Dodge NHRA Nationals
Event 19 of 24 (Reading)
NHRA Countdown, Event 1 of 6
Maple Grove Raceway
Mohnton, Pennsylvania
September 14-16, 2018
Noteworthy:
- Ron Capps returns as the defending Funny Car event champion
- Capps has been to the final round at Reading the past two years, winning in 2017 and finishing as the runner-up in 2016
- DSR has ‘doubled up’ at Reading three out of the last four years
- Tony Schumacher leads the class in number of Top Fuel victories (five) at Maple Grove Raceway
- Schumacher has been the Reading No. 1 qualifier seven times- the most of any Top Fuel driver at a single event
- Tommy Johnson Jr.’s first Funny Car event win occurred at the 1999 Reading race
- 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 R/T
Countdown to the Championship Ranking: No. 7
NHRA Reading Event Highlights:
Two-time event champion (1999, 2016)
2014 event runner-up
2006 No. 1 qualifier
2017 Reading Recap:
Qualified 11th; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Alexis DeJoria in E1; defeated by Ron Capps in E2)
Last event (Indianapolis):
Qualified fourth; Semifinal finish (defeated Ron Capps in E1, Tim Wilkerson in E2; defeated by J.R. Todd in E3)
2018 Season Statistics:
22 round wins; ranked seventh in points
Career Statistics:
440 races; 17 wins (two Top Fuel); 15 No. 1 qualifiers (one Top Fuel)
Noteworthy:
First Funny Car event win occurred at Reading at the 1999 race
Quotable:
“Excited to get to Reading and start the Countdown. It’s a track where I’ve done well these past few years, not so much last year, but I won it the year before and was runner-up in 2014. So, I’m looking forward to getting back there. To have Dodge sponsor the race, and the Mopar Block Party beforehand, it’s turned into one of the premiere events. Looking to start the Countdown off on the right foot and hopefully we can continue the momentum we’ve had lately and move ourselves up quickly in the points and be a real contender for the championship.”
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.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at Shoeracing.com, on Twitter and Instagram at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.