EPPING, N.H. — Reigning Humorous Automotive world champion Austin Prock led the best way on Friday at New England Dragway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot for John Pressure Racing on the twelfth annual NHRA New England Nationals.
Doug Kalitta (High Gasoline) and Cody Coughlin (Professional Inventory) are additionally the provisional No. 1 qualifiers on the seventh of 20 races throughout the 2025 NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Sequence season.
Friday’s second session additionally included the “No. 1 Clawifier Award introduced by NAPA.” A particular chair manufactured from lobster pots awaited drivers on the highest finish, with the night’s No. 1 qualifier sitting within the chair till they had been changed by a brand new No. 1 “Clawifier” or declare the award. The highest crew in every class had been awarded lobster dinners.
No one changed Prock as he kicked off the session, whereas Kalitta bumped Antron Brown out of the chair. A handful of Professional Inventory drivers had been on prime on Friday earlier than Coughlin grabbed management.
After struggling throughout the opening session on Friday, Prock and his crew greater than made up for it to shut out the day, going 3.860-seconds at 331.69 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Instruments Chevrolet SS. It places the Humorous Automotive factors chief on observe for his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and twentieth in his profession. Prock was the runner-up on the occasion a 12 months in the past to legendary Humorous Automotive driver John Pressure, and in addition superior to the finals at the newest occasion in Chicago.
“It took rather a lot to get this factor tamed down, however the guys did an important job diagnosing it and we laid down a very nice lap,” Prock stated. “John Pressure Racing has had plenty of success right here. Final 12 months was a very particular second in my life and all I’ve ever needed to do is drive a Humorous Automotive.
“I all the time attempt to do the very best I can each time I get on this automobile. That’s what these guys deserve, what our crew deserve and what our companions deserve. I’m simply making an attempt to get in there and drive to the very best of my skill.”
Racing at his house observe, Bob Tasca III is at the moment second with a 3.891 at 335.40 and Paul Lee’s 3.891 at 329.18 places him third.
In High Gasoline, Doug Kalitta was the one driver to dip into the three.60s and continued to roll in qualifying, going to the highest spot with a run of three.697 at 331.36 in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Instruments dragster. If it holds, it could be the veteran’s fourth straight prime qualifier of 2025, which might proceed an unimaginable streak.
It might even be the previous world champion’s fifth No. 1 qualifier within the first seven races of the season and New England Dragway continues to be excellent to Kalitta. Brown made a powerful run to open the session, however Kalitta bumped him for a seat within the lobster pot chair as he goals to win in Epping for a second consecutive 12 months.
“The automobile shook a little bit bit at first, received cleaned up after which it set sail,” Kalitta stated. “It was undoubtedly what we had been in search of. We had been all gunning for the lobster and the best way the crew has this automobile working, I hoped it could make it and it did.
“We’re very lucky after the primary day and Epping is a cool space. I’ve had an important working automobile all 12 months (however) haven’t gotten the win but, so I’m actual hungry for that. This may be an important place to do it. We received it carried out final 12 months, which was cool. We’re simply making an attempt to go rounds, maintain our heads down and hope like heck it goes our method Sunday.”
Shawn Reed is at the moment second because of a go of three.702 at 334.24 and Brittany Pressure went 3.713 at 334.48 as she sits within the third place.
After a standout run throughout the second session, Professional Inventory rookie Cody Coughlin is in place to assert his first profession No. 1 qualifier because of a run of 6.537 at 210.28 in his Cody Coughlin Building Chevrolet Camaro. In a discipline loaded with quick vehicles, Coughlin made the a lot of the cool situations within the second session for KB Titan Racing, sitting on prime heading into Saturday.
It’s been an up and down debut season for Coughlin, however Friday’s run definitely offers him momentum and marks the excessive level of his 12 months so far.
“It felt so seamless that I believed it was going to be sluggish,” Coughlin stated. “However as they are saying, sluggish is clean and clean is quick. Greg and Dallas have been quick — everyone has been quick right here with KB Titan energy — so I figured they’d edge me out as a result of they know all of the methods of the commerce.
“I spoke to Greg throughout the low season to congratulate him on his championship and we simply meshed. I’ve all the time been a fan of the Hendrick [Motorsports] crew, and when Greg invited me out to a take a look at, I used to be hooked.”
Coughlin squeezed previous Anderson on pace for the present No. 1 spot because the reigning world champion went an similar 6.537 at a barely slower 209.95. Factors chief Dallas Glenn is third following his run of 6.539 at 210.28.
