MOPAR Express Lane NHRA Nationals
Presented by Pennzoil
Event 19 of 24 (Reading)
Countdown Event 1 of 6
Maple Grove Raceway
Mohnton, Pa.
Sept. 13-15, 2019
Highlights:
- The Reading race marks 550 professional events entered for Funny Car pilot Ron Capps. He celebrates the milestone during his 25th season behind the wheel of a nitro machine
- All DSR entries are in contention for the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship chase; Antron Brown (Top Fuel) and Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car) lead DSR, with both drivers ranked third
- Johnson’s first Funny Car event win occurred at the 1999 Reading race
Leah Pritchett secured her first Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier at the 2016 event
Note:
The MOPAR Mega Block Party will rev up the MOPAR Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil race weekend for the fourth consecutive year. The free-admission fan event, set to roll into FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading from 4-10 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 12, will offer a jam-packed slate of fun activities, including a home run derby and autograph session, for MOPAR and Dodge//SRT enthusiasts.
DSR-Owned Track Records:
Top Fuel, E.T.: 3.688 seconds, Antron Brown (2016)
(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: 3rd
Reading Event Highlights:
- Two-time event champion (1999, 2016)
- 2014 event runner-up
- 2006 No. 1 qualifier
2018 Reading Recap:
Qualified third; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Jim Campbell in E1; defeated by Robert Hight in E2)
Last Event (Indianapolis):
Qualified 10th; First round exit (defeated by Shawn Langdon in E1)
2019 Season Statistics:
29 round wins; ranked third in points
Career Statistics:
464 races; 19 wins (two Top Fuel); 18 No. 1 qualifiers (one Top Fuel)
Noteworthy:
Johnson is enjoying a career-best season which includes two wins, two runner-up’s and six semifinal finishes as he seeks his first Funny Car series title
First Funny Car event win occurred at Reading at the 1999 race
Quotable:
“Reading is one of my favorite races, and it always has been. It’s a neat area and the fanbase is really strong. I won my first Funny Car race there back in 1999 and I was able to do it again a few years ago here at DSR. Reading is the start of the Countdown and it’s super important to get off to a good start. The points are reset and we’re close to the top so it’s a must to come out of there with a good performance. We’ve done pretty well there the past few years, got a runner-up in 2014 and won it in 2016 so it’s just a great event for everyone.
“We’re coming off of a rough Indy; things didn’t go our way, but that doesn’t waiver our confidence any. We have a good team and a good car, and we’re looking forward to starting the Countdown, and would love nothing more than to win it for MOPAR and Pennzoil at their event. Before the racing even gets underway, I’ve got my sights set on winning the home run derby at the MOPAR Mega Block Party, and hopefully make it two wins and sweep the weekend.”
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.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at Shoeracing.com, on Twitter and Instagram at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.