COURTESY NHRA COMMUNICATIONS AND PROLINE RACING
IMAGES DAVE O, NHRA PHOTO and RENZ DIMAADA
DRAG RACING ACTION ONLINE
– Hagan moves into FC points lead with win
– Kalitta caps off perfect weekend with TF victory
– Anderson goes back-to-back in Brainerd
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 23, 2026) – Four-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan moved into the points lead, defeating Jordan Vandergriff in the final round in front of another huge crowd on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway to win the 44th annual NHRA Brainerd Nationals.
Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also won the 13th of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Hagan went 3.946-seconds at 320.13 mph in his 12,000-horsepower American Rebel Light Beer Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car to power past Vandergriff and win for the third time this season for Tony Stewart Racing. It is Hagan’s 58th career win and second at Brainerd, and the triumph in the final round sent him to the top of the loaded Funny Car category.
Hagan was incredibly consistent on raceday, reaching the finals after defeating Jim Campbell, Chad Green and Austin Prock. Hagan went 3.94 in the final three rounds, including the finals when he quickly drove past Vandergriff, who slowed to a 4.038.
The standout started the weekend fifth in points but ended as the points leader in the ultra-competitive Funny Car class. Heading to Indy, Hagan will have a seven-point lead over Vandergriff, with Ron Capps, J.R. Todd and Jack Beckman all close behind. Capps is just 12 points back, with Todd and Beckman 22 and 74 points behind, respectively.
“It’s very humbling because you never know what you’re going to get in a Funny Car. If you think you’re going to go out there and pound on your chest, these things will kick you in the (butt),” Hagan said. “I’m just very grateful that we have such a good group of guys putting a great race car underneath me.
“We definitely could have bracket-raced this car this weekend. It just shows what our team is capable of. Everybody is just working hard and doing what they’re supposed to do. As I was doing the burnout and backing up, it gave me chills, man. The fans were packed in here. NHRA is doing a great job promoting our sport, and our sport is growing every day.”
Vandergriff, who qualified No. 1, reached the finals for the third time this season thanks to victories against Alexis DeJoria and J.R. Todd.
Top Fuel reigning world champion Doug Kalitta finished off an epic and flawless weekend in Brainerd, getting his third straight victory by holding off rookie Maddi Gordon in the championship round with an impressive run of 3.743 at 333.74 in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster.
It’s also the second straight Brainerd victory for Kalitta, who moved into the points lead on Saturday and strengthened his grip on the regular season championship on raceday. After qualifying No. 1 – making the quickest run in all four sessions – and winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, Kalitta was unbeatable on Sunday, too, rolling past Cam Ferre, Antron Brown and Justin Ashley to reach the final round.
Gordon left first and put up a respectable 3.770 at 328.78, but Kalitta quickly tracked her down to pick up his fourth win this season and the 63rd in his career.
Just like last year, Kalitta has a dominant car at the perfect time as the veteran attempts to win the world championship for the third time in the past four years. First up, Kalitta will try to win the regular season title in Indy, and he’ll have an impressive 67-point lead over teammate Shawn Langdon leading into the world’s biggest drag race.
“It was definitely an interesting day,” Kalitta said. “My guys did a great job throughout the weekend, through qualifying, the Mission Foods deal and then being able to go rounds on Sunday and get to the final and beat Maddi. She’s doing a great job and they’re tough.
“Alan (Johnson, crew chief) and those guys had my car running 3.74 like three times. That was enough, even with a little bit of a cushion. It was what we needed to do to get the job done today. The momentum is really good. We’re all really hungry.
“When you get down to those last six races, every round is so important. Today actually felt that way, too. Getting by those first couple rounds, I was like, ‘What a relief,’ because you don’t want to go out early.”
Gordon reached her second final round in her debut season after getting past Scott Palmer, Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett.
In Pro Stock, the track where Greg Anderson grew up racing continues to be very good to the six-time world champion, as the points leader won for the second straight year in Brainerd, going 6.584 at 208.17 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro to chase down first-time finalist Chris Vang.
It was a massive points day for Anderson after KB Titan Racing teammate and reigning world champion Dallas Glenn fell in the first round after qualifying No. 1. Anderson took advantage in a major way, defeating Mason McGaha, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Greg Stanfield to reach the finals.
Vang left first, but Anderson tracked him down to win for the fourth time this season and the 116th time in his spectacular career. He also opened up a significant 85-point lead over Glenn with one race remaining in the regular season. That gives Anderson a sizeable advantage as he aims to win the regular season championship in Indy. It’s also the fifth career Brainerd victory for Anderson, which is the most in Pro Stock history at the standout facility.
“The world knows this is the place where it all started for me. I wouldn’t be a Pro Stock racer today if it wasn’t for this place and all the people around here,” Anderson said. “My father and John Hagen gave me my start in Pro Stock. It’s been a special place to me since the first time I walked on the grounds.
“It’s pretty cool to win here and apparently have the record for most wins. This place has everything. It’s a great, great event. The prestige of this one never, ever goes away. It’s certainly at the top of my list, and I think it should be at the top of a lot of people’s lists. To come out on top is just an incredible feeling. It never gets old, and I hope it never does. I treat every one like it’s the first because you never know when the last one is going to be the last. They’re all special. I hope this one wasn’t the last, but I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this one tonight.”
Vang reached the final round for the first time in his young career thanks to round wins against Matt Latino, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and rookie Cody Anderson.
In addition to the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series action at Brainerd International Raceway, 10 winners were crowned in Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competition at the NHRA Brainerd Nationals.
Anthony Troyer successfully defended his 2025 Brainerd title in Top Alcohol Dragster with a narrow 5.220 to 5.250 win against Melanie Johnson in a battle of Top 10 contenders.
Melanie Johnson came up short in the finals against Troyer
Shane Westerfield won his 19th NHRA event and third in Brainerd on a single after opponent Christine Foster had a fire in the semi’s and was unable to make the Top Alcohol Funny Car final.
Damage in the semis put Christine Foster out of running in the finals
The Comp final was a heads-up A/Econo Altered battle between former world champ Cody Lane and Bruce Schmiedl. The win went to Lane, who left first and made the quicker run, 7.348 to 7.351.
It was a pair of A/EA cars in the finals and Schmiedl came up a tad short
There was also a heads-up final in Super Stock where Jack Beutler won his first national event title over Division 7 racer Mike Graham, 10.181 to 10.340.
Super Stock final featured another same class final. Mike Graham had been dialing two tenths slower than Beutler and in an a heads up finals, his Mustang came up short.
For the second time this season, Jamey Picht won a 75th anniversary NHRA Wally after Dirk Olson fouled by .005-second in the Stock final. As a result, Picht is now a Top 10 contender.
Jeff Cheney claimed his fifth national event win when he beat past world champ James Glenn in the Super Comp final, 8.947 to 8.961. The final margin of victory was just .002-second.
James Glenn had one of the closest finals at Brainerd with a -0.002 difference at the stripe
Appearing in his first national event final, Greg Maaninga cashed in with a winning 9.917 after opponent Dale Evans fouled in the Super Gas final.
Dale Evans left too soon against Maaninga giving him the Super Gas win
Rich Hill scored in Super Street after Division 5 standout Donnie Durenburger fouled in the final round. Hill cut .00 lights in four of six rounds including a .002 in the final.
Another racer going out on a red light was Durenberger’s Nova
Kendra Larson ran her record to a perfect 3-0 in national event finals, all of them in Brainerd, when she defeated Bob Fischer in the final of Right Trailers Top Dragster. Larson was perfect at the start and finished the job with a 6.929 against her 6.91 prediction.
Bob Fischer ran the better time but lost on Kendra’s perfect RT
Curt Fredrich ran right on his 6.58 dial in the final to win in Right Trailers Top Sportsman after opponent Chris Roe red-lighted by .001-second.
Scott Taylor earned his first NHRA Wally on August 23 with a win in the Right Trailers Outlaw Street Series at Brainerd International Raceway.
Taylor faced Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington in an all-Proline Racing customer final. With two closely matched cars, the race came down to the starting line. Taylor left with a .004 reaction time and ran a 3.709 at 202.82 mph, while Ellington recorded a .037 reaction time and a 3.717 at 203.46 mph.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Sept. 2-7 with the prestigious 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
