NHRA Texas Notebook: Doug Kalitta Gets Tighter Grip on Top Fuel Command

• Steve Torrence jumps from eighth place to fourth in what he said is his final appearance of season
• Fresh from its second 340-plus-mph pass of weekend, Brittany Force’s dragster quits on burnout in semifinal
• Richard Gadson overcomes unimpressive earlier start at Dallas win Pro Stock Motorcycle trophy

With five of his six closest Top Fuel challengers already eliminated from the NHRA’s Texas Fall Nationals “Stampede of Speed,” Doug Kalitta only had to worry Sunday afternoon about how significant a dent teammate Shawn Langdon could put in his championship plans.

And Kalitta had the chance to stop Langdon himself—they advanced to a semifinal showdown at Texas Motorplex’s dragstrip at Ennis, just south of Dallas.

The points leader and Kalitta Motorsports headliner ran away from tire-smoking Langdon to extend his advantage from 86 points to 141, with just the Las Vegas event and the points-and-a-half-awarding season finale at Pomona, California, remaining. The Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 drivers were out of contention.

Kalitta recorded his third triumph at Texas Motorplex and his 59th overall, outrunning final-round opponent Steve Torrence.

“We’re trying to go rounds and stay ahead of these guys. Everybody’s hungry right now,” Kalitta said. “[It’s] a huge relief to get this win here in Ennis. Really big deal for us.”

Austin Prock continues to steamroll Funny Car competition

After claiming his ninth victory of the season and his second of four Countdown to the Championship events in hand, Funny Car winner Austin Prock said, “I just want to be the best all the time.”

He’s not far from his goal after beating Ron Capps in the final for his 21st win and first at Dallas. Referring to his Chevrolet Camaro that’s commonly called “The Prock Rocket,” he said, “This thing was lights-out all weekend. We took home all the money—and a cowboy hat [Texas Motorplex’s gift to winners]. I love driving this car—this car’s bad-fast.”

Prock will head to Las Vegas, the penultimate race in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, with a 112-point lead over closest rival Matt Hagan. That represents a 92-point swing, as Hagan trailed by only 20 points entering the event.

Hagan lost in the opening round Sunday. However, Prock isn’t complacent. He said, “The job’s not finished. The tables could turn at Las Vegas. That 92-point swing could swing the other way.”

Matt Hagan frustrated with engine explosions

Matt Hagan, looking to overtake Funny Car dominator Austin Prock, entered this weekend with just a 20-point gap to close. He left with a 112-point margin to overcome, thanks in part to an engine concussion in Friday qualifying and thanks to a first-round loss Sunday to Paul Lee by six-thousandths of a second.

Overall, I'm happy with the weekend. We got a round win, a nice round win, and a very close race with Matt Hagan. Great drag race.

Round two, it was a little bit hot, and we were trying to run a mid-3.90, and the track didn't hold. But hey, our heads are held high, and we're… pic.twitter.com/IqJzC1q3za

— Paul Lee (@Paul_Lee116) October 12, 2025

Hagan had beaten Lee in all eight of his first-round meetings against Lee and had won all 14 of their total match-ups. Now he knows he needs to win the remaining two races if he is to earn a fifth title.

“This was a really challenging weekend and obviously not what we set out to do, losing first round,” Hagan said. “It all started with Friday night, when we missed it because we had a big explosion in the first session. It wasn’t a tune-up issue or parts being put on wrong, but just a parts failure. It’s hard to swallow when we keep having part failures from manufacturers, but it’s the hand we’re dealt.

“In the second session on Friday night, we had all new parts on the car. It was an unrealistic challenge to think we could go up there and row low (ET). We had cylinders out and had to shut the car off, so we didn’t qualify well. On Saturday in the heat of the day, we were making half-track pulls because we’re out of parts and pieces. We don’t have any more blowers, so we were trying to salvage the two we have to get through race day. That’s challenging because you’re going up there at kind of half-go.

“We’ve blown up six times this year. We had a close drag race today against Paul (Lee). We did the best we could in the right lane. I got him a little on the tree [in reaction time], but he had more for the racetrack. That’s how it goes sometimes, and I’m not mad. I know it’s easy for my guys put their heads down, but we have two races to go. No matter how the points hunt shakes out, we can still win two more races, so that’s what we’re focused on.”

Big D duh: Dallas does Dallas, wins Pro Stock final

Points leader Dallas Glenn stretched his advantage over KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson from 20 points to 60 with his narrow victory over Aaron Stanfield, of rival Elite Motorsports, in the final round. Glenn’s margin of victory was seven-thousandths of a second, as he picked up his 20th victory in the Pro Stock class.

He’ll take a three-round edge over Anderson into the Las Vegas event in two weeks.

Pro Stock Motorcycle winner Gadson poised to dethrone Herrera

Richard Gadson arrived at Texas Motorplex two years ago with a helmet and a hope, trying out for a coveted spot with the elite-caliber Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team. His debut was not the stuff dreams are made of—he never made it past the water box.

Team boss Terry Vance bluntly asked him, “Are you going to get this thing down the racetrack or are you going to keep sh------ the bed?” Gadson said, “That’s the first thing he ever said to me.”

The conversation is much different today, now that Gadson is a member of the team and the leader in the standings by 72 points with only the Las Vegas race and the Pomona finale to go.

Gadson said he still has something to prove and he feels “extremely motivated,” even after he beat the newest Vance & Hine protégé, Brayen Davis, in Sunday’s final round. He said, “People keep congratulating me, and I keep saying it’s [the championship race is] not over yet.”

Gadson didn’t capture his first victory until this June, but now he has four, including two in this Countdown.