DSR Reading Post-Race Recap

You are currently viewing DSR Reading Post-Race Recap

Dodge NHRA Nationals
Event 19 of 24 (Reading)
NHRA Countdown, Event 1 of 6
Maple Grove Raceway
Mohnton, Pennsylvania
September 14-16, 2018

DSR Reading Elimination Highlights:

  • Tony Schumacher recorded a runner-up finish at Maple Grove Raceway; his eighth final round at Reading
  • Schumacher’s final round appearance was his fifth of the season, and 152nd of his career
  • Schumacher moved to second (tied) in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship Top Fuel standings
  • All three DSR Top Fuel drivers are ranked in the top half in the Countdown standings
  • Ron Capps and Matt Hagan sit in the top half of the Funny Car Countdown rankings
    Antron Brown set off the win light for a milestone 700th time in his career during round two of race day

Driver Information:
Funny Car:

TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T

Qualified: No. 3 (3.921 E.T. at 324.90 MPH)

The Results:
E1: 3.950 E.T. at 321.73 MPH defeated Jim Campbell 6.714 E.T. at 98.20 MPH
E2: 4.012 E.T. at 318.24 MPH defeated by Robert Hight 3.946 E.T. at 325.77 MPH

Race Recap:
Tommy Johnson Jr. started race day from the No. 3 spot after blasting to the quickest run of the final qualifying session. Behind the wheel of his John Collins-led Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge, Johnson claimed the win over first round opponent Jim Campbell with his 3.950-second pass versus Campbell’s tire smoking attempt.

Round two found the two-time Reading champion matched up against the reigning world champion Robert Hight. The two drivers were nearly even until just past the 330-cone when Hight pulled ahead to post the round win.

Johnson, who claimed his first Funny Car event win at the 1999 Reading event, will leave Maple Grove Raceway sitting in the seventh spot in the NHRA Countdown rankings.

Quotable:
“We had such a good race car all weekend and to come up short second round, it’s just frustrating. It was an opportunity to make up some ground in points; we did a little, but it could’ve been a really good day for points. I still think we have a really strong car for the Countdown. We’ll regroup, go to St. Louis and see if we can’t continue the streak we’re on.”

NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship Points Standings:
Funny Car
1. J.R. Todd – 2166
2. Robert Hight – 2143
3. Courtney Force – 2141
4. Ron Capps – 2137
5. Matt Hagan – 2112
6. Tim Wilkerson – 2101
7. Tommy Johnson Jr. – 2090
8. Jack Beckman – 2080
9. John Force – 2064
10. Shawn Langdon- 2054

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 330 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.