Shawn Langdon, Alexis DeJoria and Greg Anderson emerged as the provisional No. 1 qualifiers after Friday’s opening session at the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway.
Langdon topped the Top Fuel sheet with a 3.709-second run at 334.98 mph in his Kalitta Air dragster and picked up the No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA. Leah Pruett was second after a 3.712, with Josh Hart third after a 3.724 at 337.92. In Funny Car, DeJoria ran a 3.929 at 312.42 in her Bandero Café Chevrolet SS to sit first provisionally while Anderson took the early Pro Stock pole.
Those numbers matter because they set the weekend’s early pecking order. Langdon’s 3.709 is the headline: he arrived at New England Dragway as the Top Fuel points leader and has been virtually unbeatable since late March, winning three straight races and four of the past six. He was chasing his second straight No. 1 qualifier and fourth overall in 2026 when he put the Kalitta Air machine atop the list Friday night.
Langdon didn’t hide the team element. “It’s a great feeling. These guys have worked so hard the last couple of years, and it’s nice to finally see the dividends of all that hard work show up on the scoreboard,” he said, adding that the crew’s mindset and chemistry have been decisive: “Brian (Husen, crew chief) is the opposite of complacent. He’s always pushing, always looking for the next thing, always trying to be better. I feel like that mindset is across the entire team right now. There’s really good chemistry going on. We did a really good job adapting to the conditions today, and then with the night run, we knew we had to step on it.”
DeJoria’s run puts her in an intriguing spot: she is chasing her first No. 1 qualifier in five years, and the 3.929 at 312.42 stands as the benchmark in Funny Car after Friday’s activity. Anderson’s provisional Pro Stock top spot closes out the trio of class leaders to watch as qualifying continues into the weekend at New England Dragway, the eighth of 20 races on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series calendar.
The provisional label is the week’s built-in friction. Friday’s order matters for lane choice and momentum, but it is not final; qualifying positions can still change as more runs are logged. Langdon’s night run put him first on Friday, yet that position is temporary — the leaderboard at New England Dragway can and often does shift before eliminations begin.
For teams and fans the practical detail is simple: Friday established pace but not destiny. Competitors who are close — Pruett and Hart in Top Fuel, and other contenders in Funny Car and Pro Stock — have additional qualifying windows to improve or dislodge the provisional leaders. Langdon’s recent run of form gives him an edge, but the provisional nature of the sheets means the weekend still carries decisive opportunities for rivals.
What to watch next is straightforward. Can Langdon convert his provisional No. 1 into a confirmed pole and maintain the momentum that produced three straight wins and four of six? Will DeJoria parlay her band of speed into her first top qualifier in five years? Can Anderson hold the Pro Stock advantage as qualifying wraps and eliminations loom? The answers will come as New England Dragway completes its qualifying sessions and moves into eliminations later in the weekend.
