NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals
Event 21 of 24 (Charlotte II)
Countdown Event 3 of 6
zMAX Dragway
Concord, N.C.
Oct. 11-13, 2019
Highlights:
- Ron Capps returns as the defending event champion after powering to his 60th NHRA Funny Car victory during the 2018 race
- All DSR drivers remain in championship contention heading to zMAX Dragway
- Tommy Johnson Jr. rocketed to the Funny Car qualifying lead during the 2018 Charlotte II event
- Antron Brown leads the class in most victories (five) at zMAX Dragway:
Fall: 2011, 2015 – 2016
Spring: 2014 – 2015
(EXCERPT)
DSR Driver Information:
Funny Car:
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Countdown to the Championship standing: 8th
Charlotte II Event Highlights:
- Two-time runner-up (2015-2016)
- Three-time No. 1 qualifier (2015-2016, 2018)
2018 Charlotte II Recap:
Qualified No. 1; First round exit (defeated by Dave Richards in E1)
Last Event (St. Louis):
Qualified seventh; First round exit (defeated by Shawn Langdon in E1)
2019 Season Statistics:
29 round wins; ranked eighth in points
Career Statistics:
466 races; 19 wins (two Top Fuel); 18 No. 1 qualifiers (one Top Fuel)
Noteworthy:
Powered to the Funny Car qualifying lead during the 2018 Fall Charlotte event
One of three consecutive poles for Johnson during the 2018 Countdown
Quotable:
“I’m looking forward to Charlotte. We didn’t get the results we wanted at the last two races, and we’re a little bit behind in the Countdown. It’s time to make a move, and Charlotte has been good to me over the years. I’ve been No. 1 qualifier there, been runner-up during the Countdown, and have done well at the Four-Wide there as well. If we’re going to turn things around and put our team back in the hunt, I think Charlotte is a good place to do it.”
About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) is the winningest team in NHRA Drag Racing history, having claimed more than 335 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.