Salinas First to 300mph in the Eighth-Mile, Hight Tops in Funny Car After Friday Explosion

Salinas, Hight, Enders, Herrera Top Qualifying at betway NHRA Carolina Nationals

(CONCORD, NC – SEPT 23, 2023 – RIS) Mike Salinas became the first racer in NHRA history to record a speed of 300 mph in the 1/8 mile. His No. 1 qualifying pass in Top Fuel of 3.647 seconds and 338 mph set new track records on a pass that saw his speed at the eighth-mile of 300.80 mph to earn a $30,000 bonus and the first membership in the new “Phillips Connect 300 At The 1/8” Club.” 

Recovering from his epic engine explosion Friday evening, Robert Hight set the fastest time in Funny Car, leading to a bye in the first round. Hight’s elapsed time of 3.824 seconds at 330.15 mph was only a thousandth of a second quicker than second-place qualifier Matt Hagan’s time. Erica Enders was top qualifier in Pro Stock and Gaige Herrera claimed the top slot in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Below are the NHRA and Charlotte Motor Speedway releases on the day’s activities:

Salinas Makes NHRA History with First-Ever 300 mph 1/8-Mile Run at betway NHRA Carolina Nationals

Seven-time zMAX Dragway winner Robert Hight earned the No. 1 qualifier in Funny Car by 0.001 seconds over Friday’s provisional No. 1, Matt Hagan;
Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also earn top qualifier honors

Tickets for Sunday’s eliminations are available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or at the gate. Single-day tickets are $40 for adults, while children 12 and under are FREE

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2023) – Top Fuel’s Mike Salinas became the first driver in NHRA history to go 300 mph in the 1/8-mile, setting both ends of the track record on Saturday at zMAX Dragway en route to qualifying No. 1 at the 15th annual Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 heading into Sunday’s pivotal eliminations.

In the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster driven by points leader Tony Stewart was found to have unapproved ignition parts. Due to the items found, he was disqualified from the event and zero points were awarded.

Salinas powered to an epic blast of 3.647 seconds at 338.00 mph in his 11,000-horsepower dragster, earning his third No. 1 qualifier in 2023. He also went a whopping 300.80 mph to the 1/8-mile during the run, marking the first time in NHRA history a driver has reached 300 mph in the 1/8-mile and making him the first member of the “Phillips Connect 300 to the 1/8” club, which nets him a $30,000 bonus. It was also the fifth fastest run in Top Fuel history, as Salinas aims to pick up his second win of the season on Sunday.

“The track was amazing,” Salinas said. “We've been working on this for a while and our car has been close several times in testing. We knew we were going to do it, we just didn't know when. Tonight was the perfect time to do it. The car seemed to like what we're doing.

“We’ve been close and to put together a run like this, it is awesome. These are the types of things we’re out here for and what it’s all about. What an amazing run.”

Antron Brown took the second spot, going 3.655 at 332.75 – and 299.00 to the 1/8-mile – and Doug Kalitta, who won last weekend in Reading, qualified third with a 3.665 at 331.61.

Funny Car points leader Robert Hight, a seven-time winner at zMAX Dragway, also put on an impressive show to close out the night, topping Matt Hagan’s spectacular run on Friday with a track-record performance of 3.824 at 330.15 in his 11,000-horsepower machine. A night after Hagan made the quickest run of the year in the class, Hight went even quicker to earn his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 82nd in his marvelous career.

After suffering a huge explosion on the starting line during Friday’s qualifying session, Hight and his team rebounded in fine fashion on Saturday, making a pair of stellar runs.

“Sometimes when you really go up there and push and try really hard, it doesn't work out,” Hight said. “Everything has to come together, and there are a lot of variables. It's a science, but there is some luck with it. Everything has to come into place. But we were pushing, we wanted to go out there and get the No. 1 spot. I never get too hopeful, but to do it by .001, that tells you how close this racing is.

“Hats off to my guys for rebounding from a tough go of it yesterday. I have a lot of confidence in this team. This is a great racetrack. We've had a lot of success here over the years, and it was cool to see records fall here tonight.”

Hagan, who closed out the night with a strong 3.828, will take second with his 3.825 at 333.49 and Bob Tasca III moved to third with a career-best run of 3.836 at 331.94.

Erica Enders has opened the Pro Stock playoffs with two straight No. 1 qualifiers thanks to Friday’s run of 6.509 at 210.18. It’s the fourth top spot of the season for the defending world champion and the 33rd in her career as she continues to build momentum in trying to earn her sixth world title. A win on Sunday in Charlotte would help the cause a great deal and she’ll open eliminations against Mason McGaha.

“Today didn’t really go as planned but making that monster run yesterday was significant,” Enders said. “It showed that what we had in Reading, carried over here in Charlotte. We’ll make the adjustments accordingly. I’m proud for the No. 1 position. All of those points are going matter at the end of the game.”

Camrie Caruso took the second spot with a 6.525 at 209.20 and defending event winner Aaron Stanfield qualified third with a 6.533 at 210.50. Points leader Matt Hartford, who won the last two races, qualified eighth with a 6.542.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gaige Herrera continued to cement his qualifying dominance, taking his 10th No. 1 spot of the year on the strength of his 6.731 at 200.44 mph run from Friday. On the weekend of Pro Stock Motorcycle’s 500th career event, Herrera hopes to pick up his seventh win this season and also his first career Countdown to the Championship victory.

“I feel really confident going into tomorrow. I have a really bad hot rod;
it’s fast and has been all season,” Herrera said. “To be able to get 10 out of 11 No. 1 qualifiers, it's just remarkable. ”

Eddie Krawiec jumped up to second on Saturday with a run of 6.766 at 200.00 and Angie Smith took third after going 6.805 at 197.48. Points leader Matt Smith qualified ninth.

Eliminations for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

-30-

Salinas Hits 300-Mph Milestone;
Hight, Enders and Herrera Also Qualify No. 1 at betway NHRA Carolina Nationals

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2023) – Top Fuel’s Mike Salinas became the first driver in NHRA history to go 300-mph in the 1/8-mile, setting both ends of the track record on Saturday at zMAX Dragway en route to qualifying No. 1 at the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 17th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

In the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the McPhillips Racing Top Alcohol Dragster driven by points leader Tony Stewart was found to have unapproved ignition parts. Due to the items found, he was disqualified from the event and zero points were awarded.

Salinas powered to an epic blast of 3.647-seconds at 338.00 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster, earning his third No. 1 qualifier in 2023 and 14th in his career. He also went a whopping 300.80 mph to the 1/8-mile during the run, marking the first time in NHRA history a driver has reached 300-mph in the 1/8-mile and making him the first member of the “Phillips Connect 300 to the 1/8” club, which nets him a $30,000 bonus. It was also the fifth-fastest run in Top Fuel history, as Salinas aims to pick up his second win of the season on Sunday.

“The track was amazing. (Crew chief) Rob (Flynn) and Arron (Cave) getting this thing ready for us – I never get involved with that, but I had this 'all or nothing' that we've been doing,” Salinas said. “We've been working on this for a while and our car has been close several times in testing. We knew we were going to do it, we just didn't know when. Tonight was the perfect time to do it. The car seemed to like what we're doing, and Rob and Aaron are amazing every run. we are a real team and I'm just happy to be part of what they've put together.

“We’ve been close and to put together a run like this, it is awesome. These are the types of things we’re out here for and what it’s all about. What an amazing run.”

Antron Brown took the second spot, going 3.655 at 332.75 – and 299.00 to the 1/8-mile – and Doug Kalitta, who won last weekend in Reading, qualified third with a 3.665 at 331.61.

Funny Car points leader Robert Hight also put on an impressive show to close out the night, topping Matt Hagan’s spectacular run on Friday with a track-record performance of 3.824 at 330.15 in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. A night after Hagan made the quickest run of the year in the class, Hight went even quicker to earn his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 82nd in his marvelous career.

After suffering a huge explosion on the starting line during Friday’s qualifying session, Hight and his team rebounded in fine fashion on Saturday, making a pair of stellar runs, including the terrific blast to end the evening. Following his win at the playoff opener in Reading a week ago, Hight will look to keep rolling on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

“Sometimes when you really go up there and push and try really hard, it doesn't work out,” Hight said. “Everything has to come together, and there are a lot of variables. It's a science, but there is some luck with it. Everything has to come into place. But we were pushing, we wanted to go out there and get the No. 1 spot. I never get too hopeful, but to do it by .001, that tells you how close this racing is.

“Matt Hagan and I had a race last weekend that was even closer, and that's pretty amazing. Hats off to my guys for rebounding from a tough go of it yesterday. I have a lot of confidence in this team. This is a great racetrack. We've had a lot of success here over the years, and it was cool to see records fall here tonight.”

Hagan, who closed out the night with a strong 3.828, will take second with his 3.825 at 333.49 and Bob Tasca III moved to third with a career-best run of 3.836 at 331.94

Erica Enders has opened the Pro Stock playoffs with two straight No. 1 qualifiers thanks to Friday’s run of 6.509 at 210.18 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Camaro. It’s the fourth top spot of the season for the defending world champion and the 33rd in her career as she continues to build momentum in trying to earn her sixth world title. A win on Sunday in Charlotte would help the cause a great deal and she’ll open eliminations against Mason McGaha.

“Today didn’t really go as planned but making that monster run yesterday was significant,” Enders said. “It showed that what we had in Reading, carried over here in Charlotte. We’ll make the adjustments accordingly. I’m proud for the No. 1 position. All of those points are going matter at the end of the game.”

Camrie Caruso took the second spot with a 6.525 at 209.20 and defending event winner Aaron Stanfield qualified third with a 6.533 at 210.50. Points leader Matt Hartford, who won the last two races, qualified eighth with a 6.542.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gaige Herrera continued to cement his qualifying dominance, taking his 10th No. 1 spot of the year on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki on the strength of his 6.731 at 200.44 from Friday. On the weekend of Pro Stock Motorcycle’s 500th career event, Herrera hopes to pick up his seventh win this season and also his first career Countdown to the Championship victory. He’ll open eliminations against Jerry Savoie. and could move back into the points lead with a big day.

“I feel really confident going into tomorrow. I have a really bad hot rod, it’s fast and has been all season,” Herrera said. “To be able to get 10 out of 11 No. 1 qualifiers, it's just remarkable. I give all the credit to the Vance & Hines Mission Suzuki team and all the guys at the shop for all their hard work. That run we did yesterday was really good for the conditions, and it wasn't the perfect run, but it was really good. Today we were trying a few little things, but we'll go back to what we basically ran Friday and be ready for tomorrow. 

“I missed out on a couple today as far as qualifying but at the end of the day, I think we're going to do good tomorrow and that's where you're going to get as many points as possible.”

Eddie Krawiec jumped up to second on Saturday with a run of 6.766 at 200.00 and Angie Smith took third after going 6.805 at 197.48. Points leader Matt Smith qualified ninth.

Eliminations for the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

***

CONCORD, N.C. -- Sunday's first-round pairings for eliminations for the 15th annual betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway, the 17th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel:
1. Mike Salinas, 3.647 seconds, 338.00 mph vs. 14. Mike Bucher, 8.073, 75.01;
2. Antron Brown, 3.655, 332.75 vs. 13. Spencer Massey, 3.766, 319.52;
3. Doug Kalitta, 3.665, 331.61 vs. 12. Steve Torrence, 3.726, 328.70;
4. Brittany Force, 3.673, 335.48 vs. 11. Clay Millican, 3.725, 317.64;
5. Josh Hart, 3.680, 332.59 vs. 10. Austin Prock, 3.725, 325.53;
6. Tony Schumacher, 3.692, 331.12 vs. 9. Shawn Langdon, 3.719, 330.39;
7. Justin Ashley, 3.698, 333.74 vs. 8. Leah Pruett, 3.709, 332.59.

Funny Car:
1. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.824, 330.15 vs. Bye;
2. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.825, 333.49 vs. 15. John Smith, Charger, 7.896, 91.19;
3. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.836, 331.94 vs. 14. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 7.705, 91.78;
4. John Force, Camaro, 3.861, 329.02 vs. 13. Alex Laughlin, Charger, 4.594, 190.22;
5. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.864, 327.90 vs. 12. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.135, 256.11;
6. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.871, 328.78 vs. 11. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.016, 309.98;
7. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.876, 325.06 vs. 10. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.937, 327.59;
8. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.892, 330.63 vs. 9. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.901, 326.00.

Pro Stock:
1. Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.509, 210.18 vs. 16. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.587, 208.36;
2. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.525, 209.20 vs. 15. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.582, 210.41;
3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.533, 210.50 vs. 14. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.573, 209.01;
4. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.535, 210.41 vs. 13. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.561, 209.75;
5. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.535, 209.30 vs. 12. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.558, 209.30;
6. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.540, 209.46 vs. 11. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.550, 208.75;
7. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.541, 209.39 vs. 10. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.550, 209.07;
8. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.542, 207.50 vs. 9. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 6.547, 209.14.

Did Not Qualify:
17. Larry Morgan, 6.621, 207.53;
18. Fernando Cuadra, 6.635, 207.82;
19. Brandon Miller, 6.654, 206.23;
20. Alan Prusiensky, 8.804, 100.40.

Pro Stock Motorcycle:
1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.731, 200.41 vs. 16. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 7.004, 189.04;
2. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.766, 200.00 vs. 15. Ron Tornow, Victory, 7.000, 191.95;
3. Angie Smith, EBR, 6.805, 197.48 vs. 14. Chris Bostick, EBR, 6.964, 192.33;
4. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.806, 198.06 vs. 13. Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.932, 194.91;
5. Chip Ellis, EBR, 6.817, 199.05 vs. 12. John Hall, EBR, 6.922, 196.16;
6. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.833, 201.04 vs. 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.890, 192.17;
7. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.835, 196.19 vs. 10. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.843, 195.17;
8. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.839, 194.52 vs. 9. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.840, 196.39.

Did Not Qualify:
17. Marcus Hylton, 7.226, 189.55;
18. Lance Bonham, 7.407, 176.74.

Top Fuel's Mike Salinas Becomes First Member of The “Phillips Connect 300 At The 1/8” Club

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2023) – With a track-record run on Saturday at zMAX Dragway, Top Fuel’s Mike Salinas became the first member of the “Phillips Connect 300 at the 1/8” club, going 300.80-mph in the 1/8-mile during the final round of qualifying at the 15th betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Salinas became the first driver in NHRA history to reach the 300-mph milestone in the 1/8-mile in his 11,000-horsepower Valley Services/Scrappers Racing as part of his track-record run of 3.647-seconds at 338.00 that also gave him the No. 1 qualifier spot.

As part of reaching the incredible 300-mph mark in the 1/8-mile and becoming the first member of the “Phillips Connect 300 at the 1/8” club, which was started last season, Salinas will receive a special $30,000 bonus.

“This is surreal. Racers, we all dream about this. It's just amazing,” Salinas said. “We're inching up on things. This was not something we just stumbled on. The run itself, from half-track on, it was moving pretty good. I'm new to this stuff still, I'm learning, I'm not a veteran. To be able to do this and be the first at it, it’s amazing.”

Added crew chief Rob Flynn: “That's absolutely incredible, and my hats off to our whole team. We've been struggling, but we're not giving up. Mike says don't give up, hit it as hard as you can. We fired everything we could think of that run and thank goodness it stuck. This winter we decided we wanted to shoot for that. To be the first one, that's really special. It's never going to happen again, and it was really incredible being on the starting line and everyone congratulating you and everything.”

NHRA and Phillips Connect, an industry leader with connected asset solutions for trailers, chassis, and containers, partnered together to create the unique program, rewarding the milestone feat of technology and engineering among the standout teams in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

The program is open to 10 total competitors, and the next nine racers in the nitro categories to reach the mark will also earn recognition and a bonus. But Salinas is the historic first to do it, enjoying the special moment on Saturday in Charlotte.

“There can only be one first and Mike is always going to be remembered for being the first to go 300-mph in the 1/8-mile,” said Phillips Connect EVP Jim Epler, who enjoyed a standout career and was the first Funny Car driver to exceed the 300-mph mark in the quarter-mile. “This is a big accomplishment and it was fun to see. I’m super proud of Mike and his team. Rob Flynn and I worked together 20 years ago and I was real fortunate to work with him. I couldn’t be prouder of them and he will be known for this for the rest of his life.”

The 300-mph mark was one of the last barriers for race teams in the thrilling 11,000-horsepower nitro categories to reach in a safe and controlled manner, and Phillips Connect was eager to create the unique program during the 2022 season. The industry leader has developed innovative IoT sensor connection technology widely used in the freight industry, keeping drivers and their cargo safe. Phillips Connect products are also designed to improve overall safety and security, reduce costs in fleet maintenance, and dramatically enhance fleet asset utilization.

The second driver to hit the 300-mph mark in the eighth-mile following Salinas will receive $13,000, while the third gets $9,000. The fourth through 10th drivers will each receive $3,000. The purse award is unique to each driver regardless of the driver’s team affiliation and regardless of whether the driver is competing in Top Fuel or Funny Car.

***

-NHRA-

John Davison

Long-time RIS staffer, beginning in the mid-80s. Charlotte, NC area local contact.

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Volume 2023, Issue 9, Posted 12:03 AM, 09.24.2023