Austin Prock greets a fan after winning the Potomac Nationals at Maryland International Raceway – NHRA Photo
HUGE CROWD SEES PROCK, LANGDON, ANDERSON & A. SMITH WIN INAUGURAL NHRA
POTOMAC NATIONALS PRESENTED BY JEGS
– Prock picks up first FC win with Tasca Racing
– Langdon gets three in a row in TF thriller
– Anderson rolls to PS victory
– Smith gets 200th female win in MFDRS
MECHANICSVILLE, Md. (May 31, 2026) – The wait is over for back-to-back
Funny Car world champion Austin Prock, as the standout won for the first
time in 2026 on Sunday in front of a huge crowd at Maryland
International Raceway, defeating John Force Racing’s Jack Beckman in
the final round of the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by
JEGS.
Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro
Stock Motorcycle) also won the seventh of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA
season. Smith’s win was the 200th victory by a woman in the NHRA
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
Prock went 3.956-seconds at 324.20-mph in his 12,000-horsepower PPG Ford
Mustang, holding off Beckman’s 3.971 at 323.50. It is Prock’s 22nd
career win, but the first since leaving John Force Racing in the
off-season after two straight world titles and joining Tasca Racing.
Prock’s family, including tuners Jimmy and Thomas Prock, came with
him, but there were early-season struggles as they didn’t qualify at
Gainesville to open the year and failed to win a round at the first five
races. But the team showed signs in Chicago, advancing to the
semifinals, and then had a massive weekend at MIR, starting with
Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory.
On Sunday, he got past four-time world champ Matt Hagan, Spencer Hyde
and points leader Ron Capps to reach the final round. Prock left first
on Beckman and led wire-to-wire with his best run of the weekend,
putting a stamp on the race and perhaps signaling the start of what
could be another big year.
“It means a lot,” Prock said. “It’s like winning your first race
all over again, because all of the work that we put in and everything
that we learned. So, to be seven races in and win the Mission Challenge
this weekend and win the diamond Wally, I think it says a lot about this
race team and what we’re capable of. I’m just very proud of this whole
Ford Racing team. It was a great weekend, but this is just the beginning
of the new era of the Prock Rocket.
“As a competitor, you’re just kind of beat down, and then the race
car started coming alive again, and I felt like I was behind the race
car at times, where the race car was performing better than I was. After
(Chicago), I was really, really hard on myself after the semifinals. I
didn’t leave good enough to even put us in contention. I wanted to come
in here this weekend and prove to myself that I’ve still got it, and I
feel like I did that.”
Beckman reached his second final of 2026 and the 79th in his career,
taking down Joe Morrison, J.R. Todd and teammate Jordan Vandergriff.
Capps leads Todd by 16 points, with Chad Green in third.
In Top Fuel, Shawn Langdon continued his spectacular run, winning a
third straight race for the first time in his Top Fuel career, taking
down teammate Doug Kalitta in one of the closest Top Fuel races in NHRA
history with a run of 3.762 at 334.90 in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta
Air dragster.
It is Langdon’s fourth win in the past six races, but the final round
against Kalitta was a thriller for the ages. Kalitta left first with a
.052 reaction time to Langdon’s .056, but the points leader slipped
past the reigning world champion at the finish line, winning by a mere
.0002 seconds (or one inch).
It was as close as it gets in the Top Fuel category, but there appears
to be no stopping Langdon at the moment as he was simply tremendous all
weekend. He qualified No. 1 at the new facility on the NHRA tour, won
the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, and then got past Justin
Ashley and Billy Torrence to reach the finals.
He set the track record earlier in the day with a blistering 3.718 at
338.00 and was consistent throughout Sunday, stretching his lead over
Kalitta to 76 points as Langdon’s dream season pushes on.
“I knew I had to hit the Tree better in the final because Doug had a
little bit on me all weekend long, and I mean, Alan Johnson’s Alan
Johnson for a reason, because in the final rounds he performs, and
Doug’s been there, and had had one of the best cars over the last couple
years. Brian [Husen, crew chief] was trying to run a little bit better
than that in the final, and fortunately, I pulled just enough out of
somewhere,” Langdon said.
“Three wins in a row means a lot because of all the hard work that’s
gone into this team over the last couple of years. When Brian came over
and revamped everything within the team, the guys just all got together
and they’ve done such a fantastic job. It just makes my job a lot
easier. I just have to go out there and hit the gas on time and hold the
thing straight. When you have confidence in your team and confidence in
your car, it makes it a lot of fun.”
Kalitta knocked off Lex Joon, Clay Millican and Leah Pruett to reach the
finals for the fourth time this season and 130th time in his career.
Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson still had the upper hand in final rounds
against points leader Dallas Glenn – at least on Sunday – racing
past the reigning world champion with a run of 6.472 at 212.46 in his
HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It improved Anderson to 10-1 in final
rounds against Glenn, also handing Pro Stock’s winningest driver his
114th career win and second this year.
Anderson lived in the 6.40s on Sunday, showing championship form at a
track where he’s raced and tested at over the years. But this was a
first in the NHRA and Anderson made the most of it, defeating Brandon
Miller with a 6.476, Deric Kramer with a track-record 6.464 and then
Greg Stanfield to reach the final round.
Glenn had a huge starting-line advantage, but his car ran into trouble
early and Anderson took advantage, racing to the victory. He remains
second in points and was thrilled with how the entire weekend transpired
at the standout facility.
“You can’t try to be Superman, no matter what the competition’s doing
and that’s a hard thing,” Anderson said. “It’s easy to say, but it’s
hard to do when you’re going up there and you got Aaron Stanfield and
Dallas Glenn, and you know the reaction time is going to start with a
zero or one. It’s just the way it is and I’m not that guy anymore.
“I told myself before that final round, do not make a mistake like you
did last weekend, and obviously went too far the other way, and I had a
horrible light. But thank God Dallas’ car didn’t make it, so just my
day, my lucky day. My car was fantastic all day long, and it’s just a
good, a good feeling racetrack for me.”
Glenn, who now holds an 11-point lead over Anderson, made it to the
finals for the fourth time this season and 44th time overall thanks to
round wins against Shane Tucker, Aaron Stanfield and Troy Coughlin Jr.
Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Angie Smith capped off an emotional – yet
highly successful – weekend in the best way possible, winning for the
first time in nearly four years and capturing the 200th victory by a
female in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series with a weekend-best
run of 6.683 at 201.52 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell to defeat Ryan
Oehler in the final round.
It reversed the heartbreak of the most recent event in Chicago, when
Smith’s bike broke on the starting line in the finals, as she
continued to have the best bike in the category for the second straight
race. This weekend, Smith made sure to finish the job en route to her
fourth career victory in the class.
Her husband, six-time world champ Matt Smith, was also hospitalized on
Friday, but he continued to tune the bikes as Angie powered to the No. 1
spot. He was back at the track on Sunday to see his wife dominate, as
she cruised to round wins against Brayden Davis and Clayton Howey, going
6.696 in the semifinals.
There were no issues this time in the finals, and Smith led the entire
way, securing a monumental and historic victory. She’s now second in
points, 26 behind Richard Gadson.
“I was just ecstatic because at 7 a.m. Friday, we were running zero
bikes, we were taking the Tree and getting our 30 points, packing up and
going home,” Smith said. “At 10 a.m. Matt said, ‘We’re running all
four bikes, I believe in you, and you can do it.’ So that’s what we
did. It was tough and it was not easy, and it’s one of those things when
your team believes in you and your husband believes in you.
“Matt is a remarkable person for him to just navigate running four
motorcycles, lining four people up. It was just a challenge, and as a
team, we had to step up to the plate. I was very thankful that Matt made
it back before first round. He didn’t want to be at the hospital; he
wanted to be there with us.”
“It means everything (to get the 200th). From Erica to Shirley to
Angelle, to all of those ladies who have paved the way for me to come
out here, and I get to call some of them my really good friends, and
that’s what means so much to me. We have such a close relationship, and
I will always be the 200th. I’m glad I can represent the women of
NHRA.”
Oehler advanced to his first final round in five years and fifth in his
career, continuing to show strong progress with round wins against Chase
Van Sant, reigning world champion Gadson and Jianna Evaristo.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action June 5-7
with the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto at New England
Dragway in Epping, N.H.
***
MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — Final finish order (1-16) at the Inaugural NHRA
Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway.
The race is the seventh of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag
Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Shawn Langdon; 2. Doug Kalitta; 3. Leah Pruett; 4. Billy Torrence; 5.
Shawn Reed; 6. Clay Millican; 7. Will Smith; 8. Justin Ashley; 9. Maddi
Gordon; 10. Lex Joon; 11. Josh Hart; 12. Antron Brown; 13. Tony Stewart;
14. Tony Schumacher; 15. Spencer Massey.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Austin Prock; 2. Jack Beckman; 3. Ron Capps; 4. Jordan Vandergriff;
5. Chad Green; 6. J.R. Todd; 7. Spencer Hyde; 8. Cruz Pedregon; 9.
Alexis DeJoria; 10. Paul Lee; 11. Del Worsham; 12. Daniel Wilkerson; 13.
Matt Hagan; 14. Blake Alexander; 15. Joe Morrison; 16. Dave Richards.
PRO STOCK:
1. Greg Anderson; 2. Dallas Glenn; 3. Greg Stanfield; 4. Troy Coughlin
Jr.; 5. Aaron Stanfield; 6. Jeg Coughlin; 7. Deric Kramer; 8. Kenny
Delco; 9. Eric Latino; 10. Matt Latino; 11. Shane Tucker; 12. Matt
Hartford; 13. Brandon Miller; 14. Alan Prusiensky; 15. Erica Enders; 16.
Cody Anderson.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
1. Angie Smith; 2. Ryan Oehler; 3. Jianna Evaristo; 4. Clayton Howey; 5.
Richard Gadson; 6. Brayden Davis; 7. John Hall; 8. Chip Ellis; 9. Chase
Van Sant; 10. Kelly Clontz; 11. Steve Johnson; 12. Geno Scali; 13.
Wesley Wells; 14. Gaige Herrera; 15. Charles Poskey.
MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — Sunday’s final results from the Inaugural NHRA
Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway.
The race is the seventh of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing
Series:
Top Fuel — Shawn Langdon, 3.762 seconds, 334.90 mph def. Doug Kalitta,
3.766 seconds, 334.24 mph.
Funny Car — Austin Prock, Ford Mustang, 3.956, 324.20 def. Jack
Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.971, 323.50.
Pro Stock — Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.472, 212.46 def. Dallas
Glenn, Camaro, 14.576, 58.85.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Angie Smith, Buell, 6.683, 201.52 def. Ryan
Oehler, Buell, 6.741, 201.91.
Top Alcohol Dragster — Jackie Fricke, 5.478, 274.33 def. Gary
Pritchett, 7.077, 258.91.
Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.393, 270.92
def. Bob McCosh, Camaro, 5.453, 268.38.
Competition Eliminator — Steve Szupka, Spitzer, 6.923, 173.72 def.
Joseph Arrowsmith, Pontiac GTO, 7.834, 172.85.
Top Sportsman — Ronald Riegel, Chevy Camaro, 6.725, 202.91 def. Vince
Fourcade, Camaro, 7.137, 187.68.
Junior Dragster Shootout — Cole Rudy, Mike Bos, 7.990, 77.27 def.
Jordyn Willingham, Strikeforce, 7.908, 82.18.
MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — Final round-by-round results from the Inaugural
NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International
Raceway, the seventh of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing
Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE — Clay Millican, 3.823, 330.39 def. Josh Hart, 4.026, 268.92;
Will Smith, 3.802, 327.03 def. Maddi Gordon, 3.805, 330.07; Leah Pruett,
3.786, 323.97 def. Spencer Massey, 6.364, 104.02; Shawn Langdon, 3.718,
338.00 was unopposed; Doug Kalitta, 3.760, 334.40 def. Lex Joon, 3.867,
320.51; Shawn Reed, 4.219, 267.06 def. Tony Stewart, 4.411, 215.72;
Billy Torrence, 3.997, 286.44 def. Tony Schumacher, 4.877, 150.06;
Justin Ashley, 3.995, 276.52 def. Antron Brown, 4.030, 283.85;
QUARTERFINALS — Torrence, 3.839, 329.02 def. Reed, 3.853, 327.11;
Pruett, 3.786, 330.80 def. Smith, 4.499, 206.29; Kalitta, 3.798, 333.16
def. Millican, 3.860, 327.35; Langdon, 3.791, 331.45 def. Ashley, 5.901,
114.27;
SEMIFINALS — Langdon, 3.772, 334.57 def. Torrence, 3.860, 318.77;
Kalitta, 3.772, 334.15 def. Pruett, 3.787, 329.91;
FINAL — Langdon, 3.762, 334.90 def. Kalitta, 3.766, 334.24.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE — Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.975, 323.27 def. Paul Lee,
Dodge Charger, 4.016, 319.75; Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 4.171, 277.89 def.
Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.303, 216.20; Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro,
3.939, 325.69 def. Joe Morrison, Charger, 5.027, 161.23; Jordan
Vandergriff, Camaro, 3.988, 322.27 def. Dave Richards, Mustang, 14.327,
64.45; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.016, 316.60 def. Del Worsham, Toyota
Supra, 4.127, 254.23; Austin Prock, Mustang, 3.977, 323.19 def. Matt
Hagan, Charger, 4.388, 202.48; Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.001, 321.12
def. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 4.009,
326.56; J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 4.015, 328.14 def. Blake Alexander,
Charger, 4.878, 165.25;
QUARTERFINALS — Vandergriff, 3.996, 324.98 def. Green, 4.008, 321.81;
Prock, 3.999, 321.88 def. Hyde, 4.112, 274.44; Beckman, 4.003, 324.05
def. Todd, 4.018, 311.41; Capps, 4.255, 263.05 def. Pedregon, 4.939,
163.67;
SEMIFINALS — Prock, 3.998, 323.12 def. Capps, 4.014, 320.28; Beckman,
3.923, 328.22 def. Vandergriff, 4.122, 250.83;
FINAL — Prock, 3.956, 324.20 def. Beckman, 3.971, 323.50.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE — Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.505, 212.09 def. Erica
Enders, Camaro, 9.152, 107.22; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.510, 211.83
def. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 11.703, 75.03; Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.536,
211.89 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.547, 212.79; Deric Kramer, Camaro,
6.489, 212.23 def. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.526, 212.63; Greg Anderson,
Camaro, 6.476, 212.26 def. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.863, 164.91;
Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.473, 212.09 def. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.530,
213.06; Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.501, 212.73 def. Alan Prusiensky,
Dart, 7.288, 140.81; Troy
Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.537, 211.66 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, Foul – Red
Light;
QUARTERFINALS — Coughlin Jr., 6.535, 211.23 def. Delco, 13.181, 66.00;
G. Stanfield, 6.487, 212.33 def. Coughlin, 6.525, 211.66; G. Anderson,
6.464, 212.79 def. Kramer, 10.887, 83.72; Glenn, 6.488, 212.23 def. A.
Stanfield, 6.503, 211.99;
SEMIFINALS — Glenn, 6.492, 212.16 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.550, 210.90; G.
Anderson, 6.488, 212.53 def. G. Stanfield, 6.501, 212.13;
FINAL — G. Anderson, 6.472, 212.46 def. Glenn, 14.576, 58.85.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
ROUND ONE — Brayden Davis, Buell, 6.743, 202.64 def. Gaige Herrera,
Suzuki, Broke; Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.702, 204.98 def. Kelly Clontz,
Suzuki, 6.786, 201.46; Ryan Oehler, Buell, 10.750, 75.57 def. Chase Van
Sant, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light; Chip Ellis, Buell, 6.776, 200.92 def.
Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.827, 200.71; Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.733, 202.21
def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.799, 198.26; John Hall, 6.758, 199.82 def.
Charles Poskey, Suzuki, Broke – No Show; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.715,
203.65 was unopposed; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.716, 201.88 def. Wesley
Wells, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light;
QUARTERFINALS — Howey, 6.751, 199.94 def. Ellis, Broke; Smith, 6.702,
201.49 def. Davis, Foul – Red Light; Evaristo, 6.746, 202.06 def. Hall,
6.778, 199.35; Oehler, 6.697, 203.12 def. Gadson, 6.734, 201.58;
SEMIFINALS — Smith, 6.696, 201.52 def. Howey, 6.776, 198.85; Oehler,
6.728, 201.82 def. Evaristo, Foul – Red Light;
FINAL — Smith, 6.683, 201.52 def. Oehler, 6.741, 201.91.
MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — Point standings (top 10) following the Inaugural
NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International
Raceway, the seventh of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing
Series –
Top Fuel
1. Shawn Langdon, 722; 2. Doug Kalitta, 646; 3. Leah Pruett, 506; 4.
Tony Stewart, 424; 5. Josh Hart, 409; 6. Maddi Gordon, 395; 7. Justin
Ashley, 364; 8. Billy Torrence, 356; 9. Antron Brown, 345; 10. Clay
Millican, 294.
Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 540; 2. J.R. Todd, 524; 3. Chad Green, 500; 4. Matt Hagan,
493; 5. Jordan
Vandergriff, 485; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 427; 7. Jack Beckman, 412; 8.
Spencer Hyde, 370; 9. Austin Prock, 323; 10. Daniel Wilkerson, 264.
Pro Stock
1. Dallas Glenn, 630; 2. Greg Anderson, 619; 3. Greg Stanfield, 483; 4.
Matt Hartford, 410; 5. Erica Enders, 400; 6. Aaron Stanfield, 397; 7.
Matt Latino, 380; 8. Jeg Coughlin, 339; 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., 324; 10.
Eric Latino, 291.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Richard Gadson, 455; 2. Angie Smith, 429; 3. Matt Smith, 407; 4.
Gaige Herrera, 357; 5. John Hall, 320; 6. Clayton Howey, 310; 7. Ryan
Oehler, 279; 8. Chase Van Sant, 262; 9. Jianna Evaristo, 242; 10.
Brayden Davis, 231.
-NHRA-