The 2026 Winternationals opened with the threat of rain. Not a surprise, given that the last two years events have been delayed or effectively cancelled by one form or another of moisture. Two years ago, it was hail, just minutes before the final round of races! But in spite of the predictions, it was a warm and pleasant day, although not without its challenges, The clouds were there, but they were far away and beautiful!
Qualifying got underway a little late after some famous winners were awarded with nice artwork depicting one of their famous wins. Winners of the 100th event, 200th and so on, were presented with framed shots of their wins. Brittany Force accepted for her Father John, the winningest driver in NHRA history
But this year, the delay came from a different source. One round into qualifying someone lost a rear end, not a motor, and the result was ultra slippery gear lube sprayed over the track. Fuel is easy and evaporates rapidly, but gear lube? Grab your lunch and enjoy the break, because it was a two-hour delay to make the track safe to race.
After a brief hiatus to start a family, Multi-time winner Leah Pruett (Stewart) came back with a vengeance to take the #1 qualifying spot in top Fuel. In Funny Car, to no one’s surprise it was Matt Hagen in the top spot. Dallas Glenn leads the Pro-Stock class into tomorrow’s eliminations, with Many- time National Champ Greg Anderson close behind.
Will the rain predicted for tonight stay away and give us a clear and dry track? Only time will tell…
See you on Sunday!
Richard T. Haight
