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RECENT PROGRESS HAS TOP FUEL’S WILL SMITH EXCITED FOR NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS PRESENTED BY BPROAUTO
EPPING, N.H. (June 5, 2026) – Jumping into a loaded Top Fuel field is never easy, but Will Smith couldn’t be more thrilled with the opportunity and he’s starting to make the most of it heading into this weekend’s 13th annual NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto at New England Dragway.
This year marks the first chance at a full-time ride for Smith, who had raced eight previous times in the category before jumping into the 12,000-horsepower Bluebird Turf dragster for SCAG Racing in 2026.
It hasn’t been easy and it’s a steep learning curve going against a wealth of talented drivers, but Smith has shown solid signs of improvement. He continues to be a standout on the starting line and the team has picked up round wins at each of the past two races.
Those mark the first two round wins of his Top Fuel career and a big step forward for Smith and his team, which only adds to his confidence heading to this weekend’s race in Epping.
“We’re excited to head to Epping this weekend. The last two races have both resulted in round wins for our team and it’s encouraging to see the progress we’re making,” Smith said. “Our Bluebird Turf team has been working so hard and we look forward to carrying our momentum into the weekend and taking another step forward. The goal is to keep improving, put together a strong qualifying effort and give everyone who comes out to support us something to cheer about on Sunday.
“We’ll have a large group of SCAG dealers, customers, and guests joining us throughout the weekend. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with the people who support our brands and we always enjoy being able to share the NHRA experience with them.”
Last year, Brittany Force (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) picked up race wins, while Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) earned victories in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race. This season’s event will again be broadcast on FS1 and FOX, with eliminations on FOX on Sunday beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.
It is the eighth of 20 races during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season and fans can expect a variety of highlights, including:
- A feature of the Tasca Cobra Jet with Funny Car team owner Bob Tasca III.
- On Friday, the first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a free, limited-edition NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto flag celebrating NHRA’s 75th anniversary and the 60th anniversary of New England Dragway.
Smith saw nothing but positives from last weekend’s race in Maryland. Taking on fellow rookie Maddi Gordon in the first round, Smith picked up the victory before falling to Leah Pruett a round later. Round wins are tough to come by in the Top Fuel ranks, with the standout class led by points leader Shawn Langdon, who has rolled to three straight wins.
Then, there’s the likes of reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, racing legend Tony Stewart, Pruett, Gordon, four-time champ Antron Brown, Clay Millican and Smith’s teammate, Justin Ashley. It’s a tall order for anyone, but Smith is feeling good about what his team accomplished in Maryland and is eager to get right back in the car during this stretch of three straight race weekends.
“We had a great weekend. We’re excited, we’re making progress, and we’re onto Epping this week. We’ll build on what we learned this weekend and try to turn on more win lights this week,” Smith said.
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