Doug Kalitta’s persistence finally paid off Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, where the Top Fuel veteran delivered his first victory of the 2025 season in front of a massive crowd at the 37th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals presented by PowerEdge. The triumph ended a frustrating drought for the former world champion and established a new Top Fuel record at the historic Northern California facility.

Kalitta’s breakthrough came at the expense of reigning world champion Antron Brown in a final round that showcased the veteran’s resilience and determination. Running 3.752 seconds at 334.57 mph in his dragster, Kalitta powered past Brown’s 4.067 to claim his 56th career victory and sixth at Sonoma Raceway—now the most in Top Fuel history at the venue.

“We’ve been trying to get a win for quite a while. Obviously, we’re qualifying well and for me, it’s definitely a confidence builder,” Kalitta reflected after his emotional victory celebration. “Back in the day, when I first started, this was the first place I won, so it definitely has a lot of cool history for me and it’s always nice to come out here.”

The victory represented a breakthrough for Kalitta, who had been spectacular during qualifying sessions with six No. 1 qualifiers this season but struggled to maintain consistency through elimination rounds on race day. Sunday’s performance demonstrated the veteran’s ability to channel his qualifying speed into race-winning performance when it mattered most.

Kalitta’s path to the finals included victories over Ron August Jr. and Josh Hart before his decisive win over Brown. The triumph marked his first Sonoma victory since 2005, adding extra significance to a long-awaited breakthrough.

“Antron is never easy. I was just happy when the light came on in my lane. It’s been a while,” Kalitta noted. “It’s good timing for me and my team, you know, going into the stretch here.”

Brown’s run to the finals marked his third championship round appearance of 2025, advancing through victories over Ida Zetterstrom, Justin Ashley, and points leader Shawn Langdon. Despite the loss, Langdon maintains a 48-point championship advantage over Tony Stewart through 12 races.

In Funny Car, Austin Prock extended his dominant 2025 campaign with his fifth victory of the season, defeating rookie Spencer Hyde in the final round with a pass of 3.904 at 333.82. The John Force Racing standout continued his remarkable reign in the loaded Funny Car division while claiming his first career victory at Sonoma.

Prock’s weekend included a historic moment when he recorded the first 340-mph run of the year in Funny Car, going 3.833 at 340.90 in his opening-round victory over Cruz Pedregon. The world record-holder followed with wins against Paul Lee and Seattle winner Matt Hagan before dispatching Hyde in the final.

“This is huge with the crowd here all weekend long. It was outstanding, and I never realized how many fans I had here in Sonoma County,” Prock said. “We struggled in qualifying and struggled in Seattle last weekend, so we had a lot of work to do. We went to work and we had four different setups that we were trying throughout the weekend, and we came across something that showed a little potential.”

Prock’s wire-to-wire victory in the final strengthened his championship position, extending his points lead to 201 over Hagan. Hyde’s runner-up finish marked his second final round appearance in what has been an impressive rookie campaign.

The Pro Stock final round delivered one of the most emotionally charged moments in recent NHRA history as Greg Stanfield faced his son Aaron in an unprecedented family showdown. The elder Stanfield emerged victorious with a run of 6.552 at 211.49, claiming his first victory in the class since 2011 and Elite Motorsports’ first win of 2025.

The all-Elite Motorsports final ended KB Titan Racing’s string of dominance while providing Greg Stanfield with his sixth career professional victory. His path to the final included dramatic pedaling victories over Matt Latino and reigning world champion Greg Anderson.

“We both obviously dream about this, so to be able to do it’s incredible,” the elder Stanfield said. “I’m just blessed to be able to have this opportunity to race Aaron. I can’t describe it. Who won doesn’t matter. Our deal was who left first and Aaron got me, so he actually won. The win light came on my side, but he actually won.”

Aaron Stanfield, the defending Sonoma winner, reached his first final of 2025 and 26th of his career through victories over Cory Reed, Cody Coughlin, and No. 1 qualifier Dallas Glenn. Despite the loss, his strong .016 reaction time demonstrated the skills that have made him one of Pro Stock’s elite competitors.

Glenn’s early exit allowed him to maintain his points lead, though his advantage over Greg Anderson narrowed to 37 points through 10 Pro Stock races.

Pro Stock Motorcycle provided its own compelling narrative as Richard Gadson bounced back from Saturday’s disappointment in spectacular fashion. After going red by .001 in the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout final, Gadson channeled his frustration into a dominant Sunday performance.

Qualifying No. 1 for the first time in his career, Gadson defeated B Hawkes and Angie Smith before chasing down John Hall in the final round. His winning pass of 6.756 at 199.97 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki secured his second career victory, with both coming in the last five races.

“This is all about getting right back after it following that red light and I probably couldn’t think of a better way to do it than how this day turned out,” Gadson explained. “Normally, when something like that happens, you’ve got to sit on it for a week or however long until the next race. Luckily for me, I got to go back out the next day and try it again.”

Hall’s path to his second final in three races included victories over Chris Bostick, points leader Gaige Herrera, and Saturday’s All-Star Callout winner Matt Smith. Herrera maintains his championship lead with a 70-point advantage over Gadson heading into the season’s final stretch.

With 12 of 20 races complete in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, championship battles are intensifying across all categories. Langdon’s Top Fuel lead, Prock’s Funny Car dominance, and the tightening Pro Stock chase set up compelling storylines for the season’s second half.

The series returns to action August 14-17 at Brainerd International Raceway for the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, where Sunday’s winners will look to build momentum in their respective championship pursuits.

For Kalitta, the Sonoma breakthrough represents validation of his persistent efforts and a reminder that experience and determination remain potent weapons in professional drag racing’s most competitive era.