NHRA Midwest Nationals professional qualifying is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2, at 4:30 and 7 p.m. Central, and Saturday, Oct. 3, at noon and 2:30 p.m. Central. Friday’s second-round leaders included Gaige Herrera in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a 6.666-second pass at 202.03 mph. Saturday’s sessions were still to come at the time of NHRA’s Friday results report, so those marks are not the event’s final qualifying order.
When is NHRA Midwest Nationals qualifying?
The NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals takes place Oct. 2–4, 2026, at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, in the St. Louis area. NHRA scheduled four Mission Foods professional qualifying rounds across Friday and Saturday. The event guide says its times are local; the professional schedule is published in Central Time.
| Day | Mission Foods professional qualifying |
|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 2 | 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. CT |
| Saturday, Oct. 3 | Noon and 2:30 p.m. CT |
These are the professional-series sessions, not the full schedule for every class at the track. Pro Mod, Factory Stock Showdown and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors have separate schedules. Saturday’s guide gives Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle session times of 1 and 3:30 p.m., and Top Fuel and Funny Car times of noon and 2:30 p.m.
Who is leading qualifying at the Midwest Nationals?
NHRA’s Friday report identifies these drivers as the leaders in the second qualifying session (Q2):
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| Category | Friday Q2 leader | Elapsed time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro Stock Motorcycle | Gaige Herrera | 6.666 seconds | 202.03 mph |
| Pro Stock | Troy Coughlin Jr. | 6.473 seconds | 211.69 mph |
| Funny Car | Matt Hagan | 3.882 seconds | 331.85 mph |
| Top Fuel | Shawn Langdon | 3.682 seconds | 338.51 mph |
These are session-leading passes, not confirmed final No. 1 qualifying positions. The Saturday rounds could change the overall order. In Pro Stock Q2, Coughlin’s 6.473 was one-thousandth of a second ahead of Greg Stanfield’s 6.474; the top eight were separated by 0.018 seconds.
Where can I see NHRA Midwest Nationals live timing?
Use NHRA’s official event results page for the Live Timing, Detailed Results, Qualifying Order and Ladders links. Live timing and the qualifying order are the best places to check for updates after additional sessions or schedule changes.
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What time does NHRA qualifying start in St. Louis?
The first scheduled Mission Foods professional qualifying session is Friday, Oct. 2, at 4:30 p.m. Central at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. The event is in the St. Louis area, and the event guide specifies local times.
What to know about the event schedule
NHRA described the 2026 race as the 15th annual Midwest Nationals and the third of six Countdown to the Championship playoff events. NHRA’s event guide and Friday preview agree on the four professional qualifying session times above.
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Sunday’s professional eliminations start time is inconsistent across NHRA’s published materials: the event guide says 10 a.m. local, while the Friday preview says 9 a.m. CT. Check the live event schedule before relying on a Sunday start time.
NHRA’s published World Wide Technology Raceway records
NHRA’s Oct. 2, 2026 event preview lists the following track records. These are the records as stated in that preview, not a confirmation of the record book after later event sessions.
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| Category | Elapsed-time record | Speed record |
|---|---|---|
| Top Fuel | 3.631 seconds — Clay Millican, September 2017 | 340.47 mph — Brittany Force, September 2025 |
| Funny Car | 3.814 seconds — Austin Prock, September 2024 | 338.60 mph — Robert Hight, September 2017 |
| Pro Stock | 6.492 seconds — Greg Anderson, September 2015 | 213.47 mph — Jason Line, September 2012 |
| Pro Stock Motorcycle | 6.701 seconds — Gaige Herrera, September 2023 | 203.40 mph — Matt Smith, September 2023 |
Qualifying broadcasts and attending
NHRA’s event preview announced qualifying coverage on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET Friday and additional coverage at 11 a.m. ET Sunday. It listed FOX eliminations coverage Sunday in a two-hour window, either 2–4 p.m. ET or 4:30–6:30 p.m. ET depending on the market. Check local listings for the applicable broadcast window.
NHRA directs ticket buyers to the World Wide Technology Raceway ticket office, phone line or website. NHRA says children 12 and under can enter the general-admission area free with a paid adult. Event tickets are described as pit passes, and fan experiences include the Manufacturers Midway and driver autograph opportunities.
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