ANGIE SMITH Secures No. 1, LEAH PRUETT Takes 3rd at NHRA Gatornationals

March 8, 2026

• ANGIE SMITH locked down her third career No. 1 qualifier in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a commanding 6.740 at 199.58 on her Denso Auto Parts Buell, proving she’s got the speed to finally break through for her first Gatornationals victory. She followed up Friday’s pole-setting run with consistent Saturday passes in front of a capacity crowd, building momentum as she heads into Sunday’s eliminations against Kim Morrell.
• LEAH PRUETT secured third place in Top Fuel qualifying with a solid 3.690 at 329.10, positioning herself well for eliminations in what’s shaping up to be one of the most competitive fields we’ve seen. Her qualifying effort puts her in the mix with the heavy hitters, and she’ll face Jasmine Salinas in the first round – a matchup that could produce some serious fireworks.
• The women’s presence extends beyond just the top qualifiers, with MADDI GORDON earning 15th in Top Fuel (3.793 at 321.35) and setting up a first-round battle against second-place qualifier Shawn Langdon, while JASMINE SALINAS grabbed 14th (3.791 at 329.67) and will take on Pruett. In Funny Car, we’ve got JULIE NATAAS (12th, 4.081 at 319.07) facing Matt Hagan and ALEXIS DEJORIA (11th, 4.060 at 324.83) going up against Cruz Pedregon – proving the women are spread throughout the competitive ladder, not just filling spots.

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