In conjunction with Saturday’s final round of qualifying for 35th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Mission Foods sponsored the ninth round of twelve events for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. The world’s leading brand of tortillas joined forces with National Hot Rod Association to offer drag racing fans an early taste of side-by-side racing at Sonoma Raceway.
The unique specialty race features semifinalists from the previous race against each other in a pair of nitro or stock class matchups. The rematch format began at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in March and has proven to be a fan favorite for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series in 2023. Racers know the NHRA Challenge offers a great opportunity to pick up valuable points early on in the season.
The fan-favorite grudge match is about more than just revenge with drivers competing for a share of the $500,000 purse at the end of the Mission Foods season and bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship. And of course, a lot of bragging rights in the pits. Mission Foods is also sponsors the Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle Race Team with three-time champion Angelle Sampey and seven-time PSM champion Eddie Krawiec.
Steve Torrence Backs Up Top Fuel Win
Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta has 49 career wins in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and has reached the final round at the last two races of the Western Swing at mile-high Bandimere Speedway and Seattle’s Pacific Raceways. The Phoenix winner of the Challenge had a first round match against Clay Millican. This was rematch of the Denver final that Millican won for Rick Ware Racing. Both drivers were off the tree together but Kalitta’s chutes came out early allow Millican to advance with a 3.793 ET at 330.88 mph.
Driver of DHL Top Fuel dragster Shawn Langdon has fifteen career Wallys and was runner-up at Pacific Raceways in Seattle. Langdon also won the 2013 NHRA Top Fuel Championship. His matchup for round one of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge was Steve Torrence who won the Mission Challenge at Seattle and doubled up on Sunday with a Top Fuel win at the Northwest Nationals. Torrence entered the race with 22 to 15 win ratio. The Capco Contractors driver was a bit late off the tree but posted 3.765 ET with a winning speed at 328.94 mph.
Steve Torrence and Clay Millican had not raced each other during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series but the Capco Contractors driver held a seventeen to nine winning record over Millican. After getting his season turned around last weekend a Pacific Raceways, Torrence was seeking back-to-wins in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge as the Texan took on the driver from Tennessee. Torrence had to rely on a holeshot to beat the quicker Parts Plus driver to the finish line with a 3.788 ET to Millican’s 3.781-seconds elapsed time.
J.R. Todd Is Sixth Funny Car Challenge Winner
Former Top Fuel driver Blake Alexander won his first-ever career Funny Car Wally at Norwalk this season driving the Pronto Service Center in a round one match against the SCAG Power Equipment Mustang of Tim Wilkerson who won his 24th career Funny Car Wally at Seattle to go with his earlier win at Chicago. Wilkerson entered the Mission Challenge with four to one advantage in career matchups. Neither driver was quick off the start but Alexander drove around the SCAG car when Wilkerson crossed the center stripe and posted a 4.107 ET to advance to the final.
Funny Car driver Chad Green won his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at Pomona earlier this year. JR Todd was the runner-up at the Phoenix round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge and was runner-up at Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways at the most recent NHRA event. Todd holds a 3-0 advantage over Green in head-to-head matchups. Green was off the tree first in the Primitive Grind Bondcoat Chevrolet Camaro but spun the tires allowing JR Todd to drive to victory and advance to a match with Alexander.
JR Todd entered the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at Sonoma with things looking up for the DHL Funny Car team. Plus, Todd holds a seven to two win advantage over Alexander in career head-to-head matchups against the Pronto Auto Service driver. But, Alexander’s Mustang was pushed off the starting after leaking oil at the starting line. With a bye run, Todd posted a 3.977 ET at 322.81 mph pass to become the sixth different winner in Funny Car for the Mission Foods Challenge.
UP COMING:
Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmor
NHRA nitro and stock teams head to mid-west’s Heartland Motorsports Park at Topeka, Kansas. On Saturday, fans can enjoy the #2Fast2Tasty Mission NHRA Challenge, where semifinalists from the previous race in the pro classes will duel during qualifying for bonus money and valuable bonus points for the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship.
