AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals
Event 20 of 24 (St. Louis)
Countdown Event 2 of 6
World Wide Technology Raceway
Madison, Ill.
Sept. 27-29, 2019
DSR St. Louis Elimination Highlights:
- Leah Pritchett advanced to the semifinals to jump three spots in the Countdown to the Championship Top Fuel standings, and crack into the ‘top five’
- Ron Capps’ quarterfinal finish helped him maintain his No. 4 Funny Car ranking
- Jack Beckman remains in the Funny Car ‘top five’
Driver Information:
Funny Car:
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 7 (3.889 E.T. at 324.59 MPH)
The Results:
E1: 3.898 E.T. at 324.44 MPH defeated by Shawn Langdon 3.907 E.T. at 330.47 MPH
Race Recap:
Tommy Johnson Jr. and the Make-A-Wish Foundation team have been solid throughout the majority of the 2019 season. They have captured two event wins, two runner-up’s and six semifinal finishes throughout the first 17 races, but were looking to the Midwest Nationals to help right the ship after two consecutive first-round losses at the previous events.
Johnson began his campaign for a first St. Louis trophy by qualifying in the top half of the field on the strength of his 3.889-second Q4 run to draw fellow Countdown contender Shawn Langdon in round one. Johnson powered his machine to the quickest E.T. of the session (3.898 seconds), but Langdon’s quicker reaction time caused Johnson to suffer a rare holeshot loss.
Quotable:
“These first two races of the Countdown have not gone the way we had hoped. The car had been off a little bit, and then we got the car back and then, I’m off, so we’ve all got to get on the same page and get the job done. It’s just frustrating, you never want to lose that way, but we have a strong race car again, so we’ll go back and see if we can’t finish out the year strong.”
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship Starting Positions:
Top Fuel
1. Doug Kalitta – 2232
2. Steve Torrence – 2230
3. Mike Salinas – 2191
4. Brittany Force – 2184
5. Leah Pritchett – 2170
6. Antron Brown – 2159
6. Richie Crampton – 2159
8. Austin Prock – 2153
9. Billy Torrence – 2152
10. Clay Millican – 2125
Funny Car
1. Robert Hight – 2235
2. John Force – 2222
3. Jack Beckman – 2211
4. Ron Capps – 2191
5. J.R. Todd – 2182
6. Bob Tasca III – 2156
7. Shawn Langdon – 2155
8. Tommy Johnson Jr – 2138
9. Matt Hagan – 2132
10. Tim Wilkerson – 2109
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.