NHRA Brainerd Pre-Race Report
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Event 14 of 21
Brainerd International Raceway
Brainerd, Minn.
Aug. 18 – 20
Top Fuel:
JUSTIN ASHLEY: Driver of the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster powered by Okuma
2022 NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified third; Semifinal finish (defeated Krista Baldwin in E1, Shawn Langdon in E2; defeated by Tony Schumacher in E3)
Last Event (Topeka):
Qualified seventh; Event champion (defeated Josh Hart in E1, Leah Pruett in E2, Antron Brown in E3, Brittany Force in E4)
2023 Statistics:
13 races; six wins, one runner-up finish, one No. 1 qualifier
Career Statistics:
68 races; 11 wins, three No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:JUSTIN ASHLEY: Driver of the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster powered by Okuma
2022 NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified third; Semifinal finish (defeated Krista Baldwin in E1, Shawn Langdon in E2; defeated by Tony Schumacher in E3)
Last Event (Topeka):
Qualified seventh; Event champion (defeated Josh Hart in E1, Leah Pruett in E2, Antron Brown in E3, Brittany Force in E4)
2023 Statistics:
13 races; six wins, one runner-up finish, one No. 1 qualifier
Career Statistics:
68 races; 11 wins, three No. 1 qualifiers
Begins the Brainerd event as the Top Fuel point leader after having won six events in seven final round appearances throughout the first 13 races of the season
Seeking to secure a third consecutive win for the first time in his young career as a team owner and driver after having powered to victory in Topeka, Kan. and Sonoma, Calif., the two most recent events on tour
By advancing beyond the quarterfinals in Topeka, Ashley locked-in a spot to compete in the Brainerd #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and will be seeking his sixth victory in the Mission Foods-backed specialty race Okuma will be recognized as an associate partner on Ashley’s machine this weekend. Many strategic engine and clutch components utilized on JCM Racing cars are made with Okuma CNC machines.
Fan Events: Saturday, Aug. 19, 10:30 – 11:00 a.m., #2Fast2Tasty driver autograph session at Mission Foods midway display.
Quotable:
“Last weekend was a lot, and I am so thankful we got the win because my Phillips Connect Toyota team did an amazing job. We have had some great runs this season for sure and it all goes back to this team led by Mike Green, Tommy DeLago and Dustin Davis. They are all total professionals, and they keep everyone on the same page and motivated to give 100 percent every time we put the car together. I can’t tell you how much confidence that gives me as a driver.
“We have so much support on this team from Phillips Connect, KATO Fastening Systems, Chip Lofton at Strutmasters.com, Lucas Oil, Mac Tools and Toyota, that we feel like we have to perform at the highest level every time we go down the track. I don’t consider it pressure; it is more we want to represent these great companies and brands to our best ability. This is a dream come true and this season has been amazing so far. This sport is about improvement and repetition. You want to be able to get quicker and faster but also have a tune-up that is repeatable. You can’t win races guessing. Mike and Tommy have a great handle on this race car and I feel very comfortable driving. This weekend is going to be exciting and then we can start thinking about the U.S. Nationals and the Countdown.”
TONY SCHUMACHER: Driver of the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel Dragster
NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Highlights:
Three-time event champion (2000, 2004, 2008)
Four-time runner-up (2003, 2006, 2011, 2022)
Six-time No. 1 qualifier (2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012)
2022 NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified seventh; Event runner-up (defeated Doug Kalitta in E1, Josh Hart in E2, Justin Ashley in E3; defeated by Steve Torrence in E4)
Last Event (Topeka):
Qualified fourth; First round exit (defeated by Scott Palmer in E1)
2023 Statistics:
13 races; one runner-up finish
Career Statistics:
547 races; 86 wins, 88 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Highlights:
Three-time event champion (2000, 2004, 2008)
Four-time runner-up (2003, 2006, 2011, 2022)
Six-time No. 1 qualifier (2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012)
2022 NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified seventh; Event runner-up (defeated Doug Kalitta in E1, Josh Hart in E2, Justin Ashley in E3; defeated by Steve Torrence in E4)
Last Event (Topeka):
Qualified fourth; First round exit (defeated by Scott Palmer in E1)
2023 Statistics:
13 races; one runner-up finish
Career Statistics:
547 races; 86 wins, 88 No. 1 qualifiers
Powered to a runner-up finish at the 2022 Brainerd event, and is looking for a repeat performance as he aims to reach his second final round of the season
Schumacher leads the Top Fuel class in No. 1 qualifiers (six) at BIR
Quotable:
“I love Brainerd, and I’m looking forward to getting there for several reasons. We’re coming off of a No. 4 qualifier from Topeka last weekend, the best we’ve qualified so far this year. Yes we lost in the first round, but weather conditions just jacked with us all weekend long last weekend, and we still performed good. Our SCAG dragster is running right, and I tend to do well at Brainerd. Last year, we were runner-up there, and hopefully we can repeat with another visit to the final round this weekend.”
Funny Car:
TIM WILKERSON: Driver of the SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang
NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Highlights:
2003 event runner-up
2004 No. 1 qualifier
2022 NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified sixth; First round exit (defeated by Chad Green in E1)
Last Event (Topeka):
Qualified sixth; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Terry Haddock in E1; defeated by Matt Hagan in E2)
2023 Statistics:
13 races; two wins, one runner-up finish
Career Statistics:
583 races; 24 wins; 20 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:TIM WILKERSON: Driver of the SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang
NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Highlights:
2003 event runner-up
2004 No. 1 qualifier
2022 NHRA Brainerd Nationals Event Recap:
Qualified sixth; First round exit (defeated by Chad Green in E1)
Last Event (Topeka):
Qualified sixth; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Terry Haddock in E1; defeated by Matt Hagan in E2)
2023 Statistics:
13 races; two wins, one runner-up finish
Career Statistics:
583 races; 24 wins; 20 No. 1 qualifiers
Sits seventh in the Funny Car rankings, and with just two races remaining before playoff starting positions are set, will be looking to the Brainerd event to move up in the standings
Quotable:
“Every race is different and every track is different, so hopefully we can go to Brainerd and keep our momentum up of our car running well, but we’re going to have to work on our driver a little bit (said jokingly). I’m a little pissed at him after last weekend with Hagan’s good light, so we’ll see how that works out this weekend. Only two races left before the Countdown fields are set, and our SCAG/LRS team is focused on finishing the regular season strong.”
About JCM Racing:
Established in 2022, the Maynard family’s JCM Racing organization is a multi-car NHRA team owned by Joe and Cathi Maynard, along with their minority partners Eric and Kim Lehman. JCM Racing takes pride in operating as a family unit with son Joe C. Maynard and daughter-in-law, Andrea Maynard, also having an ownership stake and leading the team in executive roles. The executive staff operates out of Clarksville, Tenn., while the racing headquarters are located in Brownsburg, Ind.Headliners for the JCM Racing team are the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster driven by Tony Schumacher, the SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang Funny Car piloted by Tim Wilkerson, and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster campaigned by Justin Ashley. As an eight-time world champion and 86-time event winner, Schumacher is the most decorated Top Fuel driver in the history of the sport. Wilkerson is a 24-time Funny Car winner and an industry anomaly as he serves as both the driver and tuner of his 11,000-horsepower machine. While still considered a newcomer to the Camping World Series, Ashley, the 2020 Rookie of the Year recipient, has already earned a reputation as one of the best 'leavers' in the Top Fuel category. NHRA Hall of Famer Don Schumacher, father of Tony Schumacher, is a minority owner of the SCAG dragster, while Tim Wilkerson Racing (TWR) co-owns the SCAG/LRS Mustang with JCM Racing. The Maynard Ashley Racing (MAR) operation is co-owned by JCM Racing and Max Out Motorsports. Between the three entities, JCM Racing owns seven national event wins to date.
JCM Racing also operates a driver development program, which currently lends support to three entries in NHRA’s Sportsman categories. Wyatt Wagner competes in Super Stock, Kayleigh Hill is a Super Comp racer, and Waylon Bennett tears it up in the Jr. Drag Racing League. Through the driver development program, JCM offers young talent the opportunity to hone in and perfect their driving skills as they work toward a career competing in NHRA’s professional ranks.
For more information, visit @jcmnitro on Twitter and Instagram, @JCMNitro on Facebook, and JCMNitro.com.
