AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals
Event 22 of 24 (Dallas)
Countdown Event 4 of 6
Texas Motorplex
Ennis, Texas
Oct. 18-20, 2019
DSR Dallas Elimination Highlights:
- Matt Hagan raced to victory at the fourth event of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship and moved from seventh to fourth in the Funny Car point standings
- Hagan’s triumph was his third of the season, 32nd of his career, and third at Texas Motorplex
- Dallas marked the tenth time in 11 consecutive events that DSR has contested a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the final round
- Jack Beckman maintains his No. 2 ranking in the Funny Car Countdown standings
- Leah Pritchett heads to Countdown race No. 5 of six ranked inside the Top Fuel top five
- In Factory Stock Showdown competition, Pritchett raced to her first FSXX final of 2019, while Mark Pawuk also enjoyed a long race day of going rounds by advancing to the semifinals
(EXCERPT)
Driver Information:
Funny Car:
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 9 (3.920 E.T. at 324.44 MPH)
The Results:
E1: 3.932 E.T. at 324.05 MPH defeated Paul Lee 3.957 E.T. at 323.97 MPH
E2: 3.919 E.T. at 320.20 MPH defeated by John Force 3.937 E.T. at 327.98 MPH
Race Recap:
Tommy Johnson Jr. entered the second half of the Countdown looking to regain his regular-season form that included two wins, four final-round appearances, and 29 round wins in the first 18 races. With just one round win in the first three Countdown races, Johnson was looking for a breakout performance behind the wheel of the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat at the Texas Motorplex. He started race day by recording a 3.932-second pass to defeat opponent Paul Lee in the first round.
In the quarterfinals, Johnson faced John Force. Johnson piloted his Dodge Hellcat to his best run of the weekend – 3.919 seconds – but lost in a close race to Force who clocked a 3.932 E.T. In true Force fashion, the veteran driver deep staged to allow for a better-appearing reaction time, and the win was recorded as a holeshot.
Quotable:
“I should have rolled it in further, that’s what (John) Force does. It makes you look bad on paper, but in actuality, we ran about the same. It makes me happy that our car is coming back around. We struggled for a few races, but the car is back. I’m excited that we can go to Vegas and be very competitive.”
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship Starting Positions:
Top Fuel
1. Steve Torrence – 2394
2. Doug Kalitta – 2361
3. Brittany Force – 2348
4. Billy Torrence – 2323
5. Leah Pritchett – 2290
6. Austin Prock – 2278
7. Mike Salinas – 2266
8. Antron Brown – 2247
9. Richie Crampton – 2228
10. Clay Millican – 2210
Funny Car
1. Robert Hight – 2437
2. Jack Beckman – 2367
3. John Force – 2363
4. Matt Hagan – 2325
5. Bob Tasca III – 2315
6. Ron Capps – 2302
7. J.R. Todd – 2274
8. Tommy Johnson Jr – 2243
9. Shawn Langdon – 2239
10. Tim Wilkerson – 2188
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.