|
BECKMAN, LANGDON & ANDERSON WIN MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE IN BRAINERD
Beckman, Kalitta and Anderson take No. 1 spots at Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 16, 2025) – Funny Car veteran Jack Beckman won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge over Matt Hagan on Saturday at Brainerd International Raceway, also securing the No. 1 qualifier at the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Brainerd, while Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Beckman and Anderson all qualified No. 1 at the 13th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
In the final round of the specialty race, Beckman won the matchup of world champions, going 3.942-seconds at 324.59 mph in his 12,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet SS. It’s the third bonus win of the season for Beckman, who returned to the Funny Car ranks a year ago in Brainerd.
He was named John Force’s replacement driver starting at that race and Beckman has been impressive over the past year, making a pair of stellar runs on Saturday in Brainerd. Beckman took the No. 1 spot in qualifying – his fourth top spot this season – with a run of 3.879 at 330.63 to open the day and then topped Hagan to finish off a strong Saturday. The former world champion opens eliminations against Dave Richards and will attempt to win for the third time during the 2025 campaign.
“I’m over the moon with my car. Even with us struggling, we were still second in points and still won a race. It’s just that we were even better last year. When we went back to last year’s car after the Epping wreck, it seemed like it wanted something different. But now I think we’re back,” Beckman said.
“At first, I didn’t make a big deal out of this [Mission Challenge], but sometimes Saturday can be a bit anticlimactic. Typically, we’d get data for Sunday but now, I think it’s one of the smarter moves NHRA has made. It makes [Saturday] matter. Those points that go into the Countdown are huge. That’s a big carrot. I thought it was cool before I won the first one. Now that I’ve won a couple, I really love it.”
Points leader Austin Prock is qualified second on the strength of Friday’s 3.893 at 331.45 and Hunter Green jumped to third in the final session after going 3.906 at 332.67.
In Top Fuel, points leader Shawn Langdon won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge for the fourth time in 2025 in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air Careers dragster, dispatching Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta on a massive holeshot and a run of 3.742 at 334.32.
It ties Kalitta for the most wins in the specialty race this season, giving Langdon 18 bonus points thus far for the Countdown to the Championship. Langdon was .059 on the starting line and Kalitta was uncharacteristically late, as the former world champ easily held on for the bonus race victory. Looking to win the regular season world championship, Langdon will also aim to win for the first time in his professional career at Brainerd International Raceway on Sunday.
“We were trying to move up in qualifying, so we’re trying to run a little bit better than a 3.74. I think my [stage light] was blinking pretty good, so maybe that distracted him,” Langdon said. “We wanted to have a good race. It wasn’t intentional by any means. I was just trying to stage shallow.
“Now, we’ll see what we can do tomorrow. We really appreciate everything that Mission Foods does. This is a great program, but we also have to focus on tomorrow, especially with the U.S. Nationals and the Countdown coming up.”
Despite the struggles in the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Kalitta did claim his seventh No. 1 qualifier of the season in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster on Saturday’s earlier run of 3.655 at 339.36. It’s the 65th career No. 1 qualifier for the former world champ who opens eliminations against Terry Totten, attempting to pick up his second straight victory in 2025.
“That [3.655] run was very smooth, the car stayed right in the middle,” Kalitta said. “It seems like it drives nice every time it runs big numbers like that. My guys have put together some really consistent runs. They have the car put together the same way each time and that makes a big difference. That’s quite a ride.
“As far as driving it, I try to do the same thing every time and not mess things up too badly. I want to lick my wounds from [the Mission Challenge final] and regroup and put it behind me for tomorrow.”
Brittany Force qualified second with a 3.697 at a track-record speed of 340.82 and Jordan Vandergriff, who is racing for Shawn Reed this weekend after Reed’s crash in Seattle, is third with a career-best run of 3.705 at 334.32.
Pro Stock defending world champion Greg Anderson continued to enjoy a stellar weekend at the track where he grew up racing, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge over KB Titan Racing teammate and taking the No. 1 qualifying position.
In the finals of the bonus race to close out Saturday, Anderson went 6.561 at 208.23 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, slipping past Glenn to win for the first time on Saturday this year. A night after winning the American Rebel Light “Battle for the Rebel Axe” bonus, Anderson also claimed the $2,000 GESi No. 1 Qualifier Award thanks to his run of 6.555 at 207.59 to start the day, just missing out on a track record.
It’s the fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season for Anderson, who opens raceday against Chris Vang. The six-time world champion last won in Brainerd in 2011 and he would love to do so again on Sunday to close out a perfect weekend.
“It’s been two perfect days and that’s all you could hope for,” Anderson said. “I’m excited for tomorrow. My race car is great and I feel like we’ve got a great chance. Competition brings out the best in everyone out here. Matt Hartford has worn me out in these [Mission] deals. I want to win anytime we go down the race track. You get here and make it through them all, and then you’ve got Dallas left. That’s always tough.
“I’ve had a great year so far, but we need to keep progressing here in Brainerd and again in Indy, and into the Countdown. In this class, you’d better keep on working and keep on improving because the competition is going to keep coming after you.”
Points leader Glenn finished second in qualifying with a run of 6.569 at 208.20 and Matt Hartford took third thanks to a pass of 6.575 at 206.42.
Eliminations for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals begin at 10 a.m. CT on Sunday at Brainerd International Raceway.
***
BRAINERD, Minn. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the 13th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.655 seconds, 339.36 mph vs. 14. Terry Totten, 12.244, 69.77; 2. Brittany Force, 3.697, 340.82 vs. 13. Will Smith, 4.144, 229.98; 3. Jordan Vandergriff, 3.705, 334.32 vs. 12. Kyle Satenstein, 3.864, 314.90; 4. Billy Torrence, 3.713, 333.74 vs. 11. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.829, 326.40; 5. Tony Stewart, 3.732, 331.61 vs. 10. Josh Hart, 3.784, 330.47; 6. Clay Millican, 3.741, 332.75 vs. 9. Justin Ashley, 3.758, 332.84; 7. Antron Brown, 3.742, 334.90 vs. 8. Shawn Langdon, 3.742, 334.82.
Funny Car — 1. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.879, 330.63 vs. 16. Dave Richards, Ford Mustang, 5.816, 118.33; 2. Austin Prock, Camaro, 3.893, 331.45 vs. 15. Jim Campbell, Dodge Charger, 4.052, 279.50; 3. Hunter Green, Charger, 3.906, 332.67 vs. 14. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.962, 312.21; 4. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.907, 330.39 vs. 13. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.960, 317.42; 5. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.908, 331.45 vs. 12. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.947, 325.22; 6. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 3.913, 332.51 vs. 11. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.942, 302.62; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.913, 329.58 vs. 10. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.935, 329.02; 8. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.930, 332.43 vs. 9. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.934, 329.42.
Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.555, 208.23 vs. 16. Chris Vang, Camaro, 6.661, 205.32; 2. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.569, 208.20 vs. 15. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.640, 204.48; 3. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.575, 207.21 vs. 14. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.626, 206.13; 4. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.589, 206.80 vs. 13. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.621, 206.89; 5. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.590, 208.23 vs. 12. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.616, 206.26; 6. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.590, 207.40 vs. 11. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.615, 205.13; 7. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.600, 207.21 vs. 10. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.611, 206.61; 8. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.602, 207.94 vs. 9. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.605, 207.43.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Kenny Delco, 6.714, 203.71; 18. Joseph Wilczek, 6.962, 198.67.
BRAINERD, Minn. — Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge final results from the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Top Fuel Challenge — Shawn Langdon, 3.742 seconds, 334.32 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 3.677 seconds, 338.34 mph.
Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Funny Car Challenge — Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.942, 324.59 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 6.636, 101.53.
Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Pro Stock Challenge — Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.561, 208.23 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.612, 207.37.
BRAINERD, Minn. — Final Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge round-by-round results from the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:
ROUND ONE — Shawn Langdon, 3.999, 229.04 def. Antron Brown, 6.005, 114.60; Doug Kalitta, 3.655, 339.36 def. Justin Ashley, 5.258, 130.23;
FINAL — S. Langdon, 3.742, 334.32 def. D. Kalitta, 3.677, 338.34.
MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:
ROUND ONE — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.935, 329.02 def. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 4.761, 167.20; Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.879, 330.63 def. Spencer Hyde, Ford Mustang, 9.925, 78.38;
FINAL — J. Beckman, 3.942, 324.59 def. M. Hagan, 6.636, 101.53.
MISSION #2FAST2TASTY NHRA PRO STOCK CHALLENGE:
ROUND ONE — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.569, 208.20 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.624, 206.39; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.555, 207.59 def. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, Foul – Red Light;
FINAL — G. Anderson, 6.561, 208.23 def. D. Glenn, 6.612, 207.37. |
