Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel, 3.714 / 337.07), Jordan Vandergriff (Funny Car, 3.849 / 332.43) and Chris Vang (Pro Stock, 6.498 / 209.04) lead the pro fields into Sunday at the 38th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge. Vandergriff’s pass is the quickest Funny Car run of the 2026 season. On Saturday, Gaige Herrera beat Richard Gadson in the final to win the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout and its $25,000 top prize. Sunday eliminations begin at 11 a.m. PT, with pre-race ceremonies at 9:45 a.m. Round-by-round results, photos and winner’s circle coverage will be added here as the day unfolds.
Sonoma Packs the House Three Days Straight
NHRA officials announced a sellout crowd Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, capping three straight days of sellout crowds at the 38th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge. Overflow crowds packed the facility all weekend for the 11th of 20 races on NHRA’s 75th anniversary season – a weekend that stacked the Deecell After Dark Low Qualifier, the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, four rounds of qualifying and Sunday eliminations into one picture-perfect show.
It gives NHRA its eighth sellout of the milestone season, following capacity crowds in Gainesville, Valdosta, Maryland and Epping. This is what growing the sport looks like.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series rolls into wine country for the 38th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge, July 17-19, the 11th of 20 races on the 2026 tour. Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock chase points toward the 2026 world championships at Sonoma Raceway, while the GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout put eight of the two-wheel category’s biggest names in a bracket-style shootout. This Drag Illustrated Event Hub carries the weekend from the first qualifying pass through Sunday’s final round, with results, storylines, photos and coverage that refresh as the racing unfolds.
Defending Winners – 2025 Sonoma Nationals
Top Fuel: Doug Kalitta
Funny Car: Austin Prock
Pro Stock: Greg Stanfield
Pro Stock Motorcycle: Richard Gadson
Kalitta returns to defend his 2025 Top Fuel title and does it from the pole. Prock, the reigning Funny Car world champion, backed up his 2025 Sonoma win with a season that has him in the title hunt again. Stanfield took the 2025 Pro Stock Wally, and Gadson won the Pro Stock Motorcycle race a year ago. Sonoma rewards the drivers who can adjust to its 15-foot elevation and cool coastal air, and the 2025 winners proved they can do it.
Sunday Eliminations
Pre-race ceremonies are set for 9:45 a.m. PT, with the first round of NHRA Mission Foods Series eliminations following at 11 a.m. Round-by-round results for Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will be added here as they happen, then consolidated into one complete ladder once the final Wally is handed out. Check back through Sunday afternoon.
Top Fuel: No. 1 Doug Kalitta drew Clay Millican, with a possible bye run to the semifinals on the line. Tony Stewart faces Justin Ashley, and NorCal native Jasmine Salinas has lane choice over Gainesville winner Josh Hart.
Funny Car: Points leader Ron Capps lines up against Austin Prock, the reigning world champion and defending Sonoma winner, in the round-one matchup of the day. Pole-sitter Jordan Vandergriff drew Jason Rupert, and Matt Hagan meets J.R. Todd.
Pro Stock: Seven of the 16 drivers in the field are chasing their first career Pro Stock Wally. No. 1 Chris Vang faces Mason McGaha, and Greg Stanfield lines up against son Aaron Stanfield in a rematch of the 2025 Sonoma final.
Round-by-round results will post here as eliminations run. This section updates live.
Final Qualifying – The Fields Are Set
Two Saturday sessions closed the book on qualifying at Sonoma Raceway. Kalitta held off Shawn Langdon, who matched his 3.714, for the Top Fuel pole on the strength of a quicker lap. Vandergriff’s Friday-night 3.849 stood up as the Funny Car No. 1 and the quickest run in the class all year. Second-year Pro Stock racer Chris Vang locked down the first No. 1 qualifier of his career. This is the permanent qualifying record for the 2026 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
Kalitta and Vandergriff each collected the $4,000 Deecell After Dark Low Qualifier bonus, with Vang picking up $2,500 on the Pro Stock side. It was Kalitta’s third No. 1 of the 2026 season and his second straight Deecell bonus at Sonoma. On Saturday, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge went to Shawn Langdon in Top Fuel, Ron Capps in Funny Car and Dallas Glenn in Pro Stock.
Top Fuel – Final Qualifying Order
| Pos | Driver | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doug Kalitta | 3.714 | 337.07 |
| 2 | Shawn Langdon | 3.714 | 336.49 |
| 3 | Billy Torrence | 3.726 | 336.57 |
| 4 | Tony Stewart | 3.736 | 333.91 |
| 5 | Tony Schumacher | 3.744 | 293.73 |
| 6 | Maddi Gordon | 3.751 | 336.49 |
| 7 | Jasmine Salinas | 3.751 | 331.77 |
| 8 | Josh Hart | 3.763 | 336.82 |
| 9 | Leah Pruett | 3.772 | 327.98 |
| 10 | Antron Brown | 3.784 | 324.59 |
| 11 | Justin Ashley | 3.799 | 320.74 |
| 12 | Shawn Reed | 3.806 | 331.12 |
| 13 | Will Smith | 3.840 | 326.32 |
| 14 | Clay Millican | 4.203 | 206.16 |
Funny Car – Final Qualifying Order
| Pos | Driver | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan Vandergriff | 3.849 | 332.43 |
| 2 | Jack Beckman | 3.873 | 333.16 |
| 3 | Daniel Wilkerson | 3.899 | 327.66 |
| 4 | Ron Capps | 3.900 | 330.07 |
| 5 | Chad Green | 3.903 | 321.12 |
| 6 | Spencer Hyde | 3.915 | 325.92 |
| 7 | Alexis DeJoria | 3.917 | 329.26 |
| 8 | Matt Hagan | 3.934 | 321.81 |
| 9 | JR Todd | 3.939 | 332.10 |
| 10 | Cruz Pedregon | 3.952 | 327.82 |
| 11 | Dave Richards | 3.966 | 329.50 |
| 12 | Paul Lee | 3.975 | 326.48 |
| 13 | Austin Prock | 3.980 | 322.19 |
| 14 | Hunter Green | 4.006 | 320.97 |
| 15 | Jeff Arend | 4.019 | 283.13 |
| 16 | Jason Rupert | 4.048 | 316.67 |
| 17 | Tim Gibbons * | 4.081 | 297.55 |
| 18 | Dylan Winefsky * | 4.450 | 196.93 |
* Did not make the 16-car field.
Pro Stock – Final Qualifying Order
| Pos | Driver | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Vang | 6.498 | 209.04 |
| 2 | Cody Anderson | 6.499 | 210.54 |
| 3 | Erica Enders | 6.503 | 211.33 |
| 4 | Matt Hartford | 6.511 | 211.30 |
| 5 | Shane Tucker | 6.516 | 212.16 |
| 6 | Matt Latino | 6.516 | 210.01 |
| 7 | Dallas Glenn | 6.517 | 210.97 |
| 8 | Greg Stanfield | 6.520 | 210.70 |
| 9 | Aaron Stanfield | 6.520 | 210.21 |
| 10 | Eric Latino | 6.520 | 210.18 |
| 11 | Greg Anderson | 6.522 | 210.21 |
| 12 | Stephen Bell | 6.530 | 210.54 |
| 13 | Jeg Coughlin Jr | 6.533 | 209.69 |
| 14 | Kenny Delco | 6.545 | 210.21 |
| 15 | Troy Coughlin Jr | 6.549 | 210.14 |
| 16 | Mason McGaha | 6.564 | 206.13 |
| 17 | Joey Grose * | 6.568 | 207.98 |
| 18 | Alan Prusiensky * | 6.626 | 208.49 |
* Did not make the 16-car field.
Storylines
Kalitta parks it on the pole – again
Doug Kalitta already owns more Sonoma Top Fuel victories than any active driver, and he opened this weekend by putting the Aflac dragster on top of the sheet with a 3.714 at 337.07 mph. He downplayed the run that ultimately held for the No. 1 spot. “That first run was definitely a close one,” says Kalitta. “At the time, you don’t realize it’s going to hold up.” As the defending event winner and the top qualifier, Kalitta drew Clay Millican in round one, with a possible bye run to the semifinals waiting if he advances.
Capps vs. Prock, first round
The Funny Car ladder produced the matchup of the day right out of the gate: points leader Ron Capps against Austin Prock, the reigning world champion and defending Sonoma winner. Thirteen of the 16 Funny Cars in the field ran in the 3.90s or quicker in qualifying, so there is no soft spot anywhere on the ladder. One of these two heavyweights goes home in round one.
Vandergriff’s career-quickest lap leads Funny Car
Jordan Vandergriff turned the quickest Funny Car run of the 2026 season, a 3.849 at 332.43 mph in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet, to claim the Funny Car pole and his second career No. 1 qualifier. “To be the quickest Funny Car of the year so far is a huge accomplishment, especially with how competitive this class is,” says Vandergriff. He opens eliminations against Jason Rupert.
Vang’s first pole a breakthrough for a second-year racer
In just his fourth start of the season, second-year Pro Stock driver Chris Vang put his Chevrolet Camaro on the pole with a 6.498 at 209.04 mph for the first No. 1 qualifier of his career. “It’s exciting. Pretty amazing. I don’t even know how to describe it,” says Vang. He faces Mason McGaha in round one.
Pro Stock wide open – and a Stanfield family rematch
Seven of the 16 drivers in the Pro Stock field are still chasing their first career Wally, making Sonoma one of the best first-time-winner opportunities on the schedule. The class is stacked from top to bottom, with the top nine separated by less than a hundredth of a second in qualifying. Round one also brings a Stanfield family rematch of the 2025 Sonoma final, with Greg Stanfield lined up against son Aaron Stanfield.
GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout
Gaige Herrera won the GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout on Saturday, beating Richard Gadson in the final with a 6.689 at 202.15 mph to claim the $25,000 top prize. Herrera reached the final by defeating Angie Smith in the semifinals, while Gadson got there past hometown favorite Jianna Evaristo, who had holeshot Matt Smith in the opening round. The bracket-style shootout gathered eight of the category’s top riders. The opening-round matchups:
| Matchup | Rider | vs. | Rider |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gaige Herrera | vs. | Steve Johnson |
| 2 | Richard Gadson | vs. | Chase Van Sant |
| 3 | Matt Smith | vs. | Jianna Evaristo |
| 4 | Angie Smith | vs. | John Hall |
Herrera holds the Pro Stock Motorcycle national ET record of 6.627 seconds. Matt Smith owns both the Sonoma track ET record (6.655, July 2024) and the track speed record (205.04 mph, July 2021).
Photo Galleries
Drag Illustrated had two photographers on the ground at Sonoma Raceway all weekend. Click any image to enlarge.
AJ Bohlander Photo Gallery
On-track fire and paddock detail from the 2026 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, shot for Drag Illustrated by contributing photographer AJ Bohlander. Click any frame to open the full-size lightbox.
Tom Macht Photo Gallery
Nitro, doorslammers and the color of a Sonoma weekend, captured for Drag Illustrated by contributing photographer Tom Macht. Click any frame to open the full-size lightbox.
Weekend Schedule
All times Pacific.
| Day | Session | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, July 17 | Lucas Oil Series qualifying & time trials | 9:30 a.m. |
| Friday, July 17 | NHRA Mission Foods Series qualifying | 4:45 p.m. & 6:45 p.m. |
| Saturday, July 18 | Lucas Oil Series eliminations | 8:30 a.m. |
| Saturday, July 18 | PSM All-Star Callout eliminations | 11:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, July 18 | NHRA Mission Foods Series qualifying | 11:45 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, July 19 | Pre-race ceremonies | 9:45 a.m. |
| Sunday, July 19 | NHRA Mission Foods Series eliminations | 11:00 a.m. |
TV & Watch
FS1 carries the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals broadcast. All times below are Eastern.
| Day | Coverage | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, July 18 | PSM All-Star Callout (1 hour) | 8:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, July 19 | Qualifying coverage (2 hours) | 10:00 a.m. |
| Sunday, July 19 | Finals coverage (3 hours) | 10:00 p.m. |
Live timing and scoring is available through NHRA.tv and the NHRA app.
DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals – By the Numbers
Track Records – Sonoma Raceway
| Class | ET Record | Speed Record |
|---|---|---|
| Top Fuel | 3.645 – Brittany Force (July ’25) | 343.16 mph – Brittany Force (July ’25) |
| Funny Car | 3.807 – Robert Hight (July ’17) | 340.90 mph – Austin Prock (July ’25) |
| Pro Stock | 6.461 – Dallas Glenn (July ’25) | 213.00 mph – Shane Gray (July ’15) |
| Pro Stock Motorcycle | 6.655 – Matt Smith (July ’24) | 205.04 mph – Matt Smith (July ’21) |
Track Info – Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma, California
At the intersection of Highways 37 and 121
Sonoma Raceway is a championship-configuration drag strip running north to south at 15 feet above sea level. Tickets are available at sonomaraceway.com or by phone at 800-870-7223.
Drag Illustrated Coverage Hub
Drag Illustrated’s 2026 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals coverage runs live through Sunday. Round-by-round eliminations, photo galleries, storylines and winner’s circle coverage refresh on this page.
This is a live event hub – refresh through Sunday for updates. Tag @DragIllustrated with your trackside photos.
This story was originally published on July 19, 2026. 
The post 2026 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals: Schedule, Storylines & Live Coverage first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
