Thunder Valley Nationals: Prock, Millican, Anderson, and M. Smith Take No. 1 Spots
The 23rd annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals have concluded an action-packed day of qualifying, with Austin Prock, Clay Millican, Greg Anderson, and Matt Smith emerging as the top qualifiers in their respective categories. The event, held at Bristol Dragway, sets the stage for an exciting Sunday of racing.
Austin Prock, driving the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro, secured his sixth No. 1 qualifier in eight races with an impressive 3.958-second pass at 317.34 mph on Friday. He will face off against John Smith in the eliminations, aiming for his first sweep of the weekend.
“It was another outstanding day for this team,” Prock said in a post-qualifying interview. “Everyone is doing a great job, and this car is so much fun to drive. It’s a good day all-around, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I love those earlier starts.”
Prock also won the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, defeating his boss and the most successful driver in NHRA history, John Force.
In Top Fuel, Clay Millican enjoyed a magical day at Bristol Dragway, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge for the first time and securing his 26th No. 1 qualifier. His 3.786-second pass at 325.06 mph on Friday night was the deciding factor.
Millican is now focused on going four rounds on Sunday, starting with a first-round matchup against Cameron Ferre. “This is absolutely awesome,” Millican said, acknowledging the impact of qualifying in the top spot and winning the specialty race. “We are definitely chasing points. Last year, we made a mistake and bumped ourselves out of the top 10, so we are looking for every single point we can get.”
Points leader Justin Ashley qualified second with Friday’s 3.795 at 322.42, and Antron Brown was third, thanks to Friday’s 3.809 at 321.27.
Greg Anderson delivered a standout run to open Pro Stock qualifying on Saturday, earning his second No. 1 qualifier this season and the 126th in his remarkable career. His pass of 6.615 at 205.38 in his (link unavailable) Chevrolet Camaro sent him to the top spot. Anderson will open eliminations against Larry Morgan and is thrilled with what the team was able to put together on Saturday.
Anderson nearly eclipsed his own track record, a notable achievement during the warmer temperatures in the final two qualifying rounds. He is now looking to win for the third time this season at a track where he picked up his first career Pro Stock victory in 2001. Anderson is also seeking his first Bristol win in 20 years, with his most recent victory there being in 2004.
Matt Smith, riding the Denso Auto Parts Buell, secured the No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock Motorcycle and his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the season. He defeated points leader Gaige Herrera earlier in the day and then took the bonus victory over his wife, Angie Smith, with a 6.802 at 199.05. Smith’s run against Herrera lowered the boom in Thunder Valley, improving on his No. 1 position with a 6.759 at 200.05. Both are track records, marking the first 200-mph run at Bristol Dragway in Pro Stock Motorcycle history.
Smith will face Ryan Oehler to open eliminations, looking to sweep the weekend. “I didn’t think .75 was possible,” Smith said. “Last night’s pass when I went to the centerline, I knew we could have gone .77, I thought we could go .76, but this morning we just got all of it. We went 1.04, 60-foot, and the scoreboard popped up. That was pretty much a perfect pass for us.”
The stage is set for an electrifying Sunday at Bristol Dragway, with Prock, Millican, Anderson, and M. Smith leading their respective categories. Will they maintain their top spots and take home the coveted Wally trophies? The action begins at 10 a.m. local time, and fans
can’t wait to find out.
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