NHRA Toyota Nationals
Event 23 of 24 (Las Vegas II)
NHRA Countdown, Event 5 of 6
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, Nevada
October 26-28, 2018
Noteworthy:
- Ron Capps enters the race weekend as the most recent Funny Car winner on the NHRA tour (Charlotte II), putting him back in championship contention
- Matt Hagan returns as the defending Funny Car event champion
- Tommy Johnson Jr. has earned the pole at the previous two NHRA events (Dallas, Charlotte II)
- DSR dominated qualifying at the 2017 event with Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Jack Beckman (Funny Car) earning the pole in their respective categories
- Beckman has started from the No. 1 position the past two years in a row
- Schumacher earned the No. 1 qualifying spot at the 2018 Spring Las Vegas event
- Schumacher leads the Top Fuel category in number of victories (eight) at The Strip:
Spring: 2004, 2009, 2013, 2014
Fall: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 - Schumacher leads the class in number of No. 1 qualifiers (ten) at The Strip:
Spring: 2003, 2006 – 2008, 2012, 2013, 2018
Fall: 2006, 2007, 2008 - Fans should be on the lookout for a special ‘Vegas inspired’ Pennzoil livery reveal when Matt Hagan and Leah Pritchett pull up to the starting line for Q1
- Antron Brown will pilot a one-race-only Matco Tools Maximus 3.0 paint scheme in support of Matco’s launch of their newest diagnostic tool, the Maximus 3.0
DSR Driver Information:
Funny Car
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T
Countdown to the Championship Ranking: No. 5
Las Vegas II Event Highlights:
2006 runner-up
2015 No. 1 qualifier
2017 Las Vegas II Recap:
Qualified ninth; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Jonnie Lindberg in E1; defeated by Jack Beckman in E2)
Last event (Charlotte II):
Qualified No. 1; First round exit (defeated by Dave Richards in E1)
2018 Season Statistics:
25 round wins; ranked fifth in points
Career Statistics:
443 races; 17 wins (two Top Fuel); 16 No. 1 qualifiers (one Top Fuel)
Noteworthy:
Has started from the pole at the past two events (Dallas, Charlotte II)
Quotable:
“Vegas is one of my favorite tracks, we always seem to have success there. I’m especially looking forward to getting back there after the four-wide event earlier in the season. We felt like we let one get away from us because we should’ve won that race, so we definitely want redemption.
“Now that we’re pretty much out of the championship hunt, the pressure is off. I think we have a car that’s capable of winning races, and we’re going to go out there and try and screw it up for another team by winning the last two.”
About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., fields seven professional NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, the Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster driven by three-time world champion Antron Brown and the Mopar/Papa John’s Pizza/Pennzoil/FireAde/U.S. Army dragster driven by Leah Pritchett; and in Funny Car, 2016 world champion Ron Capps in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T; two-time world champion Matt Hagan in the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, and 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in Terry and Doug Chandler’s Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge and the Chandlers’ Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr.
DSR also campaigns two Sportsman teams. The two-car Factory Stock Showdown duo is piloted by Pritchett and veteran Pro Stock racer Mark Pawuk. Both drivers compete in Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Paks.
DSR has won 333 NHRA national event titles and 17 world championships.