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
Noteworthy:
- Tony Schumacher will reach the ‘500 events’ milestone this weekend at the NHRA Midwest Nationals
- Ron Capps returns as the defending Funny Car event champion
- Antron Brown leads the professional classes as the most victorious driver in Gateway Motorsports Park NHRA history, having won five events
- Brown has won four of the last six St. Louis events
- Capps leads the Funny Car category in most wins (four) at Gateway
- DSR has been victorious, picking up a win in at least one category every year since the reintroduction of the St. Louis race in 2012
- Capps’ first Funny Car event win occurred at the 1997 event
- Tommy Johnson Jr. secured his first Funny Car No. 1 qualifier at the 1999 event
- Leah Pritchett and Mark Pawuk return to Factory Stock Showdown Series competition since racing to an event win and runner-up finish, respectively, at the previous FSXX race
- DSR-Owned Track Records:
Top Fuel, speed: 332.75-mph, Leah Pritchett (2017)
(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
St. Louis Event Highlights:
Two-time runner-up (2001, 2016)
1999 No. 1 qualifier
2017 St. Louis Recap:
Qualified ninth; First round exit (defeated by Matt Hagan in E1)
Last event (Reading):
Qualified third; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Jim Campbell in E1; defeated by Robert Hight in E2)
2018 Season Statistics:
23 round wins; ranked seventh in points
Career Statistics:
441 races; 17 wins (two Top Fuel); 15 No. 1 qualifiers (one Top Fuel)
Noteworthy:
Secured his first Funny Car No. 1 qualifier at the 1999 event
Quotable:
“Always love racing in St. Louis. It’s kind of where I grew up. My dad got his only national event win there so one of these days, I’d like to get a win there as well. We’ve got a great car right now. Unfortunately, we lost a close race second round (at Reading), but we’re still in the hunt. Funny Car points are about as tight as they could be right now. With the momentum, and the way we’ve been running lately, I think it’s just a matter of time. Hopefully this is the year we get that St. Louis win.”
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.