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MECHANICSVILLE — When the Maryland International Raceway hosted the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals last weekend, onlookers were treated to ideal conditions and the chance to view the very best drag racing competitors in the nation clash in four pro classes that provided a quartet of track record performances.

Heading into the Top Fuel dragster eliminations, much of the attention was focused on Shawn Langdon, an Indiana native who arrived as the leading driver in his class while boasting two consecutive victories then appropriately earned the top seed through the qualifiers. He also uncorked a stellar 3.71 seconds clocking in the opening round and then would have lane choice through the final, which proved to be vital on Sunday.

In the championship round on the quarter-mile straightaway track, Langdon had lane choice in his clash with Doug Kalitta by virtue of his faster elimination clocking and that might have made the difference in a final in which the outcome hinged on immeasurable.

Langdon and Kalitta were virtually inseparable from the start and all the way to the finish where Langdon (3.76 seconds, 334 mph) nipped Kalitta (3.76 seconds, 334 mph) by two ten-thousandths of a second in a virtual dead-heat finish.

“All weekend long the group had the car just right,� Langdon said after recording his third consecutive NHRA victory. “Anytime you go up against someone like Doug Kalitta, you know it’s not about the car it’s about the driver. The car was perfect, so if I get beat there then that’s on the driver. I never saw him. Usually if you see the other car at the finish that’s not a good thing.�

Among those drivers expected to contend for the Funny Car title on Sunday afternoon, Jack Beckman was clearly viewed as the one to beat having posted the lowest elapsed time in the qualifiers. Beckman was still clearly the fastest performer in the opening round courtesy of a 3.93 clocking and later by taking the semifinals with a day’s best 3.92 finish.

But the final belonged to Prock (3.95 seconds, 324 mph) who edged Beckman by two one-hundredths of a second.

“Look who’s laughing now,� Prock said. “To see this whole Ford racing team do what they were able to do this weekend was awesome. I know we’re still 200 points behind in the points standings, but last year we finished more than 200 clear of the runner-up, so there’s still time. But to come here and win this event was amazing. I mean, the fans were amazing.�

In the Pro Stock bracket, Greg Anderson (6.47 seconds, 212 mph), who upended top seed Greg Stanfield in the semifinals, dispatched Dallas Glenn soon after the start to garner the final. Anderson had earned lane choice for his semifinal matchup with Stanfield and opted for the left lane, noting the ability to view the tree more clearly from that starting spot.

“There’s a lot of history here and I used to have so much fun here,� said Anderson, who recorded the 114th victory of his career. “Right after 9/11, when the whole world changed, I got my first win. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here, but it was great to come back and be able to walk away with the diamond [trophy]. You have to have some luck when you’re racing and the weather was absolutely perfect all three days.�

Then in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, top seed Angie Smith (6.68 seconds, 201 mph) not only prevailed but did so in emphatic, historic fashion. Smith established a new track record for the class, erasing the mark she had set an hour earlier in the semifinals. It was her first victory in four years, her fourth overall and the 200th for women in the NHRA series history.

“This entire weekend was such an emotional whirlwind,� said Smith, who recorded her first win since 2022 and her fourth overall and posted the 200th win for women in NHRA history. “I was bummed after what happened in Chicago. But today we all came together. This means so much. On Friday, I thought we were going to be heading home but then [husband] Matt [Smith] said be ready because we’re racing four bikes this weekend.�

In the Top Alcohol Funny Car competition, overall top seed Sean Bellemier (5.39 seconds, 270 mph) defeated Bob McCosh (5.45 seconds, 268 mph) in the championship final, while New Jersey resident Jackie Frick (5.47 seconds, 274 mph) defeated Maryland resident Gary Pritchet to garner the Top Fuel Dragster title. Cole Rudy, 14, won the Junior Dragster (7.91 seconds) Division I title on Sunday.