ST. LOUIS (Sept. 26, 2025) – Friday night under the lights at World Wide Technology will have an added bonus for top qualifiers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle as part of this weekend’s NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals.
World Wide Technology and NHRA officials announced the low qualifiers during the second session on Friday will receive a special “2025 Friday No. 1 Qualifier Top Hitter” bat from Rawlings, adding to the Friday night festivities, which begin at 7 p.m. CT.
The bat will play into a fun baseball-themed top end that will include additional Rawlings items. The driver who makes the quickest pass in each class during the Friday Primetime session will then receive the Rawlings “Top Hitter” bat.
It’s another way to add to the excitement for the weekend, which starts with two qualifying sessions on Friday – including the always thrilling night session – two more qualifying sessions on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday at the key Countdown to the Championship playoff race. It’s also the first time since 2019 the fan-favorite facility will host two qualifying sessions on Friday.
Last season, Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) each claimed wins, while Austin Prock (Funny Car), T.J. Zizzo (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Herrera all qualified in the No. 1 position.
This year’s race will once again be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage airing at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 28. It is the 17th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA season and the third of six playoff races, marking the halfway point of the title chase.
Schumacher and Beckman’s victories last year gave each of the championship drivers three wins in St. Louis. Top Fuel’s reigning world champion Antron Brown has five St. Louis wins, which are the most in the loaded class, while Capps and his NAPA Funny Car have won four times at World Wide Technology Raceway, the most in the category.
Reigning Funny Car world champion Austin Prock went a blistering 3.814-seconds a year ago to set the track record, while teammate Brittany Force’s monumental Top Fuel blast of 338.43 mph in 2022 set the speed record in that class at that time. Force has since gone a whopping 343 mph. Enders’ six Pro Stock wins are the most of any NHRA driver at the standout facility, while Matt Smith’s five victories lead the way in PSM.
NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5 and 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 26, and the final two rounds on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 12:15 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 28. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday and then eliminations coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET.
Tickets may be purchased at the WWTR ticket office, by phone at (618) 215-8888, or online at www.wwtraceway.com. For more information on NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.
About Mission Foods
MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/
About NHRA
NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing-related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
