AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals
Event 20 of 24 (St. Louis)
NHRA Countdown, Event 2 of 6
Gateway Motorsports Park
Madison, Illinois
September 21-23, 2018
DSR St. Louis Elimination Highlights:
- Leah Pritchett made it two-in-a-row, picking up her second consecutive Factory Stock Showdown Series event win
- Pritchett moved into second place in the FSXX driver standings
- The DSR Top Fuel trio of Antron Brown, Leah Pritchett and Tony Schumacher sit in the top five of the Countdown to the Championship rankings
- Ron Capps is ranked in the top half of the Funny Car Countdown standings
- Pritchett (Top Fuel) and Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car) raced to semifinal finishes
- Leah Pritchett Continues Factory Stock Showdown Series Dominance with St. Louis Triumph
(EXCERPT)
Driver Information:
Funny Car
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T
Qualified: No. 4 (3.896 E.T. at 327.11 MPH)
The Results:
E1: 3.925 E.T. at 325.22 MPH defeated Del Worsham 4.003 E.T. at 321.50 MPH
E2: 3.950 E.T. at 323.50 MPH defeated Bob Tasca III 9.014 E.T. at 82.83 MPH
E3: 4.008 E.T. at 320.13 MPH defeated by Robert Hight 3.945 E.T. at 323.04 MPH
Race Recap:
Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger R/T driver Tommy Johnson Jr. came to Gateway Motorsports Park seeking his first victory at the track where his father earned his only national event win. The fan-favorite qualified No. 4 and started eliminations against No. 13 Del Worsham with a perfect run straight down the groove for the win.
Johnson faced Bob Tasca III in the quarterfinals and recorded a textbook 3.950 run, quickest of the round, for the win. Johnson would come up short in the semifinals against No. 1 qualifier and eventual race winner Robert Hight, his solid 4.008 at 320.13-mph pass not enough to beat Hight’s 3.945-second effort to the stripe.
Quotable:
“We had a really good car. We’re doing really well in the Countdown, it’s just that Robert Hight is becoming a real pain, but that’s a good motivator. I feel the four best cars in the Countdown were in the semis and I’m glad we’re one of them. We just need to pick it up one more notch and I think we’ll be the car to beat.”
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship Points Standings:
Funny Car
1. Robert Hight – 2270
2. J.R. Todd – 2240
3. Courtney Force – 2200
4. Tim Wilkerson – 2196
5. Ron Capps – 2182
6. Tommy Johnson Jr. – 2166
7. Matt Hagan – 2144
8. John Force – 2116
9. Jack Beckman – 2113
10. Shawn Langdon – 2086
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 331 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.