NHRA FallNationals Final Results, Updated Standings: Justin Ashley Takes Over Top Fuel Points Lead
Justin Ashley Battles to a Top Fuel Win
Justin Ashley put his SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Dragster safely in the Top Fuel field at the NHRA Texas FallNationals Friday, and he left for a day and a half to observe Yom Kippur.
When he returned Sunday to Texas Motorplex and found himself starting eliminations from the 12th of 16 starting positions, he had no time for quiet meditation and peaceful reflection. He was thrust back into drag-racing combat, where, in his words, “it’s battles, battles, battles, all heavyweights, all day long.” After all, it was the max-pressure moment of what folks at the Ennis, Texas, dragstrip south of Dallas call “The Stampede of Speed.” Nothing relaxing about that.
And Ashley slipped right back into fighting mode. And in his cool, calm manner he blasted past point leader Antron Brown in an uncharacteristically rugged first-round match. Ashley won by 21-thousandths of a second. Next he won the skirmish between the sport’s two best drivers in reaction time, eliminating Shawn Langdon. His next test came against eight-time champion and resurgent Tony Schumacher in the semifinals.
Finally, Ashley outran Clay Millican to win at Texas Motorplex for the third time in four years for his 15th overall victory, creeping closer to that elusive first championship.
But Ashley warned, “It is far, far from over. This is going to a fight down the stretch. There’s a difference between playing to win and playing not to lose. This year it was my goal to play to win.” He said he naturally will be mindful of the points race and where everyone stands. However, he said, “If we don’t take care of our business, it’s not going to matter.”
Ashley shared the winners circle with Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
He said his team had no problem with his decision to slip away and practice his faith. He said, “It’s so easy to get lost in the midst of the Countdown,” but he had no hesitation in staying true to his beliefs.
“It speaks volumes to the kind of team we have. They rallied together around me. I have certain principles that are based on faith and family.” He has a verse of Scripture on his dragster that says that with God, all things are possible.”
He made the seemingly impossible possible Sunday, and he knew where his strength came from.
Funny Car Points Leader Austin Prock Gets Disappointing Jolt
Austin Prock’s rivals haven’t had much luck in stopping the Funny Car rookie this season. He has won seven times in 11 final rounds, qualified No. 1 an NHRA-record 13 times, and led the standings twice in April and again ever since the June 2 event at Epping, N.H.
They got help Sunday from an unlikely source – Prock’s own AAA Chevy Camaro. The throttle linkage broke after he performed his burnout in the semifinals, and he handed Ron Capps a free pass into the final round when the crew shut off the car. Prock bounded from the race car and marched off the starting line, retreating to his John Force Racing pit.
After awhile, Prock shared that he knew something was wrong when his foot extended all the way to the floor of the car. “We tried reconnecting [the throttle cable]” but said that quickly became not an option.
“Tough break. It was still a good week,” the top qualifier said. He said his focus was on the Nov. 1-3 Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “We’ll see if we can sew this thing up,” Prock said of the championship in this year when he was tapped to substitute for three-time champion Robert Hight, who took a medical leave of absence in the preseason. With two races remaining, at Las Vegas and at Pomona, Calif., Prock has a 147-point lead over closest challenger Jack Beckman, who sat out Sunday’s eliminations because of a sudden medical condition.
As for the missed opportunity to race Ron Capps in Sunday’s semifinals, he said, “I’m sure it would have been a hell of a drag race.”
Matt Hagan Has Clever Strategy for Winning his Fifth Championship
Two more events are left in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule, with a points-and-a-half bonus at the season finale at Pomona, Calif. And Sunday’s Texas FallNationals Funny Car winner Matt Hagan trails leader Austin Prock and his John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman. The Tony Stewart Racing driver and four-time champion has 168 points to make up.
“There’s that never-quit mentality,” Hagan said. “You got to dig in every round.”
And he said, “I think we’ve got a chance if I can lock him in his house. Maybe I can pay somebody to tie him up. I have a lot of respect for the kid. He’s a good wheelman. Got to give respect where respect is due. They came out and outworked everybody. I don’t see anyone catching him anytime soon.”
John Force Racing Nitro Tandem Reaches Milestones
John Force Racing teammates Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Austin Prock (Funny Car) did more Saturday than share the No. 1 qualifier distinction – marking the 16th time since the organization began to field a dragster in 2013 that it scored a “qualifying double.” Each achieved a personal milestone, as well.
Force earned her 50th No. 1 start for Sunday eliminations with a 3.667-second, 338.19-mph run in her HendrickCars.com Chevrolet dragster from No. 1 for the 50th time in her pro career. She became just the 19th pro driver, regardless of category, to reach that plateau.
“Fifty seems like an impossible number,” Force said. “To be able to accomplish that in my career is huge, and it’s something I’m very proud of. When we were creeping up on it, just hearing the number ‘50,’ I’m like, ‘Wow, we’ve done that.’ And the cool thing is, it’s a collective thing. It wasn’t done with just one team but with so many teams since I first started in 2013, with so many different crew chiefs. But they all taught me things along the way that I still use to this day. So I’m thankful to them that they were a part of my career getting to 50 (No. 1s).”
Prock tied boss John Force’s 28-year-old record for most No. 1 starts in a single season with his 13th in 18 races in his AAA Chevy Camaro. Force set the record in 1996, when Prock was just a year old. Prock will have two chances to break Force’s record. The first will come Nov. 2, during the Nevada Nationals at Las Vegas.
“That's pretty special,” Prock said of his 13th No. 1. “I had no idea that we were even close or even that there was a record until a few weeks ago. So, it's pretty special to be added to that list, and to do it in 18 races is pretty incredible. It speaks volumes about this team – my dad, my brother (Thomas), Nate Hildahl, everyone that's on this AAA car, this Cornwell Tools car. I'm really proud of this team and happy to be driving this race car. I just stab and steer. I don’t have anything to do with [the set-up]. I just try not to mess it up.”
Shawn Langdon Not a Fan of Long Random Christmas Tree Starts
Because so many races in every class are won or lost at the “Christmas Tree’ electric starting device, the NHRA’s practice of using a tree-start randomizer – designed to prevent racers from guessing when the lights will signal it’s time to launch the cars – isn’t especially popular. It can throw off a driver’s timing. And Top Fuel racer Shawn Langdon, who is considered one of the sport’s premier “leavers,” was no fan of it Sunday.
Langdon won his battle against Jasmine Salinas, but an apparent malfunction upset both drivers’ rhythm. As officials inspected the Christmas Tree, public-address announcer Jason Galvin said, "The tree is not supposed to hang that long once you stage the cars." Neither fouled out. Langdon, perturbed by an uncharacteristically snoozy.126 reaction time, won, but he recognized that Salinas’.190 wasn’t a fair representation of her skills, either.
"For her to be a rookie and hold her composure, she left right with me," Langdon said.
After he exited the car, Langdon joked that if he shared his candid feelings at that moment at the starting line, “I'd get fined so much money [that] I wouldn't be able to come back for next round.” He said, “S--- happens. It is chicken s--- that we are racing in the Countdown for a lot of money, we have a lot of people, with a lot of money at stake... jobs and points and everything like that. Computer stuff is out of people's control to a certain extent, but we cannot have that crap happen in the Countdown."
At the U.S. Nationals, officials met with professional drivers to discuss this topic, and the agenda addressed the notion of speeding up the tree activation to quicker than four seconds.
In an unrelated incident, after the next pairing of dragsters, action stopped for a few minutes because a power surge knocked out electricity on the property.
NHRA FallNationals Results, Updated Standings
Final finish order (1-16) at the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Justin Ashley; 2. Clay Millican; 3. Tony Schumacher; 4. Steve Torrence; 5. Shawn Reed; 6. Brittany Force; 7. Shawn Langdon; 8. Billy Torrence; 9. Jasmine Salinas; 10. Antron Brown; 11. Tony Stewart; 12. Ida Zetterstrom; 13. Doug Kalitta; 14. Spencer Hyde; 15. Josh Hart; 16. Krista Baldwin.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Matt Hagan; 2. Ron Capps; 3. Daniel Wilkerson; 4. Austin Prock; 5. Paul Lee; 6. Cruz Pedregon; 7. Chad Green; 8. Blake Alexander; 9. Bobby Bode; 10. Bob Tasca III; 11. Terry Haddock; 12. J.R. Todd; 13. Dale Creasy Jr.; 14. Dave Richards; 15. Jack Beckman; 16. Alexis DeJoria.
PRO STOCK:
1. Jeg Coughlin; 2. Greg Anderson; 3. Dallas Glenn; 4. Matt Hartford; 5. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 6. Erica Enders; 7. David Cuadra; 8. Aaron Stanfield; 9. Cory Reed; 10. Mason McGaha; 11. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 12. Cristian Cuadra; 13. Jerry Tucker; 14. Camrie Caruso; 15. Chris McGaha; 16. Eric Latino.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
1. Gaige Herrera; 2. Matt Smith; 3. Hector Arana Jr; 4. Jianna Evaristo; 5. Chase Van Sant; 6. Marc Ingwersen; 7. Angie Smith; 8. Steve Johnson; 9. Richard Gadson; 10. John Hall; 11. Malcolm Phillips Jr.; 12. Chris Bostick; 13. Ryan Oehler; 14. Geno Scali; 15. Ron Tornow.
ENNIS, Texas -- Sunday's final results from the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 18th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Justin Ashley, 3.773 seconds, 327.99 mph def. Clay Millican, 3.762 seconds, 328.40 mph.
Funny Car -- Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.943, 327.65 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.934, 328.28.
Pro Stock -- Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.593, 208.10 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.603, 210.13.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.816, 200.56 def. Matt Smith, Buell, 7.703, 125.55.
Top Alcohol Dragster -- Matthew Cummings, 5.246, 279.71 def. Julie Nataas, 5.264, 272.18.
Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.497, 266.86 def. Brian Hough, Camaro, 5.557, 266.45.
Competition Eliminator -- Matt Harris, Pontinac Grand Am, 7.705, 175.83 def. Keith Mawhee, Chevy Cavalier, 8.059, 167.92.
Super Stock -- Justin Picillo, Pontiac Tran Am, 9.401, 134.97 def. Craig Gualtiere, Chevy Cavalier, 9.455, 142.62.
Stock Eliminator -- Michael Brand, Ford Mustang, 8.833, 152.54 def. Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Pontiac GTO, 10.958, 114.31.
Super Comp -- Kyle Secrest, Dragster, 8.875, 178.78 def. Michael Dalrymple, Dragster, 8.870, 183.98.
Super Gas -- Tom Stalba, Chevy Corvette, 9.901, 154.77 def. Rusty Cook, Chevy, 9.894, 160.24.
Super Street -- Jordan Pratt, Chevy Camaro, 10.897, no speed def. Alan Bush, Chevy Nova, 10.859, 154.35.
Top Sportsman -- Michael Chitty, Chevy Cobalt, 6.571, 210.41 def. Macy Higgins, Chevy Camaro, 6.619, 207.49.
Top Dragster -- Jim Prevo, Dragster, 6.305, 185.10 def. Brad Plourd, Dragster, 9.855, 85.03.
Factory X -- Greg Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 7.074, 193.17 def. Jesse Alexandra, Camaro, 7.138, 190.93.
Final round-by-round results from the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Tony Schumacher, 3.801, 322.37 def. Ida Zetterstrom, 4.082, 222.85; Justin Ashley, 3.775, 329.21 def. Antron Brown, 3.776, 324.96; Brittany Force, 3.766, 334.55 def. Spencer Hyde, Foul - Red Light; Shawn Reed, 3.753, 318.97 def. Tony Stewart, 3.817, 329.96; Shawn Langdon, 3.724, 332.20 def. Jasmine Salinas, 3.745, 326.49; Steve Torrence, 3.756, 333.21 def. Krista Baldwin, 6.121, 103.31; Steve Torrence, 3.756, 333.21 def. Krista Baldwin, 6.121, 103.31; Billy Torrence, 3.773, 329.48 def. Josh Hart, 6.093, 105.75; Clay Millican, 3.740, 333.16 def. Doug Kalitta, 4.954, 161.63;
QUARTERFINALS -- Schumacher, 3.797, 326.16 def. Force, 3.790, 332.27; S. Torrence, 3.811, 325.80 def. B. Torrence, 5.491, 121.61; Millican, 3.759, 330.44 def. Reed, 3.775, 324.98; Ashley, 3.951, 291.00 def. Langdon, 4.274, 228.21;
SEMIFINALS -- Ashley, 3.806, 327.51 def. Schumacher, 3.817, 323.93; Millican, 3.777, 329.40 def. S. Torrence, 4.245, 222.39;
FINAL -- Ashley, 3.773, 327.99 def. Millican, 3.762, 328.40.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 3.879, 325.80 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.994, 303.91; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 4.380, 275.23 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.404, 205.61; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.974, 325.64 def. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.966, 321.80; Chad Green, Mustang, 3.992, 295.92 def. Jack Beckman, Camaro, Broke - No Show; Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.912, 328.42 def. Dave Richards, Mustang, 12.205, 70.29; Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.908, 323.46 def. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, Broke; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.017, 315.55 def. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 5.059, 158.02; Paul Lee, Charger, 4.100, 246.72 def. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 5.678, 126.53;
QUARTERFINALS -- Prock, 3.945, 327.92 def. Lee, 4.008, 314.95; Capps, 3.945, 307.34 def. Alexander, 9.718, 86.49; Wilkerson, 3.944, 322.74 def. Green, 5.544, 105.54; Hagan, 3.974, 327.44 def. Pedregon, 4.076, 252.53;
SEMIFINALS -- Hagan, 3.965, 326.16 def. Wilkerson, 7.727, 96.18; Capps, 3.900, 328.83 def. Prock, Broke;
FINAL -- Hagan, 3.943, 327.65 def. Capps, 3.934, 328.28.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Fernando Cuadra Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.602, 209.02 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.665, 207.88; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 7.543, 174.11 def. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 22.546, 25.02; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.583, 208.29 def. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.572, 210.06; David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.620, 208.04 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, Broke; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.559, 209.51 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.576, 209.93; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.543, 210.59 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, Broke - No Show; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.579, 209.39 def. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.615, 208.74; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.582, 209.38 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.601, 207.45;
QUARTERFINALS -- Coughlin, 6.627, 208.03 def. D. Cuadra, 6.650, 208.03; Hartford, 6.616, 208.75 def. Enders, 6.613, 208.91; Glenn, 6.612, 209.27 def. Stanfield, 12.308, 71.61; Anderson, 6.568, 209.92 def. Cuadra Jr., 6.607, 207.89;
SEMIFINALS -- Coughlin, 6.636, 207.19 def. Hartford, 8.204, 144.29; Anderson, 6.601, 209.50 def. Glenn, 6.619, 208.75;
FINAL -- Coughlin, 6.593, 208.10 def. Anderson, 6.603, 210.13.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
ROUND ONE -- Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.808, 199.96 def. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.830, 199.32; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.808, 202.54 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.949, 180.22; Marc Ingwersen, 6.845, 199.22 def. John Hall, Foul - Red Light; Hector Arana Jr, 6.808, 197.81 def. Ryan Oehler, 6.974, 194.30; Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.895, 200.76 def. Ron Tornow, Broke; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.774, 196.88 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, Foul - Red Light; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.776, 202.48 def. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 6.946, 194.34; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.758, 201.78 was unopposed;
QUARTERFINALS -- Arana Jr, 6.851, 198.51 def. A. Smith, 6.896, 199.69; M. Smith, 6.788, 201.57 def. Ingwersen, 6.849, 198.51; Evaristo, 6.910, 199.13 def. Johnson, Foul - Red Light; Herrera, 6.818, 199.53 def. Van Sant, Foul - Red Light;
SEMIFINALS -- Herrera, 6.835, 199.65 def. Evaristo, 7.010, 194.96; M. Smith, 6.878, 200.18 def. Arana Jr, 6.900, 197.57;
FINAL -- Herrera, 6.816, 200.56 def. M. Smith, 7.703, 125.55.
Point standings (top 10) following the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series -
Top Fuel
1. Justin Ashley, 2,422; 2. Antron Brown, 2,378; 3. Shawn Langdon, 2,346; 4. Steve Torrence, 2,334; 5. Tony Schumacher, 2,317; 6. Clay Millican, 2,308; 7. Doug Kalitta, 2,289; 8. Brittany Force, 2,232; 9. Tony Stewart, 2,181; 10. Billy Torrence, 2,167.
Funny Car
1. Austin Prock, 2,537; 2. John Force, 2,390; 3. Matt Hagan, 2,369; 4. Ron Capps, 2,357; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2,326; 6. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,238; 7. Blake Alexander, 2,234; 8. J.R. Todd, 2,223; 9. Chad Green, 2,210; 10. Alexis DeJoria, 2,177.
Pro Stock
1. Dallas Glenn, 2,517; 2. Aaron Stanfield, 2,464; 3. Greg Anderson, 2,427; 4. Erica Enders, 2,406; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 2,321; 6. Matt Hartford, 2,215; 7. Cristian Cuadra, 2,188; 8. Jerry Tucker, 2,182; 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,175; 10. Eric Latino, 2,158.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Gaige Herrera, 2,532; 2. Matt Smith, 2,470; 3. Richard Gadson, 2,371; 4. Hector Arana Jr, 2,347; 5. Chase Van Sant, 2,302; 6. Angie Smith, 2,262; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 2,247; 8. John Hall, 2,239; 9. Steve Johnson, 2,182; 10. Chris Bostick, 2,128.