MOTORSPORT AMERICA EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF THE NHRA TOP FUEL & FUNNY CAR FINALS AT THUNDER VALLEY!
BUDDY HULL RETURNED TO THUNDER VALLEY AT BRISTOL DRAGWAY, WHERE THE JIM DUNN RACING TEAM ROLLED OUT THEIR SPECIAL MOON EYES 75TH ANNIVERSARY LIVERY. THE ICONIC YELLOW & BLACK DESIGN IS A LONGTIME FAN FAVORITE!
MOTORSPORT AMERICA EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF THE NHRA TOP FUEL & FUNNY CAR FINAL ROUNDS AT THUNDER VALLEY!
by Derek Jackson
Motorsport America traveled to Thunder Valley in Bristol, Tennessee to bring you coverage of the NHRA Super Grip Nationals at Thunder Valley! Please enjoy these exclusive photos brought to you by Motorsport America photographers Fred Hanyon and Doug Lewis!
TONY STEWART RACING’S MATT HAGAN DOES HIS BURNOUT IN THUNDER VALLEY IN THE E1 FC AS HE GETS READY TO SQUARE-OFF AGAINST RON CAPPS. THE RACE WAS A PHOTO FINISH AS CAPPS POSTED A 4.050 TO HAGAN’S 4.068!RON CAPPS BURNOUT AS HE PREPARES TO TAKE ON MATT HAGAN IN THE FC E1 ROUND. CAPPS HAS THE LEAD AS THEY GO BY THE TREE, AND NEVER TRAILS FOR THE WIN. THE RACE WAS A PHOTO FINISH AS CAPPS POSTED A 4.050 TO HAGAN’S 4.068!JOHN FORCE RACING’S JACK BECKMAN’S HENDRICK CARS CHEVY BEFORE HIS E1 RUN AGAINST JULIE NATASS, MAKING HER NHRA FUNNY CAR DEBUT AT THUNDER VALLEY!NORWEGIAN NATIVE JULIE NATASS IS A FORMER TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER TALENT AND WAS IMPRESSIVE IN HER FUNNY CAR DEBUT WEEKEND AT THUNDER VALLEY IN HER AIRMINE TOYOTA.JULIE NATASS IN THE NEAR LANE vs JOHN FORCE RACING’S JACK BECKMAN IN THE 1st ROUND OF ELIMINATION AT THUNDER VALLEY! BECKMAN WAS UP IN SMOKE EARLY ON AND CLICKED IT OFF. THE NORWEGIAN NATIVE NATASS WAS STRAIGHT DOWN THE GROOVE AND TO GET HER FIRST FUNNY CAR WINDAVE RICHARDS DOING A BURNOUT BEFORE TAKING ON ALEXIS DEJORIA IN THE 1st ROUND OF FUNNY CAR ELIMINATION AT THUNDER VALLEY!DAVE RICHARDS IN THE NEAR LANE TAKING ON ALEXIS DEJORIA IN THE 1st ROUND OF ELIMINATION AT THUNDER VALLEY. RICHARDS CLOCKED A TIME OF 4.098 TO DEJORIA’S 4.134!J.R. TODD’S FC E1 BURNOUT BEFORE FACING SPENCER HYDE AT THUNDER VALLEY!SPENCER HYDE’S BURNOUT IN THUNDER VALLEY BEFORE TAKING ON J.R. TODD IN THE E1 RUN. THE 34 y/o ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA NATIVE IS A PROMISING TALENT IN THE NHRA FUNNY CAR RANKS!J.R. TODD’S CREW MAKES FINAL PREPS BEFORE HIS E1 RUN AGAINST SPENCER HYDE AT THE NHRA SUPER GRIP THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS!SPENCER HYDE TOOK ON J.R. TODD AND HIS DHL ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR IN THE 1st ROUND OF ELIMINATION. HYDE WAS UP IN SMOKE AT THE START AND TODD NEVER TRAILED FOR THE WIN. TODD’S 319.60 MPH WAS THE QUICKEST PASS OF THE RUN!BOB TASCA IN HIS FORD PERFORMANCE DARK HORSE MUSTANG PREPARES FOR HIS E1 RUN AGAINST THE SCAG JAKAL OF DANIEL WILKERSON!DANIEL WILKERSON IN THE SCAG OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT JACKAL FUNNY CAR TAKING ON BOB TASCA IN FIRST ROUND ELIMINATION. TASCA’S DARK HORSE MUSTANG STARTED TO SMOKE THE TIRES HALF TRACK AND HE CLICKED IT OFF. WILKERSON’S SCAG JACKAL HAD THE LEAD AND NEVER TRAILED FOR THE WIN!NHRA LEGEND CRUZ PEDREGON IN HIS SNAP-ON TOOLS DODGE SRT HELLCAT FUNNY CAR BEFORE HIS E1 RUN AGAINST HUNTER GREEN’S BOND COAT DODGE!HUNTER GREEN’S E1 BURNOUT IN PREPS OF HIS RUN AGAINST NHRA LEGEND CRUZ PEDREGON. HUNTER IS A PROMISING YOUNG TALENT IN THE FUNNY CAR RANKS AND RUNS A JOHN FORCE RACING CHASSIED DODGE CHARGER!HUNTER GREEN IN THE NEAR LANE AGAINST NHRA LEGEND CRUZ PEDREGON. GREEN WAS UP IN SMOKE BY 200 FEET AND CLICKED IT OFF. CRUZ WAS STRAIGHT DOWN THE GROOVE AND GOT THE E1 WIN!IT’S CHAD GREEN IN THE NEAR LANE vs PAUL LEE IN THE 1st ROUND OF ELIMINATION AT THUNDER VALLEY. GREEN IS 5-2 AGAINST LEE IN PRIOR EVENTS, BUT LEE NEVER TRAILED FOR THE WIN!67 y/o PAUL LEE FROM ORANGE, CALIFORNIA DOES HIS BURNOUT AT THUNDER VALLEY BEFORE HIS E2 RACE AGAINST BUDDY HULL AND HIS LEGENDARY MOON EYES FUNNY CAR!BUDDY HULL’S LEGENDARY MOON EYES FUNNY CAR DOES A BURNOUT PRIOR TO THE E2 FACE-OFF AGAINST PAUL LEE!PAUL LEE IN THE NEAR LANE SQUARES OFF AGAINST THE LEGENDARY MOON EYES FUNNY CAR OF BRETT HULL AND JIM DUNN RACING IN THE 2nd ROUND OF ELEMINATION! THE 67 y/o PAUL LEE TOOK THE ROUND WITH A TIME OF 4.030 AT 316.90 MPH! THE MOON EYES FUNNY CAR CHUTES DEPLOYED LATE AND NEVER BLOSSOMED, AS HULL WENT INTO AND THROUGH THE SAND BARRIER AND INTO THE CATCH FENCE! HULL WAS UNSCATHED BY THE ACCIDENT AT THUNDER VALLEY!BRETT HULL’S MOON EYES CHUTES CAME OUT LATE AND NEVER BLOSSOMED. THE LEGENDARY FUNNY CAR WENT THROUGH THE SAND BARRIER AND INTO THE CATCH FENCE AND EMERGED UNSCATHED! – NHRA PHOTONHRA TV SHOWS BRETT HULL EMERGING FROM HIS LEGENDARY MOON EYES FUNNY CAR AS HIS CHUTES DEPLOYED LATE AND NEVER BLOSSOMED! HULL WENT INTO AND THROUGH THE SAND BARRIER AND INTO THE CATCH FENCE! HULL WAS UNSCATHED BY THE SHOCKING INCIDENT!NHRA LEGEND, CALIFORNIA CRUZER CRUZ PEDREGON DOING A BURNOUT AT THUNDER VALLEY BEFORE HIS ELIMINATION ROUND RUN AGAINST DAVE RICHARDS!DAVE RICHARDS PREPARES FOR HIS E2 RACE AGAINST NHRA LEGEND CRUZ PEDREGON. RICHARD’S BLUEBIRD TURF FUNNY CAR CRUIESED TO VICTORY IN THE RIGHT LANE WITH A TIME OF 4.136 AT 312.50 MPH!J.R. TODD DOES A BURNOUT AT THUNDER VALLEY IN PREPERATION FOR HIS E2 RUN AGAINST RON CAPPS AND HIS NAPA AUTO CARE FUNNY CAR!RON CAPPS DOES A BURNOUT AT THUNDER VALLEY IN PREPERATION FOR HIS E2 RUN AGAINST J.R. TODD AND HIS DHL FUNNY CAR!RON CAPPS CLAIMED THE WIN IN HIS NAPA AUTO CARE FUNNY CAR AGAINST J.R. TODD IN THEIR E2 RACE. RON RAN A 4.111 TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT ROUND!FOUR TIME WORLD CHAMPION ANTRON BROWN IN THE NEAR LANE FACES OFF AGAINST JUSTIN ASHLEY IN THE FIRST ROUND OF ELIMINATION AT THUNDER VALLEY IN BRISTOL, TENNESSEE!FOUR TIME WORLD CHAMPION ANTRON BROWN DRIVING THE MATCO TOOLS TOP FUEL DRAGSTER STRUGGLED THIS WEEKEND AT THE THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS AS JUSTIN ASHLEY WON THE E1 ROUND EASILY WITH A TIME OF 3.783!HOMETOWN FAVORITE CLAY MILLICAN FROM DRUMMONDS, TENNESSEE WOWS THE LOCAL FANS WITH HIS BURNOUT BEFORE HE WON HIS E1 RUN AGAINST SHAWN REED!SHAWN REED IN HIS REED TRUCKING & EXCAVATING TOP FUEL DRAGSTER AS HE DOES HIS BURNOUT IN PREPERATION FOR HIS E1 RUN AGAINST HOMETOWN FAVORITE CLAY MILLICAN!IDA ZETTERSTRÖM SPINS HER TIRES AS BRITTANY FORCE CRUISES TO THE WIN IN THE E1 ELIMINATION ROUND! BRITTANY RAN A 3.811 AT 330.39 MPH!CODY KROHN’S BURNOUT AS HE PREPARES TO FACE OFF WITH KALITTA AIR’S SHAWN LANGDON IN THUNDER VALLEY!SHAWN LANGDON STARTS HIS BURNOUT IN THE LEFT LANE IN THE FIRST ROUND OF ELIMINATION AGAINST CODY KROHN. LANGDON RAN A 3.922 TO ADVANCE TO E2!RACING LEGEND TONY STEWART TAKING ON CAMERON FERRE IN E1 COMPETITION. STEWART WON THE ROUND EASILY WITH A 3.821 AT 327.27 MPH!RACING LEGEND TONY STEWART’S BURNOUT BEFORE HIS BYE RUN DURNING THE E2 ROUND. STEWART’S TIME OF 4.178 AT 212.13 MPH WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR LANE CHOICE IN THE NEXT ROUND. TONY HAS TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS UNDER HIS BELT IN 2025 AND ON SATURDAY AT THUNDER VALLEY HE WON THE MISSION FOODS #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE TO ADD TO HIS AWARDS FOR THE YEAR! IN THE 3RD ROUND OF ELIMINATION, STEWART LOST OUT TO STEVE TORRENCE WHO POSTED A PHOTO FINISH WINNING TIME AGAINST THE RACING LEGEND OF 3.857 TO STEWART’S 3.861 TO WIN BY A MARGIN OF 0.004!SHAWN LANGDON’S BURNOUT AT THE NHRA SUPER GRIP THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS. IN 2025, LANGDON HAS WON THE MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE IN PHOENIX, POMONA WINTERNATIONALS AND CHICAGO!KALITTA AIR’S SHAWN LANGDON IN THE NEAR LANE TAKING ON JOSH HART IN THE ELIMINATION ROUND #3 AT THUNDER VALLEY. LANGDON STARTED LOSING TRACTION AT HALF TRACK AND THEN BANGED THE BLOWER BUT HELD ON FOR THE WIN. HART WAS UP IN SMOKE AT THE HIT BUT COULD NOT CHASE LANGDON DOWN.JUSTIN ASHLEY MATCHING UP AGAINST BRITTANY FORCE IN THE 2nd ROUND OF ELIMINATION AT THUNDER VALLEY! ASHLEY HAD A GREAT LIGHT AND WAS STRAIGHT DOWN THE GROOVE FOR THE WIN. HE MADE THE QUICKEST PASS OF THE ROUND FOR THE WIN OVER THE NATIONAL SPEED RECORD HOLDER BRITTANY FORCE! ASHLEY WENT ON TO FACE STEVE TORRENCE IN THE FINAL TOP FUEL ROUND FOR THE NHRA SUPER GRIP THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS CHAMPIONSHIP!FOUR TIME NHRA WORLD CHAMPION STEVE TORRENCE, DRIVING THE CAPCO CONTRACTORS TOP FUEL DRAGSTER, HAD LITTLE PROBLEM GETTING PAST HOMETOWN FAVORITE DRIVER CLAY MILLICAN IN THE 2nd ROUND OF ELIMINATION AT THUNER VALLEY! TORRENCE WENT ON TO FACE JUSTIN ASHLEY AND HIS SCAG TOP FUEL DRAGSTER FOR THE FINAL E4 ROUND! ASHLEY WAS UP IN SMOKE AT THE HIT AS TORRENCE BLASTED TO A 4.022 AT 325.37 MPH TO COLLECT HIS FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON AND HIS 56TH CAREER WALLY IN NHRA TOP FUEL COMPETITION IN THUNDER VALLEY!
