The eight spots in the NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout are in place, but the real fun is only just beginning in the first callout specialty race for the class. It will grab a marquee spotlight on Saturday May 20 as part of the NHRA’s return to Chicago at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.
It’s the NHRA’s first race in Chicago in four years and the eight drivers in the NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout are determined to steal the show. Dallas Glenn is the top seed and gets the first pick in the specialty race, and the drivers seeded second through eighth are Matt Hartford, Kyle Koretsky, Aaron Stanfield, Troy Coughlin Jr., Cristian Cuadra, reigning and five-time world champ Erica Enders and Camrie Caruso.
It’s a loaded lineup in the unique specialty event, which starts with the actual callout on Friday at 3 p.m. CT. Glenn will make the first selection, getting his choice of seven other drivers. If Hartford isn’t called out, he gets the next selection, followed by Koretsky until all first-round matchups are set.
With four drivers from KB Titan Racing and four from Elite Motorsports, it ups the ante even more and Glenn is thrilled with the spotlight the class will receive.
“I’m really excited to do this. It’s going to be a huge thing for our class,” Glenn said. “I’m also really excited about the car I have this year. I don’t feel like it’s been absolutely the best car every race, but it’s been the most consistent car, I think, and it’s probably the best car I’ve ever been in. I’ve never raced a Pro Stock car at Chicago. It’s a great track and I think it will be really good for my driving style and my car.
The opening round of the NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout takes place at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 20, followed by the semifinals at 3:15 p.m. and the final round at 4:55 p.m. CT. A special broadcast highlighting the callout takes place from 4-5 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) on Sunday, May 21.
The winning driver who makes the quickest run in the opening round will select their semifinal opponent, with a big purse and major bragging rights on the line in the finals. With all that in mind, the rest of the field in the NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout is ready to get to work on Saturday.
Matt Hartford, driver of the Total Seal/CIP1/GETTRX Chevrolet Camaro:“I’ll tell you what, it’s an honor to even be involved in this All-Star Callout this year. We know the exposure is going to be huge. We’re going to have an audience we’ve never had before and there’s going to be eight of us out there all with the same goal, and that’s to take the money home at the end of the day.”
Kyle Koretsky, driver of the Lucas Oil Camaro: “I definitely think we have a consistent car, but I think it’s time to get the driver on point. I’m super excited we’re in this. It’s my first time in something like this. We’ve got four KB Titan cars and four Elite cars in the (Callout), so it’s pretty cool.”
Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Janac Brothers Camaro: “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you’re competing for a million bucks or $2, I’m going there to win. I’m just going to go out there and try to do the best job I can do.”
Troy Coughlin Jr., driver of the JEGS.com Camaro: “I’m all in. Bring it on. We’ve got a tech card into a shootout and I’m all in. There’s definitely a lot of luster to this and a lot of excitement. It’s definitely going to be a lot of fun and we can’t wait.”
Cristian Cuadra, driver of the Corral Boots Camaro: “We’ve had to work really hard, but hopefully I can win it and I can make my dad happy. We need to try to do everything perfect in this class, so I’m always trying. My car is running really well right now, so hopefully I can do something good.”
Erica Enders, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Camaro: “We were able to score our first Pro Stock victory in Chicago, so there’s a lot of really fond memories on that property. It’s been a bit of a lackluster start for us, but we are super determined. It’s pretty awesome we’re able to do this with our class. We’re looking at seven other people who have the capability of winning, so we’re going to have to give it our best shot and we’re going to have some fun.”
Camrie Caruso, driver of the Tequila Comisario Camaro: “This Saturday race will be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to see who gets called out on Friday. I will be ready to take on any of these drivers. I am glad I have three KB Titan Racing teammates in this race me.”
2023 NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout Final Standings
1. Dallas Glenn
2. Matt Hartford
3. Kyle Koretsky
4. Aaron Stanfield
5. Troy Coughlin Jr.
6. Cristian Cuadra
7. Erica Enders
8. Camrie Caruso
(Note: Glenn will get the first selection for the opening round, followed by the next-highest seeded driver until matchups are set.)
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car), Deric Kramer (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the most recent Chicago race in 2019 and this year’s event will be on Fox Sports 1 (FS1). It is the sixth of 21 races during the 2023 campaign and early-season event is loaded with special events on Saturday, including the #2Fast2Tasty Mission NHRA Challenge in both nitro classes and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Qualifying opens on Friday, May 19 at 5 p.m. CT, leading into qualifying at 1 and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 20. Eliminations begin at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, May 21. All the action from the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance will also be featured on FS1, including qualifying shows on Friday and Sunday, and action from eliminations on Sunday.
Tickets for the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance are on sale now at NHRA.com/tickets. For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.
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