JUSTIN ASHLEY RACES TO QUARTERFINAL FINISH IN HOUSTON (1 Viewer)

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JUSTIN ASHLEY RACES TO QUARTERFINAL FINISH IN HOUSTON​

HOUSTON, TX (May 24, 2021) --- Rain plagued the race weekend at Houston Raceway Park first eliminating the Friday night qualifying session, then shortening Saturday’s qualifying effort and ultimately forcing teams to finish the race on Monday because of persistent showers on Sunday. Second year driver Justin Ashley and the Smart Sanitizer Top Fuel dragster powered by Strutmasters.com was one of only 12 teams to make passes on Sunday, outrunning Leah Pruett for the first round win. On Monday the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year was narrowly defeated in the quarterfinals in one of the closest races of his young career facing 2013 Top Fuel world champion Shawn Langdon.

“It was tough to only get one run on Sunday and have to wait until Monday to finish the race,” said Ashley, after the race day was postponed to Monday. “We really stepped up in that first round and I know we could have done that in qualifying if we could have gotten more runs. Everyone is in the same boat with the weather so we will have to see what we can get done tomorrow.”


During qualifying in the first session Ashley’s Smart Sanitizer Top Fuel dragster powered by Strutmasters.com Top Fuel dragster made an aggressive run that overpowered the race track at about 300 feet. Hoping to improve on his effort in the second session Ashley was foiled along with the rest of the Top Fuel field when rain washed out the last qualifying session and set the field. Ashley went into race day on Sunday as the No. 13 qualifier.

In the first round Ashley faced Leah Pruett, the No. 2 qualifier, who he had raced twice previously but never in the first round. Ashley brought his 2-0 record to the starting line against the veteran Top Fuel racer. When the tree flashed both dragsters jumped off the starting line and it was immediately apparent Ashley was on his way to the quarterfinals as Pruett’s dragster blew the tires off at the hit of the throttle. She tried to get back on the gas to get her race car to reclaim some traction but Ashley was driving away from her in the Smart Sanitizer Top Fuel dragster powered by Strutmasters.com carrying the additional branding from Auto Shocker and KATO Fastening Systems.


Ashley’s winning elapsed time of 3.770 was a huge jump on performance and gave the 2020 NHRA Summernationals race winner lane choice over Langdon in the second round. Last year at the SpringNationals Langdon ended Ashley’s day in the first round and today Ashley came up .0017 of a second short of avenging that loss. The seventeen thousandth of a second deficit equated to eight feet at the finish line at over 320 mph. Once again Ashley’s Smart Sanitizer Top Fuel dragster powered by Strutmasters.com made another strong run, lighting up the scoreboard 3.781 seconds after Ashley launched off the starting line.

“That was a close race and proves you have to be at the top of your game every round,” said Ashley. “I didn’t have my best reaction time and it cost us. Shawn got the jump on me and we were right there with him at the finish line. The bottom line is we have a great race car that is going to win races this year. Mike Green and this crew are doing an amazing job on this Davis Motorsports Top Fuel dragster. We had Viktoriya and Tarkan Bastiyali from Smart Sanitizer here this weekend which was great to have them experience another race after we brought them on board in Charlotte. I am ready to get to Epping and really wish we are going to be there this weekend.”

The young team will head to Epping for the NHRA New England Nationals in two weeks with a quick race car and two weeks of solid on track performance. Ashley held fast in the Top Fuel top ten point standings after five races of the regular season.

Photos courtesy of Ron Lewis Photography for media use only.

Qualifying Results
Q1: 8.329 sec, 83.13 mph; Qual. 13
Bonus Points: 0

Race Results

First Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Justin Ashley 13 .039 3.770 317.79 (W)
Leah Pruett 2 .020 12.703 60.13

Second Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Justin Ashley 13 .079 3.781 321.50
Shawn Langdon 7 .046 3.797 318.02 (W)


Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten - Top Fuel

1. Steve Torrence, 529
2. Antron Brown, 389
3. Shawn Langdon, 321
4. Brittany Force, 308
5. Doug Kalitta, 289
6. Josh Hart, 278
7. Billy Torrence, 267
8. Justin Ashley, 245
9. Clay Millican, 238
10. Leah Pruett, 215


About Justin Ashley Racing
Justin Ashley Racing in partnership with Davis Motorsports fields the Strutmasters.com Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. During his Top Fuel rookie season in 2020 Justin won the NHRA Summernationals, finished in the Top Ten and was recognized as the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year. Prior to his professional debut Ashley has three wins in Top Alcohol Dragster on the Lucas Oil Series. He is the son of multi-time NHRA national event winner Mike Ashley. In 2017, he was named to the Drag Illustrated magazine’s 30 under 30 list, highlighting some of racing’s most promising young individuals on and off the racetrack. When he’s not racing, Ashley serves as President of Ashley Developers, a real estate investment organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of distressed properties. To learn more about Justin Ashley Racing, visit JustinAshley.com.


Elon Werner
VP of Sports Publicity
Tony Fay Public Relations
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