The 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals — “The Big Go,” final event of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season — crowned Monday winners at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (Brownsburg / Indianapolis area). Per NHRA.com (posted September 7, 2026): Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took the professional titles. Finals status: comp
Langdon qualified No. 1, then defeated Clay Millican, Justin Ashley and Leah Pruett before beating Tony Stewart in the final: 3.804 seconds at 333.99 mph (Stewart 3.904 / 315.27). NHRA called it Langdon’s fifth win of 2026, third career U.S. Nationals victory and 27th career win for Kalitta Motorsports. He enters the Countdown to the Championship second in points. Crew chief Brian Husen earned his first Indy win as a crew chief.
Stewart reached the Indy final for the second straight year (wins over T.J. Zizzo, Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta) but could not catch Langdon’s .048 reaction and wire-to-wire run.
Teammate and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta clinched the Top Fuel regular-season championship and the associated $150,000 prize on Monday, per NHRA, and will open the Countdown as points leader.
Funny Car — Jack Beckman
Beckman completed a John Force Racing weekend sweep after winning Sunday’s PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout. On Monday he beat Jeff Arend, teammate Alexis DeJoria and Austin Prock (chasing a third straight Indy Funny Car ti NHRA listed it as Beckman’s second win of 2026, third U.S. Nationals title and 39th career victory; he moved to third in points.
Hagan reached his fourth final of the season (Hunter Green, Paul Lee, Ron Capps). The Capps semifinal clinched Hagan’s Funny Car regular-season championship and $150,000 bonus plus the points lead into the Countdown.
Pro Stock — Dallas Glenn
Reigning world champion Glenn won Indy for the first time, going 6.599 at 207.56 in the RAD Torque Systems Camaro past Jeg Coughlin Jr. in the final. He also clinched the Pro Stock regular-season championship (and $55,000 prize) after Greg Anderson’s second-round exit to Coughlin forced a winner-take-all dynamic. Glenn beat defending event winner Erica Enders to reach the final. NHRA: fourth win of 2026, 25th
No. 1 qualifier Matt Smith defeated Chris Bostick, Clayton Howey and reigning world champion Richard Gadson, then beat his wife Angie Smith in the final: 6.791 at 198.58 on the Denso Buell (Angie 6.834 / 194.80). NHRA: Matt’s third win of 2026, fourth career Indy win and 45th career victory. Angie reached her third final of the year (including a semifinal win over Gaige Herrera). Richard Gadson clinched the PSM regular-season title and $15,000 by reaching the semifinals.
Results snapshot
| Class | Winner | Final ET / mph (NHRA) | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Fuel | Shawn Langdon (Kalitta) | 3.804 / 333.99 | Tony Stewart |
| Funny Car | Jack Beckman (John Force Racing) | 3.965 / 327.35 | Matt Hagan |
| Pro Stock | Dallas Glenn | 6.599 / 207.56 | Jeg Coughlin Jr. |
Pro Stoc Event context (NHRA): 14th of 20 races on the 2026 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule; final regular-season stop before the Countdown. Purse / published bonusesFull overall U.S. Nationals event purse was not broken out in the NHRA winner report used for this recap. Published regular-season championship bonuses clinched at Indy (NHRA.com): Top Fuel Doug Kalitta $150,000; Funny Car Matt Hagan $150,000; Pro Stock Dallas Glenn $55,000; Pro Stock Motorcycle Richard Gadson $15,000. Race-win purses beyond those figures omitted (not verified here). History & significanceThe NHRA U.S. Nationals is widely regarded as drag racing’s most prestigious national event — Labor Day weekend tradition, Monday finals in the modern format, and home at Indianapolis Raceway Park / Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park since 1961 (after earlier stops at Great Bend, Oklahoma City and Detroit). The facility’s 4,400-foot drag strip anchors “The Big Go,” which closes the regular season and sets Countdown seeding. The 2026 edition was the 72nd annual running under the Cornwell Quality Tools title sponsorship. What’s nextThe NHRA Countdown to the Championship opens with the inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR</stron Later Texas-relevant NHRA calendar stops (for local readers): Division 4 Bracket Finals and Texas NHRA FallNationals / Stampede of Speed window at Texas Motorplex (Ennis) — see Testarossa Motors racing calendar for ticket links when publishing Texas roundups. Sources
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g>, September 18–20, 2026, at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, Michigan (per NHRA).
k MotorcycleMatt Smith6.791 / 198.58Angie Smith
career, points lead into the playoffs for a second straight year.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — Matt Smith
tle) before defeating regular-season champion Matt Hagan in the final: 3.965 at 327.35 in the Peak Camaro.
lete (official NHRA event report published).