NHRA Toyota U.S. Nationals Results, Updated Points After 'The Big Go'

• Austin Prock ‘just had a fire under my ass today’ to bring John Force Racing a triumph.

• Aaron Stanfield wins in both Factory X and Pro Stock trophies as only driver in 70 years to win twice on race day here.

• Paul Lee rides roller coaster of emotions in Funny Car.

Forget Disneyland. Clay Millican is going to Arby’s.

With fast-food restaurant chain Arby’s sponsoring Millican for the first time, the Top Fuel winner at the Toyota U.S. Nationals had joked with final-round opponent Steve Torrence that he was ready to win and go to Arby’s. Torrence, driver of the Capco Toyota Dragster, teased, “I’ll drive you in a Toyota.”

But clearly, Millican was in the driver’s seat Monday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, winning the milestone 70th edition of the Labor Day classic drag race for what he called “a lifetime award right there.”

Other winners in the pro classes on Monday were Austin Prock in Funny Car, Aaron Stanfield in Pro Stock and Gaige Herrera in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

As for Millican, Team owner Rick Ware was at the starting line for a Millican victory for the first time. And after Millican hoisted his seventh so-called “Wally” trophy, he said Ware “told me to have fun with [the experience]. And I got to stomp on that loud pedal four times today, baby! I’ll bet you he [Ware] is back there, doing backflips.”

Millican made a drive-through winners circle appearance with Austin Prock (Funny Car), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) as the regular season wrapped up and the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series shifts its focus to the Countdown to the Championship.

Stanfield's Dream Weekend

Stanfield accomplished something no one in the 70-year history of this fabled race had done.

He earned two U.S. Nationals trophies in the same day—the first in the Factory X sportsman-level class, the second in Pro Stock after he beat four-time Indianapolis Pro Stock winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final round. It marked his 29th and 30th overall triumphs and his third victory at this event in four seasons.

“This is what dreams are made of,” Stanfield said. “I’m trying to wrap my head around it.”

He said he wasn’t fazed that he was facing Coughlin for the historic moment: “Got to finish a job.”

Prock Slows Capps' Roll

Prock put the brakes on Ron Capps’ quest for an unprecedented third consecutive Funny Car victory and second straight with a Don “The Snake” Prudhomme tribute entry.

The Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle classes all have seen three straight U.S. Nationals victories by a driver, but no has ever achieved that in the Funny Car category. (Ironically, Prudhomme was the one who arranged for sponsorship for Prock’s first foray into drag racing, in a Top Fuel dragster.)

And Prock did it with grandfather Tom Prock in the grandstands for the first time since he has followed in the drag-racing pioneer’s Funny Car footsteps, with a car bearing Grandpa’s competition license number.

“I had a feeling this morning we were going to do it,” Prock said. “I just had a fire under my ass today.” And he thanked team owner John Force, who remains in California, recuperating from a serious injury from a June racing accident. “He took a chance on a young kid who had never been down a dragstrip. I’m just trying t pay it back to him.”

Prock said he shook off any nerves about competing at “The Bg Go” by telling himself, “We’re just testing.” He said of the family-studded team (crew chief dad Jimmy and brothers Thomas and Sam on the crew), “We were all machines today.”

So was Herrera. He clocked a perfect reaction time on the starting line to beat Angie Smith and claim his first Pro Stock Motorcycle victory at the U.S. Nationals.

Brittany Force makes Countdown

With her back to the wall, two-time Top Fuel champion Brittany Force used a semifinal finish to get into the Countdown.

Force had been trying to preserve her No. 10 spot, but with Steve Torrence taking out dad Billy in the opening round, she passed the elder Torrence in the standings and will begin the Countdown from the No. 9 position.

She defeated Shawn Langdon and Tony Schumacher to reach the semifinals. She said this season has been like a roller-coaster all season long and called it “a crazy, emotional year.”

It went ‘Blluuuuhhhhh-‘... then blew up

Dan Wilkerson was nearly in tears and massively disappointed but otherwise uninjured when his engine exploded in the opening round of Funny Car eliminations and blew the SCAG Ford Mustang “Jackal” body off the chassis.

"I hate tearing s--- up," Wilkerson said. "I tore a lot of stuff up this weekend. We had such a good car last night. I don't know what happened to the thing, but it just went bluuuuuhhhh. It wasn’t that bad inside – I knew I was OK, so I thought, ‘I’m good. Whatever.’”

But he said once he discovered the severity of the damage, “I feel personally responsible for the work we have to do right now."

Paul Lee experiences mood swing in Funny Car

In a matter of 18 hours, Funny Car owner-driver Paul Lee went from delighted to dejected.

He won the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Call-Out bonus race as the eighth and last seed Saturday as he appeared in a specialty race for the first time in his career.

Lee defeated Bob Tasca III, who was ranked No. 2 in the overall class standings, in the final round. Both cars drove into tire smoke near the finish line, but Lee coaxed his across the finish line ahead of Tasca’s to pocket the $80,000 winners share of the purse.

It was a treat for crew chief Jonnie Lindberg, who was celebrating his birthday on what Lee called “a flawless day.”

“This is a team sport. I'm here representing my team, but it's a true team sport and I just remember growing up watching all the specialty shootouts in the past and then growing up and getting to be in one and win it? I'm over the moon. We won a race. I’ll take it. Look at the cars you have to race. These are the top cars in the country. I don't look at this as stress. I look at it as opportunity. This time, it was an opportunity to win $80,000.”

However, Lee couldn’t parlay that into much success in eliminations Sunday. A Round 1 loss to Cruz Pedregon booted him from the Countdown to the Championship. Lee was ineligible to take advantage of the “perfect attendance rule,” because he skipped the race in June at Epping, N.H.

Buddy Hull Caps Life-changing Week

Exactly one week before the U.S. Nationals eliminations—Monday, Aug. 26—Buddy Hull turned 44 years old and became a first-time father with the birth of son Maverick to him and wife Madi.

"He's due on my birthday, which is pretty cool. We weren't trying to have a kid on my birthday. I mean, how do you even plan that? But that was given to me,” Hull said. “Having the same birthday as my son will completely change the whole meaning of my birthday. So it's super-special and super-unique. Not many people have that.”

And not many people beat Bob Tasca III in the first round this year. Only two had done it all season but never since the April race at Phoenix. But Hull did it to earn the first round-win of the season and of his career after 28 consecutive losses in Top Fuel and Funny Car.

Doug Foley’s Take on 'The Big Go'

The NHRA uses words such as “marquee event” and “prestigious” to describe the U.S. Nationals—even gave it the nickname “The Big Go.”

Most racers refer to it with reverence.

“I can’t explain it, but the butterflies for the first round at Indy is the ultimate,” Pro Stock ace Erica Enders said. Funny Car veteran Ron Capps called Indianapolis Raceway Park “hallowed ground.” And Top Fuel rookie Ida Zetterström said, “Indy feels like race day every day.”

That’s not exactly how Top Fuel owner-driver Doug Foley felt about the U.S. Nationals, which features five qualifying sessions through three days. He said Monday, “Somebody asked me how qualifying went,” he said. “I said, ‘It’s like having a colonoscopy three days in a row.”

Results

NHRA Toyota U.S. Nationals

Final finish order (1-16) at the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The race is the 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Final Finishing Order

TOP FUEL:

1. Clay Millican; 2. Steve Torrence; 3. Brittany Force; 4. Tony Stewart; 5. Tony Schumacher; 6. Ida Zetterstrom; 7. Josh Hart; 8. Justin Ashley; 9. Shawn Reed; 10. Shawn Langdon; 11. Doug Foley; 12. Dan Mercier; 13. Antron Brown; 14. Tripp Tatum; 15. T.J. Zizzo; 16. Billy Torrence.

FUNNY CAR:

1. Austin Prock; 2. Ron Capps; 3. Jack Beckman; 4. Blake Alexander; 5. Alexis DeJoria; 6. Cruz Pedregon; 7. Buddy Hull; 8. Bobby Bode; 9. Paul Lee; 10. Dale Creasy Jr.; 11. Bob Tasca III; 12. Matt Hagan; 13. Daniel Wilkerson; 14. J.R. Todd; 15. Chris King; 16. Chad Green.

PRO STOCK:

1. Aaron Stanfield; 2. Jeg Coughlin; 3. Erica Enders; 4. Greg Anderson; 5. Cristian Cuadra; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 7. David Cuadra; 8. Cory Reed; 9. Matt Hartford; 10. Jerry Tucker; 11. Dallas Glenn; 12. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 13. Camrie Caruso; 14. Sienna Wildgust; 15. Mason McGaha; 16. Eric Latino.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

1. Gaige Herrera; 2. Angie Smith; 3. Matt Smith; 4. Richard Gadson; 5. Chase Van Sant; 6. Hector Arana Jr; 7. Jianna Evaristo; 8. Marc Ingwersen; 9. Geno Scali; 10. Chris Bostick; 11. Kelly Clontz; 12. Ron Tornow; 13. Steve Johnson; 14. Ryan Oehler; 15. Wesley Wells; 16. John Hall.

Final Rounds

Monday's final results from the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The race is the 14th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Clay Millican, 3.792 seconds, 327.82 mph def. Steve Torrence, 4.317 seconds, 192.30 mph.

Funny Car -- Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.885, 327.98 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.935, 331.45.

Pro Stock -- Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.561, 209.36 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.562, 209.59.

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.763, 198.70 def. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.829, 197.19.

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Hunter Green, 5.231, 279.56 def. Angelle Sampey, Broke.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.438, 267.53 def. Stan Sipos, Camaro, Foul - Red Light.

Competition Eliminator -- Kayla Mozeris, Bantam Roadster, 7.418, 174.14 def. Joe Carnasciale, Chevy Cavalier, 8.933, 150.75.

Super Stock -- Larry Hodge, Chevy Cobalt, 10.016, 116.49 def. Jacob Delaune, Dodge Challenger, Foul - Red Light.

Stock Eliminator -- Joshua Decker, Chevy Corvette, 10.522, 116.40 def. Dan Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 11.268, 106.93.

Super Comp -- Trene Cressonie, Dragster, 8.907, 170.75 def. Jason Kenny, Dragster, 8.908, 159.12.

Top Sportsman -- Bill Yates, Chevy Camaro, 6.512, 206.54 def. Curt Fredrich, Camaro, 6.549, 211.43.

Top Dragster -- Zach Sackman, Dragster, 6.180, 221.56 def. Darian Boesch, Dragster, 6.345, 216.86.

Super Gas -- Bo Butner, Chevy Corvette, 9.901, 169.38 def. Dalton Deffenbaugh, Chevy Nova, 9.911, 146.83.

Pro Modified -- Ken Quartuccio, Chevy Camaro, 5.766, 247.34 def. Mike Stavrinos, Camaro, 5.937, 244.52.

Factory Stock Showdown -- Kevin Skinner, Ford Mustang, 10.309, 81.58 def. Raymond Nash, Dodge Challenger, Broke - No Show.

Factory X -- Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 7.094, 191.62 def. Lenny Lottig, Camaro, 7.122, 191.08.

Round-By-Round

Final round-by-round results from the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE -- Tony Schumacher, 3.732, 324.20 def. Shawn Reed, 3.724, 328.30; Steve Torrence, 3.702, 329.67 def. Billy Torrence, 11.766, 66.07; Brittany Force, 3.700, 333.49 def. Shawn Langdon, 3.726, 332.51; Ida Zetterstrom, 3.759, 328.62 def. T.J. Zizzo, 6.563, 103.27; Tony Stewart, 3.723, 331.53 def. Doug Foley, 3.754, 320.74; Clay Millican, 3.695, 333.74 def. Antron Brown, 4.181, 245.00; Josh Hart, 4.018, 249.49 def. Tripp Tatum, 5.643, 116.15; Justin Ashley, 3.735, 330.23 def. Dan Mercier, 3.759, 321.58;

QUARTERFINALS -- Stewart, 3.747, 330.88 def. Ashley, 7.881, 90.17; S. Torrence, 3.742, 332.18 def. Zetterstrom, 3.797, 317.12; Force, 3.779, 331.36 def. Schumacher, 3.792, 329.10; Millican, 3.753, 332.18 def. Hart, 4.111, 229.90;

SEMIFINALS -- Millican, 3.750, 332.18 def. Force, 8.988, 60.62; S. Torrence, 3.769, 331.12 def. Stewart, 9.625, 77.88;

FINAL -- Millican, 3.792, 327.82 def. S. Torrence, 4.317, 192.30.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE -- Bobby Bode, Ford Mustang, 3.934, 323.58 def. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.959, 142.66; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.850, 334.15 def. Chris King, Dodge Charger, 8.209, 86.79; Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.063, 286.86 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.209, 221.89; Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.842, 332.51 def. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 3.950, 325.92; Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.883, 327.74 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 10.116, 42.52; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.923, 323.58 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.918, 321.50; Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.946, 333.33 def. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 5.373, 133.54; Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.886, 327.98 def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.225, 229.31;

QUARTERFINALS -- Capps, 3.943, 327.51 def. Hull, 4.028, 320.51; Prock, 3.879, 331.61 def. DeJoria, 3.876, 327.90; Beckman, 3.870, 330.15 def. Pedregon, 3.949, 328.62; Alexander, 3.915, 323.12 def. Bode, 4.537, 198.73;

SEMIFINALS -- Prock, 3.887, 332.34 def. Alexander, 9.358, 70.12; Capps, 4.315, 252.52 def. Beckman, 7.691, 97.33;

FINAL -- Prock, 3.885, 327.98 def. Capps, 3.935, 331.45.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE -- Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.569, 209.65 def. Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.563, 208.17; David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.557, 208.68 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.611, 208.10; Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.569, 209.36 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.569, 207.91; Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.553, 208.62 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.553, 209.49; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.560, 209.36 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.537, 209.20; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.557, 208.88 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.622, 208.01; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.529, 210.37 def. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.579, 209.88; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.542, 208.75 def. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.570, 208.46;

QUARTERFINALS -- Coughlin, 6.576, 208.75 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.600, 209.59; Stanfield, 6.555, 210.14 def. Reed, Broke; Anderson, 6.551, 208.46 def. C. Cuadra, 6.574, 208.01; Enders, 6.537, 210.47 def. D. Cuadra, 10.810, 82.60;

SEMIFINALS -- Stanfield, 6.574, 209.62 def. Anderson, 31.292, 62.50; Coughlin, 6.580, 209.10 def. Enders, 7.020, 206.83;

FINAL -- Stanfield, 6.561, 209.36 def. Coughlin, 6.562, 209.59.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE -- Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.838, 196.39 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.894, 192.49; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.826, 198.88 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.955, 192.00; Hector Arana Jr, 6.846, 196.64 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.904, 194.66; Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.804, 200.41 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.877, 196.27; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.808, 198.06 def. Ryan Oehler, 6.967, 193.63; Marc Ingwersen, 6.969, 192.74 def. John Hall, 7.330, 145.16; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.787, 199.94 def. Ron Tornow, 6.943, 194.07; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.772, 199.35 def. Wesley Wells, Suzuki, Foul - Red Light;

QUARTERFINALS -- A. Smith, 6.834, 198.76 def. Ingwersen, 6.927, 192.00; Gadson, 6.819, 196.99 def. Evaristo, 6.891, 199.14; M. Smith, 6.827, 198.32 def. Arana Jr, Foul - Red Light; Herrera, 6.755, 199.58 def. Van Sant, 6.806, 198.26;

SEMIFINALS -- A. Smith, 6.820, 199.17 def. M. Smith, 6.843, 197.77; Herrera, 6.804, 197.91 def. Gadson, 6.879, 196.42;

FINAL -- Herrera, 6.763, 198.70 def. A. Smith, 6.829, 197.19.

Updated Points Standings

Point standings (top 10) following the 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the 14th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series -

Top Fuel

1. Doug Kalitta, 1,049; 2. Justin Ashley, 1,013; 3. Shawn Langdon, 999; 4. Steve Torrence, 994; 5. Antron Brown, 910; 6. Clay Millican, 851; 7. Tony Stewart, 784; 8. Tony Schumacher, 744; 9. Brittany Force, 697; 10. Billy Torrence, 692.

Funny Car

1. Austin Prock, 1,379; 2. Bob Tasca III, 1,031; 3. Matt Hagan, 1,017; 4. J.R. Todd, 941; 5. Ron Capps, 879; 6. John Force, 870; 7. Blake Alexander, 769; 8. Daniel Wilkerson, 692; 9. Chad Green, 654; 10. Alexis DeJoria, 641.

Pro Stock

1. Dallas Glenn, 1,204; 2. Aaron Stanfield, 1,120; 3. Greg Anderson, 1,104; 4. Erica Enders, 1,075; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 995; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 761; 7. Jerry Tucker, 703; 8. Cristian Cuadra, 592; 9. Eric Latino, 535; 10. Mason McGaha, 518.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Gaige Herrera, 1,090; 2. Matt Smith, 802; 3. Richard Gadson, 647; 4. John Hall, 616; 5. Chase Van Sant, 608; 6. Angie Smith, 571; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 497; 8. Hector Arana Jr, 490; 9. Steve Johnson, 334; 10. Chris Bostick, 303.