fbpx

JUSTIN ASHLEY RACES TO SEMIS AGAIN AT LUCAS OIL NATIONALS

BRAINERD, MN (August 20, 2023) — At the conclusion of qualifying yesterday Justin Ashley ran to the No. 1 qualifier spot in the Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Okuma setting up an interesting race day at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Ashley earned a championship point on Saturday in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge race and clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Playoffs. The combination of championship and qualifying points had Ashley focused on making the most of his opportunity today.

Image
Justin Ashley and Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Okuma, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“This sport is so up and down,” said Ashley, a six-time Top Fuel winner in 2023. “You have to really learn to appreciate the little things. When these moments come you can’t bypass them because we’re in the middle of our season. You need to appreciate it because it takes a lot of energy, hard work, commitment, and dedication both on and off the racetrack to be able to be in positions like this. It was very meaningful, to be able to receive all the Countdown celebration awards on behalf of our entire Phillips Connect Toyota team.”

In the first round Ashley faced veteran Terry Totten and his Totten Racing Top Fuel team. The 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year and 2023 season point leader Ashley was not looking past a tough competitor. As the reaction time average category leading driver Ashley was first off the line and never trailed in the drag race. His winning time of 3.748 seconds at 332.51 mph was right with his qualifying time and earned Ashley a competition bye run in the second round.

“Every round on Sunday feels like a final round,” said Ashley. “You almost have to have four perfect rounds of racing to put yourself in a position to win so these races are super close. The margin for error is so small. You know when you have good cars going up and down the racetrack consistently and even the part-time cars who come to fill out the field legitimately can go out there and win rounds. It makes it difficult but also at the same time it really makes it that much more rewarding.”

Ashley and his Mike Green and Tommy DeLago tuned Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster took advantage of the bye run and took an aggressive shot at the track with an empty lane beside his racecar. Ashley was still strong on the starting line with a .046 second reaction time. His Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster that also gets support from KATO Fastening Systems, Mac Tools, Lucas Oil, Strutmasters.com and Toyota smoked the tires but still advanced to the semifinals for the second year in a row.

Looking to advance to his third consecutive final round, Ashley faced Leah Pruett in the semifinals. With another appearance in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty locked up by advancing to the semifinals Ashley was looking to turn on another win light. Ashley grabbed a reaction time advantage of .050 to .068 seconds and he held the lead well past half-track before Pruett chased him down. The margin of victory was just over a foot and equated to .002 seconds at over 331 mph.

“The competition being so tough, you’re going to have races like that throughout the year,” said Ashley. “Sometimes they’re gonna go your way and sometimes they’re not. It’s just one of those races where you tip your cap to your opponent and move on to the next one. We can take that run and learn from it and make sure that we apply it moving forward.”

Ashley extended his Top Fuel point lead with the semifinal effort. He will head to the U.S. Nationals with 1133 points and over a hundred-point lead on second place driver Steve Torrence. The final regular season will conclude at Lucas Oil Raceway August 30 – September 4.

Qualifying Results
Q1: 3.780 sec, 324.05 mph; Qual. 6
Q2: Was not contested (darkness)
Q3: 3.842 sec, 3320.20 mph; Qual. 6
Q4: 3.746 sec, 326.95 mph; Qual. 1
Bonus Points: +3 (Quickest of Q4)

Race Results
First Round

Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Okuma, (.044), 3.748, 332.51 mph def.  Terry Totten, Totten Racing dragster, (.166), 3.977, 258.12 mph

Second Round
Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Okuma, (.046), 6.781, 86.00 mph def.  Competition bye

Semifinals
Leah Pruett, Dodge Direct Connection dragster, (.068), 3.733, 331.94 mph def. Justin Ashley, Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by Okuma, (.050), 3.753, 322.73 mph

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Top Fuel
1. Justin Ashley          1133
2. Steve Torrence       1032
3. Antron Brown         907
4. Brittany Force         885
5. Leah Pruett             871
6. Austin Prock            789
7. Mike Salinas           761
8. Doug Kalitta             753
9. Clay Millican           721
10. Josh Hart               715

About Maynard Ashley Racing
Maynard Ashley Racing (MAR) was founded in 2023 with the express goal of delivering world class results, on and off the racetrack, for a growing community of marketing partners and fans drawn to Justin Ashley, the 2020 NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year and seven-time Top Fuel national event winner. Behind Maynard Ashley Racing is a partnership between JCM Racing, led by Joe E. and Cathi Maynard, Joe C. Maynard, and Eric and Kim Lehman, who have taken the NHRA by storm over the last year, and Max Out Motorsports a partnership between Justin Ashley, Dustin Davis and Jim Epler.

Related Articles

Racing Updates

JUSTIN ASHLEY LOOKING TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON AT TOPEKA

This season Ashley has continued to improve and demonstrate that he and his team are serious contenders for the Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel world championship. They have a category leading six final rounds and five wins plus they have not dropped a round in the newly created Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge which will be contested again this weekend at Heartland Park Topeka.

Read More
Racing Updates

Justin Ashley Taking on Topeka for Strong Regular Season Finish

Last year Justin Ashley made his first runs at one of the quickest, fastest and historic tracks on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, Heartland Motorsports Park–Topeka racing to a quarterfinal finish.

Read More
Racing Updates

Justin Ashley Wins #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and Goes to No. 1

Reigning NHRA Lucas Oil Winternationals winner Justin Ashley saved the best for last today at In-N-Out Dragstrip racing to the No. 1 qualifier position and winning the $10,000 top prize in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge outrunning Leah Pruett in the final round.

Read More
Racing Updates

JUSTIN ASHLEY WINS DELAYED NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS

For the third time this season Justin Ashley and Maynard Ashley Racing Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster defeated a gauntlet of tough NHRA Top Fuel competitors and world champions enroute to victory. The second-generation driver moved into the NHRA Top Fuel points lead with his win at the postponed and relocated NHRA New England Nationals outrunning Dan Mercier, two-time world champion Brittany Force, four-time world champion Steve Torrence and finally in an all JCM Racing final eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher.

Read More
Racing Updates

Justin Ashley Secures His First Career No. 1 in Charlotte

Third year pro Justin Ashley continued his hot start to the 2022 NHRA season with his first career No. 1 qualifier at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals today at zMax Dragway.

Read More
Racing Updates

Justin Ashley Has Chance For First Indy Double Up

This weekend as a third year Top Fuel team owner and driver it is the son who will be looking to add to the family trophy case with the U.S. Nationals title and an $80,000 win during the delayed Top Fuel Pep Boys Callout.

Read More