Four-time Top Fuel world champion Steve Torrence powered to the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday at Firebird Motorsports Park, putting him in line for his first top spot of the season at the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals.
Funny Car’s Austin Prock is also the provisional No. 1 qualifier at the third of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Due to unseasonable weather conditions on Friday in Phoenix, the Safety Safari has spent additional time working on the track and track prep.
Based on those weather conditions, the Pro Stock and Pro Mod qualifying sessions were postponed to Saturday. Both classes will make three qualifying attempts on Saturday, with Pro Stock running at its scheduled 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. times. The Pro Stock #2Fast2Tasty Mission Challenge will take place during those sessions. The last session in Pro Stock is slated for 3:30 p.m., where the finals of the NHRA Winternationals will also take place.
Torrence went 3.678-seconds at 336.23 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster to close out Friday qualifying as he looks for his 38th career No. 1 qualifier. The Texas native is also seeking his first victory of the 2024 season and was pleased with Friday’s run, which nearly set a career-best speed.
“I love racing here and I’m glad to be back in Phoenix,” Torrence said. “It’s a cool place to race and the car felt really smooth going down there. When you run that kind of mph, that’s nothing but power. It was a nice, smooth, clean run and that was exciting. We’ve made some big steps and figured some things out, and I feel like this car is better than it’s ever been. Now, we’re just trying to get that consistency down.”
Brittany Force took the second spot after going 3.689 at 334.90, while defending world champ Doug Kalitta’s 3.697 at 323.66 has him third.
In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Force and Tony Schumacher won their matchups and will meet in the final round of the specialty race in the opening qualifying session on Saturday. Schumacher and Justin Ashley will race in the championship round of the NHRA Winternationals to close out final qualifying.
Driving the car that won at Firebird Motorsports Park a year ago, Funny Car’s Prock ran 3.840 at 334.40 in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to take the provisional No. 1 spot to continue his impressive start to his Funny Car career. If it holds, Prock would already have two Funny Car No. 1 qualifiers in three races this season and also the fifth in his nitro career. Taking over driving duties for Hight in Funny Car this year, Prock has performed well and has confidence this weekend driving for a team that has won the last two years in Phoenix.
“I can see the confidence in the team this weekend,” Prock said. “We have a really good notebook of runs here. The team (with Robert Hight driving) won the last few times they came here and we’re off to another great start.
“It really flew. This place is tricky, you get these crosswinds that really push these cars even though you’re punching a hole through the air and it really moves these cars around, but that’s what I love about Funny Car. So, you got to be ready for that. We love coming here and the fans are always great.”
Bob Tasca III is currently second after going 3.876 at 334.65 and Paul Lee is third thanks to his 3.889 at 329.02.
John Force and J.R. Todd won their matchups in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Friday and will meet in the finals of the specialty race in the first qualifying session on Saturday. Force and defending world champion Matt Hagan will meet in the finals of the postponed NHRA Winternationals to close out the last qualifying session.
Qualifying continues at 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park.
This story was originally published on April 6, 2024. 
