The 25th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals rolls into Bristol Dragway, June 12-14 — the ninth of 20 races on NHRA’s 75th-anniversary Mission Foods schedule and the third leg of the three-race Eastern Swing that opened at Potomac and continued at Epping. Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle are all on the championship clock. JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod presented by Elite Motorsports and Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown round out the card.
And it kicks off with two finals still to settle — the rained-out Epping Top Fuel and Funny Car final rounds run Friday at Bristol before regular Thunder Valley qualifying begins. Langdon vs. Pruett. Vandergriff vs. Beckman. Then qualifying starts.
Jump to: Event Update · By the Numbers · Storylines · Quick Hits · Schedule · TV Coverage · Records · Photo Gallery · DI Coverage
Event Update
Due to potential inclement weather, NHRA has moved Friday’s Mission Foods qualifying earlier than the original schedule. Friday also hosts the makeup TF and FC finals from the New England Nationals at Epping. Storylines, qualifying results, and round-by-round eliminations post throughout the weekend. Refresh for the latest.
By the Numbers
2026 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Storylines
Ron Capps Named Legend of Thunder Valley
Ron Capps arrives at Bristol carrying the Funny Car points lead and, this weekend, gets recognition for what he’s already done at Thunder Valley. Bristol Dragway is inducting Capps into its Legends of Thunder Valley — making him only the third active driver ever to receive the honor.
Capps’s case is unimpeachable: his eight Funny Car wins at Bristol are the most in NHRA history at the facility. He’s the defending Bristol winner. He’s the current points leader. J.R. Todd, Matt Hagan, and Chad Green are all close behind, but Bristol is Capps’ building.
Aaron Stanfield Adds Pro Mod Double Duty Starting at Bristol
Fresh off his $150,000 win at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod in February, Aaron Stanfield is making the Pro Mod commitment official. Modern Racing, Inc. and Elite Motorsports announced this week that Stanfield will add Pro Mod driving duties for the remainder of 2026 in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod series, starting at Bristol.
That means double duty all weekend in Thunder Valley — Stanfield in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance Pro Stock Camaro AND in a Modern Racing-built Pro Mod entry. Watch for two qualifying schedules running in parallel.
Epping Makeup Finals Friday — Langdon/Pruett, Vandergriff/Beckman
The Top Fuel and Funny Car finals from last weekend’s New England Nationals were rained out and pushed to Friday at Bristol. They run before regular Thunder Valley qualifying gets underway.
Top Fuel: Points leader Shawn Langdon vs. Leah Pruett. Langdon goes for his fourth final-round win of 2026 and the chance to extend his points lead. Pruett goes for her first win since returning to the seat for Tony Stewart Racing.
Funny Car: All–John Force Racing. Jordan Vandergriff vs. Jack Beckman. Vandergriff is the No. 1 qualifier from Epping and the rookie sensation of the season. Beckman runs his Vandergriff-twin Toyota for the win. Either way, JFR adds a Wally.
Greg Anderson Returns to Bristol — Site of 1,000th Round Win
Greg Anderson rolls into Bristol with 114 career national event wins — most of any active driver, second only to John Force. Last year at Bristol he made history again: his 1,000th career round win, joining Force as the only drivers in NHRA history to reach the mark.
Anderson sits No. 2 in Pro Stock points behind KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn. He’s won twice in 2026 already. Bristol is where he won his first Pro Stock event back in 2001 — Thunder Valley remains the throughline of his career.
Richard Gadson — Reigning Champ, Points Leader, Defending Bristol Winner
Bristol was the turning point for Richard Gadson‘s career. After coming close all season as Gaige Herrera ran away with the class, Gadson broke through at Thunder Valley in 2025 — first career win, in the final round over Herrera. Three more wins followed. So did the world championship.
Gadson returns as current PSM points leader on the RevZilla / Motul / Vance & Hines Suzuki, looking to defend his Bristol Wally.
Pro Mod, Factory Stock Showdown Also Running
The JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod presented by Elite Motorsports series runs alongside the pros — and as noted above, Stanfield joins the entry list this weekend. Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown also runs, with Stephen Allegrucci going for three FSS wins in a row at Bristol after sweeping Charlotte and Maple Grove.
Quick Hits
The 2026 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals is unique — combining NHRA’s 75th anniversary year with the 25th annual race at Bristol Dragway. Special pre-race recognition Sunday.
NHRA fan-favorite Top Fuel driver Clay Millican and NHRA legend Darrell Gwynn appear at Bristol. Millican’s 2017 Father’s Day Bristol win is being celebrated as the race’s historic moment of recognition — a 2026 NHRA tradition at each race.
NHRA is giving away a free, limited-edition pennant to the first 4,000 fans through the gates Sunday for eliminations. Get there early.
Bristol Dragway’s newly rebuilt racing surface meets championship-level competition for the first time this weekend. The track gamble gets its reality test.
In Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown, Stephen Allegrucci has won Charlotte and Maple Grove back-to-back. Bristol could make it three straight.
The fan-favorite SealMaster Track Walk happens Saturday after final qualifying. Free with general admission.
Race Weekend Schedule
Friday, June 12
· NHRA Lucas Oil Series qualifying and time trials begin 10:00 a.m. ET
· Factory Stock Showdown qualifying 2:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. ET
· JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod qualifying 3:45 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET
· Postponed Epping TF and FC Finals run before Mission Foods qualifying
· Mission Foods qualifying begins 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET (subject to weather adjustments)
· FS1 televises 90 minutes of qualifying at 8:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 13
· Lucas Oil eliminations 8:30 a.m. and 5:25 p.m. ET
· Factory Stock Showdown qualifying 11:15 a.m., eliminations 5:10 p.m. ET
· JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod qualifying 11:30 a.m. and 2:35 p.m. ET
· Mission Foods final qualifying 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. ET
· SealMaster Track Walk + special autograph session at the Bristol Welcome Tent
Sunday, June 14
· Pre-race ceremonies 11:00 a.m. ET
· Mission Foods eliminations begin Noon ET
· Free limited-edition NHRA pennant for first 4,000 fans
TV Coverage
All times Eastern. FS1:
· Friday, June 12: 90 minutes of qualifying at 8:00 p.m.
· Sunday, June 14: 1 hour of qualifying at 2:00 p.m.
· Sunday, June 14: 3 hours of eliminations / finals coverage at 3:00 p.m.
Track Records to Watch
| Class | Bristol Track Record | Holder / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Top Fuel ET | 3.667 sec | Steve Torrence, Oct. 2021 |
| Top Fuel MPH | 336.49 mph | Justin Ashley, June 2023 |
| Funny Car ET | 3.884 sec | Ron Capps, June 2016 |
| Funny Car MPH | 330.31 mph | Matt Hagan, Oct. 2021 |
| Pro Stock ET | 6.613 sec | Greg Anderson, June 2022 |
| Pro Stock MPH | 209.26 mph | Bo Butner, June 2016 |
| Pro Stock Motorcycle ET | 6.759 sec | Matt Smith, June 2024 |
| Pro Stock Motorcycle MPH | 200.05 mph | Matt Smith, June 2024 |
2025 Bristol Winners
· Top Fuel: Steve Torrence
· Funny Car: Ron Capps
· Pro Stock: Greg Anderson (also: 1,000th career round win)
· Pro Stock Motorcycle: Richard Gadson (first career win — launched championship season)
Photo Gallery — Thunder Valley
Atmosphere and action at Bristol Dragway. Photos: NHRA / Auto Imagery. Click any image to enlarge.
DI Coverage Hub
Drag Illustrated’s coverage of the 2026 Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals lives here. Storylines, qualifying results, eliminations round-by-round, photos, and the final story drop in this hub as the weekend unfolds. Refresh through Sunday.
This story was originally published on June 11, 2026. 
The post 2026 Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals: Schedule, Storylines & Coverage first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
