By Mike Haag | Raceday San Antonio

The opening race in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs last weekend at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan will go down in history as one of the greatest drag racing events of all time.

The inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals produced four very different championship stories that were filled with speed, excitement, drama and heartache.

Langdon and Hall left Michigan with victories and momentum, Vandergriff made one of the most improbable Funny Car runs of the season, and Troy Coughlin Jr. dramatically reshaped the Pro Stock championship picture.

Now the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series moves to Rockingham Dragway for the NHRA Nationals at The Rock, Sept. 25-27. It marks the second race of the Countdown and the first full NHRA national event at the historic North Carolina facility. NHRA previously held an all-star invitational at Rockingham from 1989-98, but this weekend marks the track’s first Mission Foods Drag Racing Series national event.

With the championship standings and battles already taking unexpected turns after the opening race of the Countdown to the Championship, there is one question the drivers and fans are asking. Will the race at Rockingham Dragway this weekend provide another completely new chapter of drama and excitement?

Shawn Langdon, NHRA Top Fuel winner. (NHRA photo)

Rockingham Preview

TOP FUEL: Shawn Langdon made the biggest statement. Can he do it again and win another race at Rockingham?

Langdon enters Rockingham as the Top Fuel championship leader after he delivered one of the most dominant performances in his Kalitta Air dragster of the season by winning the inaugural Great Lakes Nationals.

Shawn Langdon. (NHRA photo)

It was Langdon’s sixth victory of the season, second in a row and 28th of his career.

Langdon recorded the fastest run in NHRA history, a 3.663-second pass at 346.95 mph against his teammate Doug Kalitta in the semifinals.

Langdon finished the weekend with an 11-point lead over Kalitta, 2,217-2,206. Tony Stewart is third at 2,138, followed by Antron Brown at 2,115 and Leah Pruett at 2,112. Langdon had an eight-point deficit that he carried going into the Countdown after the points reset.

Shawn Langdon. (NHRA photo)

Things to consider: Can Kalitta stop the momentum swing before Langdon wins again and increases his points lead? Kalitta opened the Countdown to the Champions by leading the points, but that lead flipped when Kalitta lost to Langdon in the semifinals. Kalitta is a two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion and he knows what he needs to get done to stay alive in this title race. Kalitta knows his loss may play an important factor in the championship.

Don’t count out Tony Stewart and Antron Brown because they remain within striking distance. Stewart is third at 2,138 points, followed by Brown at 2,115. Leah Pruett is fifth at 2,112. That puts three drivers within 105 points of Langdon. While the battle appears to be between Langdon and Kalitta, a win by Stewart, Brown or Pruett could shake up and completely change the championship picture.

Doug Kalitta. (NHRA photo)

Also, Spencer Massey is now suddenly part of the conversation.  Massey, who is not in contention for the Countdown to the Championship, could play the role of the spoiler. Massey entered Michigan and for the first time in nearly 10 years he reached the final round by defeating Tony Schumacher, Josh Hart and Tony Stewart. Massey, who has 18 career Top Fuel wins, demonstrated how much disruption an outsider can cause and just how another non-title contender could knock out one of the championship favorites.

Bottom line: Will the Kalitta Motorsports teammates once again be at the center of the Top Fuel championship fight this weekend in Rockingham? Or will Stewart, Brown, Pruett and Massey shake things up with a victory, making it more than just a two-driver race?  Race fans can expect epic battles in Top Fuel this weekend at The Rock.

Jordan Vandergriff. (NHRA photo)

FUNNY CAR: Vandergriff was the Cinderella story of the Michigan Weekend

If there was a Cinderella story of the weekend in Michigan, it was about Jordan Vandergriff. The rookie driver, who drives for John Force Racing, transformed a difficult qualifying weekend into one of the biggest Funny Car stories.

Matt Hagan and Jordan Vandergriff. (NHRA photo)

Vandergriff qualified 16th, failed to make a clean qualifying run and smoked the tires in the opening round. But when No. 1 qualifier Austin Prock went red, Vandergriff advanced and then from there, he put together three straight runs in the 3.80s and defeated points leader Matt Hagan in the final with a 3.858 at 329.43 mph.

It was Vandergriff’s third career victory and the first Funny Car win from the 16th qualifying position since Del Worsham in 2003.

The victory moved Vandergriff to second in the championship standings. Hagan still leads with 2,208 points and Vandergriff is 23 points behind. Jack Beckman is third at 2,154, followed by Ron Capps at 2,145 and J.R. Todd at 2,139. Defending champion Prock is sixth at 2,099, leaving him 109 points behind Hagan with five playoff races remaining.

Ron Capps and Antron Brown. (NHRA photo)

Things to consider: With only 109 points separating the top six drivers in the Funny Car standings, there is still plenty of time for Beckman, Capps, Todd and Prock to make their move. One bad first-round matchup for Hagan and Vandergriff could reshuffle the entire championship standings.

Prock must rebound immediately. The defending two-time champion entered the Countdown as one of the six major title contenders. He cannot afford another early exit or else his chances of winning a third consecutive championship will be slim.

Beckman, Capps and Todd on the other hand bring a wealth of talent and experience into the Countdown to the Championship. All three drivers are former NHRA Funny Car champions and are hungry for another title. A win by either one of these drivers could make the Funny Car points race even more interesting.

Bottom line: Can Vandergriff continue his breakthrough season and put additional pressure on Hagan? Hagan doesn’t need to chase a huge comeback; he needs to keep Vandergriff from taking another bite out of the lead. Was Michigan a breakthrough for Vandergriff or the beginning of a championship run?

Troy Coughlin Jr. (NHRA photo)

PRO STOCK: Coughlin’s victory changes entire championship picture

The NHRA Pro Stock class experienced the biggest championship shakeup of the Michigan weekend when Troy Coughlin Jr. snapped a 41-race winless streak by defeating points leader Matt Hartford in the final with a winning run clocked at 6.515 at 209.69 mph.

Troy Coughlin Jr. (NHRA photo)

The victory moved Coughlin from 10th to fifth in the standings and vaulted him into the championship battle.

Hartford, who qualified No. 1 and reached his sixth final round this season, leads the class with 2,165 points and has a five-point advantage over Greg Stanfield. Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn are tied at 2,154, just 11 points behind Hartford. Coughlin is fifth at 2,120, 45 points behind the leader.

With the top five separated by only 45 points, every qualifying session and elimination round at Rockingham this weekend could have a significant impact on the championship.

Greg Anderson. (NHRA photo)

Things to consider: This weekend’s Pro Stock race at Rockingham will play a pivotal role in the direction of the Countdown to the Championship.

Don’t rule out Jeg Coughlin Jr., Erica Enders, Deric Kramer or Aaron Stanfield. A win by either one of these drivers could mix up the championship battle.

Glenn and Anderson, who each won four races during the regular season, cannot afford an early round exit, especially if Hartford and Stanfield continue scoring heavily or get a victory.

Bottom line: A lot of questions remain in Pro Stock. Can the JEGS team turn its Michigan breakthrough into a legitimate Countdown run? Can Hartford continue to defend the smallest points lead of any class? Can Stanfield maintain his position at the top while the former champions try to close in? Stay tuned because the Pro Stock race at The Rock is expected to be filled with competitive racing and drama.

John Hall. (NHRA photo)

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: Hall goes from frustrated rider to big winner

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle rider John Hall entered the race at Michigan frustrated, questioned his own performance, but then proceeded to win the opening race of the Countdown. Not only did he leave Michigan with a much-needed victory but more importantly a one-point deficit in the championship standings.

John Hall. (NHRA photo)

Hall defeated first-time finalist Marc Ingwersen after Ingwersen went red in the final. Hall, diving his Outlaw Beer Buell, ran 6.808 at 194.22 mph for his first victory of 2026 and scored his fifth career win. His road to the final round against Ingwersen included wins over Clayton Howey, teammate Matt Smith and Ronald Procopio Jr.

Ingwersen surprised the field when he defeated two-time world champion Gaige Herrera in the opening round, reigning world champion Gadson in the second round and No. 1 qualifier Ryan Oehler in the semifinals before reaching his first career final.

Matt Smith and Angie Smith. (NHRA photo)

Hall moved to within one point of championship leader Gadson going into Rockingham and now has a championship opportunity that he didn’t necessarily have coming into Michigan.

Gadson has 2,170 points, while Hall has 2,169, Smith is third at 2,145, with Angie Smith fourth at 2,127.

Things to consider: You cannot ever rule out six-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith and his wife Angie. The Smiths remain major pieces of the championship equation, particularly Matt after his U.S. Nationals victory.

Expect Herrera to rebound this weekend at Rockingham. Herrera, who entered the Countdown as one of the championship contenders, needs to finish strong to stay alive in this championship race. He is sixth in the point standings and is 51 behind Gadson.

Richard Gadson. (NHRA photo)

Finally, don’t count out Oehler, Jianna Evaristo, Chase Van Sant, Howey and Steve Johnson. A victory by either one of these riders could disrupt the championship race.

Bottom line: A few questions remain for Pro Stock Motorcycle going into Rockingham. Is Ingwersen capable of another deep run or was the win at Michigan simply a fluke? Ingwersen is the driver to watch at Rockingham, especially after he demonstrated that he could eliminate championship contenders. Can Gadson, Herrera, the Smiths and Hall continue to dominate the class and battle for the title? Herrera, especially, cannot afford another early-round exit while Gadson, Hall and the Smiths continue accumulating points.

Rockingham: A new chapter in NHRA drag racing

The second race of the playoffs brings another unknown for the NHRA Countdown to the Championship contenders.

Like U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, Rockingham Dragway is another new national-event venue on the 2026 NHRA schedule.

Once again race teams and drivers will have the challenge of racing at a track without the depth of recent NHRA national-event data available at established Countdown facilities.

Rockingham is a newly updated facility, including improvements to the racing surface, starting-line concrete, pits, grandstands and other fan areas as the track prepares for its first full NHRA national event.

The action begins on Friday with qualifying for all four professional classes, followed by two more qualifying sessions on Saturday. Mission Foods Series eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Can Rockingham create another surprise winner? Michigan already demonstrated just how unpredictable a new Countdown venue can be. Rockingham could do the same. One thing for sure is the championship races are already tighter and more complicated than they were one week ago. This weekend’s races at The Rock could be another wild one.