Two-time Mello Yello champ Steve Torrence earned the top spot in Top Fuel for the 25th time in his career, thanks to a solid 3.779 blast in his Capco Contractors dragster during Saturdays second qualifying session at the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals. Torrence managed to outrun all of his competitors, and a late afternoon thunderstorm, to claim the green low qualifier hat.

Torrence, who was the low qualifier five times last year and started from the No. 2 spot in his most recent appearance in Phoenix five months ago, will face off with Luigi Novelli in Sundays opening round. Clay Millican and points leader Doug Kalitta entered the final session in the No. 1 and No. 3 spots, respectively, but did not get a chance to improve before the rain hit.

One of the highlights of the Indy race has been the return of eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher after a two-year layoff. Schumacher, driving a Global Electronic Technology branded dragster, landed in the No. 7 spot with a 3.877 and will be paired with DSR teammate Leah Pritchett on Sunday morning.

Tommy Johnson Jr., winner of the most recent NHRA event in Phoenix nearly five months ago, qualified No. 4 at the first two events and is the qualifying leader in Funny Car after opening Saturdays action with a 3.983 in his MD Anderson Cancer Center Dodge. Johnson did not improve in the second session, but his 4.122 provided a competitive baseline heading into Sundays final eliminations. Johnson has the top spot for the 19th time in his career, but his reward for the top spot will be a round one matchup against his DSR teammate, Ron Capps.

To be able to carry that momentum from Phoenix into this race and not miss a beat is great, said Johnson. It looks good. Weve had a really good race car and it continues to be. Its going to be a tough day tomorrow because conditions are going to be so much different but its good to know we have a good baseline and well go from there. Testing on Friday was so valuable, you cant put a price on it. We probably wouldnt have qualified if we hadnt tested, because we had issues with our new body. We also found a problem with one of our controllers for the clutch and the fuel system. To find those issues on Friday and come out and run so good on Saturday just shows you that we needed a couple of runs to work everything out after being off for four months.

JERRY FOSS NHRA/NATIONAL DRAGSTER

Jonnie Lindberg entered as a substitute driver in the Motorcraft Ford while Bob Tasca III continues his recovery from a bout with COVID-19. He has an excellent shot to score points for his new team with a pair of solid runs, including a second-best 3.987 and a 4.032. Lindberg has appeared in four final rounds in his nitro career but has yet to win a Wally as a professional. Hell face Bob Bode in Sunday mornings opening round.

Current points leader Fast Jack Beckman was in danger of missing the field for just the eighth time in 327 starts but the Infinite Hero team rallied with a competitive 4.050 run to move into the top half of the field. Beckmans heroics relegated Jim Campbell and Terry Haddock to the outside of the 16-car field.

A mechanical malfunction prevented Jason Line from making his second run during Pro Stock qualifying, but the Summit driver needed just one run to secure the top spot for the 56th time in his career. Line, who opened his 2020 campaign with a runner-up at the Winternationals and a semifinal in Phoenix, kept that momentum going with a 6.626 that was not bettered by any of the other 21 Pro Stock drivers on the ground at Lucas Oil Raceway Indianapolis. Five-time champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., who, like Line, has announced this as his final season as a full-time Pro Stock driver, earned the No. 2 spot with a 6.635, while reigning champ Erica Enders also racked up a few bonus points with a third-best 6.637.

I finally shifted right, Line joked. Actually, I have to give Greg [Anderson] the credit for that because he worked way harder than I did, said Line. Obviously this is a strange time and none of us really knows how to handle it. We just did the best we could. Were much better than we were when we left off from [testing in March]. I made a good run. Of course we didnt get to make two but we got it fixed and were ready for tomorrow.

The battle for the final spots in the Pro Stock field was a seesaw battle, with the bump spot changing hands several times before Alan Prusiensky finally secured his spot in the field with a 6.700 in his Hemi-powered Dodge. Rookie drivers Kyle Koretsky and Troy Coughlin Jr. made the field with runs of 6.66 and 6.67, respectively, while fellow debutante Mason McGaha just missed with a 6.706 best in his Harlow Sammons Camaro. The new two-qualifying session format helped make for a few intriguing round one match-ups, including a battle between world champs Enders and Bo Butner.

JERRY FOSS NHRA/NATIONAL DRAGSTER

In the first event of the season for Pro Stock Motorcycle racers, Eddie Krawiec picked up the 47th low qualifier award of his career with a 6.897 on his Screamin Eagle Harley-Davidson FXDR. Krawiec, who also sits on 47 career wins, held off a late charge by three-time world champion Matt Smith to claim the top spot. Krawiec last led a Pro Stock Motorcycle field at the 2019 Norwalk event more than a year ago. He will be paired with David Barron in Sundays opening round.

Its great to be back to racing, said Krawiec. To come out the way we have today I believe the downtime efforts are showing. We just need to shift focus to race day now and keep the bikes running consistently and fast each round.

Krawiecs teammate, reigning champ Andrew Hines, finished as the No. 3 rider in the field and Scotty Pollacheck is fourth on his Strutmasters.com EBR. One of the most intriguing matchups of the first round will feature No. 6 qualifier Angie Smith against the White Alligator Suzuki of Jerry Savoie, who qualified in the bottom half of the field with an 11th quickest 7.054.

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NHRA E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway Brownsburg, Ind. Sundays first round pairings

TOP FUEL

1. Steve Torrence, 3.779 seconds, 321.19 mph vs. 16. Luigi Novelli, 8.836, 91.78; 2. Doug Kalitta, 3.804, 316.30 vs. 15. Lex Joon, 5.221, 135.63; 3. Terry McMillen, 3.812, 316.75 vs. 14. Antron Brown, 4.397, 185.82; 4. Billy Torrence, 3.859, 316.08 vs. 13. Terry Totten, 4.286, 203.12; 5. T.J. Zizzo, 3.862, 310.41 vs. 12. Cory McClenathan, 4.120, 228.58; 6. Clay Millican, 3.866, 314.02 vs. 11. Doug Foley, 3.999, 268.28; 7. Tony Schumacher, 3.877, 292.90 vs. 10. Leah Pruett, 3.934, 306.33; 8. Shawn Langdon, 3.919, 314.02 vs. 9. Justin Ashley, 3.922, 270.64. Did Not Qualify: 17. Kyle Wurtzel, broke.

FUNNY CAR

1. Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 3.983, 317.72 vs. 16. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.555, 184.70; 2. Jonnie Lindberg, Ford Mustang, 3.987, 318.24 vs. 15. Bob Bode, Mustang, 4.436, 221.74; 3. Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.050, 298.47 vs. 14. Mike McIntire, Toyota Camry, 4.425, 199.11; 4. J.R. Todd, Camry, 4.056, 282.95 vs. 13. Alex Miladinovich, Camry, 4.382, 246.53; 5. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 4.083, 310.48 vs. 12. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.317, 235.43; 6. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.090, 289.07 vs. 11. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.194, 256.80; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.097, 304.53 vs. 10. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.168, 254.47; 8. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.110, 267.80 vs. 9. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.146, 259.36. Did Not Qualify: 17. Jim Campbell, 4.905, 167.72; 18. Terry Haddock, 5.073, 153.51.

PRO STOCK

1. Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.626, 206.10 vs. 16. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Dart, 6.700, 205.10; 2. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.635, 206.89 vs. 15. Bruno Massel, Camaro, 6.692, 206.64; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.637, 206.86 vs. 14. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.684, 205.72; 4. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.638, 206.70 vs. 13. Troy Coughlin Jr., Ford Mustang, 6.678, 206.16; 5. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.642, 206.29 vs. 12. Val Smeland, Camaro, 6.677, 206.51; 6. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.653, 206.61 vs. 11. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.662, 205.60; 7. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.654, 206.95 vs. 10. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.661, 206.92; 8. Alex Laughlin, Camaro, 6.658, 205.94 vs. 9. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.660, 207.05. Did Not Qualify: 17. Mason McGaha, 6.706, 206.39; 18. Fernando Cuadra Jr., 6.721, 204.32; 19. Cristian Cuadra, 6.728, 204.60; 20. John Gaydosh Jr, 6.737, 205.01; 21. Fernando Cuadra, 7.888, 130.00.

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Torrence, Johnson, Line and Krawiec Lead the Way as NHRA Returns - Autoweek