The NHRA’s “Western Swing” is, well, in full swing with a stop last weekend in Sonoma, California for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. And the Sonoma race also heralded a return to NHRA drag racing in California, after the pandemic played havoc with the 2020 and 2021 race schedules. So it was no surprise to see the stands packed with drag racing fans ready to watch some NHRA quarter-mile action live, in-person. Let’s see how it all shook out in this week’s NHRA Wrap-Up.
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2021 NHRA Sonoma Nationals Pro Stock Results
Consistency is what wins championships, and that’s why Aaron Stanfield is edging higher to the overall points lead after racing concluded this weekend. It marked the third time he’s lifted a Wally this year, and it brought him closer to the current points leader Greg Anderson. Speaking of Anderson, Stanfield took a win against the veteran racer in the Semis. In the Finals, it was Stanfield’s 6.557-second, 209.56 mph pass that gave him the victory against rookie Dallas Glenn’s 6.580/209.69 run.
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2021 NHRA Sonoma Nationals Top Fuel Results
If you’ve been watching Top Fuel much this season, you probably already know what we’re going to say next: Steve Torrence won. But the bigger news is that the win also secured him a spot in the Countdown to the Championship. In fact, he’d locked it in before Sunday, thanks to some solid qualifying efforts—driving an all-new car, no less. His 3.757-second, 327.98 mph blast in the finals tripped the beams before Leah Pruett’s 3.768/323.04 pass.
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2021 NHRA Sonoma Nationals Funny Car Results
It was a dramatic weekend of racing. It began with an explosion in veteran racer Tim Wilkerson’s Ford Mustang Funny Car (he’s OK and went on to race in the next round), and culminated in a big win for Robert Hight. He dispatched Matt Hagan in the finals with a 3.971-second, 322.50 mph pass, to Hagan’s 3.991/324.44 effort.
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2021 NHRA Sonoma Nationals Pro Stock Motorcycle Results
Despite running in the middle of the pack during early qualifying, Karen Stoffer found a way to pilot her Suzuki to the Winners Circle at the end of the weekend. Thanks to cutting a quick light in the Finals, Stoffer got the edge against Andrew Hines, delivering a 5.664-second, 197.36 mph run to best Hines’ 6.800/200.98 pass.
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The Next Race in the NHRA Championship is (Finally!) the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA July 30 – Aug. 1.
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2021 NHRA Championship Points Standings Through Race 8
Pro Stock
- Greg Anderson, 729
- Aaron Stanfield, 594
- Erica Enders, 566
- Matt Hartford, 508
- Dallas Glenn, 492
- Mason McGaha, 485
- Deric Kramer, 454
- Kyle Koretsky, 447
- Troy Coughlin Jr., 431
- Chris McGaha, 305
Top Fuel
- Steve Torrence, 978
- Antron Brown, 629
- Brittany Force, 564
- Shawn Langdon, 460
- Leah Pruett, 457
- Billy Torrence, 448
- Mike Salinas, 432
- Doug Kalitta, 420
- Justin Ashley, 370
- Clay Millican, 351
Funny Car
- Bob Tasca III, 676
- Matt Hagan, 655
- Robert Hight, 636
- John Force, 624
- Ron Capps, 613
- J.R. Todd, 584
- Alexis DeJoria, 577
- Tim Wilkerson, 521
- Cruz Pedregon, 481
- Terry Haddock, 306
Pro Stock Motorcycle
- Matt Smith, 686
- Steve Johnson, 516
- Scotty Pollacheck, 414
- Ryan Oehler, 409
- Karen Stoffer, 397
- Angie Smith, 377
- Angelle Sampey, 349
- Andrew Hines, 347
- Cory Reed, 343
- Joey Gladstone, 335
[…] Pruett came tantalizingly close to notching her first win of the season in Sonoma last week, and her efforts carried over to a Wally in Pomona this weekend—which was also her second […]