TORRENCE SCORES SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON
The four-time NHRA championship closes within one round of the points lead

MADISON, Ill. (October 2, 2022) – Steve Torrence earned his second win of the season as he claimed victory from the No. 1 qualifying spot in St. Louis. For Toyota, it is the fifth Top Fuel win in the last six national events. With the victory, Torrence closes to within 14 points of fellow Toyota Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley for the points lead.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps advanced to his third final round in the last four events and came up just short in the finals to Robert Hight.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
Race 19 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Winner	W. 3.715 v. 3.910(Hull) W. 3.763 v. 3.806(Millican) W. 3.725 v. 4.108(Kalitta) W. 3.741 v. 3.749(Hart)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-Finals	W. 3.901 v. 6.318(Foley) W. 3.767 v. 3.833(B. Force) L. 4.108 v. 3.725(Torrence)
Shawn Langdon	DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-Finals	W. 3.760 v. 3.747 (Holeshot Win – Wurtzel) W. 3.760 v. 9.253(Schumacher) L. 3.744 v. 3.712(Hart)
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L. 4.476 v. 3.946(Salinas)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L. 6.514 v. 5.829(Millican)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Finalist	W. 3.938 v. 4.055(D. Wilkerson) W. 3.927 v. 3.938(Pedregon) W. 3.884 v. 3.950(J. Force) L. 3.908 v. 3.911(Holeshot Loss – Hight)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Second Round	W. 3.928 v. 3.928(Holeshot Win –DeJoria) L. 3.967 v. 3.968(Holeshot Loss – J. Force)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L. 3.928 v. 3.928(Holeshot Loss – DeJoria

TOYOTA QUOTES

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

Final Result: Winner

How was your race?
“Every round was a big round for us. Going up there against Clay (Millican), I thought I lost. I never saw a light all day, so you go around the corner and I’m wondering if you won or if I lost. I felt like he was ahead of me. I watched him the whole way. I knew I was late. I was thinking I lost on a holeshot, I’m going to have to deal with this. I come around the corner and they are wheeling me towards the television. Well, here goes this. It is insult to injury because now I’m going to have to explain my holeshot loss and then Clay told me I won and I kind of got happy about it. Third round against Doug (Kalitta), just a good race. I think I flickered the bulb no less than 10 times. It would never lock on. Finally, I said I’m going to go in another bump and see if I could get it on, and then a good drag race. They were going for it. Going in the final, racing Josh (Hart). Josh is very predictable on what he does on the tree. I had in my mind that he didn’t want to go first and he doesn’t hod you out or anything, so I went in. I stole a little bit. The car probably ran a hundredth better, but that .027 – none of us are Justin Ashley. For my old butt to do it, I was proud of that one. I think Josh rolled his in too. In the final round, that is what you do. It’s time to race and it’s time to get it done.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

Final Result: Finals

How was your race?

Man, what a day. The competition just ratchets higher and higher with every race in these playoffs. Three races under our belt in the Countdown, and its bittersweet right now as we talk Sunday night because you get put into those positions in the final round like that, and those are the moments you’ve got to rise to. We had a great run in the final. I was trying to hang on to the car and keep it in the middle and I think that’s probably what cost us. Hight’s team did a great job and that’s what it’s going to continue to be at these last three races as we battle it out. They’re going to be tough; that’s the reason they’re leading the points. Our NAPA AutoCare team, what a bounce back after Friday night. There was no panic, everyone just went up and did their thing and we collected those bonus points and ended up No. 3 and of course, today was not easy. Everyone was throwing their shots at us, and there’s a reason there’s a No. 1 on this car and we’re the defending champions. So, Guido and Medlen, just a great job and it’s very encouraging to go to the next race in Dallas with such a great Toyota Supra and see if we can’t repeat what we did there last year and steal the trophy there as well.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Top Fuel | Funny Car
NHRA Midwest Nationals
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 | St. Louis

Event Overview

Friday, Sept. 30 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 7 p.m. CDT/8 p.m. EDT

Saturday, Oct. 1 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 2:30 p.m. CDT/3:30 p.m. EDT

● Nitro qualifying session (Q3): 5:30 p.m. CDT/6:30 p.m. EDT

Sunday, Oct. 2 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Round 1: 10:30 a.m. CDT/11:30 a.m. EDT

● Round 2: 12:45 p.m. CDT/1:45 p.m. EDT

● Semifinals: 2:15 p.m. CDT/3:15 p.m. EDT

● Finals: 3:45 p.m. CDT/4:45 p.m. EDT

TV coverage on FS1

● Sunday, Oct. 2: Qualifying show recapping the action from Friday and Saturday (12:30 p.m. EDT)

● Sunday, Oct. 2: Finals show (2 p.m. EDT)

Notes of Interest

● The NHRA Midwest Nationals near St. Louis is the 19th race on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ 22-race schedule and it is the third round in the six-race Countdown to the Championship. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Leah Pruett (Top Fuel) and Matt Hagan (Funny Car) are both in the Countdown, with 2022 marking Pruett’s sixth appearance in the NHRA postseason and Hagan’s 11th.

● Pruett is 10th in the Top Fuel standings heading into St. Louis, 178 points behind championship leader Justin Ashley. Hagan is third in the Funny Car standings, 60 points behind leader Robert Hight. Pruett’s best career points finish is fourth, earned three times (2018, 2019 and 2020). Hagan is a three-time champion (2011, 2014 and 2020).

● Pruett is representing Sparkling Ice +Caffeine on her Top Fuel dragster at St. Louis. Hagan, meanwhile, has Baja Vida Snacks on his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car.

Sparkling Ice +Caffeine is a zero sugar, full-flavored sparkling water containing 70 milligrams of caffeine, along with vitamins and antioxidants. Sparkling Ice +Caffeine comes in six refreshing flavors: Black Raspberry, Blue Raspberry, Cherry Vanilla, Orange Passion Fruit, Strawberry and Citrus Twist. Pruett has served as an ambassador for Sparkling Ice since 2014 and the brand has been a part of all 10 of her Top Fuel victories.

● Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster will also feature Rite in the Rain as an associate sponsor. Rite in the Rain is a line of All-Weather notebooks and pens designed to handle any weather or environment. The Rite in the Rain story began nearly a century ago in the forests of the Great Northwest. Entrepreneur Jerry Darling recognized the logging industry’s need for a durable material that could be written on and survive in poor weather conditions. Darling developed a special coating that created a unique moisture shield on the hand-dipped sheets of paper. Located in Tacoma, Washington, Rite in the Rain’s continued mission is to provide products for professionals and enthusiasts who brave the outdoors.

● Baja Vida Snacks are influenced by the culture of the Baja Peninsula, where freshness and adventure abound. Its line of beef jerky has been a staple since the company’s inception in 2019, all of which are Baja inspired and support “The Flavor of Adventure”. Baja Vida Beef Jerky launched with five core flavors – Traditional, Lime & Serrano, Sweet Orange, Salsa Fresca and Churro. Two additional flavors were added in 2021 – Crackin’ Pepper and Street Taco. Baja Vida Snacks also offers a variety of beef sticks, dried mangos and seasonings. Baja Vida Snacks joined TSR earlier this year as an associate sponsor and the Midwest Nationals marks the brand’s first NHRA event as the primary sponsor of Hagan.

● The NHRA Midwest Nationals will be Pruett’s 190th career Top Fuel start and her seventh at St. Louis. For Hagan, the NHRA Midwest Nationals will be his 312th career Funny Car start and his 13th at the track.

● Pruett is seeking her first victory in the NHRA Midwest Nationals, as well as her first No. 1 qualifier at the event. Pruett has gone to the semifinals in three of her last four appearances (2018, 2019 and 2021). However, Pruett does own a win at the track – 2018 in Factory Stock Showdown. She has also competed in Pro Mod at St. Louis, advancing to the second round in 2012.

● Hagan enters the NHRA Midwest Nationals as the defending event champion. His 3.933 ET at 333.49 mph run defeated Bob Tasca III (3.967 ET at 329.99 mph) in last year’s event. Hagan has three No. 1 qualifiers at St. Louis, which came in 2013 (4.001 ET at 320.20 mph), 2015 (3.883 ET at 330.47 mph) and 2021 (3.875 ET at 327.03 mph). Hagan has gone to the finals five times in his last 10 appearances at St. Louis, with runner-up finishes in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2020.

● DYK? Built in 1967 solely as a drag-racing facility, St. Louis initially began as a 1/8-mile drag strip until the track was extended to a full 1/4-mile in 1971. Having been developed on dormant swampland that was long ago buried by the Mississippi River, the track soon adapted the nickname “The Swamp.” The facility now features a 1.25-mile oval that hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NTT INDYCAR Series, as well as a 2-mile infield road course and a state-of-the-art karting facility.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Sparkling Ice +Caffeine Top Fuel Dragster

St. Louis is known for being one of the faster tracks on the NHRA circuit. What makes the venue so unique?

“The fall Midwest, crisp weather makes for prime track conditions. Also, many teams are really dialed into their performance program at this point in the season. As teams get solid in their stride, elapsed times tend to plunge, especially midway into the Countdown. It’s do or darn near die trying to make a difference in your points standing.”

You and your team will focus on tuning your car to a maximum level at St. Louis. For the novice drag racing fan, explain the effect added tuning has on the parts and pieces of your Sparking Ice +Caffeine Top Fuel dragster.

“In the most ideal world, we would have maximum performance with minimal parts attrition. We expect to be able to push harder, while keeping our rotating assembly of parts healthy, but it’s usually bearings and pistons that take the most beating when the wick is turned up. You can even have a burnt gasket or head, which can be seen by a change in header pipe flame pattern and color, or additional flames in the wrong places. There are a strong handful of teams that have destroyed dozens of big ticket items like engine blocks, superchargers, injectors, etc., in search of maximizing their tune-up. My crew and crew chiefs have done a phenomenal job of running competitively, while keeping me and our parts safe as we systematically improve our overall package. It’s not something that happens overnight. It takes dozens of races and test sessions for the complete picture to come together of how to safely and effectively move forward.”

You’ve advanced to the semifinals in three of your last four appearances at St. Louis. Explain how significant it would be to advance to the finals now that we’re at the halfway point in the Countdown.

“The significance of making it to the finals in St. Louis would mean that we will have had the best hot rod and driver package that we’ve had all year. The competition is exponentially stiff and our program will have elevated at a high rate of speed throughout qualifying and eliminations to make it through that field. We have the mindset and strategy going into St. Louis qualifying to do just that with our Sparkling Ice +Caffeine dragster.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Baja Vida Snacks Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

You’re the defending event winner at St. Louis and you’ve advanced to the finals in five of your last 10 appearances at the track. What makes you so successful at St. Louis?

“It feels like it took me a long time to win at St. Louis. We need to win there this year, to be honest, if we want to win the championship. It’s a big race and there is a lot of pressure to perform to still be in the hunt. We have to step up and do some big things in St. Louis.”

You’re 60 points out of the championship lead. Now that we’re at the halfway point in the Countdown, explain the significance of a high qualifying position and what gaining points mean in each round.

“The Countdown puts pressure on everyone. You have to rise to the occasion and I know we are very capable of doing that. I feel confident as a driver to do my part on the starting line. I know we have to come in and be aggressive and put down on the racetrack all that the track will take. We have to leave it all on the starting line.”

You’re running Baja Vida Snacks on your Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car for the first time this season. What does it mean to welcome a new sponsor to the NHRA?

“It’s amazing to have a sponsor like Baja Vida on the side of the car. To bring them into the NHRA is exciting for me and I genuinely enjoy their product. I love their dried mangos and the beef jerky. It’s a great product that I eat on the regular. I’m a cattle rancher and beef is what we do. To see a company like Baja Vida come in and want to be a part of our sport is a great thing. Hopefully, we can help grow their brand. I’m very blessed to be able to run a new paint scheme and have a new group of folks come in and check our sport out. I’m looking forward to promoting them at Menards. We want to make people aware of what a great product they have.”

98-year-old Carlyle resident is one of the last living WW II prisoners in Southern Illinois

September 27, 2022, St. Louis – Wilbert Vincent “Vince” Rolves was born in Albers, Illinois, in 1924. The 98-year-old resident of Carlyle, Illinois is one of the last living WW II prisoners of war in Southern Illinois. On Sunday, October 2, Rolves will serve as Grand Marshal for the annual NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.

Rolves was drafted into military service in 1942. After 13 weeks of basic training, he was assigned to the U.S. Army’s 45th Infantry Division and shipped overseas to the North African region of the European Theater.

In December of 1943, Rolves was shot and wounded during a battle in L’Aquila, a mountainous region in central Italy. He and his fellow soldiers were captured by German troops and endured a 45-day march to a prison camp. They survived the march on rations of only three potatoes per day and a slice of what is referred to as “black bread,” a concoction of most unappetizing ingredients.

At Stalag 13 in Hammelburg, Germany, the American POWs were forced into hard labor under unimaginable conditions. For the next 18 months, Rolves and his men toiled under the threat of death while subjected to a bitter, icy environment and extreme malnutrition. Rolves, who also tended the camp’s farm animals and milked the cows, lost 83 lbs. during his imprisonment.

Near the end of the war (June 1945), invading Russian forces liberated the prison camp.

“They came through and shot the locks off the gates and let us loose,” said Rolves. “There was about eight or 10 of us left on that farm. They told our guys, ‘Hey, you’re free. The gates are open. Go!’”

But the liberated soldiers still had to trek to reach American forces.

“We were about 50 miles away from the river and they told us how to get there on foot,” said Rolves. “We made it.”

His decorated military career is marked by a passionate perseverance through dire circumstances. He was honored for his sacrifices with a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and a Prisoner of War Medal.

“There was plenty of times I didn’t think I’d make it back to the good old USA,” said the decorated WW II veteran. “But thank God, I made it.”

Rolves returned to Illinois after the war and eventually settled in Carlyle. He married his wife, the former Loretta Hilda Thouvenin, in 1946. He opened a trucking business, and later transitioned to a position that he held for 30 years as a government employee within Scott Air Force Base.

Rolves was honored before the Illinois House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 12, 2019. In recognition of his service and sacrifice, the House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 569 sponsored by Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) during Rolves’ visit to the state capitol.

The resolution stated, “We commend, honor, and thank Wilbert Vincent “Vince” Rolves for his passionate and dedicated service to Illinois and his exemplary leadership during the Second World War and as a private citizen within the State of Illinois.”

“Without our veterans, our freedom wouldn’t be what it is today,” said Meier. “It doesn’t matter what is going on, Vince Rolves is always there to help his community. It was a privilege and honor to recognize Vince at the Illinois capitol. The sacrifice he made to protect and serve our country is something we must never forget.”

Rolves has established an organization for former POWs in the area, and he has shared his experiences with local students in the hope of offering an appreciation for the services and sacrifices of American servicemen and servicewomen.

“I first learned of Sgt. Rolves in one of our Military Affairs Committee meetings through Col. Rob Lowe, who is the Vice Commander of the 375th Air Mobility Wing at Scott Air Force Base,” said WWTR Executive Vice President and General Manager Chris Blair. “Col. Lowe told the heroic story of Sgt. Rolves and told me the Air Force base would be honoring him. His story is incredible and all of us at World Wide Technology Raceway believe that our American heroes should be recognized, and their stories shared with our fans. It is a great honor for us to have Sgt. Rolves attend the NHRA Midwest Nationals and serve as our Grand Marshal.“

THE EVENT

The world’s quickest and fastest race cars will converge at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, from September 30 to October 2 for the annual NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Midwest Nationals. The series’ premier classes are Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car, with nitromethane-burning 12,000-horsepower engines that rocket the cars from zero to more than 330 miles per hour in less than four seconds.

Some of the world’s biggest names in professional drag racing include:

• Five-time WWTR Top Fuel Dragster winner Antron Brown, a three-time NHRA champion.
• Legendary Funny Car pilot John Force, a 16-time champion with three WWTR wins.
• Five-time WWTR Pro Stock winner Erica Enders (four NHRA crowns).
• Two-time NHRA Funny Car champion Ron Capps (four WWTR final-round wins).

Friday’s high-speed action includes a nighttime qualifying session for Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster teams and the white-hot exhaust flames will light up the night. Friday’s activities will conclude with a concert by country music artist Tim Dugger and fireworks.

The Midwest Nationals are the third event in the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ Countdown to the Championship and the point battles will be fierce in all four pro categories.

Every ticket is a pit pass and fans are encouraged to meet their favorite drivers. Attractions include the manufacturers midway, interactive displays and a classic car show. Spectator gates will open each day at 8 a.m.

Tickets may be purchased at the WWTR ticket office, by phone at (618) 215-8888, or online at www.wwtraceway.com. Kids 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult in select sections. Although they are admitted free, each child must have a ticket. (Please call the ticket office for details.)

Friday, September 30

7:30 a.m. – Parking lots open.

8 a.m. – Spectator gates open.

8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. – Sportsman qualifying.

4 p.m. – Pro Mods.

6 p.m. – Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock Car qualifying.

7 p.m. – Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car qualifying.

Fireworks immediately after the final pair of Top Fuel cars, followed by a concert by country music artist Tim Dugger.

Saturday, October 1

7:30 a.m. – Parking lots open.

8 a.m. – Spectator gates open.

8 a.m. – Sportsman eliminations.

12:30 p.m. – Pro Mod qualifying.

1:30 p.m. — Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock Car qualifying.

2:30 p.m. — Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car qualifying.

3:45 p.m. – Pro Mods.

4:30 p.m. — Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Stock Car qualifying.

5:30 p.m. — Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car qualifying.

Sportsman eliminations continue until approximately 8 p.m.

Sunday, October 2

7:30 a.m. – Parking lots open.

8 a.m. – Spectator gates open.

9:30 a.m. – Pre-race ceremonies.

10:30 a.m. – First round of Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car eliminations.

12:45 p.m. – Second round of Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car eliminations.

2:15 p.m. – Third round of Top Fuel Dragster and Funny Car eliminations.

3:30 p.m. – Final round of eliminations.

4 p.m. – Victory lane celebration.

About World Wide Technology Raceway

World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) is the only track in the world to host the premier series of NASCAR, INDYCAR, and NHRA . Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering more than 600 acres, WWTR is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. WWTR’s facilities include a 1/4-mile drag strip, 1.25-mile superspeedway, 2.0-mile road course, the Gateway Kartplex (a state-of-the-art karting facility), and the adjacent Gateway National Golf Links. WWTR and owner Curtis Francois have been recognized with several awards, including: 2021 Comcast Community Champion of the Year; 2021 Jack Buck Award; 2020 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Track Award; 2018 Innovator Award from the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission; 2017 Outstanding Facility of the Year Award from the Race Track Business Conference; and the 2017 Spirit of St. Louis Award from the St. Louis Attractions Association.

Our mission: We are committed to making a difference in our community, while providing first-class entertainment and memories that last a lifetime.

• No. 2 Qualifier Matt Hagan of Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drove his Shelor Motor Mile Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to the semifinals at the Betway Carolina Nationals, the second of six National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” playoff series events
• Hagan’s second semifinal performance of the playoffs keeps him in the Funny Car championship hunt just 60 points behind the category leader Robert Hight
• TSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett qualified her Code 3 Associates Dodge//SRT dragster 13th for eliminations at the Charlotte, North Carolina, area dragstrip but saw her day shortened by a first round exit 
• Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat No. 10 for eliminations but had an opening round loss that dropped him to ninth place in the championship battle

September 25, 2022, Concord, North Carolina – Funny Car driver Matt Hagan drove his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat from the No. 2 qualifier position to his second straight semifinal performance in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, the second of six playoff series events.

Sporting the colors of Shelor Motor Mile, his family-owned car dealership, Hagan, a two-time winner (2011,2014) at the Carolina Nationals, earned the second spot on the eliminations ladder with a 3.861-second elapsed time run at 329.99 mph and earned two valuable bonus points for his efforts. He drove his HEMI®-powered Dodge to a first round win against No. 13 seed John Smith and then had a second round bye-run to advance to a semifinal match-up against No. 9 seed Alexis DeJoria.

Hagan had the quicker launch with a 0.068-second reaction time to DeJoria’s 0.072-second start and the lead past the 330-foot mark before seeing his opponent next to him at the 600-foot marker. While Hagan drove his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to a solid 3.893 sec./334.07 mph run, DeJoria was able to edge him at the stripe recording a 3.887/332.02 pass to steal the round win with a margin of victory of 0.0028 seconds. 

The pair of semifinal performances to start the playoffs put Hagan within 60 points of the category leader Robert Hight, and while he drops to third place in the standings behind Carolina Nationals winner Ron Capps, only 33 markers separate them as the battle for top spot tightens up with four events remaining in the fight for the Funny Car crown.

TSR Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett had her Dodge//SRT dragster dressed up in the Code 3 Associates paint scheme in support of the organization specializing in animal rescue and recovery in disaster areas and started off the Carolina Nationals weekend with a good run at 3.758 seconds at 316.82 mph, theeighth quickest pass of Friday’s qualifying session. That elapsed time run ultimately put her 13th on the eliminations ladder and paired her with No. 4 seed Mike Salinas for Sunday’s opening round.

Pruett’s 11-thousand horsepower Dodge//SRT dragster had a clean elapsed time run at 3.796-second, but at 314 mph, she didn’t quite have the speed to beat Salinas’ 3.696 sec./331.20 mph pass. With back-to-back first round exits, Pruett drops two positions in the Top Fuel championship standings to find herself battling for the championship from tenth place, 178 points behind leader Justin Ashley.

Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon, qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat 10th for Sunday’s eliminations with a best run of 3.903 seconds at 326.00 mph to draw No. 5 seed Bob Tasca III for his first round opponent. Pedregon made a good pass with a 3.945-second/ 320.05 mph effort but it wasn’t quite enough to challenge Tasca’s 3.882/330.80 pass and advance further. Unfortunately, the first round loss drops Pedregon to ninth place in the Funny Car playoff rankings, 178 markers behind the category leader.

The NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” moves on to St. Louis next weekend for the Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway, Sept. 30- Oct. 2, for the third of six playoff series events. FS1 will present qualifying highlights on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 12:30 p.m. ET with race day coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Leah Pruett, Code 3 Associates Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster  

(No. 13 Qualifier – 3.758 seconds at 316.82 mph)

Round 1: (0.077-second reaction time, 3.796-second elapsed time run at 314.39 mph) loss to No. 4 Mike Salinas (0.068/3.696/331.20)

“I wish we had better results to report, but I think the biggest frustration for us other than not going past the first round was that this Code 3 Associates team made bigger moves to the racecar than we’ve made all year. We asked it to have quicker speed earlier and it was just extremely unresponsive. We went to some extreme levels from a tune-up standpoint. We were the most tuned-up we’ve been all season long. It’s not necessarily that the weather conditions called for that. We needed to find our ground zero again. We dropped a hole first round 250 feet out. It didn’t quite give us a fighting chance against (Mike) Salinas because he really threw down with the 0.69. For us, we’ve had to recalibrate. You would think over the course of the season, you would just continue to build on what you have. For us, there’s been a horsepower thief somewhere running rampant through our pit. Our parts look great, but the car hasn’t been responsive. The highlight is finally in the first round, we did make some mile-an-hour moves early, which we were looking for. We are a full orbit away from where we need to be. We don’t have the understanding quite yet of why, but we know what the car is asking for. The car is asking to be shoved and we’re going to have to find where that cliff is and shove it off the cliff. Our parts came back healthy, even having a cylinder out, which shows we can put some more tune-up in it. Those have been our efforts. Going into St. Louis, it’s literally going to be everything we have, and parts being ready for everything that they can give.”

Matt Hagan, Shelor Motor Mile Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 2 Qualifier – 3.861 seconds at 329.99 mph)

Round 1: (0.086-second reaction time, 3.929 seconds at 315.71 mph) defeats No. 13 John Smith (0.078/4.369/217.70)

Round 2: (0.103/10.423/77.63) bye-run

Round 3: (0.068/3.893/334.07) loss to No. 9 Alexis DeJoria (0.072/3.887/332.02)

“All in all, we had a pretty decent weekend. We were the No. 2 qualifier, which helped being on the top side of the ladder and gave us the bye after Round 1 into the semifinals. Unfortunately, we’re on the back side of good drag racing lately and that was the case today going up against Alexis (DeJoria). We came up a little short in Indy and here in Charlotte. It stinks because I know we’re running good. It always comes down to the last race in the Countdown. We need to just keep digging hard and being aggressive going down the racetrack. We can always look back and say we should’ve done something differently, but you go up there thinking you’re doing the right things and it just wasn’t quite enough today.”

Cruz Pedregon, Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.903 seconds at 326.00 mph)

Round 1: (0.119-second reaction time, 3.945 second elapsed time run at 320.05 mph) loss to No. 5 Bob Tasca (0.078/3.882/330.80)

“After two rounds in the NHRA ‘Countdown to the Championship’, we have some work to do. It was a tough day for us here at Charlotte. We lost first round to Bob Tasca after we didn’t qualify as well as we would’ve liked. We ran a 3.90 at 326 mph to take position No. 10 but ideally you want to be in the top five or six like we were earlier in the year. We know what we have to do. We just have to make some more power and get the car more consistent. That’s gonna be key moving forward. We’ll go on to St. Louis and try to get things dialed in more there. We had a good team meeting with the guys and they’re all upbeat and still excited. There’s still four races to go so we still have some great races left and some great momentum we can build. We just have to get better. We have to get the car to go faster, quicker, and we’re going to work on that.”

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Robert Hight 2283 (7)

2.  Ron Capps: 2256 (4)

3.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 2223 (3)

4.  John Force: 2209 (1)

5.  Bob Tasca III: 2179 (3)

6.  Alexis DeJoria: 2154

7.  J.R. Todd: 2133

8.  Tim Wilkerson: 2121

9. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 2105

10. Jim Campbell: 2054

11. Blake Alexander: 2032

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Justin Ashley: 2272 (2)

2.  Antron Brown 2229 (3)

3.  Brittany Force: 2200 (4)

4.  Mike Salinas: 2218(4) 

5.  Steve Torrence: 2167 (1)

6.  Doug Kalitta: 2140

7. Josh Hart: 2139 (1) 

8.  Austin Prock: 2129 (1)

9. Clay Millican: 2125

10.  Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 2094 (1)

11. Shawn Langdon: 2084

12. Tony Schumacher: 2064 (1)

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT Hellcat versions of the Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger and Dodge Durango, as well as an R/T plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the all-new 2023 Dodge Hornet, representing the brand’s first-ever electrified performance vehicle. Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock; the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world; and the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever; and best-in-class standard performance in the compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet. Combined, these four muscle vehicles make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2022, the Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market), making it the only domestic brand ever to do so three years in a row. In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). 

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Mopar

This year marks the 85th anniversary of Mopar.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar  expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com and the newly redesigned Mopar blog at blog.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: @DodgeMoparMotorsports, @DodgeOfficial and @OfficialMopar

Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Top Fuel | Funny Car
Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals
Sept. 23-25 | Charlotte, North Carolina

Event Recap

Leah Pruett, driver of the Code 3 Associates Top Fuel Dragster:

● Earned No. 8 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.758 ET at 316.82 mph).

● Earned No. 11 provisional qualifying position based off Friday’s Q1 run. In Q2 on Saturday, Pruett ran 4.446 ET at 178.50 mph.

● Secured No. 13 qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.754 ET at 325.92 mph).

● Ran a 3.796 ET at 314.39 mph in Round 1 of eliminations on Sunday, lost to Mike Salinas (3.696 ET at 331.20 mph).

● Currently 10th in the Top Fuel championship standings, 178 points behind leader Justin Ashley.

Matt Hagan, driver of the Shelor Motor Mile Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car:

● Earned No. 2 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.861 ET at 329.99 mph).

● Maintained No. 2 provisional qualifying position after Q2 on Saturday (6.692 ET at 99.83 mph).

● Secured No. 2 qualifying position based off Friday’s Q1 run. In Q3 on Saturday, Hagan ran a 6.427 ET at 106.11 mph.

● Advanced to Semifinals on Sunday:

●  Round 1: 3.929 ET at 315.71 mph, defeated John Smith (4.369 ET at 217.70 mph).

●  Round 2: 10.423 ET at 77.63 mph in a bye.

● Semifinals: 3.893 ET at 334.01 mph, lost to Alexis DeJoria (3.887 ET at 332.02 mph).

● Currently third in the Funny Car championship standings, 60 points behind leader Robert Hight.

Notes of Interest

● Hagan improved upon his previous performance at Charlotte back on May 1 when he competed NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. In that event nearly five months ago, Hagan advanced to Round 2. In the Carolina Nationals, Hagan advanced to the semifinals.

● Hagan and DeJoria faced each other for the fifth time in eliminations this season and the first time at Charlotte. Despite losing to DeJoria in the semifinal, Hagan holds a 16-10 overall record against DeJoria.

● Code 3 Associates was represented on Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster at Charlotte during the Carolina Nationals. Code 3 Associates is a non-profit organization specializing in animal rescue and recovery in disaster areas, and the Colorado-based organization has response counties in Florida currently in the path of Hurricane Ian. Code 3 Associates has compiled a list of ways to prepare for a disaster and people can support their deployment to Florida by providing a donation here.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Code 3 Associates Top Fuel Dragster

“I wish we had better results to report, but I think the biggest frustration for us other than not going past the first round was that this Code 3 Associates team made bigger moves to the racecar than we’ve made all year. We asked it to have quicker speed earlier and it was just extremely nonresponsive. We went to some extreme levels from a tune-up standpoint. We were the most tuned-up we’ve been all season long. It’s not necessarily that the weather conditions called for that. We needed to find our ground zero again. We dropped a hole first round 250 feet out. It didn’t quite give us a fighting chance against (Mike) Salinas because he really threw down with the .69. For us, we’ve had to recalibrate. You would think over the course of the season, you would just continue to build on what you have. For us, there’s been a horsepower thief somewhere running rampant through our pit. Our parts look great, but the car hasn’t been responsive. The highlight is finally in the first round, we did make some mile-an-hour moves early, which we were looking for. We are a full orbit away from where we need to be. We don’t have the understanding quite yet of why, but we know what the car is asking for. The car is asking to be shoved and we’re going to have to find where that cliff is and shove it off the cliff. Our parts came back healthy, even having a cylinder out, which shows we can put some more tune-up in it. Those have been our efforts. Going into St. Louis, it’s literally going to be everything we have, and parts being ready for everything that they can give.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Shelor Motor Mile Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

“All in all, we had a pretty decent weekend. We were the No. 2 qualifier, which helped being on the top side of the ladder and gave us the bye after Round 1 into the semifinals. Unfortunately, we’re on the back side of good drag racing lately and that was the case today going up against Alexis (DeJoria). We came up a little short in Indy and here in Charlotte. It stinks because I know we’re running good. It always comes down to the last race in the Countdown. We need to just keep digging hard and being aggressive going down the racetrack. We can always look back and say we should’ve done something differently, but you go up there thinking you’re doing the right things and it just wasn’t quite enough today.”

Next Up

The next event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule is the NHRA Midwest Nationals Sept. 30-Oct. 2 near St. Louis, Missouri. It is the third event in the Countdown to the Championship and the fourth-to-last race of the season.

• Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), and Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) scored final-round wins on Sunday in the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway
• Brown’s victory was his sixth at zMAX Dragway and his first since 2016
• Fans can buy tickets to upcoming speedway events, including the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 on Oct. 9, by visiting online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 25, 2022) – Antron Brown hadn’t won at zMAX Dragway in six years, but the three-time Top Fuel champion reset the counter after a brilliant run in Sunday’s final round of the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Brown blitzed Charlotte’s pavement with a 3.672-second, 335.73-mile-per-hour run — enough to edge No. 1 qualifier Justin Ashley by .0195 seconds. The win was Brown’s sixth at the Bellagio of drag strips and a much-needed boost in Brown’s bid for a fourth title in the Countdown to the Championship.

“We didn’t qualify where we wanted to qualify, and we knew we had to run better,” said Brown, who won for the third time in the last four races. “We’ve been working on it. Justin Ashley’s been on it lately and he was quick all weekend.

“We’re just raising the level because we’ve got to step it up. Justin’s the toughest competitor out there, hands down. If you asked any driver out there, ‘Would you want to face Justin Ashley?’ Every single one would say, ‘No.’ I had to pull out every trick in the book to win this weekend. This is so special, because this is a win for our race team, and our race team is a family.”

Ron Capps made it a nitro sweep for Toyota on Sunday, matching Brown’s Top Fuel win with a Funny Car triumph. Capps, a two-time NHRA Funny Car champion, used a 3.967-second, 267.32-mph run to top Alexis DeJoria in the final.

Capps’ engine blew before he crossed the line, but the blue NAPA Auto Parts car retained just enough speed to win the race and move to within 27 points of Robert Hight’s Funny Car points lead.

“(DeJoria) had just been so good all weekend but I didn’t want to be her fourth victim (in eliminations),” Capps said. “It was going along well (in the final round), then it started grinding and it just quit. I coasted through, my light went on and she went whizzing by me, coasting. I was like, ‘I don’t even know what happened, but this is going to be cool to see later on.’

“I just want to get back in the fight. You have to hope somebody has bad luck, which is unfortunate, but that’s the way it is. When you lose (in the Countdown to the Championship), I assure you that every other mechanic out there is celebrating. That’s just how it is. It’s fun to be right back in it.”

Aaron Stanfield held off Matt Hartford to score his third Pro Stock victory of the year after a 6.567-second, 210.21-mph pass in the final gave Stanfield a win by .0285 seconds.

Stanfield entered Sunday’s eliminations ranked fifth in the championship, but gained significant ground after the win.

“We wanted to turn things around this weekend, and we did,” Stanfield said. “Our hot rod was running well all weekend. I’ve been racing for a little bit and every time I focus on points, I start to think about it (too much). I just want to do well, keep getting results and keep winning races.”

Stanfield also saluted the late O. Bruton Smith, Speedway Motorsports’ founder and the man who built zMAX Dragway in 2008.

“All of (Smith’s) facilities are top-notch and it’s always a pleasure to get to race here,” Stanfield said. “The fans were fantastic this weekend.”

MORE INFO:
Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on Twitter and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

• John Force (Funny Car), Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) earned No. 1 qualifier spots following Saturday’s final rounds of qualifying for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway
• Top Fuel driver Brittany Force posted a track-record speed of 336.91 mph in Saturday’s third round of qualifying
• Fans can buy tickets to Sunday’s Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at the gates or online

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 24, 2022) – Justin Ashley took the top spot, but Brittany Force rewrote the record books during Saturday’s Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals qualifying at zMAX Dragway.

Ashley edged Force to the top seed for Sunday’s eliminations with a 3.665-second, 335.65-mile-per-hour run in the third round of qualifying. Force, the driver who went up against Ashley on track, posted a track-record speed of 336.91 mph en route to the No. 2 seed for Sunday’s eliminations.

Ashley scored his second No. 1 qualifier honor of the season and of his career – both at zMAX Dragway.

“Every day is a dogfight, whether it’s a race or a qualifying session,” Ashley said. “I think we’ve made a statement that we’re here to play. We’re just out here having fun and trying to build something special. To see how far our program has come in three years’ time (since debuting in Top Fuel) is a testament to the partners we have and the team we have.”

John Force retained his top qualifier honors in Funny Car competition, with fellow contenders Matt Hagan and Robert Hight unable to unseat Force following his 3.854-second, 330.47-mph run in Friday’s first round of qualifying.

“We’ll see what happens Sunday and I know the cards are leaning my way, but I know the competition we have to face,” said Force, who earned his 165th career No. 1 qualifier.

“It feels good to qualify No. 1. I’m excited to have the low time and I love being in the game with these guys.”

Erica Enders maintained her spot as the No. 1 seed in Pro Stock time trials, besting her time and speed from Friday with a best-in-class 6.510-second, 212.46-mph pass in Round 2. Enders’ effort gives the four-time champion a shot at her fourth win from the No. 1 seed in as many tries this year.

“I think (the results) just speak to what we’re capable of,” Enders said. “To come in here and bank points, we’re just going to keep chipping away at it and trying to maintain our lead.

“Having said that, race day is a different day. We’ve got to just keep going after it. I don’t want to miss out on anything this year, and I don’t want to leave anything on the table.”

Fans attending Sunday’s eliminations will be welcomed with clear skies and comfortable temperatures, as the drama of the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship heats up at the Bellagio of drag strips.

TICKETS:
To purchase Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals tickets, fans can call 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or shop online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. Every ticket is a pit pass, and kids 12 and under get in FREE.

MORE INFO:
Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on Twitter and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

• John Force (Funny Car), Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) won provisional No. 1 qualifier spots during Friday’s first round of qualifying for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway
• Fans can buy tickets to the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at the gates or online

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 23, 2022) – John Force picked up where he left off on Friday at zMAX Dragway.

Force, the winningest Funny Car driver of all time and the most recent winner at zMAX Dragway, earned provisional No. 1 qualifier honors with a scintillating 330.47-mile-per-hour, 3.854-second pass on the first night of the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Force edged Matt Hagan by 0.007 seconds and 0.48 mph in taking the early lead ahead of Saturday’s second and third rounds of qualifying.

The 16-time NHRA champion also paid tribute to the late O. Bruton Smith, the founder of Speedway Motorsports and a close friend of Force’s throughout his storied career.

“I’m sad to come here without Bruton Smith,” said Force, the winner of April’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX. “I think all the racers feel that way. He’s given us great race tracks and the chance to run numbers like this, but there’s a lot of quick people behind us.

“(The car) moved around a lot past the half-track mark, but I think it was just the new steering we have in the car. We get to shine for one night, at least. At these conditions, (the time) may not hold. Robert (Hight, Force’s teammate, who was third-fastest) is going to be tough. You’ll see people turning up the wick (Saturday). We’ll see what God has in store for us.”

Doug Kalitta led the way in Top Fuel time trials with a 3.694-second, 326.56-mph pass that held up even as contenders Brittany Force and Antron Brown made later runs with slightly cooler weather in their favor.

“I always love coming here, and the conditions were perfect, really, for what we were doing,” Kalitta said. “My guys were confident that it would run what it ran, which was great. It was a great effort for us on the first day, for sure.

“It left straight and my cars really stay in the groove well. It was pulling good and didn’t move around much. Really, with the Funny Car session, too, it was a lot of side-by-side runs. Hopefully, the fans got a good show.”

Four-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders kicked off her weekend in style, securing the provisional top spot in Pro Stock with a 6.513-second, 210.93-mph pass during Friday’s first round.

“It definitely felt awesome when I let the clutch out, because you can sometimes tell it’s going to be good,” said Enders, who will chase her fourth No. 1 qualifier of the year Saturday. “Our goal coming in is to accumulate as many points as we can. We have five races left, and they’re the most important races of the season.”

A fantastic forecast awaits fans attending Saturday’s festivities at the Bellagio of drag strips, with clear skies and perfect autumn weather accompanying two all-important rounds of qualifying.

TICKETS:
To purchase Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals tickets, fans can call 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or shop online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. Every ticket is a pit pass, and kids 12 and under get in FREE.

MORE INFO:
Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on Twitter and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

CHEVROLET AT CHARLOTTE

What: Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals
When: Friday, Sept. 23-Sunday, Sept. 25
Where: zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina
TV: FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 25

Team Chevy aims to keep rolling in the Countdown
Chevrolet drivers enter second round of playoffs with momentum after Maple Grove

DETROIT (Sept. 22, 2022) – Chevrolet teams and drivers enter Round 2 of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Countdown to the Championship seeking to add significant points to their totals at a familiar racetrack.

When zMAX Dragway hosted the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series four-wide event on May 1, John Force had another weekend to remember by sweeping to the No. 1 Funny Car qualifier honor and going on to record career victory No. 155. Teammate Robert Hight was runner-up.

This weekend, the facility in Concord, North Carolina, will be the site of conventional match racing and include the Pro Stock category that did not compete the first time around.

Hight, driver of the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, will aim to put more distance between himself and Funny Car championship pursuers. The front-runner earned his seventh victory of the season and 60th of his career Sept.18 at Maple Grove Raceway.

“It’s one down five to go. We have to focus and try to get the same job done again. If you can do that early on, you’re going to put some pressure on these guys,” said Hight, a six-time winner at the track.

Force, driving the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Camaro SS, is fourth in the standings – only 16 points out of second place – as he takes aim at his 17th Funny Car world championship. He advanced to the semifinals at Maple Grove in the Countdown opener.

Brittany Force, the No. 1 qualifier at Maple Grove, is only nine points behind the Top Fuel points leader as she looks to regain the top spot in the Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster. She was the No. 1 qualifier and runner-up in the 2021 fall race at zMAX Dragway.

Teammate Austin Prock has renewed confidence after picking up his second career Top Fuel win, driving the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster to victory at Maple Grove Raceway. He is sixth in the standings.

Kyle Koretsky won the Pro Stock race last fall at zMAX Dragway, defeating KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson in the final. Both will challenge for the victory this weekend as they look to reel in points leader Erica Enders.

Enders, driving the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, claimed her seventh victory of the season and 40th of her career in the Countdown opener to widen her points lead. Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, moved to second in the standings, while Koretsky is third in the Lucas Oil Camaro SS.

FS1 will telecast eliminations at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 25.

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, FLAV-R-PAC/MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (four-time winner this season; second in points): “Charlotte is second on the Countdown list and after a challenging weekend our Flav-R-Pac team is ready to get the event started. First priority is to get back on track with solid qualifying. We will be looking for three consistent qualifying runs to get us in the top of the show. Every point matters and we have a shot to pick up some points with good qualifying runs. Race day we need to be going rounds. This Countdown is short and we need to step it up and will be hunting down a win this weekend.”

AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (won last week at Reading): “(The Maple Grove win) was exactly what we needed. If we want to play for the big trophy at the end of the year we had to win (the Countdown opener). Just really proud of this team. It’s been a trying year and everyone has kept their heads down and still believed in themselves and you keep that attitude and you end up with a Wally. We’ll have more confidence rolling in (to Charlotte). We have some momentum going. People get on rolls and sometimes they stay on a roll and this is a perfect time to do it for us. We’re going to focus on one round at a time like we did in Reading and see how things shake up. Anything is possible.”

FUNNY CAR

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Charlotte four-wide winner in spring; fourth in points): “Everyone (at John Force Racing) is in the hunt. Robert may just run away with it. But this PEAK Chevy, we’re still in the mix, still five races to go. Brittany will be good, still up in the top. That Montana Brand car, we’ve been working hard to get that car back in the mix, and they’ve got a chance. We head right to Charlotte where we’ll have another shot at it. Keep on trying to get the job done.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (seven-time winner this season; points leader): “It’s one down five to go. We have to focus and try to get the same job done again. If you can do that early on, you’re going to put some pressure on these guys. Seven wins is not going to get the championship. We’re going to have to get more than what we have and keep this rolling to win this championship. This is just getting started.”

PRO STOCK

ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (seven-time winner this season; points leader): “This Countdown is going to be a dogfight as it is early single year and giving up that 200-plus point lead coming in doesn’t help. We know we have to capitalize on every moment, execute perfectly. It’s hard to win a round let alone a race. I am stoked to start the Countdown on the right foot, to get that jump on everybody. I would rather that than to make a comeback as the race close out at the end of the year. We just have to continue the trend. Momentum is huge in any sport and we just hope to carry it.”

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning Pro Stock champion; second in standings): “We lost ground to the leader and we’re second, but we’re not fighting for second. We’re fighting for first. We had a bit of a rough weekend. We didn’t qualify like we should have and just had some things going on that were out of the ordinary. We had some engine issues; the engine was wanting to stumble in low gear right off the starting line to get to 60 foot properly. We’ve been working on things back at the shop. We’ve got to get that figured out because you’re not going to beat these other racers if you’re not 100 percent. (This weekend) the air is going to be good, the weather is going to be perfect, so the cars will be fast. We have to get that 60-foot time back down to where we need it and then we can contend for the win again.”

KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (won 2021 fall race at track; third in standings): “I would like nothing better than to repeat what we did at zMAX Dragway last year. We’re coming off a semifinal round loss at my home track — Maple Grove Raceway — where we qualified third. It was a good weekend to kick off the Countdown, but we want to go more rounds with the Lucas Oil Chevy. We’ll try to do that this weekend in Charlotte.”

DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (Gainesville winner): “Racing at home is always something we look forward to. We didn’t get to race here in the spring so I’ve really been waiting to get back to zMAX. We hurt our good engine last weekend but we were able to get it back together with minimal damage right in time for this weekend. We’ve got our eyes on the winner’s circle.”

CAMRIE CARUSO, CARUSO FAMILY RACING, TEQUILA COMISARIO CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first season in Pro Stock; No. 1 qualifier and runner-up at Houston): “We are in the Countdown. We just have to work a little harder to win this championship. I am happy with how well my team has pulled together and hopefully we can do some damage over these next five playoff races.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Top Fuel | Funny Car
Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals
Sept. 23-25 | Charlotte, North Carolina

Event Overview

Friday, Sept. 23 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 7:15 p.m. EDT

Saturday, Sept. 24 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)
Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 2:15 p.m. EDT
Nitro qualifying session (Q3): 6 p.m. EDT

Sunday, Sept. 25 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Round 1: 12 p.m. EDT
● Round 2: 2 p.m. EDT
● Semi-Finals: 3:45 p.m. EDT
● Finals: 5:20 p.m. EDT

TV coverage on FS1

● Friday, Sept. 23: Qualifying show (7 p.m. EDT)
● Sunday, Sept. 25: Qualifying show recapping Saturday’s action (2 p.m. EDT)
● Sunday, Sept. 25: Finals show (3 p.m. EDT)

Notes of Interest

● The Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals near Charlotte, North Carolina, is the 18th race on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ 22-race schedule and it serves as the second round in the six-race Countdown to the Championship. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan are eyeing a title run in their respective Top Fuel and Funny Car divisions. This year’s Countdown marks Pruett’s sixth appearance in the NHRA postseason and Hagan’s 11th.

● Pruett is tied with Doug Kalitta for eighth in the Top Fuel standings heading into the second round of Countdown, 107 points behind leader Justin Ashley. Hagan is second in the Funny Car standings, 81 points behind leader Robert Hight.

● Pruett comes into Charlotte representing Code 3 Associates on her blue Top Fuel dragster. Hagan, meanwhile, sports the red, white and blue colors of Shelor Motor Mile on his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car.

● Code 3 Associates, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in animal rescue and recovery in disaster areas, and it has gained notoriety among the NASCAR community for its association with Stewart and his NASCAR team, Stewart-Haas Racing. The successful partnership has led the Colorado-based organization to deepen its motorsports involvement by partnering with TSR in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Formed in 1985, Code 3 Associates has evolved from one unpaid volunteer to at least 75 professional responders around the country, which includes animal welfare, law enforcement, fire, EMS and veterinary specialists from the United States and Canada. While its focus is animals and their owners, Code 3 Associates trains its responders to the standards of human rescue, and Code 3 Associates also provides training to conduct thorough investigations into animal welfare, all of which is accredited by Colorado State University (CSU) and the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Code 3 Associates is currently in the midst of hurricane season, and they’ve compiled a list of ways to prepare for a disaster.

● Shelor Motor Mile is a family-owned car dealership serving the Christiansburg, Virginia, area since 1974. In addition to a large selection of cars and trucks from various manufacturers, Shelor Motor Mile also has an in-house financing department that can help customers determine a financial plan for buying their desired vehicle. They also make trading-in a vehicle a seamless process and offer a sizable assortment of pre-owned cars. Shelor Motor Mile is owned by Hagan’s father, David Hagan.

● Pruett and Hagan competed at Charlotte April 29-May 1 in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Pruett secured the No. 2 qualifying position after four qualifying sessions, but was eliminated in Round 1 on Sunday. However, all five passes she made throughout the weekend were full, clean runs. Hagan also secured the No. 2 qualifying position at the Four-Wide Nationals and advanced to Round 2 on Sunday.

● The Carolina Nationals will serve as Pruett’s 189th career Top Fuel start. It’ll be her 18th overall start at Charlotte and her ninth in the Carolina Nationals. For Hagan, the Carolina Nationals will be his 311th career Funny Car start. It’ll be his 26th overall start at Charlotte and his 14th in the Carolina Nationals.

● Pruett is seeking her first victory in the Carolina Nationals, as well as her first No. 1 qualifier at the event. Pruett earned two of her four career wins in Pro Modified at this event in 2011 and 2012. Her best Top Fuel effort was a semifinal loss to J.R. Todd in 2015.

● Hagan has three career wins at Charlotte – two in the Carolina Nationals and one in the Four-Wide Nationals. His Carolina Nationals wins came in 2011 and 2014 while his Four-Wide triumph was earned in 2013. In his first Carolina Nationals win on Sept. 18, 2011, Hagan’s 4.130 ET at 301.06 mph defeated Mike Neff’s 4.431 ET at 202.79 mph. Hagan scored his second Carolina Nationals win on Sept. 20, 2014 when he defeated John Force. Hagan ran a 4.212 ET at 297.81 mph while Force fouled at the start, negating his run of 4.140 ET at 309.77 mph.

● Hagan has one No. 1 qualifier at the Carolina Nationals, which came on Sept. 17, 2011 (3.995 ET at 316.23 mph).

● Hagan was the first Funny Car driver to break the four-second barrier when he completed a run of 3.995 seconds in 2011 at Charlotte. His milestone run was commemorated with a sign on the retaining wall near the starting line.

● The Carolina Nationals will be a family affair for TSR as team owner Tony Stewart will host approximately 80 people from Stewart-Haas Racing. SHR is just nine miles north of the track in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Code 3 Associates Top Fuel Dragster

You were five-for-five on your runs at Charlotte earlier this year. Talk about your confidence going back there in the Countdown.

“When we ran Charlotte earlier in the spring, we had a much different clutch combination than we do now. Therefore, we won’t exactly go back to that setup, instead our takeaway will be how accurate we were on making different calls between those rounds and apply that confidence to the calls we’ll make between rounds again this time.”

You first ran the Code 3 Associates Top Fuel dragster at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas, where you earned the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday, secured the No. 3 qualifying position, and then advanced to Round 2. Code 3 Associates is in the midst of hurricane season and ready to deploy on missions where they are needed. Describe the importance of representing Code 3 Associates.

“Just as it’s our time to shine and perform at our peak during this part of the season, it’s similar to Code 3 Associate’s clutch moments, especially as we’re in hurricane season. They do a great job of educating the public and encouraging them to make a plan at home when disaster strikes.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Shelor Motor Mile Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

With one race in the six-race Countdown under your belt, what is your mindset heading into Charlotte?

“Our mindset is pretty good heading into Charlotte. I think we have some things we have to figure out on the racecar when we’re trying to apply power and run really hard. Having three (races) in a row, you have to prepare yourself mentally. It affects parts and pieces, wear and tear on your body and with the racecar. We’re just trying to keep everybody up and mentally focused.”

How does every round play a role in the championship battle?

“I want to come in, leave on time, keep it in the groove and turn the win light on. It was nice to see a couple win lights this last weekend. These next five races are everything. We’ve prepared for it all year long to be here.”

You’re running your family’s Shelor Motor Mile scheme for the second time this year. What does that mean, with Charlotte considered as one of your home races?

“It’s special to be able to run the Shelor Motor Mile scheme. We have so many people come locally from the dealerships. I think it’s great and I’m pumped about it. I haven’t gotten a Shelor Motor Mile win yet, so I really think this would be a great opportunity to do that with the way this car is running. How special would that be? It’s always eluded me, so I want to dig deep and get it in the winner’s circle this weekend.”