Magnificent weather brought out large crowds to Gateway Motorsports Park for the 7th annual AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals. As a matter of fact the track sold out. It is the second year in a row that there has been a sell out at Gateway.
Click here for race action photos
“This event has shown three years of impressive growth. It just goes to show that the St. Louis region loves NHRA and NHRA loves the St. Louis region,” said Chris Blair, executive vice president and general manager. “In this day and age of reviewing and critiquing the live event attendance it’s great to see another win at Gateway.”
This is the ninth sold-out crowd a the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
Friday night qualifying began at Gateway Motorsports Park. Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories. This is the second of six playoff events during the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.
Saturday Race Action:
Top Fuel
Clay Millican must really like racing at Gateway Motorsports. Last year Millican broke a national record with the fastest ET ever recorded in NHRA racing history.  Millican’s ET was 3.631 / 330.30 MPH. This year he followed up with a bit slower run but still a Friday Night top qualifying position with at 3.692 at 329.83 MPH. He held the top spot in Top Fuel until the very end of Saturday qualifying. Steve Torrence, the season point leader, stole the top position with a qualifying run of 3.675 ET / 327.19 mph. Torrence won last year at Gateway and hope to do it again in 2018.
“Track conditions were the best of the season thus far,” said Torrence. “It was a good qualifying effort for our team.”
| 01 | Steve Torrence | 3.675 | 327.19 |
| 02 | Clay Millican | 3.692 | 329.83 |
| 03 | Billy Torrence | 3.717 | 328.06 |
| 04 | Blake Alexander | 3.717 | 326.87 |
| 05 | Leah Pritchett | 3.718 | 330.96 |
| 06 | Tony Schumacher | 3.731 | 330.72 |
| 07 | Antron Brown | 3.750 | 320.58 |
| 08 | Brittany Force | 3.755 | 328.78 |
| 09 | Mike Salinas | 3.760 | 328.78 |
| 10 | Doug Kalitta | 3.769 | 323.04 |
| 11 | Richie Crampton | 3.774 | 320.05 |
| 12 | Scott Palmer | 3.779 | 323.74 |
| 13 | Terry McMillen | 3.796 | 326.32 |
| 14 | Pat Dakin | 3.796 | 322.58 |
| 15 | Shawn Reed | 3.812 | 326.24 |
| 16 | Bill Litton | 3.925 | 310.2 |
| 17 | Luigi Novelli | 3.930 | 278.69 |
| 18 | Lex Joon | 4.244 | 202.45 |
| 19 | Chris Karamesines | 5.717 | 158.26 |
Funny Car
Robert Hight grabbed the top qualifying position in the Funny Car division. Like Top Fuel, Hight captured the top spot on the very last pass of Funny Car.
“We were pushing it,” said Hight.
For Hight it was his 60th career No. 1 qualifying of his career. His run was a 3.844 ET/326.16 MPH down the Gateway straight-a-way.
His teammate, Courtney Force held the top qualifying spot but lost it temporarily to Ron Capps who finished his last pass at 3.873 ET going 327.19 MPH. Capps held the top spot for just a minute before Hight grabbed in the last run.
| POSITION | DRIVER | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Robert Hight | 3.844 | 326.16 |
| 02 | Ron Capps | 3.873 | 327.19 |
| 03 | Courtney Force | 3.881 | 331.04 |
| 04 | Tommy Johnson Jr | 3.896 | 327.11 |
| 05 | Bob Tasca III | 3.915 | 320.58 |
| 06 | Tim Wilkerson | 3.924 | 325.53 |
| 07 | J.R. Todd | 3.928 | 323.66 |
| 08 | Jack Beckman | 3.929 | 326 |
| 09 | John Force | 3.934 | 327.11 |
| 10 | Shawn Langdon | 3.943 | 322.81 |
| 11 | Matt Hagan | 3.967 | 320.13 |
| 12 | Jonnie Lindberg | 3.996 | 315.71 |
| 13 | Del Worsham | 4.001 | 321.73 |
| 14 | Jim Campbell | 4.012 | 297.68 |
| 15 | Cruz Pedregon | 4.013 | 301.47 |
| 16 | Dale Creasy | 4.060 | 309.06 |
| 17 | Terry Haddock | 4.093 | 287.9 |
| 18 | Jack Wyatt | 4.189 | 296.18 |
Pro Stock
Jeg Coughlin Jr. is the top qualifying position in the Funny Car division. Coughlin was leader after yesterday’s qualifying but was able to improve on his time.
“It was close to Disneyland for the Pro Stock cards today,” said Coughlin. “[Weather] impeccable conditions, we were right to improve.”
Erica Enders, former Pro Stock champion and two-time winner at Gateway, finished in second place with a pass of 6.508 going 212.53 MPH.
| POSITION | DRIVER | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Jeg Coughlin Jr | 6.496 | 211.76 |
| 02 | Erica Enders | 6.508 | 212.53 |
| 03 | Jason Line | 6.513 | 212.79 |
| 04 | Bo Butner | 6.515 | 212.39 |
| 05 | Drew Skillman | 6.515 | 211.89 |
| 06 | Vincent Nobile | 6.516 | 211.79 |
| 07 | Tanner Gray | 6.521 | 212.03 |
| 08 | Greg Anderson | 6.527 | 212.06 |
| 09 | Deric Kramer | 6.529 | 211.86 |
| 10 | Chris McGaha | 6.532 | 211.99 |
| 11 | Fernando Cuadra | 6.547 | 211.53 |
| 12 | Kenny Delco | 6.568 | 210.9 |
| 13 | Alan Prusiensky | 6.587 | 208.78 |
| 14 | Val Smeland | 6.624 | 208.14 |
| 15 | Charlie Westcott | 6.733 | 205.35 |
| 16 | Mark Hogan | 6.769 | 204.6 |
| 17 | Robert River | 6.794 | 203.06 |
Pro Stock Motorcycle
On Saturday Chip Ellis became the top qualifier Pro Stock Motorcycle top qualifier beating out Eddie Krawiec was early weekend qualifier. It was 17th career top qualifier in his career and first time since 2015. Ellis shot his bike down the track 6.764 ET / 196.76 MPH.
“I’ve got the easiest part,” said Ellis describing his success while praising his entire team who set up his bike.
| POSITION | DRIVER | ET | MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Chip Ellis | 6.764 | 196.76 |
| 02 | Andrew Hines | 6.782 | 197.74 |
| 03 | LE Tonglet | 6.812 | 195.76 |
| 04 | Eddie Krawiec | 6.820 | 195.56 |
| 05 | Matt Smith | 6.824 | 199.61 |
| 06 | Steve Johnson | 6.832 | 196.1 |
| 07 | Hector Arana | 6.866 | 197.45 |
| 08 | Hector Arana Jr | 6.869 | 198.99 |
| 09 | Angelle Sampey | 6.871 | 195.11 |
| 10 | Jerry Savoie | 6.872 | 195.76 |
| 11 | Angie Smith | 6.877 | 193.85 |
| 12 | Scotty Pollacheck | 6.893 | 194.35 |
| 13 | Joey Gladstone | 6.896 | 193.82 |
| 14 | Jim Underdahl | 6.925 | 193.35 |
| 15 | Ryan Oehler | 6.930 | 194.1 |
| 16 | Mark Paquette | 6.933 | 191.02 |
| 17 | Kelly Clontz | 6.943 | 192.49 |
| 18 | Karen Stoffer | 6.982 | 191.02 |
Shirley Muldowney Visists Gateway
Drag racing legend, Shirley Muldowney, was at Gateway Motorsports this weekend.
Muldowney was the first woman to win an NHRA national event (Spring Nationals, June 13, 1976, vs. Bob Evans) and earned three NHRA Top Fuel Dragster world championships before she retired from the sport.