Jianna Evaristo raced her Valley Services Scrappers Racing Buell to a quarterfinal finish at the prestigious Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals today at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The talented Pro Stock Motorcycle pilot ran well throughout the extended event which marked the end of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season. Thanks to outstanding performances all season long, Jianna clinched a coveted position in the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s version of the playoffs.
Jianna started qualifying off on the right foot when she ran a stellar lap of 6.939 seconds at 198.15 mph on Friday evening, the fourth fastest of the session, earning her a valuable bonus point. She scooped up two more bonus points on Saturday when she ran a 6.856 at 199.29, a pass that put her in the No. 5 spot on the ladder for eliminations.
In the first round of eliminations this morning, Jianna faced 2003 Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Geno Scali. Despite Scali getting the starting line advantage, Jianna outpaced the veteran rider to get the Round One win with a blistering pass of 6.804 at 200.41 earning her the fastest speed of the event in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
In the quarterfinals, Jianna faced Richard Gadson for the fourth time this season. Gadson got the jump off the starting line and while Jianna gained some ground on him, it wasn’t enough to get the win light.
“Getting to go rounds at Indy is just an incredible experience,” remarked Jianna. “This category is so competitive right now. Every little point counts, so earning a few of those bonus points during qualifying put us in a good position. I’m feeling more confident and comfortable on this bike and I’m so grateful to Matt Smith Racing for putting me in such a competitive position this season. We are ready to give it all we’ve got in the Countdown.”
Top Fuel rookie Jasmine Salinas did not have the race weekend she’d hoped for as she struggled to qualify among a host of strong competitors in the stacked Top Fuel category, dashing her hopes of getting her Scrappers Racing team into the Countdown.
“This sport is tough and it’s humbling,” said Jasmine. “It’s taken until now for me to truly understand what a process it is to compete at this level. I’m learning all the time but this is a championship-level team and I really wanted to get them into the Countdown, because they deserve to be there. We are going to continue to compete as if we are running for the championship. I’m excited to shake some things up out there and finish this year out strong.”
Competition in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship will begin in Reading, Pennsylvania at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at historic Maple Grove Raceway, September 13-15.
This story was originally published on September 3, 2024. 
