Kalitta shoots to track record 3.649: Tasca, Hartford and Van Sant also shine in Sonoma

Reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta drove the fastest race of the 2024 NHRA season at Sonoma Raceway on Friday, breaking the track record and taking provisional first place at the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Chase Van Sant (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers going into the 12th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Kalitta, who has a Top Fuel-best five career victories at Sonoma, drove to a 3.649-second run at 336.40 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools/Toyota dragster to shatter the track record and move into line with the series leader for his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 58th of his career. It was a spectacular run under the lights, and Kalitta was excited to start the weekend on that note.

“That was really cool. I got my first win here at Sonoma and I have a lot of cool history here,” Kalitta said. “(Crew chief) Alan Johnson puts a lot of thought into his tune-up and he had a plan. He’s a badass.

“I could see it was a run and honestly I was happy to be the first car out. I knew it was going to get cooler as the night went on and you never know what the conditions were going to do. I thought it might rattle a little bit but not much. The car was hooked up and I managed to keep it in the middle, as straight as possible. This is one of the nicest tracks on the tour and I like the layout with the street circuit. I would like to win again this weekend.”

Brittany Force finished with a 3.668 at 335.57 to take second place, while Billy Torrence was third with a 3.684 at 332.92.

Funny cars Bob Tasca III Tasca, Jr. narrowly missed making history on Friday, rocketed to the top with a superb 3.839-338.43 run in his 11,000-hp Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. The goal was a 340-mph run, and Tasca narrowly missed, but still delivered a spectacular blast under the lights. The run could give the standout his second No. 1 of the season and 18th of his career, setting him up for what could be another great weekend at Sonoma. He won the race in 2022 and will try to match that feat this year, but Tasca had another goal in mind for Friday.

“I’ve never been so disappointed to run a 3.83 at 338 mph. I really wanted to do 340 for these fans,” Tasca said. “We would have done it if it wasn’t for that 15-knot headwind. We were a little worried about the track, so we put a little spoiler in there as well. I would trade qualifying low for a 340 run in a second.

“We ran 338 in Charlotte, and we ran 338 in Seattle and did it again here. I can tell you there’s not a moment when the conditions are like that that we’re not trying. Believe it or not, we’re running a little bit of a different setup to try to get those speeds. If we set the car up a little bit differently, it might be a little bit faster. As for tomorrow, we’ll see what the conditions are like. It all depends on which way the wind blows.”

Ron Capps currently sits in second place thanks to a run of 3.864 at 332.43, while reigning world champion Matt Hagan sits in third place with a run of 3.869 at 328.22.

In Pro Stock, the early season slump is for Matt Hartford appears to be over, with an impressive 6.515 at 210.41 in his GETTRX/Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro to move into the No. 1 position on Friday. It puts Hartford on track for his first No. 1 qualifying of the season and fifth of his career, and the veteran hopes it’s a sign that the frustrations of earlier this year are a distant memory. Hartford, currently 11th in points, has qualified fourth in three of the past four races and Friday’s run is another positive step forward. The next step is to turn it around on race day after Hartford suffered five straight first-round losses.

“Things are starting to come together, even though this feels like the first race of the season for us,” Hartford said. “It’s no secret that this hasn’t been a good year for our team, but I’m a firm believer that it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.

“The last three or four races it started to come together and we had a fast race car and I’m getting my confidence back. In Seattle I thought we had a shot at pole but we missed it. Here we said we could run a 6.51 and we did. I think Chicago was the turning point for us. We took two cars and let John DeFlorian drive the other one. We were able to compare notes from both cars and we’ve only gotten better since then.”

Reigning world champion Erica Enders is currently second with a run of 6.520 at 209.46 and Seattle winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. is third with a run of 6.524 at 209.82.

Chase Van Sant, still in top form after taking his first career Pro Stock Motorcycle win on Sunday in Seattle, continued to roll Friday in Sonoma, grabbing the provisional No. 1 spot with a 6.768 run at 197.10 aboard his Trick Tools Suzuki. If it holds up, Van Sant, the 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year, would earn his first career No. 1 qualifying spot, continuing his recent momentum. He put together a pair of solid runs on Friday, which could bode well for Saturday’s GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout.

The bonus race takes place on Saturday after the drivers made their first-round selections on Friday. Herrera, the top seed, chose second-seeded Matt Smith, while Hector Arana Jr. picked Steve Johnson as his first-round opponent. Jianna Evaristo will take on John Hall, with the other first-round matchup featuring Van Sant and Angie Smith.

“It’s been a hectic week to say the least and it’s cool to play it out and get the provisional No. 1 here today,” Van Sant said. “I know the Vance & Hines team is struggling today so I’m expecting a battle, but it’s good to be here. I had my best 60-foot time ever on that run. It’s just reassuring to know that we can get the job done and it confirms my confidence in Tim (Kulungian, crew chief), not that I ever doubted him.

“I have Angie (Smith) racing tomorrow in the GETTRX All-star Callout and we’ve been back and forth a few times this season. They’re going to be fast too. The wind has been a little bit tricky, which explains why our mph has been a little bit slower. I haven’t really noticed it myself, but the bike just feels a little more casual. The win here in Sonoma is so unpredictable because it’s windy, but it’s usually a headwind or tailwind.”

M. Smith is currently in second place with a score of 6.770 at 198.73 and A. Smith is close behind with a score of 6.784 at 199.26.

Qualifying continues at 11:30 a.m. PT Saturday during the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.