For longtime Canadian Pro Mod standout turned Pro Stock racer Eric Latino, the 2025 NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway will always stand out. The KB Titan Racing (KBT) driver captured the first No. 1 qualifying effort of his NHRA Pro Stock career, a milestone moment that capped a dominant weekend for the powerhouse team.
Latino, who made his NHRA Pro Stock debut in 2023 after earning a place in the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame as a record-setting Pro Mod driver, delivered a 6.515-second pass at 209.75 mph under the lights on Friday to seize the top spot. In all, KB Titan Racing locked down the top four qualifying positions and six of the top eight.
“This is a big deal,” said Latino. “I ran Pro Mod most of my life with a smaller group of guys who were very competitive. Then I wanted to come out to the big stage and run NHRA Pro Stock with the best of the best. To come out and go No. 1, it’s the team. It’s KB Titan Racing. If it wasn’t for the whole team, I’d be qualifying 20 out of 20. It’s really, really tough to race NHRA Pro Stock. If you can’t partner with a team that’s been doing this for 25 years with all that data, you’re not going to make it.”
Latino’s previous best start was No. 2 in Richmond and Seattle in 2024. With a new engine combination, he felt a breakthrough was coming. “I knew this was coming,” Latino said. “I said before this race, ‘We’re going to be No. 1 Friday night.’ I just felt it. I was able to drive the car, hit all the gear changes, and make it run.”
Latino ultimately added 10 bonus points in qualifying and entered race day sixth in the championship standings. He was joined in the field by teammate and points leader Dallas Glenn, six-time champion Greg Anderson, and an armada of KBT-powered Camaros including Cory Reed, Matt Hartford, and Latino’s own son Matt, who is carving out his rookie season.
While Latino’s No. 1 effort was a highlight, Sunday in St. Louis belonged to Anderson. The most decorated driver in Pro Stock history marched through eliminations and defeated Matt Hartford in an all-KBT final. The victory marked Anderson’s 112th career win and sixth of the season, pulling him to within just 25 points of Glenn’s championship lead with three races remaining.
“There were a lot of big rounds today,” Anderson said. “I struggled in qualifying and didn’t have the most confidence coming into Sunday, but what a recovery my guys made. It was not a happy racecar in qualifying – but they figured it out, and I made four very high-quality runs. Timing is everything, and I’m proud of this team.”
The KBT sweep in St. Louis further tightened the Countdown to the Championship. Glenn left still holding the lead at 2,426 points, with Anderson right behind at 2,401. Hartford moved to third with 2,266, followed by Aaron Stanfield (2,226), Cory Reed (2,212), and Erica Enders (2,208). Latino sits seventh with 2,196, ahead of Rookie of the Year contender Cody Coughlin.
For Eric Latino, though, the milestone No. 1 qualifier represents validation in a new chapter of his career. “It’s pretty great,” he said. “To be out here racing with Greg, Dallas, all these guys, and now to have a No. 1 qualifier to my name – it’s special. Hopefully it’s the first of many.”
The NHRA Countdown to the Championship continues Oct. 8–12 with the Texas NHRA FallNationals in Dallas, followed by stops in Las Vegas and Pomona to close out the 2025 season.
This story was originally published on September 30, 2025. 
