Justin Ashley moved into the Prime Gasoline factors lead on Sunday at Texas Motorplex, holding off Clay Millican within the remaining spherical and profitable in Dallas for the third time in 4 years on the thirty ninth annual Texas NHRA FallNationals.
Matt Hagan (Humorous Automobile), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Professional Inventory) and Gaige Herrera (Professional Inventory Bike) additionally received the 18th of 20 races in the course of the 2024 NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Collection season and the fourth of six races within the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Ashley went 3.773s at 327.99mph in his Scag Energy Tools/Toyota dragster within the remaining spherical, defeating Millican on a holeshot due to an excellent 0.026s response time on the beginning line. Millican went a faster 3.762s at 328.40mph however couldn’t monitor down Ashley on the end line. It’s the fourth win this season and the fifteenth total for Ashley, who defeated Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon and Tony Schumacher to succeed in the ultimate spherical.
He certified twelfth, solely make Friday’s first qualifying go whereas observing Yom Kippur. However the staff was ready on Sunday with a number of standout runs and Ashley now has a 44-point lead over Antron Brown with two races remaining.
“This simply speaks volumes of the sort of staff we now have,” Ashley mentioned. “Once I went as much as them and instructed them my plan, the staff rallied round me and we rallied collectively as a gaggle. We’re one staff and one household, and for them to know my rules and having just one lap down the racetrack – I don’t assume we had lane alternative as soon as at the moment, our backs have been towards the wall, however Mike (Inexperienced, crew chief) and Tommy (DeLago) did an superior job.
“It’s not over till it’s over, that a lot is for certain. You simply should hold swinging, and it’s greatest for us to not even take a look at the factors. If we don’t deal with our enterprise, it’s not going to matter anyway. It’s necessary to get pleasure from it, however as soon as we go away right here our focus has to instantly shift to Vegas. It doesn’t matter what, that is far, removed from over. We took a serious step at the moment, but it surely’s going to develop into an increasing number of troublesome. Identical to it at all times does, it’s going to return right down to Pomona.”
Millican superior to the finals for the third time this season and the twenty fifth time in his profession by taking down defending world champ Doug Kalitta, Shawn Reed and Texan Steve Torrence.
Texas Motorplex continued to deliver out the perfect in defending Humorous Automobile world champion Matt Hagan, who received for the second consecutive 12 months in Dallas for Tony Stewart Racing, defeating Ron Capps with a run of three.943s at 327.65mph in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Storage Dodge//SRT Hellcat. It’s the third victory this season for Hagan and the 52nd in his profession as he additionally moved to 3rd in factors, 168 again of chief Austin Prock.
After qualifying second, Hagan took down Bobby Bode, Cruz Pedregon and Daniel Wilkerson to succeed in the ultimate spherical, using a greater 0.064s response time to carry off Capps’ run of three.934s at 328.28mph. The staff had struggled since Hagan final received in Could in Chicago, however he was thrilled with how everybody carried out within the heat situations on Sunday, giving the staff a much-needed late-season jolt.
“I used to be actually on the chip, and I really like Capps to demise, however I used to be prepared to chop his head off,” Hagan mentioned. “You’re entering into like a gladiator. You get to get on this loopy machine, and also you by no means know what it’s going to do, however this is without doubt one of the cool issues we get to do, drive one thing so unpredictable.
“However that’s why we love doing it. To get this win for Jason Johnson and Johnson’s Horsepowered Storage, to tug down the win was enormous. Life is concerning the individuals and the relationships we construct alongside the best way, that’s what actually issues. We’ve surrounded ourselves with actually sensible individuals and I consider in my guys and my crew. These core group of men actually mattered and I’ve been fortunate to maintain my core group collectively for thus lengthy.”
Capps superior to the finals for the fifth time this season and the 152nd in his profession by defeating Dave Richards, Blake Alexander and Prock. Prock will nonetheless take a commanding lead into Las Vegas, as he’ll lead Jack Beckman by 147 factors heading into the ultimate two races. Beckman, who has racing for drag racing legend John Drive, didn’t compete on Sunday after waking up with vertigo-like signs.
In Professional Inventory, Jeg Coughlin Jr. bought the higher of longtime rival Greg Anderson within the championship spherical, selecting up his first win at Texas Motorplex in additional than 20 years after slipping previous Anderson with a run of 6.592s at 208.10mph in his Scag Energy Tools automobile. Coughlin’s final win in Dallas got here in 2002, however that each one modified with a basic efficiency on Sunday. It provides Coughlin his fifth victory this season and the 69th in his profession.
To get there, he knocked off Cory Reed, David Cuadra and Matt Hartford, however the efficiency was turned up within the remaining spherical towards Anderson. It was a pair of five-time world champions, however Coughlin slipped previous the veteran on the end line. He’s fifth in factors and was additionally thrilled to benefit from the first double-up victory for Scag Energy Tools.
“This feels improbable,” Coughlin mentioned. “For us, the cherry on high was for Justin Ashley and me to get our first double collectively as Scag teammates. I’m actually wanting to go have fun with our staff. It ought to be a giant one. This Wally goes again to Mark Ingersoll. It’s fairly outstanding what he’s gone via He’s on path to restoration, and he’s as robust as an ox for certain. We miss having him out right here and sit up for him coming again extra.
“Greg has at all times been the top since he bought behind the wheel of a Professional Inventory program. Right this moment he had us outpaced, performance-wise, so we jokingly mentioned we wanted to tug a rabbit out of the hat earlier than this remaining spherical – and thankfully we did. I’ve been lucky to be surrounded with some wonderful groups, wonderful individuals. I believe this weekend is one other testomony to that. I noticed that win gentle come on, and I couldn’t have been extra excited.”
Anderson, who was the No. 1 qualifier, reached the finals for the fourth time this 12 months and the a hundred and eightieth in his profession by taking down Fernando Cuadra Jr. and factors chief Dallas Glenn. However Glenn did strengthen his factors lead by knocking off Stanfield within the second spherical, taking a 54-point benefit over Stanfield into Las Vegas. Anderson jumped to 3rd together with his final-round look.
It was one other dominant Dallas weekend for Professional Inventory Bike factors chief Gaige Herrera, who received for the second 12 months at Texas Motorplex after defeating rival Matt Smith within the remaining spherical with a run of 6.816s at 200.56mph on his RevZilla/Mission Meals/Vance & Hines Suzuki. With the win, Herrera picked up his twentieth profession victory, reaching that milestone faster than any driver in NHRA historical past.
Herrera, who was additionally the No. 1 qualifier as a part of a spectacular weekend, now has 9 victories in 2024, taking a 62-point lead over Smith into the ultimate two races of the season as he seeks a second straight championship. To succeed in the ultimate spherical on Sunday, Herrera bought previous Chase Van Sant and Jianna Evaristo. Smith left the beginning line first however bumped into bother as Herrera cruised to his second straight victory within the Countdown to the Championship.
“Right this moment means rather a lot,” Herrera mentioned. “I had extra luck on my facet at the moment than efficiency, for certain. I used to be sleeping on one of many lights and Chase went crimson, and within the remaining there, Matt would have had me. Luck was undoubtedly on my facet, and I’d somewhat be fortunate than good any day. My bike ran nicely all day with the warmth, contemplating. I made a number of little errors, however all in all, I’m glad to go dwelling with the win and one other cowboy hat.
“This Countdown has been fairly tight. Everyone knows there was some trash speak, so for us to not have the efficiency benefit and get the win, it means rather a lot to me. This season, it simply means much more every spherical win we get. This 12 months has been much more stress for me as a rider. Every spherical and win means a lot extra this time. I’m sort of simply exhibiting my actual facet and never holding it in anymore.”
Smith reached his fifth remaining spherical in 2024 and the eightieth in his profession due to spherical wins towards Malcolm Phillips Jr., Marc Ingwersen and Hector Arana Jr.
The NHRA Mission Meals Drag Racing Collection returns to motion Oct. 31-Nov. 3 with the twenty fourth annual Ford Efficiency NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
