NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
Event 11 of 24 (Bristol)
Bristol Dragway
Bristol, Tenn.
June 14-16, 2019
DSR Bristol Elimination Highlights:
- Funny Car pilots Jack Beckman and Ron Capps recorded semifinal finishes in Thunder Valley
- Antron Brown retained his No. 4 ranking in the Top Fuel point standings
- Tommy Johnson Jr., Capps, and Beckman occupy the fourth, fifth and sixth spots, respectively, in the Funny Car rankings
Driver Information:
Funny Car:
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 8 (4.003 E.T. at 318.24 MPH)
The Results:
E1: 3.964 E.T. at 311.92 MPH defeated Matt Hagan 4.376 E.T. at 223.50 MPH
E2: 8.529 E.T. at 88.42 MPH defeated by John Force 4.044 E.T. at 318.32 MPH
Race Recap:
Tommy Johnson Jr. earned his position in the top half of Sunday’s field by closing qualifying with an impressive run of 4.003 seconds to grab the eighth position. It marked the second time in the last five events where Johnson and Matt Hagan squared off in round one. Johnson was on the money in this race posting his best run of the weekend, a 3.964 E.T., to capture his third consecutive win over a slowing Hagan. The momentum from his first-round victory was short-lived as Johnson went up in smoke at the hit against John Force to end his chances of a second victory in three races.
Quotable:
“The track caught us off guard there in that second round run. It’s been pretty tricky all weekend, and we weren’t expecting that. We tuned for the conditions, and we’ve had a pretty good handle on it all weekend. We know we have a really fast Hellcat right now. We just need to keep doing what we are doing, and we’ll go some more rounds. I really thought with today’s conditions we had a great chance, but sometimes they’ll surprise you. We’ll get right back at it in Norwalk in a few days and see if we can end this four-race deal the same way we started it – with a victory.”
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship Standings:
Top Fuel
1. Steve Torrence – 1048
2. Doug Kalitta – 709
3. Mike Salinas – 691
4. Antron Brown – 676
5. Brittany Force – 663
6. Clay Millican – 611
7. Leah Pritchett – 571
8. Richie Crampton – 499
9. Austin Prock – 486
10. Terry McMillen – 470
Funny Car
1. Robert Hight – 990
2. John Force – 786
3. Tommy Johnson Jr – 783
4. Ron Capps – 741
5. Jack Beckman – 720
6. J.R. Todd – 711
7. Matt Hagan – 624
8. Tim Wilkerson – 587
9. Bob Tasca III – 574
10. Shawn Langdon – 528
About Don Schumacher Racing:
Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) is the winningest team in NHRA Drag Racing history, having claimed more than 325 NHRA national event titles and 17 world championships since opening its doors in 1998.
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Indiana, DSR fields seven professional teams competing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series. In Top Fuel, the Matco Tools dragster driven by three-time world champion Antron Brown, the MOPAR/Pennzoil/Sparkling Ice dragster driven by Leah Pritchett and eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher’s machine. In Funny Car, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driven by 2016 world champion Ron Capps, the Mopar Express Lane/Pennzoil/Sandvik Coromant Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat piloted by Matt Hagan, and in Terry and Doug Chandler’s ‘giving cars,’ 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge, and Tommy Johnson Jr. behind the wheel of the Make-A-Wish Dodge.
DSR also campaigns two Factory Stock Showdown entries. The duo is piloted by Pritchett, the 2018 Factory Stock Showdown Series champion, and former Pro Stock racer Mark Pawuk.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at Shoeracing.com, on Twitter and Instagram at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.