The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is in action for the second consecutive weekend. After the Northwest Nationals at Washington’s Pacific Raceways, the series makes its annual visit to California’s Sonoma Raceway.
Only three races remain before the Countdown to the Championship begins, making the event ultra-crucial for drivers on the bubble of making NHRA’s playoffs.
Here’s what to watch for this weekend:
An Ashley Resurgence?
Justin Ashley is in need of some good fortune. While the SCAG Racing driver has two victories this season, he hasn’t reached the final round since the Four-Wide Nationals at North Carolina’s zMAX Dragway in April.
To put his season into perspective, in the first five races, Ashley tallied 472 points and led the standings. He’s only notched 290 points in the six races since the Four-Wide Nationals.
Ashley has dropped to fourth in the standings.
Sonoma may be a welcome site for the 29-year-old, who is the defending winner of the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
Capps On The Rise
Three-time Funny Car champion Ron Capps has not had the success he had hoped for this season. Between major setup changes and a brutal engine explosion during eliminations last week at Pacific Raceways, he has plenty to be concerned about.
However, the three-time Funny Car champion is optimistic about the team’s backup car, which has a stout track record.
“We’re going to have to replace that car, but the cool thing is, the car that we had as a spare upstairs that we’re going to run in Sonoma has pretty darn good credentials,” Capps said.
“We won the championship with it in 2022, it was back-to-back world championships, and then the races we won last year, including in Indy, was with that same chassis. We’re very familiar with it and it’s definitely not a bad car to have as a backup, so we’re going to bring that down in Sonoma.
“Conditions are looking like they’re going to be awesome. Weather is looking fantastic – not too hot, which is great for the race cars as well as the fans.”
Capps has won four times at Sonoma, including back-to-back in 2010-’11. He is sixth in the standings, 443 markers behind points leader Austin Prock.
Who’s Got The Edge In Pro Stock?
NHRA’s Pro Stock class continues to showcase parity, with four drivers boasting multiple wins this year.
With the division returning to Sonoma after a year off in 2023, it presents a fresh slate.
Points leader Dallas Glenn remains consistent at the top as he holds a 138-point advantage over Greg Anderson, who has won six times in wine country.
Lurking behind them is six-time champion Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield and the series’ most recent winner, Jeg Coughlin Jr., who also leads the division with three Wally’s claimed on the season.
How Does Herrera Answer?
Gaige Herrea’s tear on the Pro Stock Motorcycle field came to an end last week in Seattle after Chase van Sant got the better of the defending champion in the final round.
It was van Sant’s first career Wally.
Now that Herrera has been dethroned after a record 11 consecutive wins and 46 straight round wins, his Vance & Hines Motorsports team eye redemption at Sonoma — where Herrera won last season as well.
Herrera holds a whopping 298-point cushion over six-time champion Matt Smith.
Pro Stock Motorcycle has an added element this weekend in the All-Star Callout, which features eight riders challenging one another for extra money and bragging rights.
