Race teams and race fans are bracing for another day of intense heat at Firebird Motorsports Park as the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs continues. Friday saw race-time temperatures exceed 100 degrees, with track temperatures climbing past 140 degrees under clear skies.
Schedule Adjustments for Safety
To mitigate the extreme heat, NHRA has adjusted the racing schedule, implementing earlier start times. Sportsman racers will start at 7:15 a.m., followed by Pro Stock qualifying at 9:30 a.m., then Top Fuel and Funny Car. This cycle will repeat starting at noon.
Qualifying Standings and Competition
Top Fuel rookie Maddi Gordon currently leads the Top Fuel field with a qualifying pass of 3.844 seconds. In Funny Car, Spencer Hyde holds the top spot with a 3.97-second run, closely pursued by Jack Beckman and Matt Hagan. Greg Anderson leads Pro Stock qualifying with a time of 6.552 seconds, just .006 seconds ahead of Greg Stanfield.
Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge
Today’s qualifying sessions will also feature the inaugural Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, pitting racers against opponents they faced in the Gainesville semifinals. Matchups include Antron Brown versus Josh Hart, Maddi Gordon versus Doug Kalitta in Top Fuel; Chad Green versus Jordan Vandergriff, and J.R. Todd versus Alexis DeJoria in Funny Car; and Greg Anderson versus Erica Enders, and Dallas Glenn versus Matt Hartford in Pro Stock.
Broadcast Information
Qualifying highlights will be televised on FS1 on Sunday, March 22, at 12:00 p.m. (ET), with three hours of finals coverage following at 6:30 p.m. (ET).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the event last year?
Shawn Langdon won Top Fuel, Paul Lee won Funny Car, and Greg Anderson won Pro Stock at the 2025 event.
What are the track records at Firebird Motorsports Park?
The Top Fuel track record is 3.643 seconds, set by Brittany Force in February 2020. The Funny Car record is 3.823 seconds, set by Matt Hagan in February 2022. The Pro Stock record is 6.498 seconds, set by Mike Edwards in February 2013.
What is the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge?
The Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge rematches semifinalists from the Gainesville event, with the two winners advancing to a final round during today’s qualifying sessions.
As racers prepare for another day of competition under the Arizona sun, what impact will the early start times have on overall performance and strategy?
