NHRA POTOMAC NATIONALS RESULTS

Maryland International Raceway

LEAH PRUETT
Rinnai Top Fuel Dragster

Unofficial Points Standing:
3rd
12-time NHRA National Event Winner
Finished 2023 runner-up in championship points
Finished runner-up up at the 2026 NHRA Arizona Nationals
Has finished quarterfinals or better all season
No. 1 qualifier at the NHRA Winternationals

Qualifying
No. 3, 3.771 seconds at 331.12 mph
Q1: 3.919 at 319.52
Q2: 3.799 at 323.43
Q3: 3.811 at 327.98
Q4: 3.771 at 331.12

Race Results:
E1: 3.786 at 323.97 def. Spencer Massey 6.364 at 104.02
E2: 3.786 at 330.80 def. Will Smith 4.499 at 206.29
Semis: 3.787 at 329.91 lost to Dough Kalitta 3.772 at 334.15

“Talk about top tier performance of a race car and team. Putting down solid laps, all seven of them, from the time the trailer door came down on Friday to when we put it up on Sunday after the semi-finals. Very proud of this Rinnai team,” Leah said. “The crew chiefs are definitely having a really good time because the car is reacting to changes with the new package. We actually ran our old package and our new package throughout this weekend. That’s how much confidence and big steps we’re taking.

“Personally, there was a lot of conversation between the last race and this one. I kept my promise and my word that there’s only one strategy for me, and that’s operating the car at its peak ability, staging well, and keeping up my mental capacity and not trying to have .040 or .050 lights when that’s not absolutely in my wheelhouse. I think almost two stepping on a long light in the second round was a small setback, but the perfect example of how my team has my back.

“Reaction times in qualifying were off for everyone so knowing that across the board, you can feel good. That being said, there are changes that I’m making to find improvements and I’m excited about that. I couldn’t ask for a better team or a better car. Up until this weekend, Kalitta Motorsports was really skyrocketing away from the field. This race proved that we have the race car to run with them, keep them honest and, as long as I can keep in step with my team, they should watch out.

“The inaugural Potomac Nationals at Maryland International Raceway was a success. This race track could not have executed any better; the track prep: nobody knew what the conditions would be coming in but I think we were all extremely impressed. Teams are learning a strategy coming into a new racetrack, and might be a little gun shy at first, but they did a fantastic, fantastic job for the teams and for the fans. Managing high horsepower and being at sea level with what we thought would be a marginal track turned out to be better than we all expected.”

MATT HAGAN
American Rebel Light Dodge Funny Car

Unofficial Points Standing:
4th
Four-time world champion (2023, 2020, 2014, 2011)
Finished 2025 season runner-up in the championship points standings
Coming off a win at the Winternationals, NHRA’s 1000th Funny Car race
14 season streak with at least one win
Equivalent of a home race, resides in Christiansburg, Virginia, just a four-hour drive

Qualifying:
No. 6
3.989 seconds at 326.87 mph
Q1: 8.379 at 84.04
Q2: 3.989 at 326.87
Q3: 4.347 at 217.32
Q4: 4.153 at 264.55

Race Results:
E1: 4.388 at 202.48 lost to Austin Prock 3.977 at 323.17

“These fans spent a lot of their hard-earned money and we just want to put on a good show for them. That first round cost Tony a lot of money. I think I was just trying to get a new American Rebel firesuit with all the fire,” said Matt Hagan referencing his explosion in his first round of eliminations loss. “At the end of the day, that’s drag racing. We were having a tough weekend anyways, but I have some of the hardest working guys out here on this Dodge Funny Car so I know Mike Knudsen, Phil Shuler, Alex Conaway and everyone will go back and try to learn from what went wrong. The Potomac Nationals are just the start to three-in-a-row, thankfully, so we’ll have a chance to come back out, put this weekend behind us and give it another go in just a few days in New Hampshire.

“These fans have been amazing, they came out here and sold this place out yesterday and the crowd has looked great all weekend. Everyone has been so positive and excited. We’ve had fans thanking us for being here and really, Maryland International Raceway has been amazing. The track has some personality but everyone faced the same challenges. I’m looking forward to coming back next year and I hope all these fans come out again and bring a friend with them.”