The Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge, the 19th of 20 races in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and the fifth of six Countdown to the Championship events, delivered three decisive pro winners and sharpened the title pictures heading into the season finale. At The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jordan Vandergriff (Funny Car – Pictured), Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) each collected crucial victories, while high winds forced the Pro Stock Motorcycle final to be postponed until Pomona.
NHRA Funny Car: Vandergriff Closes the Gap
Jordan Vandergriff, in his rookie Funny Car season with John Force Racing, drove the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS to his fourth win of 2026 and first at Las Vegas. He powered past Ron Capps in the final with a 3.873-second pass at 331.36 mph, while Capps ran 3.921 at 335.15 in his Toyota GR Supra.
Vandergriff advanced by defeating Julie Nataas, Spencer Hyde and J.R. Todd. The win was especially valuable because Todd eliminated points leader Matt Hagan in the second round. The result pulled Vandergriff to within 39 points of the four-time champion Hagan with one race remaining. Capps reached his fifth final of the season with wins over Cruz Pedregon, No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman and Austin Prock.
“I did not feel good all day, but I just had a feeling,” Vandergriff said. “This has been huge. We knew this could be a big day for us and it’s been huge. John Force is making my dreams possible, but we’re out here doing it. We’re going to have a chance in Pomona.”
Top Fuel: Kalitta Keeps Title Defense Alive
Reigning champion Doug Kalitta kept his bid for a third Top Fuel title (and second straight) alive with his fifth win of the season and 64th of his career. Driving the Mac Tools dragster for Kalitta Motorsports, he posted a 3.658 at 338.60 mph—the quickest run of the weekend—to defeat Leah Pruett, who slowed to a 5.751 at 124.89.
Kalitta ran in the 3.60s on all four of his Sunday passes (within .024 seconds of each other). He advanced by beating Will Smith, Justin Ashley and teammate/points leader Shawn Langdon in the semifinals before the final. Langdon’s early exit prevented him from clinching the championship in Las Vegas. Team Kalitta
Kalitta leaves Vegas second in points, 107 behind Langdon, with Antron Brown third. The team has now won 15 of the season’s 19 events (including the last nine in a row).
NHRA Pro Stock: Glenn Extends His Lead
Dallas Glenn continued his dominant late-season form and claimed his third straight Las Vegas win (and fourth overall at the track). The points leader and defending champion ran 6.587 at 206.26 mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro to hold off Troy Coughlin Jr. (6.604 at 207.69) in the final. It was Glenn’s sixth win of 2026 and 27th of his career.
Glenn’s consistency stretched his points lead; he entered the finale in strong position for a second consecutive title. Coughlin reached the final after a strong run through the field, including a holeshot win over Greg Stanfield earlier in the day.
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle and Other Notes
Excessive winds made the Pro Stock Motorcycle final too dangerous to run, so the matchup between Gaige Herrera and Richard Gadson was postponed to the Pomona finale. Gadson currently leads the points.
In other action, Justin Bond clinched the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Series championship with a winner-take-all final-round victory over Mike Stavrinos.
NHRA Championship Standings Heading to Pomona
Unofficial points after Las Vegas (with points-and-a-half scoring in effect at the finale):
– Top Fuel: 1. Shawn Langdon (2,630), 2. Doug Kalitta (2,523, –107), 3. Antron Brown (2,394)
– Funny Car: 1. Matt Hagan (2,563), 2. Jordan Vandergriff (2,524, –39), 3. J.R. Todd (2,459)
– Pro Stock: 1. Dallas Glenn (2,556), 2. Matt Hartford (2,469, –87)
– Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Richard Gadson, 2. Gaige Herrera (–55)
The 2026 season concludes November 12–15 at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at Pomona Dragstrip, where the 75th anniversary championships will be decided. Vandergriff and Kalitta both need strong results and help from the points leaders, while Glenn holds the clearest path to another title.
The weekend in Las Vegas kept the Countdown drama alive and set up a high-stakes finale under the points-and-a-half format.
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