Atlanta Pre-Race Report
NHRA Southern Nationals
Event 7 of 24 (Atlanta)
Atlanta Dragway
Commerce, Ga.
May 4-6, 2018
Noteworthy:
Ron Capps returns as defending Funny Car event champion
Tony Schumacher qualified No. 1 and raced to a runner-up finish during the 2017 event
Jack Beckman enters the event as the Funny Car points leader
Atlanta Dragway is the only venue on the current NHRA tour where Schumacher has gone winless
Leah Pritchett made her first professional final round appearance at the 2015 event
Antron Brown has raced to victory in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle at Atlanta Dragway
Brown will wheel a special Matco’s ‘Tools for the Cause’ livery to benefit the Fisher House Foundation
DSR-Owned Track Records:
Top Fuel, E.T.: 3.699-seconds, Leah Pritchett (2017)
Top Fuel, speed: 329.91-mph, Antron Brown (2017)
Funny Car, speed: 329.02-mph, Matt Hagan (2016)
(Excerpt)
DSR Driver Information:
Funny Car
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T
2017 Atlanta Recap:
Qualified third; First round exit (defeated by Jack Beckman in E1)
Last event (Charlotte I):
Qualified third; Semifinal finish (defeated Matt Hagan, John Smith in E1, Ron Capps, Robert Hight in E2; defeated by Cruz Pedregon in E3)
2018 Season Statistics:
Eight round wins; Ranked sixth in points
Career Statistics:
428 races; 17 wins (two Top Fuel); 15 No. 1 qualifiers (one Top Fuel)
Quotable:
“Atlanta hasn’t always been my best track, but the way we are running lately, and coming off of a final round at the four-wide, I’m pretty excited to see what this year at Atlanta has in store for us. Hopefully, this will be the year that I turn it around in Atlanta and win it, and overcome all of the obstacles I’ve had along the way at that track.”