NHRA New England Nationals
Event 13 of 24 (Epping)
New England Dragway
Epping, N.H.
July 5-7, 2019
DSR Epping Elimination Highlights:
- Matt Hagan notches third consecutive NHRA New England Nationals Funny Car victory
- Hagan’s Epping win marked his second triumph of 2019 and 31st overall
- Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Ron Capps (Funny Car) advanced to the quarterfinals, and each moved up one spot in the Countdown to the Championship point standings
(EXCERPT)
DRIVER INFORMATION:
Funny Car:
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 8 (4.069 E.T. at 311.34 MPH)
The Results:
E1: 4.559 E.T. at 186.38 MPH defeated by Tim Wilkerson 4.259 E.T. at 233.72 MPH
Race Recap:
Starting from the top half of the Funny Car field for the eighth consecutive event, Tommy Johnson Jr. looked prime for a long day of racing as he sought his first Epping victory.
The driver of the Make-A-Wish Dodge entered the weekend fresh off a string of five semifinal finishes or better over the last six events but suffered an uncharacteristic first-round loss on Sunday morning at New England Dragway. Johnson had the slight starting line advantage over opponent Tim Wilkerson, but his machine lost traction early into the run, enabling Wilkerson to claim the round win. The round-one loss was only the second for Johnson through the first 13 events and his first since Houston, dating back to April.
Quotable:
“You’ll have a tough weekend now and then, and I’m glad it’s now instead of later in the season. We’ll learn from this and try and make the car better. I thought we had a good handle on it, but we never seemed to hit our stride this weekend. But, we’ll regroup and move on to Denver and hopefully start the Western Swing off on a strong note.”
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship Standings:
Top Fuel
1. Steve Torrence – 1278
2. Doug Kalitta – 799
3. Antron Brown – 781
4. Brittany Force- 777
5. Mike Salinas – 732
6. Clay Millican – 730
7. Leah Pritchett – 651
8. Richie Crampton – 612
9. Terry McMillen- 576
10. Scott Palmer – 563
Funny Car
1. Robert Hight – 1079
2. John Force – 903
3. Tommy Johnson Jr – 891
4. Ron Capps – 870
5. Jack Beckman – 851
6. J.R. Todd – 825
7. Matt Hagan – 770
7. Bob Tasca III – 770
9. Tim Wilkerson – 691
10. Shawn Langdon – 675
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.