Reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta earned the provisional No. 1 spot on Friday at Brainerd International Raceway to kick off the weekend at the NHRA Brainerd Nationals.
Kalitta took his Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster to a 3.705-second pass at 340.30 mph to land in the provisional No. 1 qualifier position on Friday, while also winning the Brainerd “Battle for the Axe,” presented by Visit Brainerd & Baxter, along with bonus money and bragging rights. Kalitta has three wins this season, including back-to-back victories in Sonoma and Seattle.
“I had a lot of confidence in Alan (Johnson, crew chief) and in our ability to get to the top,” said Kalitta. “The car left well, pulled hard and stayed nice and straight. It was a good, solid run for us.”
With momentum on his side and as the reigning NHRA Brainerd Nationals winner, Kalitta is confident in his team’s abilities to perform at the pivotal race.
“I’ve got the best crew behind me,” said Kalitta. “With Alan Johnson building these cars and the performance he gets from his engines, I couldn’t be more fortunate to be in the situation I’m in.”
Top Fuel rookie standout Maddi Gordon is currently second with her 3.725 at 336.15, while current points leader Shawn Langdon is third thanks to his 3.731 at 334.57.
Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Matt Latino (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers in Brainerd at the 13th of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Reigning Funny Car world champion Austin Prock took the provisional No. 1 spot in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang thanks to his 3.893 at 329.91. After winning the NHRA Brainerd Nationals last season en route to his second consecutive world championship, Prock has his sights set on another Brainerd win and his second victory of the year for Tasca Racing.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished this season,” said Prock. “We were 14th in points for the first six races of the year, and now we’re creeping up on fifth going into the Countdown. A lot of progress has been made.
“We figured if we ran between an .87 and an .89, we’d have a pretty good shot at being the No. 1 qualifier and we did that. It was a good way to end my birthday here in Brainerd.”
Jack Beckman took the second spot with his 3.903 at 324.67, with Dave Richards in third after his 3.924 at 327.66.
Pro Stock’s Matt Latino has his eye on his first NHRA No. 1 qualifier. If his 6.588 at 207.21 stays best of the class, he’ll start race day as the top qualifier in his FASS Diesel Solutions Chevrolet Camaro.
“Last year, I did pretty well for a rookie and got comfortable in the car quickly. I brought some good brands on board, and I’m thankful they stayed with me for the full season. I don’t do anything unless I can excel at it. That’s not me pounding my chest and saying I’m the best—it’s about dedication.”
Reigning Pro Stock champ Dallas Glenn is second with a 6.588 at 206.29, while Pro Stock rookie Cody Anderson is third with his 6.589 at 206.99.
Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday at the NHRA Brainerd Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
This story was originally published on August 22, 2026. 
The post Kalitta, Prock, and Latino Open NHRA Brainerd Nationals in Provisional No. 1 Spots first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
