Past Champions Torrence, Hight, Enders, Smith Lock Out Wallys in NHRA Midwest Nationals
Images via Josh Tons Photography
Steve Torrence, Robert Hight, Erica Enders, and Matt Smith found themselves victorious in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series action from World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway on Sunday, taking home Wallys in their respective classes in the NHRA Midwest Nationals. The third of six rounds in the Countdown to the Championship saw Hight and Enders become the first drivers to score two wins within the playoffs, while the Top Fuel points chase is now anyone’s race with five drivers within 43 points of one another.
After dominating the past few seasons and even posting a perfect Countdown in 2018, Torrence found himself uncharacteristically back to earth for much of this season, not taking his first win of the year until Brainerd in August. But the three-time and defending Gateway winner had the magic once again, knocking off Josh Hart by just .008 seconds in the final to secure second in the standings. Torrence is now just 14 points behind class leader Justin Ashley, who fell to Mike Salinas in the first round.
In Funny Car, it’s been all Hight and defending series champion Ron Capps so far in the Countdown, with Hight drawing first blood at Maple Grove Raceway two weeks ago and Capps returning serve at zMAX Dragway last week. It was only fitting, then, that they met in the final at Gateway, and they proved to be an even match; Hight’s .041-second reaction time was just enough to get the quicker Capps at the line on a holeshot. The duo remain first and second in series points, separated by just 46 markers with three races remaining.
Hight’s eighth win of the season came just moments after Enders accomplished the same in Pro Stock, posting a 6.535 in the final as opponent Dallas Glenn fouled on the line. Enders’ 41st career victory was also her record-setting sixth at Gateway, and gave her a 120-point advantage over Aaron Stanfield—who had fallen to Glenn in the second round—going into the second half of the Countdown.
Finally, Smith regained the Pro Stock Motorcycle points lead with his first win of the Countdown and fourth of the season, taking down Maple Grove winner and incoming points leader Joey Gladstone in the semifinals before beating Jerry Savoie in the final round. It was Smith’s fifth career victory at Gateway and the 36th of his career, and came on a weekend where he also set track records and made a career-best run. His lead over Gladstone sits at 21 points, the closest margin of any class other than Top Fuel coming out of the event.
After three straight weekends of competition, the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will run every other weekend for the balance of its season. The Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex will run on October 13-16, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host the NHRA Nevada Nationals on October 27-30, and the iconic Auto Club NHRA Finals will close out the season from Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on November 10-13.