Photo: NHRA
The favorites going into Sunday's 2022 Denso Nationals at Sonoma Raceway were the familiar names of Robert Hight, Leah Pruett, Erica Enders, and Steve Johnson. However, as dusk settled on the track in the wine country foothills, four first-time Sonoma winners stood on top.
With the air cool and dense with fog, Brittany Force set the tone in Top Fuel by posting a 3.662s time in her first run, beating her teammate Austin Prock. No stranger to Sonoma, as she grew up coming to the track in other racing divisions, Sunday was her first-ever win at the track in NHRA Top Fuel. She bested Mike Salinas with a 3.709s, 335.48 mph (539.90 kph) run in the final.
In the Funny Car division, Bob Tasca III and came out on top beating legendary racer John Force by posting a 3.911s, 325.61 (524.12 kph) to Force's 3.998s 326.48 mph (525.74 kph). It was a bitter-sweet loss for the world's greatest dragster driver because he mentored the winner in the art of launching off the line, and is also Tasca's team owner.
Erica Enders celebrated a hard-fought victory at Sonoma, but it did not come easy. The No.1 points leader in the standings got her 39th career win and sixth this season by beating Mason McGaha, teammate Aaron Stanfield, then Greg Anderson in the final to deny him his 100th career victory.
The Pro Stock Motorcycle was won by Joey Gladstone as he beat Eddie Krawiec in the final. The victory was his first ever in the NHRA.
“I never thought I’d see this day, no, that’s a lie,” said Gladstone. “I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and thought I could do this. I’ve dedicated 20 years of my life to this, and now I’ve accomplished it.”
The racers are packing up and heading to the Pacific Northwest where the conditions will certainly differ for the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways outside of Seattle.
In the Funny Car division, Bob Tasca III and came out on top beating legendary racer John Force by posting a 3.911s, 325.61 (524.12 kph) to Force's 3.998s 326.48 mph (525.74 kph). It was a bitter-sweet loss for the world's greatest dragster driver because he mentored the winner in the art of launching off the line, and is also Tasca's team owner.
Erica Enders celebrated a hard-fought victory at Sonoma, but it did not come easy. The No.1 points leader in the standings got her 39th career win and sixth this season by beating Mason McGaha, teammate Aaron Stanfield, then Greg Anderson in the final to deny him his 100th career victory.
The Pro Stock Motorcycle was won by Joey Gladstone as he beat Eddie Krawiec in the final. The victory was his first ever in the NHRA.
“I never thought I’d see this day, no, that’s a lie,” said Gladstone. “I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and thought I could do this. I’ve dedicated 20 years of my life to this, and now I’ve accomplished it.”
The racers are packing up and heading to the Pacific Northwest where the conditions will certainly differ for the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways outside of Seattle.
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