THE NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION celebrated its 75th anniversary and 38th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at the Sonoma Raceway on Friday, with drivers competing qualifying sessions before the final races later this weekend.

Engines powered by thousands of horsepower roared down the quarter-mile drag strip under the sunny Sonoma sky, sending pressure waves that rippled across the arena. The teams that qualified in the Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle categories will advance in the finals on Sunday.

A racer in a blue uniform sits in a black race car, pointing toward the crowd while spectators watch and film the scene.
Fans gather around as Jim Dunn Racing driver Jeff Arend runs the Lescure Mechanical Funny Car in the pits at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma on Friday, July 17, 2026. The Sonoma stop is the 11th of 20 races of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. This is the first season Arend is driving with Jim Dunn Racing. (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)

A drag race — which differs from track racing, where vehicles compete on a course — is an acceleration contest. Two vehicles travel along a measured distance on a course treated with a special substance meant to increase traction, with winners competing in the tournament over several days until one remains.

Contestants regularly blew past 200 mph, with some categories reaching over 300 mph. At those speeds, the vehicles are traveling faster than a commercial aircraft on descent, even if it is for a few seconds.

  • A racer in a red and black helmet leans into a turn on a silver and black Suzuki drag bike adorned with sponsor logos during a race.
    Richard Gadson makes his second run during qualifiers. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A blue and yellow drag race car emits a fiery exhaust plume as it speeds down the track at night, with another race car in the foreground.
    Driver Ron Capps pilots the Napa Funny Car against Jack Beckman in the Peak Industries Funny Car. (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)
  • A blue and red drag race car speeds across the track at Sonoma Raceway, with a packed grandstand in the background.
    (L-R) The Jim Dunn Racing Lescure Mechanical Funny car races the Paul Lee Racing Funny Car during qualifiers. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • A blue and white drag racing car with "STAR RACER" and "REED" branding speeds down a track, kicking up smoke from its rear tires.
    Shawn Reed drives the Reed Trucking Top Fuel car during qualifiers. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A drag race vehicle speeds past spectators watching from behind a fence under a clear blue sky.
    (F-B) Jasmine Salinas in the Valley Services/Scrappers Racing Top Fuel Dragster races Will Smith in the Bluebird Turf Top Fuel dragster. (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)
  • Two motorcycle racers compete on a drag strip, with one in a red and gold suit and the other in pink and purple, as spectators watch from behind barriers.
    (L-R) Matt Smith races Angie Smith down the quarter-mile in a Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifier. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • Two drag race cars unleash fiery exhaust as they accelerate down the track at dusk.
    (L-R) Matt Hagan in the Johnson Horsepowered Garage (JHG) Funny car and Spencer Hyde in the Jim Head Racing Funny Car race during qualifiers. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A black drag race car with "POWEREDGE" branding emits bright flames from its exhaust as it speeds down the track.
    Driver Paul Lee pilots Paul Lee Racing Dodge Charger Funny Car with a top speed of 245.72 MPH. (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)

The contestants hold more than a standard driver’s license. They are tasked with immediately reacting after receiving the signal to start and making their vehicle go from a complete stop to as fast as possible in a limited distance.

Racers like Top Fuel contestants Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd, and Shawn Langdon hold their category’s top positions going into the Sonoma contest. Kalitta won the category last year while Langdon set a new speed record, 345 mph, in May of this year.

  • A crowd of people, including children and adults, gather outdoors under bright sunlight, with some individuals holding items like a water bottle and a small blue object.
    Spectators watch Tim Gibbons run the Big Time Funny Car. (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)
  • A team member works on a race car engine in a garage, with others observing nearby.
    A Cruz Pendregon Racing crew member works on the Snap-on Top Fuel car. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • A person applies a decal to the rear of a brightly colored drag racing car at an event.
    Tim Gibbons crewmember Richard Tumbiola applies a sponsors decal on the Big Time Funny Car. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • A young child wearing a red cap with a pen balanced on it and a dark t-shirt with a signature on the back looks over their shoulder.
    Wesley, 4, of Dixon experiences his second DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals. (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)
  • A group of people observe a race car being prepared under a canopy, with one individual holding a camera and another wearing a cap with a logo.
    Friends Matt Moeller, of Pittsburg, David Cameron of Walnut Creek and Jayer Crump of Concord get the taste and smell of nitro as the Dylan Winefsky Team fires up the Nitro Moose Funny Car. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A team of mechanics works on a drag racing car in a garage, with the vehicle elevated on a stand.
    Justin Ashley Racing crewmembers work on the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel car. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • Two individuals embrace warmly outdoors, one holding a single red rose.
    (L-R) Evelyn Torres of Sunnyvale gives a rose to driver Tony Schumacher “Regardless of how the races go,” said Torres, “I want to let the drivers know that they’re making my heart thump.” (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)
  • A person in a tie-dye shirt signs a piece of paper while another individual in a racing team shirt observes closely.
    Stevin Mikesell of Martinez gets and autograph from Top Fuel driver Shawn Reed . This is Mikesell’s 33rd time attending the Friday night qualifiers. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A person in a racing team shirt and sunglasses interacts with another individual holding a phone and a framed item, while others work in the background.
    Tony Schumaker driver of the Rick Ware Racing SCAG Top Fuel car speaks to fan Rosemary Rodriguez of Porterville. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A person wearing a denim jacket with a patch that reads "Calistoga NARC Sprints" and features a red race car emblem, viewed from behind against a clear blue sky.
    Cheryl Flebut of Discovery Bay, sports her homemade Calistoga Sprints denim jacket. (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)
  • Two individuals in blue racing gear pour yellow fluid into a metal funnel during a vehicle maintenance task.
    (L-R) A Jim Dunn Racing crew member and Diane Dunn add fuel to the Lescure Mechanical Funny Car. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A person in a racing shirt signs a shirt for another individual at an outdoor event.
    Sean Lambert from Boise, Idaho, gets a signature from Tony Schumacher. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • A crowd gathers in a smoky outdoor area at a car show, with some people covering their ears and others taking photos.
    Spectators stand next to the Dylan Winefsky Nitro Moose Funny Car as the crew runs the engine. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • A team member in a black cap and shirt inspects a race engine while another works nearby in a garage setting.
    A Kalitta Motorsports crew member works on the Kalitta Air Top Fuel car. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)

Each race started the same way. Drivers secured in their seats. Emergency crews on standby. And the crowd ready to burst into cheers by the mere revving of each vehicle’s engine.

Top Fuel vehicles are streamlined to accelerate as fast as possible. Crews worked on the long and skinny machines before the races, checking each component before each run and ensuring they work safely together. Their high-powered engines blew flames as they traveled along the track.

Two drag racing cars accelerate down a track at night, emitting bright flames from their exhausts as they compete in a Sonoma Nationals event.
(L-R) Clay Millican in the DENSO Top Fuel car and Tony Schumacher in the Rick Ware Racing (RWR) Top Fuel car race during qualifiers. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)

The previous year’s top contenders Shawn Langdon and Doug Kalitta held first and second, respectively, by the end of the night. Clay Millican experienced a rear end failure that resulted in a lengthy delay that could not be resolved by the 10 p.m. curfew, which meant the remainder of the second session was cancelled.

Funny Cars are characterized by their smaller size with huge engines. They can routinely accelerate several G’s as their nitromethane-powered engines send colossal amounts of energy to the wheels. When these cars go from 0 to 100 mph in under a second, they send sounds waves that can be heard even under several layers of ear protection.

  • A technician wearing a mask and glasses carefully works on a racing car engine in a garage with a blue wall featuring "AM" lettering.
    Jim Dunn owner of Jim Dunn Racing primes the Lescure Mechanical Funny Car. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A blue and red drag race car with "Lescure Mechanical Services" branding accelerates down a track, emitting flames from its rear tires.
    Jeff Arend drives the Jim Dunn Racing Lescure Mechanical Funny Car during qualifiers. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A black Chevrolet drag race car with "Banderero" branding is being prepared by a crew member on a track, with spectators and other vehicles visible in the background.
    The Bandero Café Chevrolet SS before running a qualifier. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • A racer with tattooed arms rests their head on their arms while seated on a motorcycle adorned with sponsor logos.
    Richard Gadson sits on the RevZilla/Mission/Vance & Hines Suzuki Pro Stock Motorcycle as he waits to race. (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)
  • A black and white drag racing car with "BOND COAT" branding emits a fiery exhaust burst as it speeds past, with spectators blurred in the background.
    Driver Hunter Green races the Daniel Wilkerson in the Scag Racing Ford Mustang Funny Car during qualifiers. (Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)
  • A crowd of people gathers outdoors, surrounded by thick smoke, with some wearing branded t-shirts and hats.
    A crowd of people gathers around a pit at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A race crew member adjusts the engine of a drag racing car on the track at Echo Park.
    A Scrappers Racing crew member talks to Top Fuel driver Jasmine Salinas before her qualifier. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • A yellow and red drag race car with DHL branding speeds down the track, kicking up smoke as spectators watch from the sidelines.
    J.R. Todd drives the Kalitta Motorsports DHL Funny Car during qualifiers at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., on Friday, July 17, 2026. The Sonoma stop is the 11th of 20 races of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A CAPCO Contractors Inc. drag racing car speeds down the track during a competition.
    Billy Torrance drives the Top Fuel Capco Contractors Inc. Top Fuel car during qualifiers. (Andres Jimenez Larios/Bay City News)
  • Two individuals work on equipment under a canopy near a large blue NAPA-branded truck.
    Members of Ron Caps Racing pack the chutes on the NAPA Top Fuel car. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • A black Chevrolet drag race car with "BANDERO" branding speeds down a track, leaving smoke behind as spectators watch from the sidelines.
    Alexis DeJoria drives the John Force Racing Bandero Funny Car during qualifiers. (Ray Saint Germain/Bay City News)
  • An orange and black drag racing car with flames erupting from its rear engines speeds down the track during a competition.
    Driver Tim Gibbons pilots Big-Time Pest Control/Crown Motors Ford Mustang Funny Car against Jordan Vandergriff in the John Force Racing’s Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car.(Autumn DeGrazia/Bay City News)

By the time the second round of qualifiers started, the grandstands were full of fans excited to see the Funny Cars blast down the strip with flames bellowing from their undercarriages. Capps and Matt Hagan led the Funny Car standings by the end of the night.

Pro Stock is a type of vehicle that resembles cars that people may find on a dealer’s lot. They are upgraded to go much faster than what could be achieved without heavy modifications. Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson made up the top two spots.

Pro Stock Motorcycle contestants made up the smallest contingent. The top 10 drivers the two-wheeled super bikes will proceed to Sunday’s qualifiers, with Richard Gadson and Gaige Herrera taking the top two spots.