NHRA Arizona Nationals Set for Thrilling Eliminations This Sunday

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Final eliminations for the NHRA Arizona Nationals are set to kick off Sunday at Firebird Motorsports Park, determining the second set of winners in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Top qualifiers include Doug Kalitta in Top Fuel, Bob Tasca III in Funny Car, and Matt Hartford in Pro Stock. They will be tested in anticipated high temperatures in the 80s, a scenario that could impact performance significantly as they vie for victory in this annual ‘duel in the desert.’

Defending champion Kalitta, who secured the 2023 Top Fuel title, enters as a favored contender. His SealMaster team demonstrated prowess with four successful passes through diverse conditions during qualifying. Kalitta’s main competitor may be teammate Shawn Langdon, who captured victory in Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge.

Brittany Force, a two-time world champion, also showed strong potential, qualifying third in her Monster Energy vehicle. Meanwhile, four-time champion Antron Brown secured the fourth position.

Bob Tasca III did not complete his runs Saturday, focusing instead on testing grip levels on the track. His Friday qualifying run had already established him as the low qualifier.

World champion Austin Prock rebounded from a disappointing previous performance and will start from the No. 2 position. Positioned behind him is his John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman, who has demonstrated great speed during qualifying sessions.

Three-time world champion Ron Capps, who triumphed in the Mission Challenge on Saturday, poses another significant threat from the fourth spot in Funny Car.

Local favorite Hartford, who works at Total Seal in the Phoenix area, hopes to leverage his pole position for a win at his home track. He was the runner-up in 2019 and is eager to take the final step this time around.

Hartford did not aim for standout numbers during qualifying, as his team intentionally utilized the sessions to break in new tire sets, a common strategy in Pro Stock to prepare for eliminations.

Behind Hartford in qualifying are his fellow KB Titan Racing teammates, including Greg Anderson, Cory Reed, and Dallas Glenn. Reed faces a challenging matchup with Jeg Coughlin Jr., who, despite his 14th position in qualifying, secured a victory in Saturday’s Mission Challenge.

The race day schedule includes a pre-race ceremony at 10:00 a.m. followed by eliminations for various series starting from 8:30 a.m., and the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations are set to commence at 11:00 a.m.

Fans can watch live broadcasts and recaps on FS1, with coverage starting at noon (ET) on Sunday featuring highlights from the qualifying rounds.