Category: NHRA

Victory is Close for The Dream Team

MARSTONS MILLS, Massachusetts (September 19, 2022)

Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it’s the courage to continue that counts.” That quote certainly resonates with Jay Blake and the Follow A Dream Team after this past weekend’s Pep Boy’s NHRA Nationals in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.
It’s no secret that Maple Grove is Jay’s favorite track, and the reason is simple, its where Jay first dreamed up the crazy idea to start a race team despite becoming totally blind. After over 20+ years at the helm of his Top Alcohol Funny Car team, that is the one Wally that has eluded the Dream Team.

“I can’t really put into words what it would mean to me to win there, I’ve been chasing it for so long, and I guess it would feel like finally conquering the mountain.” said Blake of the continued pursuit.

The team did briefly taste victory after a few rounds of Qualifiers that didn’t quite go as planned. The first qualifier was a shut down due to an ignition problem that was solved by Q2. The second round of Qualifiers earned a 5.72 at 261 mph. The racecar shook the tires for several feet leaving heavy wheelie bar marks behind it. Tuner Anthony Terenzio and Team Consultant Rich Bozzelli had the kinks worked out by Q3 and the team was satisfied with the 5.51 at 266 mph that the final round of qualifiers yielded.

Saturday’s first round of eliminations brought early victory and stoked the team’s enthusiasm as Burkart screamed past Gawlik Sgro in the

Permatextraining.com funny car with a winning 5.54 at 264 mph to Brian Gawlik’s 5.63 at 258 mph.

Unfortunately, the momentum didn’t continue, and The Dream Team was bested in an incredibly close second round loss by DJ Cox’ s 5.47 at 267 mph to Phil Burkart’s 5.51 at 264 mph.

Now its on to Virginia for the teams last race of the year and one more chance to clinch The Eastern Region Championship!
Jay Blakes’s speaking program continues to flourish with Blake and some of his crew heading out for a presentation at Reading Muhlenberg Vocational Technical School before the races this past weekend. Blake smiled as the freightliner rolled out of the school heading for the track, “The racing is great, I mean really fantastic, who doesn’t love to win, but it’s the lives that we change that really makes this dream worth dreaming!” Well said, Jay!

For more information about Follow A Dream’s speaking program please reach out to Jay at FollowADream.org

Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Top Fuel | Funny Car
Pep Boys NHRA Nationals
Sept. 16-18 | Reading, Pennsylvania

Event Recap

Leah Pruett, driver of the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Top Fuel Dragster:

● Earned No. 7 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.764 ET at 326.24 mph).

● Earned No. 8 provisional qualifying position in Q2 on Saturday (3.736 ET at 328.62 mph).

● Scored one bonus point for third-quickest run of the session.

● Secured No. 10 qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.734 ET at 328.38 mph).

● Ran a 4.458 ET at 224.51 mph in Round 1 of eliminations on Sunday, lost to Doug Kalitta (3.720 ET at 329.58 mph).

● Currently tied with Kalitta for eighth in the Top Fuel championship standings, 107 points behind leader Justin Ashley.

Matt Hagan, driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car:

● Earned No. 5 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.906 ET at 326.32 mph).

● Maintained No. 5 provisional qualifying position after Q2 on Saturday (3.947 ET at 327.90 mph).

● Secured No. 5 qualifying position based off Friday’s Q1 run. In Q3 on Saturday, Hagan ran a 3.907 ET at 302.28 mph.

● Advanced to Semifinals on Sunday:

●  Round 1: 3.909 ET at 334.65 mph, defeated Jim Campbell (4.445 ET at 207.53 mph).

●  Round 2: 3.935 ET at 329.67 mph, defeated Bob Tasca III (3.941 ET at 330.63 mph).

● Semifinals: 4.123 ET at 255.34, lost to Robert Hight (3.908 ET at 331.69 mph).

● Currently second in the Funny Car championship standings, 81 points behind leader Hight.

Notes of Interest

● Hagan’s Round 2 win puts him 23-15 all-time against Tasca. It’s the fourth time this season the two have faced each other and the duo is tied at 2-2. Tasca won against Hagan at Norwalk, Ohio, in Round 2 and at Topeka, Kansas, in the Semifinals. Hagan previously won against Tasca at Pomona, California, in Round 2.

● Hagan and Hight had their 42nd career meeting Sunday at Reading and they competed against each other for the fifth time this season. Hight now leads 22-20 all-time.

● Pruett has faced Kalitta 29 times throughout her career and four times this season. Kalitta leads 3-1 this season. Kalitta won at Houston in Round 1, Richmond, Virginia, in Round 1 and Sunday at Reading in Round 1. Pruett won in Round 2 at Seattle.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Top Fuel Dragster

“We definitely had a very promising racecar and I would consider it one of the most promising cars considering we were the only one to make three clean, full passes in qualifying. Unfortunately, when you have the first round in a matchup with a championship contender close to you in points and qualifying, you’re going to have a close race, and that’s what we were prepared for. We moved in a way to improve our short times. It’s something we’ve been working on for a while – to try and get better 60-foot times and our increments to 330, which means we have to push harder. We tried to push a little bit harder and the Rayce Rudeen Foundation dragster didn’t like it and we smoked the tires. The most frustrating part about it is we have been on this plan for three races or so and keep throwing a lot of power to different places on the car. It hasn’t been reacting the way we want and at the most important time so far in the season, the car says, ‘Oh, I recognize that and it’s a little too much now.’ For us to find that threshold in the first round of eliminations in the first race of the Countdown is slightly frustrating. We will be testing between now and Charlotte to further our progress because in order for us to have a better ET, we have to start at the starting line to the 60-foot mark and improve our acceleration gain. We won’t stop and that’s the name of the game. There are five races remaining in the Countdown and anything can happen.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

“We had a pretty strong weekend. We qualified No. 5, so the biggest thing we have to focus on is qualifying in the No. 1, 2 or 3 spot. It really sets the tone for the weekend to put yourself on the correct side of the ladder that works in your favor. We had to get through some really tough cars this weekend by qualifying fifth. There are no easy rounds out there. All in all, I’m really happy with what my guys are doing. As far as putting the car together, we had two turns today that only lasted 35 minutes breaking the car apart, putting it back together and firing it up. The guys are working so well together and I’m really proud of them. We moved back up to second in the Countdown. Anytime you’re gaining, I think it’s positive. Robert (Hight) and those guys will be tough all season long. They have been tough and will continue to be. I think our clutch combination is what we’re struggling with a little bit right now, but that’s way above my pay grade. We’ll keep working on it more and I have nothing but faith in Dickie (Venables, crew chief), Mike (Knudsen, co-crew chief) and Alex (Conaway, car chief). We always run strong and are in the hunt, so I’m expecting the next five races we will run well and turn the win lights on.”

Next Up

The next event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule is the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals Sept. 23-25 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It marks the second event in the Countdown to the Championship and the fifth-to-last race of the season.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS
MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY IN MOHNTON, PENNSYLVANIA
SEPT. 18, 2022

Chevrolet sweeps Countdown to the Championship opener

• Top qualifier Robert Hight extends Funny Car points lead with 60th career victory

• Austin Prock picks up second career Top Fuel victory, the first since 2019 at Seattle

• Erica Enders pads Pro Stock points advantage with seventh victory of the season

• No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force sets Top Fuel track speed record at 337.66 mph

• David Barton wins all-COPO Camaro Factory Stock Showdown final, closes in on title

MOHNTON, Pa. (Sept. 18, 2022) — Chevrolet drivers made big statements in the opening round of the six-race National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Countdown to the Championship at Maple Grove Raceway.

Robert Hight, who entered the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals as the top seed in Funny Car, entered race day as the No. 1 qualifier in the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS and swept aside his four challengers. Hight recorded his field-high seventh victory of the season and 60th of his career with a 3.937-second pass in the final.

Hight delivered the 154th Funny Car win for Chevrolet since 1967, including 74 with the Camaro body.

John Force Racing teammate Austin Prock claimed his second career Top Fuel victory, driving the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster to the win over points leader Justin Ashley. Prock also defeated reigning class champion Steve Torrence and U.S. Nationals winner Antron Brown.

Erica Enders extended her Pro Stock points lead with her seventh win of the season in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, edging teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. in a rematch of the Seattle final.

No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier Brittany Force reset her year-old track speed record by more than 2 mph (337.66 mph) in her opening-round matchup. Force, who recorded her eighth top qualifier honor in 17 races this season and 40th of her career, looked to have a clean run in the second round, but the Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster sustained an explosion that cut short her day. She is nine points out of the top spot.

In an all-Chevrolet COPO Camaro final for the second consecutive race in the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown, David Barton won his home race by defeating reigning series champion Aaron Stanfield of Bossier City, Louisiana, with a pass of 7.752 seconds at 177.44 mph.

“I finally got Stanfield covered; he’s been kicking my butt for two years,” said Barton, who also won two weeks ago at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and at Bristol earlier in the season.

Barton will seek to wrap up his second Factory Stock Showdown championship in the eighth and final event of the season Oct. 16 at Texas Motorplex.

Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, making his 800th career race day appearance, was the No. 3 qualifier in the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS. He advanced to the semifinals.

Hight extended his points lead in the Countdown, picking up his 25th Funny Car win with Chevrolet.

“It’s been a dream come true,” he said. “We worked hard all winter and this Auto Club team remained focused and there was never any doubt. Sixty wins is a big number and there’s one common denominator and that’s the Auto Club. They’ve been here for every single one of them, can’t do it without ’em, Chevrolet most of them.”

Prock, who was runner-up to Ashley in the season opener at Pomona, won for the first time since Seattle in 2019. He did not compete in a JFR car in 2021 and drove a limited schedule in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is awesome. It was just one of those days where everything was kind of going our way and I’m so proud of this team,” he said. “Joe Barlam, Rahn Tobler, the whole Montana Brand team and thank you John Force for giving me this opportunity. Thank you to the brain trust for fixing my race car.”

Enders spoiled an otherwise perfect weekend for track co-owner Kyle Koretsky, driver of the Lucas Oil Camaro SS, with a semifinal victory. Coughlin, driving the JEGS.com Camaro SS, defeated Greg Anderson, who moved to second in the standings in the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, in the other semifinal.

“I’ve had a race car that most Pro Stock drivers dream about all year long,” said Enders, who is seeking her fifth Pro Stock world title. “That’s thanks to my guys back at the shop and we prepare to win races before the rigs ever pull out of Elite Motorsports.”

Chevrolet teams and drivers are back at it again Sept. 23-25 at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. On May 1 at the racetrack, No. 1 qualifier John Force prevailed in the Funny Car four-wide event. FS1 will telecast eliminations at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 25.

An interview with Funny Car winner ROBERT HIGHT, AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS:

HOW MOTIVATING HAS THAT FEELING LAST YEAR – NOT WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP – BEEN FOR YOU THIS YEAR?

“It’s been a dream come true. We worked hard all winter and this Auto Club team remained focused and there was never any doubt. Sixty wins is a big number and there’s one common denominator and that’s the Auto Club. They’ve been here for every single one of them, can’t do it without ’em, Chevrolet most of them.”

TAKE US THROUGH YOUR RACE DAY.

“This is exactly how we scripted it. The only difference is it’s really easy to script something but it’s a lot harder to get out here and get the job done. It’s amazing what we accomplished this weekend. No. 1 qualifier, we got points every single run in qualifying, and then get the win. There were some big mountains we had to climb to get this win. It’s exactly how we scripted it, but it doesn’t usually go that way. One down, five to go. I’m so proud of this team. Sixty wins, I can’t even believe that. I never thought I’d get one. Very, very fortunate.”

THE FINAL ROUND AT INDY (RUNNER-UP), WAS THAT MOTIVATION?

“We were a little bummed at how Indy went. We had a great car and we spun the tires in the semifinals and Jimmy (Prock) and Chris (Cunningham) they backed it off for the final and it actually shook weak, we backed it off too much. So, maybe that taught us something, we learned. This has been a great racetrack all weekend.”

NO TIME OFF; YOU GO STRAIGHT BACK TO WORK AT CHARLOTTE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.

“NHRA did an amazing job with the schedule. There’s nothing better than getting three of them knocked out, and this Auto Club Chevy team is carrying momentum into Charlotte. Can’t wait to get there and start again.”

An interview with Top Fuel winner AUSTIN PROCK, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER:

WHAT SENSE OF RELIEF ARE YOU FEELING?

“This is awesome. It was just one of those days where everything was kind of going our way and I’m so proud of this team. Joe Barlam, Rahn Tobler, the whole Montana Brand team and thank you John Force for giving me this opportunity. Thank you to the brain trust for fixing my race car.”

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WAITING FOR?

“I had to get my ride back first and we started off real strong and went through a little bit of a lull, but nobody ever gave up. We just believed in ourselves and it all paid off today. Little bit of hard work and determination you can do just about anything.”

JUSTIN (ASHLEY) HAS BEEN A REAL THORN IN YOUR SIDE THIS YEAR AND YOU GOT SOME REVENGE ON HIM IN THE FINAL.

“I don’t think we beat him all year long until today, so that was huge. I was .58 on the tree and got left on by two-hundredths. That’s unbelievable, but my crew chiefs gave me a great race car today and we won as a team.”

YOU GOT INTO THE COUNTDOWN BUT YOU HAVE A LOT OF GROUND TO MAKE UP. YOU COULDN’T HAVE HAD A BETTER DAY THAN THIS.

“This is exactly what we needed to do. We could only go up. We were sitting 12th and now we’re sitting seventh, so we’re definitely right back in the mix of things. We got get another win next weekend and get on a hot streak and we could leave with the gold.”

THE MORALE FOR YOUR TEAM MUST BE AS BIG AS ANYTHING.

“It’s unbelievable how hard everyone works and when you get in a lull like that it’s definitely mentally straining because you’re putting in the same amount of work and not getting any satisfaction out of it. I can’t wait to go back and watch the race and see how excited everybody was. I got a win with my brother; I haven’t won with him since 2016 racing circle track out at Tony Stewart Racing. Doubled up with my dad and this week was my grandfather, Tom Prock’s birthday, so this is for him.”

An interview with Pro Stock winner ERICA ENDERS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS:

WHY IS THE STRIVE FOR FIVE MORE ALIVE THAN EVER FOR YOU?

“In the fashion in which we lost last year it just gave us all that extra motivation – not that we didn’t want to win before that – but these boys know how to rally. When their backs are against the wall, they performed flawlessly and I’m lucky to be their driver. I’m really proud of my team. I had a goal to win at the tracks I hadn’t won at and so far we’ve accomplished three of those and I think there’s only four left, so I’m really proud and give God all the glory. This just goes to show that if you’re mentally tough you can do anything with the right people in your corner.”

YOU HAD A RACE CAR TODAY THAT MOST PRO STOCK DRIVERS DREAM ABOUT.

“I’ve had a race car that most Pro Stock drivers dream about all year long. That’s thanks to my guys back at the shop and we prepare to win races before the rigs ever pull out of Elite Motorsports, so I could not be more proud of them for their hard work and sacrifice. I do have a really fast hot rod.”

IT’S IMPORTANT IN THE COUNTDOWN TO GET OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT AND YOU DID THAT TODAY.

“We definitely got off on the right foot. We came in here with the lead, though it was a little bit of a struggle to give up over 200 points and then 300 and 400, so my guys have just done an excellent job all season long and it’s my job behind the wheel to execute perfectly and make them shine. We did that today and I could not be more proud. A huge thank you to the Koretsky family. This racetrack is phenomenal. The racing surface is flawless. The upgrades that they’ve done is unbelievable, so hats off to those guys and we’re really proud to be here.”

IN THE FINAL ROUND, YOU HAD TO PULL UP AND THINK I REMEMBER THAT GUY.

“I remember that guy because he waxed my butt in Seattle and then he got me in Topeka. My guys were yelling in my ear redemption, redemption. To have two Elite Motorsports cars in the final round, we win either way. Bring on the next race.”

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.

ASHLEY, CAPPS BEGIN COUNTDOWN WITH STRONG QUALIFYING EFFORTS
Team Toyota’s top Countdown seeds each start second for eliminations

MOHNTON, Penn. (September 17, 2022) – Justin Ashley led Toyota in qualifying for the Pep Boys Nationals with a second-place effort in the Top Fuel class at Pennsylvania’s Maple Grove Raceway. Ashley is Toyota’s top-seed in the Top Fuel Countdown for the Championship and has earned four straight top-three qualifying efforts. Team Toyota’s Steve Torrence (fifth), Doug Kalitta (seventh) and Antron Brown (eighth) joined Ashley inside the top-half of the qualified field.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps closed the Saturday qualifying effort with his strongest run of the weekend – a 3.878 – to move him to second on the final qualifying grid. Capps earned three bonus points in the session to add to the bonus point he earned in Friday evening’s session. J.R. Todd also closed with a strong run to qualify his Toyota GR Supra Funny Car inside the top-half of the field in sixth.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Maple Grove Raceway
Race 17 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Brittany Force*	Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster	1st (3.696)	Ferre
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	2nd (3.703)	Chatterson
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	5th (3.711)	Langdon
Doug Kalitta	CMR Roofing & Construction Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	7th (3.724)	Pruett
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	8th (3.731)	Hart
Shawn Langdon	DHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	12th (3.801)	Torrence

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Robert Hight*	AAA of Southern California Chevy Camaro FC*	1st (3.867)	Bye
Ron Capps	NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	2nd (3.878)	Burkhart
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	6th (3.912)	Green
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	10th (3.966)	Wilkerson

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

FC Qualifying Result: 2nd

How do you approach race day?

“Great question. This place is historic for breaking your heart or making you feel so good. It’s the start of the Countdown obviously and so happy the fans came out like they did, it’s unbelievable. Robert (Hight) and I brag about it all the time. We have the two best seats in the house for some of the best runs, especially side-by-side stuff like this. Great job by Guido (Dean Antonelli) and John Medlen (crew chiefs) and the NAPA Auto Care team. Anytime I don’t see that whole car (Hight’s) out next to me, I know we’re running pretty well. The Countdown is going to be this same, exact stuff for all six races. All races and all qualifying. I hope I see a lot more of him (Hight) qualifying at the back of the pack. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Thank you to the fans, love you guys.”

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Davis Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

How were your qualifying efforts?

“It’s been a really good weekend for our team so far. Going into race day in the no. 2 position is really important just to try to position ourselves well. The way the depth of the Top Fuel field is – there is no easy matchups top-to-bottom, nonetheless, we feel good about where slotted in heading into race day. It’s the Countdown, so every run counts. Just proud of this Phillips Connect team. Mike Green, Tommy DeLago (crew chiefs) are doing a great job, and now that Friday and Saturday is behind us, we are focused on final eliminations.”

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
Pep Boys NHRA Nationals
Sept. 16-18 | Reading, Pennsylvania

Event Overview

Friday, Sept. 16 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 5:45 p.m. EDT

Saturday, Sept. 17 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 1:15 p.m. EDT

● Nitro qualifying session (Q3): 4:45 p.m. EDT

Sunday, Sept. 18 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

● Round 1: 10:30 a.m. EDT

● Round 2: 12:45 p.m. EDT

● Semi-Finals: 2:15 p.m. EDT

● Finals: 3:40 p.m. EDT

TV coverage on FS1/FOX

● Friday, Sept. 16: Qualifying show (7 p.m. EDT on FS1)

● Sunday, Sept. 18: Qualifying show recapping Saturday’s action (11 a.m. EDT on FS1)

● Sunday, Sept. 18: Finals show (2-4 p.m. EDT on FOX and 4:30-6:30 p.m. EDT on FOX – check local listings)

Notes of Interest

● The Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Sept. 16-18 at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pennsylvania, is the 17th race on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ 22-race schedule. However, it’s the opening round in the six-race Countdown to the Championship, where both Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) drivers – Leah Pruett in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan in Funny Car – are ready to make a title run in their respective divisions. The top-10 drivers in each of the NHRA’s four professional categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – compete in the Countdown.

● This year’s Countdown marks Pruett’s sixth appearance in the NHRA postseason and Hagan’s 11th. Pruett is seventh heading into the Countdown, 140 points behind leader Brittany Force. Hagan is third, 40 points behind leader Robert Hight.

● Pruett has a winning career record (9-6) against No. 1 seed Force, but she has lost to the 2017 series champion both times they have met at Maple Grove – in 2016 when Pruett was the No. 1 qualifier and in 2021. Pruett’s overall record in Countdown events is 40-40. She is seeking her first Countdown event win.

● Hagan is 120-60 in the Countdown. His best Countdown season was 2014 when he went 18-3 en route to his second Funny Car title. There was no Countdown in 2020 when Hagan won his third Funny Car championship. He and Hight are tied for the most Countdown wins at 12 apiece. (Cruz Pedregon is next best with nine Countdown wins.)

● Pruett comes into Reading representing the Rayce Rudeen Foundation on her blue-and-yellow Top Fuel dragster. Hagan, meanwhile, sports the familiar silver, black and red scheme of Dodge Power Brokers on his Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car.

● The Rayce Rudeen Foundation is a non-profit organization that works with organizations and programs to encourage a healthy and productive life that is free of addiction. The designated 501(c)(3) is named in honor of Rayce Rudeen, who at age 26 passed away from an accidental Fentanyl overdose. Since its inception, the Rayce Rudeen Foundation has advocated for creating a supportive community in which everyone can access prevention, treatment, recovery and family-support services, all free from stigma. By collaborating with local universities, researchers, organizations, businesses and community coalitions, the Rayce Rudeen Foundation is leading communities toward a united and compassionate response to addiction by identifying gaps in care and building educational tools.

● The Dodge Power Brokers program serves as the exclusive source for Direct Connection, Dodge’s factory-backed performance parts program, which is equipped with staff trained to deliver a performance-focused customer service experience. Dodge//SRT and Mopar have supported Hagan since his rookie season in 2009.

● The Pep Boys NHRA Nationals will serve as Pruett’s 188th career Top Fuel start and her ninth at Maple Grove. For Hagan, this will be his 310th career Funny Car start and his 13th at the track.

● Pruett is seeking her first victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. However, she does have No. 1 qualifier at the event, earned on Oct. 1, 2016 with a run of 3.705 seconds. Pruett has 10 career Top Fuel wins.

● Pruett made her only Funny Car start at Maple Grove in 2011 when she qualified No. 16 before losing to Johnny Gray in Round 1.

● Hagan won the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in 2014. His run of 4.330 ET at 215.00 mph defeated Tommy Johnson (5.465 ET at 152.31 mph). Hagan also has two No. 1 qualifiers at Maple Grove – 2010 when he set a then NHRA national record 4.011 ET and in 2016 with a 3.873 ET.

● Hagan had to sit out last year’s race at Maple Grove due to COVID-19 protocols, but Tommy Johnson Jr., filled in for him and won the race in Hagan’s Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car with Dickie Venables as crew chief, beating John Force in the final round.

● Maple Grove was Hagan’s first race as a Funny Car driver in 2008, but he failed to make the starting field. It seemed to only light Hagan’s fire, as he has gone on to win three Funny Car championships and 42 races.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Top Fuel Dragster

In TSR’s inaugural season, both you and your teammate are in the Countdown to the Championship. Talk about that.

“Qualifying for the countdown was in our expectation wheelhouse. I’m very proud of my men for consistently executing their talents and work ethic to the level we believed true from the beginning. I’m even more proud of the attitudes they carry and enthusiasm to apply the best full-court press plays we have.”

You and your crew tested prior to Reading. How will that additional track time help in advance of the Countdown?

“Our test session is extremely performance-point focused. What we have in mind can fundamentally improve our acceleration package. We should know in a short number of runs if it’s a package we want to be dedicated to. However, we do not want to take the risk in Reading qualifying without having important data, especially since there are only three qualifying runs.”

You first ran the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Top Fuel dragster at the Sonoma Nationals, where you earned No. 1 qualifier and advanced to Round 2. Describe the importance of running their scheme again, knowing all the foundation is accomplishing.

“The honor I have to carry the Rayce Rudeen Foundation colors and spread their message is incredible. I feel like we made a great impact on the West Coast and helped many families and individuals struggling with addiction. I’m looking forward to making a difference on the East Coast, as well as advance in the Countdown.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

In TSR’s inaugural season, both you and your teammate are in the Countdown to the Championship. Talk about that.

“Even though it’s the first season with TSR, we’ve had this group together a long time and we’ve always been in the championship hunt with Dickie Venables (crew chief), Mike Knudsen (co-crew chief) and Alex Conaway (car chief). It’s nice when you can keep a group together because everyone knows what to expect. The crew can push hard to run hard and I have to dig deep on the tree. It’s going to take everything from everybody to win this thing this year. Everyone has closed the gap for how fast they’re running compared to how fast we’re running. No one really has an edge on anybody. It’s going to come down to reaction times and crew chiefs, so it’ll be tough. We have to dig deep and work hard.”

You and your crew tested prior to Reading. How will that additional track time help in advance of the Countdown?

“Anytime you get to shake the car down, it’s a plus. I’m always begging to test and run the car more, so any time we can take hits, it’ll be for the better. I’m excited to get out there and try a couple things the crew wants to work on. It’s another chance to see the tree and hit the lights. The seat time is irreplaceable.”

You are 120-60 in your 12-year Countdown career. What is your mindset entering Reading and what would a fourth championship mean?

“We’ve had a lot of good wins, but we’ve also runnered-up a bunch. We have to give it all because it’ll take all. We saw that last race at Indy, losing by .006 to (Robert) Hight. At the end of the day, the win light didn’t come on, so as a group, we all have to do more. I’m ready to come in and rip people’s heads off. We’re going into battle and it’s a war. This is the closest thing you get to gladiators nowadays. It’s the same thing with football and other stick-and-ball sports. This is what we’ve waited all year long to do. We have to give it all and sacrifice mindset and mentality to go out there and win this thing.”

September 7, 2022, St. Louis – 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. 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.

• Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Matt Hagan took his No. 7 qualified Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to a quarterfinal appearance at the prestigious 68th annual Dodge Power Brokers Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
• Hagan closes out the regular season with three wins, three runner-up finishes, five No. 1 qualifier awards, and sits third in the Funny Car standings behind Robert Hight and Ron Capps as the points reset for the upcoming NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” six-event playoff series
• TSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett and her Dodge Power Brokers dragster kicked off race day at the “Big Go” from the tenth spot but saw her run cut short by a dropped cylinder in the opening round
• Pruett sits seventh in the Top Fuel points standings heading into the playoffs having earned her team’s first category win at the Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals in Denver and a No. 1 qualifier award in Sonoma 
• Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon qualified ninth aboard his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat but was unable to advance past the first round after losing cylinders on his first lap and will start the playoffs seeded eighth

September 5, 2022, Indianapolis, Indiana – After finishing runner-up in an exciting National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) All-Star Callout specialty race final during qualifying at the 68th annual Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals, Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Matt Hagan found himself in another tremendous battle in the quarterfinals of the world’s biggest and best known drag race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Hagan, whose quicker 3.900-second elapsed time run in Sunday’s Callout race-within-a race was just 0.004-seconds short of beating Ron Capps’ holeshot effort, had another tremendous drag race in the elimination rounds of the “Big Go” against points leader Robert Hight.

Prior to facing Hight, the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat set the tone by recording the top speed of the event (at that point) with Hagan’s 3.881-second winning run at 334.07 mph against No. 10 seed Alexis DeJoria in the opening round. Once staged for the quarterfinal showdown, Hagan hit the throttle just 0.004-seconds behind Hight as the two adversaries battled side-by-side the entire length of the legendary dragstrip. While Hagan took his HEMI-powered ride for his quickest run of the weekend at 3.867 sec./ 334.65 mph it was 0.006-seconds short of turning on the win lights ahead of Hight’s 3.861 sec./ 331.77 mph lap.

The quarterfinal finish brought Hagan’s regular season to a close and, with three wins, three runner-up finishes, and five No. 1 qualifier awards, puts the TSR driver third in Funny Car standings (behind Hight and Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals winner Ron Capps) as the points reset for the upcoming NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” six-event playoff series.

TSR pilot Leah Pruett qualified tenth on the Top Fuel eliminations ladder and staged her Dodge Power Brokers dragster in the right lane next to seventh-seed Billy Torrence for the opening round. Pruett had the quicker launch but lost a cylinder early in the run, ending her hopes of advancing further. Pruett, who earned the TSR team’s first Top Fuel Wally at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver in July, closes out the regular season in seventh place.

Three-time Funny Car winner at the “Big Go”, Cruz Pedregon qualified in the No. 9 spot aboard his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and had No. 8 seed J.R. Todd as his first round opponent. Both competitors had a good light, but when the Cruz Pedregon Racing machine began to drop cylinders, the driver/owner opted to abandon the run. Pedregon will head to the playoffs seeded eighth in the category.

The NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” begins with the first of six playoff events, the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania, Sept. 15-18. FS1 will air qualifying highlights on Friday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday, Sept 18, at 11 a.m. ET, while FOX will have race day coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Leah Pruett, Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster  

(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.725 seconds at 332.51 mph)

Round 1: (0.068-second reaction time, 5.129-second elapsed time run at 146.56 mph) loss to No.7 Billy Torrence (0.081/3.740/324.20)

“Indy always brings the unexpected. We said that at the beginning of the week. Our team is not known for dropping cylinders at the hit. Roll the dice and about every 50 laps or so, it might give you one of those and that’s exactly what happened in the first round. As a sensitive driver, after our Q5 run, I felt something wasn’t right. I gave the car a pedal and you can’t out-recover a cylinder. It’s disappointing for sure because we had high hopes and high expectations and a high-performing Dodge Power Brokers dragster that showed glimpses of victory during qualifying. To go out early in the weekend is definitely below our standards. This is the end of the regular season, so it’s better to have it happen now. We have plans of potentially testing before the Countdown. We’re going to figure out as much as we can and then hit it from there to solve these little glitches. It’s not the most ideal weekend we’ve ever had, but we have the power of our Power Brokers behind us and that’s going to give us momentum into the Countdown.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 7 Qualifier – 3.892 seconds at 333.41 mph)

Round 1: (0.067-second reaction time, 3.881 seconds at 334.07 mph) defeats No.10 Alexis DeJoria (-0.149/10.086/78.68)

Round 2: (0.060/3.867/334.65) loss to No. 2 Robert Hight (0.056/3.861/331.77)

“What a wild, crazy weekend but what a special weekend because it is the U.S. Nationals. You don’t know how many years you get to race here and be a part of the Big Go and to have the pinnacle of our season right here before the Countdown, it’s just awesome. Our team really came together and put a great race car underneath me. We just came up short in two really close drag races this weekend that were within thousandths-of-a-second apart. You’re talking about inches on the finish line. It’s tough to be on the backside of a good drag race but what’s positive about it is that our Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is running good and it’s responding to the changes that the crew chief is making.

We really rallied around each other and that really showed this weekend. We’re putting all those rounds together and (Crew Chief) Dickie (Venables) is really stepping up and throwing down against (Robert Hight’s crew chief Jimmy) Prock. I feel we’re moving in the right direction and we’re going into this Countdown really strong. (Ron) Capps is going to be tough. There’s a bunch of cars out here that are tough. We’ve just got to keep digging, working hard, and I’ve got to hit the practice tree more and as a team we have to come together and make that happen if we’re going to win championships.”

“I think we’re all chasing Robert (Hight) right now. He’s running good. He’s won six races. They have a very consistent car in the heat and in the cool, but we’ve got (Crew Chief) Dickie Venables who is one of the best out there and I wouldn’t trade him for anybody. Right now we’ve just got to get into throwdown mode and a Countdown mode. We’ve got to win two or three of those six (playoff) races to really run for a championship and win this thing. I know we can do that. 

We had a great start to the season winning three races and a bunch of No. 1 qualifiers, but then it kind of fell off a little bit. These things come in cycles and peaks and valleys, and I feel like it’s our time to get back into the cycle. We’ve got to go out there and just bring everything that we can to the table. I’ve got to dig deep on the tree and these guys got to dig deep as far as putting a good tune up in it. I think if we do that collectively, we’ll be really hard to beat.”

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

(No. 9 Qualifier –   seconds at   mph)

Round 1: (0.043-second reaction time, 7.086 second elapsed time run at 101.45 mph) loss to No.8 J.R. Todd (0.036/3.856/330.88)

“I don’t think we ever had three dropped cylinders in a row at the step of the throttle, so there’s definitely something mechanical going on. We’re going to really take everything apart and probably try going to go test somewhere and get it figured out before Reading. Our Dodge Funny Car just ran so easy on Friday night with that 3.90 and it was right where we wanted and then we just struggled from that point on. 

We’re disappointed but at the same time we know we have a championship caliber car here and the team’s upbeat. We’re just going to figure it out and go to Reading prepared. The great part is that our second season starts now. Throughout my career, I have always finished strong, and I believe we are shaping up to have that happen again this year. My dad taught me this; ‘Things happen for a reason.’ Sometimes you learn more from tough weekends than ones when you are at the top of your game.”

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Robert Hight 1570 (6)

2.  Ron Capps: 1291 (3)

3.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 1244 (3)

4.  Bob Tasca III: 1164 (3) 

5.  John Force: 1149 (1)

6.  J.R. Todd: 871

7.  Alexis DeJoria: 824

8. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 801

9.  Tim Wilkerson: 730

10. Blake Alexander: 582

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Brittany Force: 1356 (4)

2.  Mike Salinas: 1200 (4) 

3.  Justin Ashley: 1195 (2) 

4.  Steve Torrence: 1169 (1)

5.  Josh Hart: 882

6.  Antron Brown 839 (2)

7.  Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 810 (1)

8.  Shawn Langdon: 809

9. Doug Kalitta: 801 

10. Tony Schumacher: 703 (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
Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel & Funny Car Drivers
Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals
Sept. 2-5 | Indianapolis

Event Recap

Leah Pruett, driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster:

● Earned No. 10 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.765 ET at 325.22 mph).

● Maintained No. 10 provisional qualifying position after Q2 on Saturday (6.245 ET at 109.56 mph).

● Maintained No. 10 provisional qualifying position after Q3 on Saturday (3.725 ET at 332.51 mph).

● Maintained No. 10 provisional qualifying position after Q4 on Sunday (6.484 ET at 104.15 mph).

● Secured No. 10 qualifying position based off Saturday’s Q3 run. In Q5 on Sunday, Pruett ran a 5.442 ET at 126.40 mph.

● Ran a 5.129 ET at 146.56 mph in Round 1 of eliminations on Monday, lost to Billy Torrence (3.740 ET at 324.20 mph).

● Currently seventh heading into the Countdown to the Championship, 140 points behind leader Brittany Force.

Matt Hagan, driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car:

● Earned No. 8 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.938 ET at 309.49 mph).

● Maintained No. 8 provisional qualifying position after Q2 on Saturday (5.581 ET at 126.38 mph).

● Earned No. 5 provisional qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.892 ET at 333.41 mph).

● The Pep Boys All-Star Funny Car Callout served as Round 4 of qualifying. Hagan ran a 3.895 ET at 334.15 mph, defeating Alexis DeJoria (7.413 ET at 92.95 mph).

● In the Pep Boys All-Star Funny Car Callout Semifinal, which did not serve as Round 5 of qualifying, Hagan ran 4.180 ET at 255.73 mph, defeating Robert Hight (10.119 ET at 82.57 mph).

● The Pep Boys All-Star Funny Car Callout Final served as Round 5 of qualifying. Hagan ran a 3.900 ET at 328.86 mph, losing to Ron Capps on a holeshot (3.936 ET at 330.47 mph).

● Secured No. 7 qualifying position based off Saturday’s Q3 run.

● Advanced to Round 2 on Monday:

●  Round 1: 3.881 ET at 334.07 mph, defeated Alexis DeJoria (10.086 ET at 78.68 mph).

●  Round 2: 3.867 ET at 334.65 mph, lost to Robert Hight (3.861 ET at 331.77 mph).

● Currently third heading into the Countdown to the Championship, 40 points behind leader Hight.

Notes of Interest

● Hagan drove his Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to a runner-up finish in the Pep Boys All-Star Callout. It marked his first final-round appearance in five Funny Car specialty races.

● Although Hagan lost to Robert Hight in Round 2 of eliminations on Monday, Hagan was victorious against Hight in Sunday’s All-Star Funny Car Callout Semifinals. Hagan and Hight are now tied with a 21-21 record.

● Pruett clinched her position in the Countdown to the Championship by finishing seventh in the regular-season point standings.

● TSR team owner Tony Stewart joined Brian Lohnes and Tony Pedregon during the FOX broadcast of Monday’s eliminations.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster

“Indy always brings the unexpected. We said that at the beginning of the week. Our team is not known for dropping cylinders at the hit. Roll the dice and about every 50 laps or so, it might give you one of those and that’s exactly what happened in the first round. After our Q5 run, I felt something wasn’t right. I gave the car a pedal and you can’t out-recover a cylinder. It’s disappointing, for sure, because we had high hopes and high expectations and a high-performing Dodge Power Brokers dragster that showed glimpses of victory during qualifying. To go out early in the weekend is definitely below our standards. This is the end of the regular season, so it’s better to have it happen now. We have plans of potentially testing before the Countdown. We’re going to figure out as much as we can and then hit it from there to solve these little glitches. It’s not the most ideal weekend we’ve ever had, but we have the power of our Dodge Power Brokers behind us and that’s going to give us momentum into the Countdown.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

“What a wild, crazy weekend, but what a special weekend because it’s the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals. You don’t know how many years you get to race here and be a part of the Big Go and to have the pinnacle of our season right here before the Countdown, it’s just awesome. Our team really came together and put a great racecar underneath me. We just came up short in two really close drag races this weekend that were within thousands of a second apart. You’re talking about inches on the finish line. It’s tough to be on the backside of a good drag race, but what’s positive about it is that our Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat is running good and it’s responding to the changes that the crew chief is making. We really rallied around each other and that really showed this weekend. We’re putting all those rounds together and Dickie (Venables, crew chief) is really stepping up and throwing down against Robert Hight’s crew chief (Jimmy Prock.) I feel we’re moving in the right direction and we’re going into this Countdown really strong. (Ron) Capps is going to be tough. There’s a bunch of cars out here that are tough. We’ve just got to keep digging, working hard, and I’ve got to hit the practice tree more and as a team we have to come together and make that happen if we’re going to win championships.”

Next Up

The next event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule is the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Sept. 15-18 at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. It is the first race in the six-race Countdown to the Championship, where the top-10 drivers in each of the four professional categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – vie for the title in their respective divisions.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
DODGE POWER BROKERS NHRU.S. NATIONALS
LUCAS OIL INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK IN BROWNSBURG, INDIANA
SEPT. 5, 2022

Chevrolet drivers deliver epic U.S. Nationals performances

• Five-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson reaches 100-win milestone
• No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier Brittany Force finishes as runner-up for second year in a row
• Robert Hight advances to Funny Car final round for ninth time in 16 races
• Team Chevy drivers sweep the top seeds for the Countdown to the Championship
• David Barton prevails in all-COPO Camaro final of Factory Stock Showdown

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 5, 2022) – The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) U.S. Nationals always produces riveting storylines involving Chevrolet teams and drivers, and the 68th edition of the “Big Go” delivered another epic race day at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

• Greg Anderson became the second driver in NHRA professional categories to reach 100 career victories as the five-time Pro Stock champion drove the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS to his seventh U.S. Nationals win.

“I kept asking myself what do I have to do to win? It just wasn’t meant to be. It was meant to be in Indy,” said Anderson, who delivered the 360th win for Chevrolet in the class since 1970. “When you can win here at Indy and to get the 100th here, I couldn’t ask for anything better. It means everything to me.”

Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, leads all drivers with 155 career wins. Sportsman racers Frank Manzo (105), Dan Fletcher (105), and David Rampy (100) — have also reached the century mark in victories.

Said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Performance and Motorsports: “Congratulations to Greg and his Camaro SS team on this incredible milestone victory. The 100 wins are the result of Greg’s skill as a racer combined with a great team that has prepared his race car over the years. This is also a very special tribute to his mother, late father and family who have always supported his passion for drag racing and the NHRA. We are extremely proud of Greg’s 100 wins – all with Chevrolet/GM.”

• Team Chevy drivers Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) – past NHRA champions with Chevrolet – sewed up top seeds in their respective professional classes for the six-race Countdown to the Championship that begins Sept. 16-18 at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania.

“We’re going into the Countdown and you’re seeing the competition really come alive, really pick up,” said Force, who was the No. 1 qualifier in the 2021 Countdown opener at Maple Grove Raceway. “That just makes it tough. It puts more pressure on our team, all of John Force Racing. But it’s going to be good, it’s going to be tight and it’s going to be close, and this Countdown is going to be fun.”

• No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier Brittany Force, who reset her own track elapsed time and speed records a day earlier in qualifying in the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster, finished runner-up for the second year in a row. She also finished second in the special Pep Boys All-Star Top Fuel Callout.

Force, who has four wins, added to her point total with her second final-round appearance in 16 races this season.

Force will look to 2023 to join her father John, a five-time winner, and sister Ashley, who’s won three times, as a U.S. Nationals champion. No Indy-winning parent has had two offspring also win the U.S. Nationals.

• No. 2 Funny Car qualifier Hight, driving the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, advanced to his ninth final round in 16 races.

Anderson also surpassed 900 career round wins – second only to John Force’s 1,412 in NHRA history. Anderson defeated Fernando Cuadra Jr. in one semifinal, while Glenn ended Enders’ U.S. Nationals round winning streak at 10.

“The best win ever. I can’t thank the (team owners) Black family enough for this opportunity; 100 wins together. They’ve made me live me dream all these years. Rick Hendrick, you have another cool trophy coming to your collection.”

John Force’s quest for his sixth U.S. Nationals Funny Car victory came to an end in the semifinals. Force, the No. 4 qualifier in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, has advanced to at least the semifinals in nine of the 16 regular-season races and will prepare to chase his 17th Funny Car world title in the Countdown.

Austin Prock, the No. 14 qualifier in the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, fell in the first round.

In an all-COPO Camaro final of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown, David Barton of Reading, Pennsylvania, took the points lead through six of the eight events in the season-long series with a victory over No. 1 qualifier Aaron Stanfield of Bossier, Louisiana.

“There’s really stiff competition out here, so you have to take it one round at a time,” Barton said. “We tried to stay focused and here we are in the winner’s circle. Two to go and we’re going to try to hold onto the points lead the best we can.”

An interview with Pro Stock winner GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS:

HOW MEANINGFUL IS THE MILESTONE?

“It’s incredible. I kept asking myself what do I have to do to win? It just wasn’t meant to be. It was meant to be in Indy. I’ve made no bones about telling everybody all my career how special Indy is to me. It’s an out-of-body experience when you can win here at Indy and to get the 100th here I couldn’t ask for anything better. It means everything to me.”

YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY AS A DRIVER. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORK ETHIC?

“I had a good, basic skill set when I came to Warren (Johnson). There’s no question that Warren opened my vision to a lot of different things and educated me on a lot of things. I learned that northern Minnesota work ethic that has followed me all my career. I tell people every day that I’ve never met anyone in my life that has failed by working hard. I’m not a brain surgeon. I’m not the smartest whip out there, but I work hard. That’s a valuable lesson.”

YOUR THOUGHTS ON BEING IN THAT EXCLUSIVE CLUB?

“It’s incredible. About three years ago when I was trying to chase down Warren with 97 (wins), I tried not to think about it. I was having too much fun racing, still thinking I could race forever. I don’t think I’m done by any means but I’m definitely closer to the end of my career. It’s hard to come out and compete with these kids so I know my days may be numbered but I’m not done. I think I’ll get a few more and I plan on doing this until I can’t win anymore. Sometimes, it’s good to have a few of us crusty old veterans out here. I used to win Indy fairly often. We won six times between 2001 and 2011 and I thought I’d have 10 of them at some point. I’m not going to get there but I think this is the most special one of all.”

YOU WOULDN’T HAVE 100 WITHOUT WINNING INDY SEVEN TIMES.

“It’s fantastic. I remember back in the day when we were winning quite often; it’s been since 2011 that I’ve won the U.S. Nationals. It’s been a long time, but from 2001 to 2011 we won six times. When you haven’t won here in so long, you can really appreciate it.”

YOU GOT TO TELL RICK HENDRICK THAT YOU GOT THE BIG ONE AT THE U.S. NATIONALS.

“Pretty incredible. He oozes cool. He loves to win. He doesn’t do this just for fun. He does it because he loves to win, he wants to win. When you call him or he calls you when you’ve won, he’s over the moon. It’s always a wonderful phone call.”

STARTING TO PEAK AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE COUNTDOWN NEXT?

“We just weren’t quite up to par, and we were getting outrun by (Elite Motorsports), basically. We have done a lot of work over the last three months, and it is starting to pay off. We are starting to climb that ladder back up with a car that can win again.”

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, FLAV-R-PAC/MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER: “Overall, not a bad weekend for this Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team. We can’t complain. We qualified No. 1, ran for the Pep Boys Callout money, got beat in the final. Race day, Monday, had another final round appearance. So, it’s positive all around,. Our biggest objective coming in was leaving with the points lead and we did just that. Everything resets in the Countdown but we’re in the position we want to be in, and we head to Reading, Pennsylvania next.”

AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER: “I thought this Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster had a little more out there to get around the champ. When you go up and duke it out with (Steve) Torrence there’s always some extra motivation and a little extra competition at the line. I left on him so I did my job but it’s a team sport, win as a team, lose as a team, it can go both ways. We made a full pull, which we struggled to do through qualifying, so hopefully that’s something we can consistently do and gain some power heading into the Countdown. We get a charity spot but hopefully we can hurt some feelings during the last six races.”

FUNNY CAR

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “Well, we went some rounds, had some good runs in this PEAK Chevrolet. We were able to find some consistency. That’s good, especially heading into the Countdown in two weeks. We’re fifth in points, which means after the reset, only 50 points out of the lead. Things can change quickly but we’re in it, we have a chance and that’s what we’re going after. Huge thank you to all the fans out here. You’re who we do this for, you bring us motivation.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “Not a bad day for this Auto Club team. Granted, not the way we wanted this afternoon to go, but we’re not putting our heads down. The Auto Club guys have been working hard all weekend, it’s a marathon here at the U.S. Nationals. We made some really good passes, went some rounds and we’re going into the Countdown in that number one spot. Now the real work starts, only ahead 20 points with the standings resetting for the Countdown, just have to take it one weekend at a time, one run at a time. I’ve said it before, it’s going to take another two or three wins to get that championship, that’s what we’re looking for.”

About Chevrolet

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