Matt Hagan wins the Funny Car NHRA National At The Rock – NHRA Photo
– Hagan gets fourth FC win of 2026
– Langdon wins with another booming TF run
– G. Stanfield takes PS points lead with win
– Gadson tops teammate in PSM final
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2026) – Funny Car points leader Matt Hagan
rolled to his fourth victory of the season for Tony Stewart Racing on
Sunday in front of a near-capacity crowd at Rockingham Dragway,
defeating Paul Lee in the final round at the NHRA Nationals at The Rock.
Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson
(Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 16th of 20 races during the 2026
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the second of six races
in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Hagan went 3.922-seconds at 327.75 mph in his 12,000-horsepower
Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, powering past Lee, who lost traction
midway through the run. It is Hagan’s 59th career victory as the
four-time world champion defeated Dave Richards, Ron Capps and J.R. Todd
to reach the final round.
He now has an 84-point lead over Jordan Vandergriff with four races left
in the season, advancing to the finals for the fourth straight race,
including back-to-back appearances to open the playoffs.
Hagan won in Brainerd and now Rockingham during that stretch, as he
remains in command in his search for a fifth Funny Car world
championship, which would pair the veteran with John Force as the only
two drivers in NHRA history to win five or more Funny Car world titles.
“It’s unbelievable that I get to have a great race car underneath me,
and it’s going down the racetrack, and I know that every time I sit in
that car every Sunday morning, I have an opportunity to win, and that’s
huge,” Hagan said.
“The points chase is super competitive. There’s six cars that could
just change the landscape at any given moment. As much as I’d love to
sit here and say how great we’re doing, it takes one or two races of
going out the first round, and it changes it. We have to keep working
hard and keep putting that foot forward. I want to win this fifth
championship not just for me but for my crew chief and the team. I’m
excited for what we have. I’ve been very, very successful in this sport
as far as four championships and so many races and a bunch of world
records and all other stuff that’s happened, but I’ve never had what
I’ve had what I have right now with this group.”
Lee reached his first final of 2026 with round wins against Cruz
Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria and Austin Prock. Todd is currently third, 106
points behind Hagan.
Top Fuel’s Shawn Langdon saved his best for last and delivered in a
big way, giving Rockingham Dragway its first 340 mph run by defeating
Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta in the final round on a
holeshot with a 3.739 at a booming 342.73 in his 12,000-horsepower
Kalitta Air dragster.
Kalitta ran a quicker 3.722 at 330.40, but Langdon left first with a
.024 reaction time, holding off the reigning world champion at the
finish line, in part thanks to the massive speed in the championship
round.
It’s the second time this year the points leader has won three
straight races, giving the past world champion his sixth victory of the
year and the 29th in his career. This one comes at a perfect time, as
Langdon has strung together victories at the U.S. Nationals and now the
first two races in the Countdown to the Championship, opening up a
25-point lead over Kalitta.
The pair of teammates have put significant distance between themselves
and the next batch of competitors, as Tony Stewart is currently third in
points, a distant 155 points behind Langdon. On Sunday, Langdon defeated
Cam Ferre, Billy Torrence and Shawn Reed to reach the final round,
moving one step closer to a second world title.
“We knew for the final round we had to make a picture-perfect run,”
Langdon said. “AJ [Alan Johnson, Doug Kalitta crew chief] has been
running really well. He’s got a great handle on that car. The Mac Tools
guys have been doing a great job, and Doug’s been really lights-out this
year. I knew going to the final, I had to figure out a way to find
something on the starting line, and Brian [Husen crew chief] knew we
were down four-hundredths in the semis, and we’re going back to that
same lane and AJ wasn’t going to lay up. Brian was very, very aware of
that, so he was doing some homework and I knew I had to do everything I
could.
“Brian’s really worked with the guys and the guys have done a great
job working together to be perfect. We’re out here to win races and you
have to be perfect in order to do things like this. We’re just bonding
together and working hard and keeping our heads, working just as hard
for the next one.”
Kalitta reached the finals for the eighth time this season and 134th
time in his career with wins against Rit Pustari, Maddi Gordon and Will
Smith.
Greg Stanfield helped Elite Motorsports stay undefeated in the Pro Stock
championship race, moving into the points lead and knocking off rookie
Cody Anderson in the final round on a holeshot with a run of 6.537 at
210.48 in his Janac Brothers Racing car.
Stanfield was a deadly .019 on the starting line, which was enough to
hold off Anderson’s 6.525 at 209.99, denying the standout first-year
driver his first career win. It gave Stanfield his second victory this
season and continued a strong performance in the Countdown to the
Championship for Elite Motorsports, following Troy Coughlin’s victory
at Martin last week.
It was a huge day for Stanfield, moving past Matt Hartford for the
points lead and finishing his day at Rockingham Dragway with his eighth
career Pro Stock victory. To reach the final round, Stanfield had to get
by his son, Aaron, Matt Latino and reigning world champion Dallas Glenn,
posting an incredible .005 reaction time against Glenn in the
semifinals.
His lead stands at 31 points over Hartford and 39 over Glenn.
“To be able to do this today, it definitely feels good,” Stanfield
said. “Any time you can hold a Wally, it’s a great day. I’m just
trying to do the best I can and not let everybody down who works their
butt off for me to be able to drive. I think I’ve let our team down
through the year, getting to the semis, then not closing it. For me to
be able to close it out today, it means a lot. There’s a lot of young
drivers that are really talented right now, and for me to try to rise up
to their level and race with them is tough.
“Anybody can win in this class right now. I mean, it’s incredible how
tight it is. So, the points battle is going to go all the way to the
end. I feel like it’s going to be that way. So what’s going to happen
next week? I can’t predict it. We’re just going to try to work hard,
work smart and if it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”
Anderson reached the final round for the first time in his young career
by knocking off Erica Enders, his father, six-time champion Greg
Anderson and Hartford.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Richard Gadson got the victory on the starting
line when teammate Gaige Herrera went red in the championship round,
handing the points leader and reigning world champion his third victory
of the year on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki.
Herrera left .018 early, handing the victory to Gadson, who delivered a
solid run of 6.789 at 199.65 en route to his seventh career victory.
After an early loss last week in the playoff opener, Gadson got back on
track in a major way, opening up a 64-point lead over Herrera with four
races remaining.
On Sunday, he got past Geno Scali, Ryan Oehler and Chase Van Sant to
reach the final round and set up another marquee matchup with his Vance
& Hines teammate. They’re now 3-3 against each other in final rounds,
but it was Gadson who took the victory at Rockingham Dragway to keep him
in a great position to win a second straight world championship.
“I feel like I got away with one here this weekend. It’s kind of been
our M.O. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t
headline-worthy, but you know, we’re here holding our third diamond
Wally,” Gadson said.
“Gaige and I are extremely competitive with each other, sometimes to
the point where the lines are blurry in our competitiveness because he’s
a friend. I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy, but I’m playing mind
games the whole time. He’s playing games the whole time, and you know I
said. ‘It’s his race to lose,’ hoping that he would lose the race
somehow. In order to win the race, you’ve got to be green four times.
Gaige went for the E.T., and he got away with it three rounds, but we
decided we’re just going to race our lane, so it’s a lot of
strategizing, and it paid off.”
Herrera reached the finals for the fourth time this season and 36th time
in his career thanks to round wins against Lance Bonham, Clayton Howey
and Joey Gladstone. M. Smith is 81 points back in third.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 2-4
with the 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World
Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.
***
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Final finish order (1-16) at the Inaugural NHRA
Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway. The race is the 16th of 20
events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Shawn Langdon; 2. Doug Kalitta; 3. Will Smith; 4. Shawn Reed; 5. Leah
Pruett; 6. Maddi Gordon; 7. Clay Millican; 8. Billy Torrence; 9. Tony
Schumacher; 10. Dan Mercier; 11. Josh Hart; 12. Cameron Ferre; 13.
Antron Brown; 14. Justin Ashley; 15. Tony Stewart; 16. Rit Pustari.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Matt Hagan; 2. Paul Lee; 3. J.R. Todd; 4. Austin Prock; 5. Jordan
Vandergriff; 6. Alexis
DeJoria; 7. Daniel Wilkerson; 8. Ron Capps; 9. Chad Green; 10. Jack
Beckman; 11. Cruz Pedregon; 12. Dave Richards; 13. John Smith; 14.
Spencer Hyde; 15. Jon Capps.
PRO STOCK:
1. Greg Stanfield; 2. Cody Anderson; 3. Dallas Glenn; 4. Matt Hartford;
5. Stephen Bell; 6.
Greg Anderson; 7. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 8. Matt Latino; 9. Eric Latino; 10.
Erica Enders; 11. Shane Tucker; 12. Deric Kramer; 13. Aaron Stanfield;
14. Kenny Delco; 15. Jeg Coughlin.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
1. Richard Gadson; 2. Gaige Herrera; 3. Joey Gladstone; 4. Chase Van
Sant; 5. Clayton Howey; 6. Angie Smith; 7. Matt Smith; 8. Ryan Oehler;
9. Geno Scali; 10. Marc Ingwersen; 11. John Hall; 12. Lance Bonham; 13.
Steve Johnson; 14. Marcus Hylton; 15. Malcolm Phillips Jr..
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Sunday’s final results from the Inaugural NHRA
Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway. The race is the 16th of 20
in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel — Shawn Langdon, 3.739 seconds, 342.73 mph def. Doug Kalitta,
3.722 seconds, 330.40 mph.
Funny Car — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.922, 327.75 def. Paul Lee,
Charger, Foul – Outer Boundary.
Pro Stock — Greg Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.537, 210.48 def. Cody
Anderson, Camaro, 6.525, 209.99.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.789, 199.65 def. Gaige
Herrera, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light.
Competition Eliminator — Joe Carnasciale, Chevy Cavalier, 8.876, 152.08
def. Monty Bogan, Pontiac G5, 8.450, 137.57.
Super Stock — Bryan Worner, Chevy Camaro, 9.940, 119.55 def. Dan
Fletcher, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.
Stock Eliminator — Cody Phillips, Chevy Corvette, 10.351, 126.76 def.
Brad Plourd, Chevy Nova, 10.634, 114.56.
Super Comp — Hayden James, Dragster, 8.920, 167.35 def. Mike Robilotto,
Dragster, 8.881, 170.07.
Super Gas — Tim Powell, Chevy Corvette, 9.957, 157.89 def. Jock
Lisenby, Chevy Camaro, 9.854, 157.51.
Top Dragster — Brad Plourd, Dragster, 6.202, 224.10 def. Steve Furr,
Dragster, Foul – Red Light.
Pro Modified — Mike Stavrinos, Chevy Camaro, 5.664, 254.09 def. Justin
Bond, Camaro, 5.656, 257.29.
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Final round-by-round results from the Inaugural NHRA
Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway, the 16th of 20 events in
the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE — Maddi Gordon, 3.755, 337.08 def. Justin Ashley, 4.005,
241.42; Will Smith, 3.767, 330.88 def. Josh Hart, 3.829, 320.74; Leah
Pruett, 3.775, 324.91 def. Tony Schumacher, 3.776, 330.40; Clay
Millican, 3.800, 330.40 def. Tony Stewart, 4.069, 222.44; Doug Kalitta,
3.743, 334.57 def. Rit Pustari, 8.382, 84.51; Shawn Langdon, 3.718,
336.83 def. Cameron Ferre, 3.938, 308.22; Billy Torrence, 3.743, 332.59
def. Dan Mercier, 3.796, 330.40; Shawn Reed, 3.783, 327.03 def. Antron
Brown, 3.988, 267.86;
QUARTERFINALS — Reed, 3.851, 323.97 def. Millican, 4.522, 179.64;
Smith, 3.772, 333.33 def. Pruett, 3.772, 327.75; Kalitta, 3.763, 331.61
def. Gordon, 3.790, 328.95; Langdon, 4.373, 183.97 def. Torrence, Foul –
Red Light;
SEMIFINALS — Langdon, 3.797, 333.33 def. Reed, 7.396, 77.84; Kalitta,
3.751, 335.82 def. Smith, 4.472, 192.47;
FINAL — Langdon, 3.739, 342.73 def. Kalitta, 3.722, 330.40.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE — Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 3.869, 331.61 def. Chad
Green, Ford Mustang, 3.912, 330.64; Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 3.959,
318.92 def. John Smith, Dodge Charger, 4.429, 209.79; Austin Prock,
Mustang, 3.892, 331.86 def. Jon Capps, Charger, 6.061, 111.52; Ron
Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.892, 334.08 was unopposed; Daniel Wilkerson,
Mustang, 3.931, 327.27 def. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.916, 324.44; J.R.
Todd, GR Supra, 3.911, 336.57 def. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 4.469, 202.13;
Paul
Lee, Charger, 3.931, 325.85 def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.265, 226.70;
Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.916, 329.19 def. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.407,
205.48;
QUARTERFINALS — Lee, 3.923, 328.95 def. DeJoria, 3.924, 328.95; Todd,
3.942, 334.08 def. Wilkerson, 3.961, 324.68; Prock, 3.916, 322.81 def.
Vandergriff, 3.905, 329.19; Hagan, 3.941, 328.23 def. R. Capps, 4.035,
309.07;
SEMIFINALS — Hagan, 3.916, 331.86 def. Todd, 3.931, 336.83; Lee, 3.883,
329.91 def. Prock, 5.451, 137.87;
FINAL — Hagan, 3.922, 327.75 def. Lee, Foul – Outer Boundary.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE — Troy Coughlin Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.517, 210.87 def. Eric
Latino, Camaro, 6.514, 210.18; Stephen Bell, Camaro, 6.532, 210.97 def.
Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 8.574, 118.51; Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.511,
211.67 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Greg Anderson,
Camaro, 6.482, 210.28 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.536, 210.28; Matt
Hartford, Camaro, 6.518, 209.59 was unopposed; Dallas Glenn, Camaro,
6.499, 211.67 def. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.528, 212.26; Matt Latino,
Camaro, 6.507,
209.69 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 7.655, 129.83; Cody Anderson, Camaro,
6.499, 209.59 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.523, 210.58;
QUARTERFINALS — Hartford, 6.564, 210.87 def. Coughlin Jr., 13.159,
83.32; G. Stanfield, 6.531, 210.28 def. M. Latino, 16.144, 51.89; Glenn,
6.518, 210.48 def. Bell, 6.568, 209.40; C. Anderson, 6.532, 209.30 def.
G. Anderson, 12.026, 73.43;
SEMIFINALS — C. Anderson, 6.562, 209.59 def. Hartford, 6.821, 208.91;
G. Stanfield, 6.532, 210.77 def. Glenn, 6.554, 209.69;
FINAL — G. Stanfield, 6.537, 210.48 def. C. Anderson, 6.525, 209.99.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
ROUND ONE — Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 12.540, 42.33 def. John Hall,
Buell, Foul – Red Light; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.804, 196.85 was
unopposed; Ryan Oehler, 6.742, 199.56 def. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki,
Broke – No Show; Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.806, 196.94 def. Steve
Johnson, Suzuki, 8.156, 131.58; Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.804, 197.37
def. Marc Ingwersen, 6.948, 197.63; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.742,
200.71 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.927, 196.08; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.738,
202.43 def. Marcus Hylton, Buell, 12.220, 64.68; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki,
6.683, 201.97 def. Lance Bonham, Buell,
Foul – Red Light;
QUARTERFINALS — Van Sant, 6.870, 198.68 def. A. Smith, Foul – Red
Light; Gadson, 6.797, 200.09 def. Oehler, Foul – Red Light; Gladstone,
6.876, 181.16 def. M. Smith, 7.544, 125.77; Herrera, 6.699, 201.25 def.
Howey, 6.822, 196.59;
SEMIFINALS — Gadson, 6.790, 198.85 def. Van Sant, 6.825, 198.06;
Herrera, 6.714, 201.16 def. Gladstone, 6.791, 197.89;
FINAL — Gadson, 6.789, 199.65 def. Herrera, Foul – Red Light.
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Point standings (top 10) following the Inaugural
NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway, the 16th of 20 events
in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –
Top Fuel
1. Shawn Langdon, 2,335; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,310; 3. Tony Stewart, 2,180;
4. Leah Pruett, 2,168; 5. Antron Brown, 2,148; 6. Billy Torrence, 2,131;
7. (tie) Maddi Gordon, 2,128; Josh Hart, 2,128; 9. Will Smith, 2,118;
10. Clay Millican, 2,088.
Funny Car
1. Matt Hagan, 2,321; 2. Jordan Vandergriff, 2,237; 3. J.R. Todd, 2,215;
4. Ron Capps, 2,209; 5. Jack Beckman, 2,195; 6. Austin Prock, 2,177; 7.
Alexis DeJoria, 2,151; 8. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,120; 9. Chad Green, 2,089;
10. Spencer Hyde, 2,065.
Pro Stock
1. Greg Stanfield, 2,277; 2. Matt Hartford, 2,246; 3. Dallas Glenn,
2,238; 4. Greg Anderson, 2,211; 5. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,172; 6. Cody
Anderson, 2,165; 7. Jeg Coughlin, 2,141; 8. Matt Latino, 2,138; 9. Erica
Enders, 2,121; 10. Aaron Stanfield, 2,093.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Richard Gadson, 2,286; 2. Gaige Herrera, 2,222; 3. Matt Smith, 2,205;
4. John Hall, 2,201; 5. Angie Smith, 2,190; 6. Ryan Oehler, 2,185; 7.
Jianna Evaristo, 2,169; 8. Chase Van Sant, 2,155; 9. Clayton Howey,
2,094; 10. Steve Johnson, 2,067.
-NHRA-