“The last time I was at Sonoma Raceway was 2009 when Antron swept the swing,” said Ashley, who is currently No. 9 in the Top Fuel point standings. “I am looking forward to going back as a driver and making some of my own memories. We have heard so many good things about this facility. I know it is a fast track and having Mike Green as my tuner has me super excited to get there and see what this Davis Motorsports Top Fuel dragster can do. This will be a home race for Davis Motorsports so having some extra family and friends at the track with us is an added bonus.”
The Western Swing began last weekend at the Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway and Ashley made the decision to skip the event opting instead to improve their race car and prepare for a daunting stretch to finish the regular season. It was a tough weekend for the second year driver who tried unsuccessfully to keep his mind occupied elsewhere.
Justin Ashley, photo credit Ron Lewis Photography
Heading into the middle of the regular season with seven races behind him Ashley is looking forward to being in his race car almost every other weekend for the rest of the season. The number of races he will compete in will be a record high for the young driver and he is doing his best to prepare for the new experience.
“I have never had the opportunity to race as many races as we are this season,” said Ashley, who last season competed in all eleven national events. “It’s a dream come true, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to do this. You cannot buy experience, but I am doing everything I can to best prepare for this stretch. The team is doing just the same, working extremely hard in the shop to make sure we have a fast race car. We are excited and up for the challenge.”
The season started on a high note for the Smart Sanitizer Top Fuel dragster powered by Strutmasters.com racing to the semifinal round at the historic Gatornationals. Ashley has qualified for all the events and won rounds, but he is looking to make an impact over the final two races of the Western Swing in Sonoma and Pomona. Qualifying will begin on Friday night and continue with two sessions on Saturday. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. and the race will be broadcast on FS1 from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET. Fans can follow Justin Ashley Racing on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About Justin Ashley Racing
Justin Ashley Racing in partnership with Davis Motorsports fields the Smart Sanitizer Top Fuel dragster powered by Strutmasters.com 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.