Usual contenders lead first day at Summit Nationals

NORWALK — Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon moved closer to his third No. 1 qualifier in the past four races. He took the provisional top spot after the first two qualifying runs at the 20th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals held at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk. Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers in Norwalk, which is the 10th of 20 races during the 2026 season. Langdon went 3.742 seconds at 335.23 mph in his Kalitta Air dragster, making the quickest run of both sessions on Friday. If it holds, Langdon will earn his fifth No. 1 qualifier this season and 27th in his career. The points leader saw his winning streak snapped in Bristol, but he's still advanced to six straight final rounds as he looks to keep rolling in Norwalk. "We're very pleased with how the car ran and I think with what we're trying to accomplish, Brian's [Husen, crew chief] been making great calls, and he's been doing a great job getting the car put together perfectly, so it allows for some great runs like that," Langdon said. "Fortunately, the car's responding well and it's pretty glued in. We're very happy with the setup right now. "I think what you saw today is just a little indication of the great racing surface, with big speeds. There's a little more out there, so as long as we can keep that cloud cover, and the crew chiefs start getting more information and getting a little more aggressive with it, you'll see quicker E.T.s and bigger speeds." Tony Stewart moved into the second spot with a run of 3.767 at 335.07 and rookie standout Maddi Gordon is third after going 3.793 at 335.40. Ron Capps made the most of a stellar second qualifying session in Funny Car, dipping into the 3.80s with an impressive run of 3.894 seconds at 328.38 mph in his NAPA Auto Care Toyota. The points leader was the only driver in the 3.80s, but it was a standout session as Capps was challenged on several occasions. The veteran driver is now in position to get his third No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 40th in his career. Capps has been consistent in a loaded class this season and is after his second career win in Norwalk. "Conditions obviously got cooler three or four cars before us. I could see the cloud cover coming, and Guido [crew chief Dean Antonelli] got back in the box about four or five times more than usual and kept coming back," Capps said. "This place is notorious [with weather] changing from one session to the next, let alone day to day," he added. "I've been doing this a long time, and it's not that I don't have confidence, but the Funny Car field is insane this year, and it gets that way every year." Defending event winner Austin Prock is second with a run of 3.905 seconds at 334.15 mph, and Alexis DeJoria is third after going 3.918 seconds at 330.63 mph. Pro Stock's Greg Anderson always looks to go big at Summit Motorsports Park. The points leader certainly did so on Friday, going low of the day with a 6.550 seconds at 209.36 mph in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. The six-time world champ had the best run of both sessions, which also gives him plenty of momentum heading into Saturday's All-Star Callout. Anderson gets the first pick in Saturday's bonus race. The veteran, who has three wins at Norwalk, has a great opportunity for a huge weekend at a track and race that's always meant a great deal to him. "Yeah, it was big [the provisional No. 1 qualifier], but tomorrow's the big day," Anderson said. "We love special races like this, and I've been fortunate the past two years, so hopefully tomorrow's another big day, but we had to set it up today. I think we got all the points we can get today. "I don't expect the weather and the race to be a lot different," he added. "It's a great start, so I definitely feel good going back to the hotel tonight knowing that we've got a good racehorse at the track." Reigning world champion Dallas Glenn is second with a run of 6.561 at 209.07, and Matt Hartford, who won in Bristol, went 6.564 at 208.71, putting him third. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Gaige Herrera continued his dominant stretch from Bristol, making the quickest run of both sessions on Friday in Norwalk, including a 6.779 seconds at 199.64 mph. After not getting a No. 1 qualifier at the first handful of races, Herrera is now on track for his second straight top spot and was only one of two riders to reach the 6.70s on Friday. He rolled to the victory in Bristol, and Herrera would love to keep it going at Summit Motorsports Park, where he won during his 2024 championship season. "I wouldn't say it's back to normal, but it feels good," Herrera said. "We have kind of been struggling for a bit now, but we made some changes to the bike itself, so hopefully I'll have the same bike in the sun tomorrow. "I just had a bunch of bad luck, as far as parts breaking," he added. "It's just been one thing after another for me. Andrew (Hines, crew chief) has been looking at his notes more than anything, and I think they figured something out with the field." Joey Gladstone, who is filling in for Matt Smith for the second straight race, is second with a 6.795 at 198.70, and Angie Smith is currently third after going 6.805 at 200.11. Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. on Saturday, and the first round of the Pro Stock All-Star Callout begins at 11:30 a.m.