Yahoo Autos Bristol NHRA Results, Updated Standings: How Ron Capps, Justin Ashley Are Putting Heat on Points Leaders
Top Fuel, Funny Car points leaders eliminated early
Wild Pro Stock finish sees dominator Erica Enders' chances go up in smoke
Langdon barely misses historic double
In the NHRA nitro ranks, points leaders Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Matt Hagan (Funny Car) dropped out of the Thunder Valley Nationals eliminations early Sunday at Bristol, Tenn., and allowed winners Justin Ashley and Ron Capps to make serious cuts to their margins.
Aaron Stanfield in Pro Stock and Jerry Savoie in Pro Stock Motorcycle joined Ashley (Top Fuel) and Capps (Funny Car) in the winners circle at Bristol Dragway.
Justin Ashley Finally Finds Perfect Fathers Day Gift
Justin Ashley’s father, Mike, retired with an NHRA Pro Mod championship and multiple Funny Car victories, including one at this storied East Tennessee venue. And at this Fathers Day classic, restored to its June time slot for the first time since 2019, provided the perfect gift for the 27-year-old Phillips Connect/Vita C Dragster driver to present his dad.
“You know what? You are impossible to shop for on holidays like Fathers Day,” Justin Ashley told Mike Ashley. Then he handed him his “Wally” trophy (that’s named for the late NHRA founder, Wally Parks) and said, “You’re welcome. Here’s something I can give you.
“I’m really happy to win this on Fathers Day for my dad and winning on track that he won on before but [also] for all our team’s fathers. We have so many fathers on the team, and they deserve this one. I feel like I shouldn’t even be taking home a Wally,” Ashley said. “I should give it to them, and they should keep it collectively.”
In winning, Ashley improved from fourth place to third, passing Steve Torrence to sit just 52 points behind Force as the Camping World Drag Racing Series heads north to Norwalk, Ohio, this coming weekend.
Torrence sliced Force’s lead over him from 99 points to 71. Mike Salinas, the No. 1 qualifier at Bristol who was gunning for a third straight victory here, is in second place, 25 points off the pace.
No New-Owner Growing Pains for Ron Capps
Ron Capps made a switch from a Dodge Funny Car body to Toyota’s new Supra recently and gave Toyota Gazoo Racing its first triumph.
“GR. That badge isn’t just given out, so thank you, Toyota. The NAPA people, I love representing you. When I wear this NAPA Auto Care shield, I feel like Superman,” Capps said. “This is unbelievable. Ron Capps Motorsports . . . to have two wins already is crazy.
“I’m living the American dream as a small business owner,” he said.
He has given a few of his 70 trophies to his father, John Capps. But this one, he said, he will give to his father-in-law, Bob. “My in-laws, my wife’s family, they changed their lives and became fans when I married Shelley. They’ve given up their whole lives to follow us around this racing circuit, and I love them for it.”
Capps’ achievement Sunday came after his engine detonated in the opening round. He received help from Tony Schumacher’s Top Fuel crew and returned to knock off No. 2 contender and three-time champion Robert Hight in the quarterfinals, then Alexis De Joria in the semifinals to reach his 134th final round.
Leader Matt Hagan and Hight remain 1-2 in the standings, separated by only 42 points. Capps is third, 106 behind Hagan.
Aaron Stanfield Wins ‘Mondo Bizarro’ Pro Stock Final
Funny Car winner Ron Capps was sitting behind the Pro Stock finalists, and he called it a “mondo bizarro” finish to the Pro Stock eliminations Sunday. And he was right.
Dominator Erica Enders and her Elite Performance Motorsports teammate Aaron Stanfield were meeting in the final round for the third time this season, and her bid for a fifth 2022 victory and a third straight over Stanfield went up in smoke. Meanwhile, Stanfield’s car conked out on him, but he heard his crew chief urging on the radio to “Go! Go! Go!” And he got it to hook back up for the victory, his second of the season after a win in February at Phoenix.
Stanfield won for the first time from the No. 1 starting position.
Shawn Langdon ‘Bummed’ He Didn't Win Two Trophies at Bristol
By the time Shawn Langdon pulled his Kalitta Motorsports-owned CMR/Toyota Dragster to the starting line to face Justin Ashley in the final round, he already had won one trophy Sunday.
It’s not unusual for Langdon to compete in a second class, a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series category. And this weekend he aced the Super Comp eliminations ladder. He defeated John Labbous in the final round of the sportsman-level class just minutes before buckling into his Top Fuel dragster.
“It’s so hard to not be mad about today, and I’m not mad. I’m bummed. I wanted that double-up so bad,” Langdon said. “Haven’t doubled up at a national event before and [was excited] to have the opportunity and just lucky to have the opportunity. But when you have the opportunity there, you don’t want to give it away. All in all, great weekend to have the CMR group on board. We’ve had the last two races where the car has been running good, so no complaints there. It’s only looking up from here.”
Jerry Savoie Overcomes Last-Minute Engine Swap in Pro Stock Bikes
Crew chief Tim Kulungian oversaw 25-minute engine swap and raced owner-rider Jerry Savoie to the starting line for his final-round all-Louisiana match-up with Angelle Sampey, who, incidentally, used to babysit his daughter many years ago. His engine blow-up was just another hurdle this year for Savoie, who missed the previous race two weeks ago with a broken toe.
Sampey, the No. 1 qualifier, was aiming for back-to-back Bristol victories. But Savoie used his first final round – and her red-light disqualification to claim his 14th overall victory.
The alligator farmer from Cut Off, La., racing for his White Alligator Racing (W.A.R.) team, credited his lucky pink alligator socks. He said he had the advantage: “They eat everything.”
Results, Updated Points Standings
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Results
Sunday's final results from the 21st annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. The race is the ninth of 22 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Justin Ashley, 3.813 seconds, 325.30 mph def. Shawn Langdon, 3.841 seconds, 320.51 mph.
Funny Car -- Ron Capps, Toyota Supra, 3.984, 324.36 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.075, 315.86.
