NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Event 8 of 21
Bristol Dragway
Bristol, Tenn.
June 9 – 11, 2023
Top Fuel:
Justin Ashley Wins Bristol, Caps Dominant Weekend
Qualified: No. 4 (3.755 E.T. at 327.74 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.763 E.T. at 328.70 MPH defeated Doug Foley 3.871 E.T. at 315.19 MPH
E2: 3.756 E.T. at 329.83 MPH defeated Josh Hart 3.780 E.T. at 328.86 MPH
E3: 3.728 E.T. at 330.23 MPH defeated Austin Prock 7.154 E.T. at 127.98 MPH
E4: 3.718 E.T. at 336.49 MPH defeated Antron Brown 6.148 E.T. at 109.79 MPH
Justin Ashley Wins Bristol, Caps Dominant Weekend
Qualified: No. 4 (3.755 E.T. at 327.74 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.763 E.T. at 328.70 MPH defeated Doug Foley 3.871 E.T. at 315.19 MPH
E2: 3.756 E.T. at 329.83 MPH defeated Josh Hart 3.780 E.T. at 328.86 MPH
E3: 3.728 E.T. at 330.23 MPH defeated Austin Prock 7.154 E.T. at 127.98 MPH
E4: 3.718 E.T. at 336.49 MPH defeated Antron Brown 6.148 E.T. at 109.79 MPH
BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 11, 2023) – There was a lot on the line heading into the Thunder Valley Nationals, and championship contender Justin Ashley and his Maynard Ashley Racing Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team had a lofty list of goals for Bristol Dragway. Competing in the rescheduled New England Nationals, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and the 22nd NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals all in one weekend, the three-time 2023 winner was hoping to grab three more event wins and accelerate his championship hopes. The 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year checked all the boxes at the conclusion of race day, winning his second consecutive Thunder Valley Nationals in an epic all-Toyota final round against Antron Brown less than 24 hours after winning the New England Nationals and his third Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge title of the season.
“I’m on cloud nine. It is just an amazing feeling. It’s so hard to win a race,” said Ashley, who has collected $30,000 and nine championship points for his Mission Challenge victories alone. “It is so difficult, so to be able to come into one weekend, in three days, and win two events and one Mission Foods Challenge, is really something special. It’s hard to turn on win lights in this sport, so I just have so much gratitude for my entire team and the work they did to turn this car around round after round and make sure it went down the race track. We had a lot of friends and family here – this is not too far from where the Maynards and Lehmans are from in Clarksville, so they had a lot of their friends out as well. It’s a big win for the entire team.”
On race day today at Bristol Dragway, Ashley as the No. 4 qualifier outran veteran Doug Foley in the first round. He took a starting line advantage and never trailed in the drag race. His winning time of 3.763 seconds gave him lane choice over Josh Hart in the second round. In a tremendous side-by-side race, Ashley was again first off the line and took his sixth consecutive win light of the weekend over Hart. His 3.756-second pass at 329.83 MPH got to the finish line just in front of Hart’s 3.780-second, 328.86 MPH pass. He gave up lane choice for the first time against his semifinal opponent. Throughout the day Ashley faced one tough competitor after another but there was no round that stood out due to the heightened level of competition.
“It was every round today,” said Ashley of clinching JCM Racing’s third Top Fuel win, and fourth victory overall. “I think at this point you always need to dig deep, especially with the way the competition is. Anytime we go up against Antron (Brown) is usually a fantastic race, and it is a small margin of victory. I don’t really believe in the approach of getting up for anyone, but you have to be extremely focused because he is not going to let you get away with anything. Antron is a fantastic driver, and more importantly, he’s a fantastic person, so I think racing a guy like Antron brings out the best in myself and my team.”
It was another wire-to-wire win for Ashley over Austin Prock in a battle of two rising stars in NHRA. The win moved Ashley into his fourth final round of the season. It would set up a final round against his technology alliance and Toyota teammate Antron Brown as they each pursued Toyota’s 199th NHRA victory.
It was an epic final round as both drivers left the starting line together and Ashley was able to hold off a charging Brown for his fourth victory of the season and ninth Top Fuel title of his career. Ashley became the second NHRA driver to win two national events in one weekend joining eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher, who he defeated in the New England Nationals final yesterday. His crew chief and Schumacher’s crew chief at the time was world champion Mike Green.
“Mike (Green), Tommy (DeLago), and Dustin (Davis) are just fantastic,” said Ashley, about his Top Fuel crew chief leadership team. “They are excellent at what they do both on and off the race track. You are only as good as the team that you have. They have done a great job themselves, but they have also assembled an amazing team that surrounds the race car. Honestly, it is fascinating to be able to watch them round after round maintain that consistency. Nothing stops this team. We can lose in the first round, we could win the race, we could fall short somewhere in between, but the mentality is the same. We always expect to win, and the reason for that is because it starts on top. It starts with guys like Dustin, Mike, and Tommy.”
After the most successful three days in Ashley’s still young career the team owner and driver was worn out but elated by his team’s success. He knew that there was still a lot of season left in front of the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team but with the support of his marketing partners like Mac Tools, Strutmasters, KATO Fastening Systems, Lucas Oil, and more, the future looks very bright for the team. The accomplishment hadn’t sunk in as Ashley headed to his second winner’s circle of the weekend.
“After the fact, I certainly think about it,” said Ashley. “During the race, that doesn’t cross my mind and if it does, I do everything I can to get rid of that thought, because it is just a matter of focusing on that moment and taking it one round at a time because it is not easy to win. I think that approach gives us as a team the opportunity to win.”
Ashley will leave with the Top Fuel points lead which he took over yesterday after his New England Nationals win and extended today. He will return to the track in two weeks at the Norwalk Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.
Newly Minted Bristol Legend Tony Schumacher Ends ‘Epic’ Weekend in Second Round
Qualified: No. 10 (3.797 E.T. at 323.58 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.767 E.T. at 328.06 MPH defeated Dan Mercier 3.877 E.T. at 313.80 MPH
E2: 5.699 E.T. at 116.82 MPH defeated by Antron Brown 3.765 E.T. at 329.50 MPH
After reaching the final round of the rain-delayed NHRA New England Nationals on Saturday, Top Fuel star Tony Schumacher was hoping to go one round further in Sunday’s eliminations at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. Unfortunately, a flash of tire smoke marked the end of Schumacher’s day in the second round.Qualified: No. 10 (3.797 E.T. at 323.58 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.767 E.T. at 328.06 MPH defeated Dan Mercier 3.877 E.T. at 313.80 MPH
E2: 5.699 E.T. at 116.82 MPH defeated by Antron Brown 3.765 E.T. at 329.50 MPH
Driving his SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel dragster, Schumacher qualified No. 10 with a 3.797-second pass that he recorded on his way to the Epping runner-up finish to Justin Ashley in an all-JCM Racing final on Saturday.
When Sunday rolled around, Bristol Dragway honored Schumacher during pre-race ceremonies by inducting him into the Legends of Thunder Valley, the track’s prestigious hall of fame. Schumacher is the winningest Top Fuel driver at the historic Tennessee track with six victories, and he’s now just the second member to be inducted as an active driver, joining John Force, who was welcomed into the elite club in 2016. He’s a second-generation inductee, as his father, Don Schumacher, was honored in 2014.
In the opening round of eliminations, Schumacher charged to his best performance of the weekend, a 3.767-second E.T. at 328.06 MPH, to knock out Dan Mercier in a decisive fashion.
During a rain delay between the first and second rounds, Randy Gloede, CEO of SCAG Power Equipment, announced the winner of a raffle for a SCAG mower. Two thousand raffle tickets were sold between Epping and Bristol, with all proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. After announcing the winner, Gloede also said that SCAG would match the proceeds, bringing SCAG’s contribution to $20,000.
When the rain cleared, Schumacher’s SCAG machine showed promise in the first 60 feet of his second-round matchup with Antron Brown, but he broke traction shortly after and had to pedal. He wasn’t able to recover in time to catch Brown before the 1,000-foot finish line.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel Point Standings (Unofficial):
| 1 | Justin Ashley | 633 | |
| 2 | Steve Torrence | 569 | |
| 3 | Brittany Force | 511 | |
| 3 | Austin Prock | 511 | |
| 5 | Antron Brown | 499 | |
| 5 | Leah Pruett | 499 | |
| 7 | Mike Salinas | 448 | |
| 8 | Josh Hart | 433 | |
| 9 | Doug Kalitta | 404 | |
| 10 | Shawn Langdon | 367 | |
| 11 | Tony Schumacher | 357 |
Funny Car:
Wilkerson vs. Wilkerson Bristol Battle Ends with Son Defeating Father
Qualified: No. 6 (4.004 E.T. at 318.99 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.984 E.T. at 324.59 MPH defeated Dale Creasy Jr. 5.305 E.T. at 139.86 MPH
E2: 3.968 E.T. at 327.51 MPH defeated by Chad Green 3.970 E.T. at 326.79 MPH
The last time Chicago winner Tim Wilkerson competed at Bristol Dragway, he advanced to the final round before falling to event champ Ron Capps. Wilkerson was looking to repeat his 2022 performance with another trip to the finals on Sunday at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, but son Daniel had other plans, ending his father’s race day after the second round.Wilkerson vs. Wilkerson Bristol Battle Ends with Son Defeating Father
Qualified: No. 6 (4.004 E.T. at 318.99 MPH)
Elimination Round Results:
E1: 3.984 E.T. at 324.59 MPH defeated Dale Creasy Jr. 5.305 E.T. at 139.86 MPH
E2: 3.968 E.T. at 327.51 MPH defeated by Chad Green 3.970 E.T. at 326.79 MPH
Wilkerson began eliminations from the No. 6 seed after a qualifying performance which saw him earn three bonus points for making the quickest run of the third session, in addition to the 4.004 E.T. he clocked during Friday’s ‘field setting’ night run. Aboard the SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang, Wilkerson lined up next to fellow Illinois racer, Dale Creasy Jr. during the first round on Sunday morning. Wilkerson drove his 11,000-horsepower machine straight down the groove in 3.984 seconds for the win while Creasy puffed the tires in the opposite lane, setting up a ‘Wilkerson vs. Wilkerson’ showdown in the quarterfinals.
After a lengthy rain delay, Wilkerson staged next to Chad Green and his Daniel Wilkerson-tuned machine. Green was first on the throttle and never trailed as he crossed the finish line first in 3.970 seconds to advance, extending his round-win record to 4 – 3 over Wilkerson, who recorded a 3.968 E.T.
“I thought it would run a little bit better second round there,” said Wilkerson, a two-time finalist in 2023. “The track really tightened up. We tried hard to go faster than that, but that’s all she had. Chad’s guys did a great job, and I’m proud of ‘em.
“Would’ve loved to go more rounds today, but I’m pretty optimistic. We have a great SCAG/LRS car, it’s been getting down the track consistently, and being consistent like that is going to win us a lot of rounds. Upset we couldn’t have done better second round, but that’s all she had in her.”
Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang Funny Car team leave Bristol Dragway ranked seventh in the NHRA Camping World Series Funny Car standings.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Funny Car Point Standings (Unofficial):
| 1 | Ron Capps | 612 | |
| 2 | Matt Hagan | 580 | |
| 3 | Robert Hight | 555 | |
| 4 | Chad Green | 540 | |
| 5 | Alexis DeJoria | 529 | |
| 6 | Bob Tasca III | 497 | |
| 7 | Tim Wilkerson | 472 | |
| 8 | John Force | 451 | |
| 9 | Cruz Pedregon | 372 | |
| 10 | J.R. Todd | 345 |
About JCM Racing:
Established in 2022, JCM Racing is a multi-car NHRA team owned by Joe and Cathi Maynard, along with their partners Eric and Kim Lehman, all of Clarksville, Tenn.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 23-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.
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.
