it to close out qualifying, going a spectacular 6.644 at 202.76 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
It was a massive run and certainly sent a message going into eliminations, as Herrera will open raceday against Malcolm Phillips Jr. The tremendous run also gave Herrera, who is currently second in points, his third No. 1 qualifier of the season as he looks to go on a late-season run to win a third world title.
“It felt really good. It stuck, and I was kind of waiting for it to spin the tire a little bit, but it didn’t. I could feel like it was really moving,” Herrera said. “To go .64 and only be two-hundredths off the national record I set in Dallas a couple years ago is pretty crazy. I thought maybe a .65 if everything aligned, but not a .64.
“That’s a testament to Andrew (Hines, crew chief) and his tuning ability and all the guys at the shop. Those numbers on the board are bragging rights for them. I’m just happy I get to ride the motorcycle.”
Matt Smith took the second spot after going 6.663 at 202.70, while Joey Gladstone, riding for Jianna Evaristo, is third with a 6.695 at 201.37. Points leader Richard Gadson is seventh with a 6.729 at 202.06.
