Kalitta, Prock, Hartford & Gadson Get Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge Wins At zMAX
Story By: NHRA – CHARLOTTE, NC – Doug Kalitta helped ensure Kalitta Motorsports stayed perfect in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in the Top Fuel ranks, winning the bonus race on Saturday at zMAX Dragway at the 15th annual American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.
Austin Prock (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also picked up Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge wins on Saturday.
In a wild final quad of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus race, Kalitta won in a pedal fest over Antron Brown, Steve Torrence and Josh Hart, going 4.661-seconds at 237.92 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster. It’s the second straight win in the specialty event for Kalitta, as he swept both four-wide races after teammate Shawn Langdon won the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge races of 2025.
Kalitta, who also won the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout in Pomona, has thrived in bonus races this year and now he’ll have a chance to sweep a special weekend.
Reigning Funny Car world champion Austin Prock was lethal on the starting line on Saturday and it proved to be critical in the finals of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, slipping past Spencer Hyde with a run of 3.949 at 322.50 in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS for John Force Racing. Hyde, who won the bonus race in Phoenix, ran an identical 3.949, but Prock was quicker on the starting with a stout .058 reaction time en route to his first specialty race win of the year.
It continues the strong momentum for Prock, who won two weeks ago in Las Vegas and seems primed for a big weekend in Charlotte.
“Last year we figured out how important these Mission Challenge points are and how many points you can actually earn,” Prock said. “I think we went into the Countdown with 24 points, almost two rounds of competition, on top of second place. So that felt really good. I really wanted to win today. I felt like we had a shot at doing it. I’ve been driving good all weekend and we were able to get the job done as a team.
“Both runs today, the car went down the racetrack and made nice, clean runs in hotter conditions, which we’re probably going to see more like tomorrow, so that felt good. This race car’s been giving us a little grief, but they’ve been working hard and doing their homework.”
On an impressive holeshot, Pro Stock’s Matt Hartford won for the second time in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge this year, using a .021 reaction time and a run of 6.567 at 210.37 in his Total Seal Camaro to hold off Greg Anderson. Hartford won the bonus race earlier this year in Pomona and enjoyed another victory on Saturday, keeping Anderson and his run of 6.540 at 210.24 at bay to take plenty of confidence into Sunday eliminations.
“Last year was a rough year but we turned it around during the Countdown and went from 14th to sixth and I’m super proud of that,” Hartford said. “We dragged the car out this year with no changes other than the updated engine from KB Titan. We used our 2023 set-up and if the driver does his job this car can win a lot of rounds this year.
“In this [Mission Foods #2Fast2tasty Challenge] there is a lot of momentum you can build, and you can look and see what other drivers are doing. To come out here and run well on Saturday gives you positive energy for Sunday. When you struggle on Saturday, your night isn’t good. Now, I feel confident heading into tomorrow.”
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Richard Gadson collected his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win of the year on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, defeating teammate Gaige Herrera and Matt Smith in the final round of the bonus race.
“It was crazy but I’ll take it,” Gadson said. “It’s not often you get there in front of Gaige and Matt. It’s big for our team to know we have a second bike that can get the job done. Today was the first day I felt like I had bike that could run with them.
“I didn’t see Gaige and I saw his win light came on. It was all a bit confusing until they came over and told me I’d won. Whatever the case may be, I’ll take it. To be honest, I didn’t really think about winning till 30 minutes before we ran.”
“I’m happy to see (Richard) get the win in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. All the hard work he’s put in after Gainesville is paying off. The bottom line is we’ve both got fast hot rods. Now, I worry about him more than Matt,” Herrera said.
