NHRA PHOTO
CHARLOTTE (April 25, 2025) – Top Fuel’s Doug Kalitta set the track
E.T. record at zMAX Dragway on Friday, taking the provisional No. 1
qualifier, while Brittany Force made the fastest run in Top Fuel history
at the 15th annual American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.
Paul Lee (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro
Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the fifth
of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
season.
In the same quad under the lights in Charlotte – and at the 1,000th
Top Fuel race in NHRA history – both Kalitta and Force put on a
spectacular and record-breaking show. Kalitta went a zMAX-record
3.646-seconds at 333.74 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster,
looking to qualify No. 1 for the third time this season and 61st time in
his career.
Force, meanwhile, went an incredible 341.58 mph on a run of 3.667 in
11,000-horsepower HendrickCars.com dragster, posting the first 340-mph
run in Top Fuel history and powering past her previous speed record of
338.94, which was set in Pomona during her championship season in 2022.
Force went a blistering 301.00 to the eighth-mile and then rolled to
more Top Fuel history at the finish line during an unforgettable quad on
Friday night.
“Having the night session here, the track is in incredible shape, so
definitely some good (runs),” Kalitta said. “It was the opportunity
of the weekend, really, for all of us, but yeah, with the 1,000th race,
it’s a cool and then there’s a cool trophy.
“Right now, my car is running incredibly well. Shawn Langdon, ended up
second, so both our cars are running really well. Alan [Johnson] and
Brian [Husen, crew chiefs] and all our guys, and Connie [Kalitta, team
owner] is definitely giving us everything we need, and we’ve got some
momentum going on our side here right now.”
Added Force: “She was flying on that run and we really needed that. To
go 341, that’s awesome and we’re all really excited about that.”