DSR Bristol Final Qualifying Report by the Numbers
Bristol, TN – NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
DSR Bristol Saturday Highlights:
NHRA Drag Racing
Antron Brown and Leah Pritchett qualify their Top Fuel dragsters in the top-half of the field
In Funny Car, Jack Beckman, Ron Capps, and Tommy Johnson Jr. will start race day from the top-half of the field and with the advantage of lane choice
As the 2017 and 2018 Thunder Valley Nationals event champion, Capps is seeking his third consecutive Bristol Dragway victory
Round one features a DSR intramural matchup between Johnson and Matt Hagan
Pritchett rocketed to the quickest pass of Q3
Johnson powered to the quickest pass of Q4, and Capps was second-quickest of Q3
Driver Information:
Top Fuel:
ANTRON BROWN
Driver of the Matco Tools Top Fuel Dragster
Qualified: No. 4 (lane choice)
The Competition: No. 13 Audrey Worm
The Results:
Q1: 3.810 E.T. at 322.19 MPH (Two bonus points for second quickest run of the session)
Q2: 3.768 E.T. at 325.14 MPH
Q3: 3.866 E.T. at 320.05 MPH
Q4: 3.882 E.T. at 308.64 MPH
Bonus Points: Two
Quotable:
“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. The Matco boys are on a march. We dropped a hole in that last run, but we’re going to get ready for tomorrow. We’ve got something for them, and we just need to have it all come together.”
LEAH PRITCHETT
Driver of the MOPAR Dodge Top Fuel Dragster
Qualified: No. 2 (lane choice)
The Competition: No. 15 Lex Joon
The Results:
Q1: 3.896 E.T. at 310.05 MPH
Q2: 3.757 E.T. at 323.04 MPH (Two bonus points for second quickest run of the session)
Q3: 3.820 E.T. at 322.50 MPH (Three bonus points for quickest run of the session)
Q4: 6.389 E.T. at 197.68 MPH
Bonus Points: Five
Quotable:
“We’re feeling really good about this mountain. Going second-low on Friday night gave us great momentum to go up the mountain and go low of Q3 today. That’s exactly what this team needed, especially from a morale and confidence standpoint. We hit a little bump during Q4 that we’re still analyzing. Our power was severely choked, which resulted in shake and into tire smoke, but better that happen in Q4 than E1. With our two amazing runs and outstanding team, this MOPAR machine looks primed for a long Sunday with lots of win lights. And tomorrows Father’s Day. We have a couple of fathers on this team, and we’d love the opportunity to bring it home tomorrow. We’re three out of four races into this swing, and it’s time to start swinging.”
Funny Car:
JACK BECKMAN
Driver of the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 4 (lane choice)
The Competition: No. 13 Tim Wilkerson
The Results:
Q1: 4.244 E.T. at 227.27 MPH
Q2: 3.976 E.T. at 319.90 MPH
Q3: 4.556 E.T. at 187.78 MPH
Q4: 4.205 E.T. at 233.88 MPH
Quotable:
“I’m glad we have lane choice here. Bristol is one of those ultra-tricky tracks. We have issues with dips and bumps in both lanes, but I’d rather be able to keep lane choice on race day. We run well in all conditions now. We struggled out there today, but that’s because we were pushing and I think we can get it dialed-in for tomorrow.”
RON CAPPS
Driver of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 7 (lane choice)
The Competition: No. 10 Blake Alexander
The Results:
Q1: 5.217 E.T. at 142.10 MPH
Q2: 7.823 E.T. at 86.29 MPH
Q3: 4.002 E.T. at 317.79 MPH (Two bonus points for second quickest run of the session)
Q4: 4.029 E.T. at 316.67 MPH
Bonus Points: Two
Quotable:
“We didn’t have the luxury to really test the waters today like a lot of the other teams because we weren’t qualified good. That 4-flat today and that 4.02 as well, they were pretty impressive from my seat. As bumpy and crazy and wild as it was, my head even hit the top of the cage a couple of times, which doesn’t normally happen. But, everyone is on the same race track. It definitely has its characteristics, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow. For (crew chief) Rahn Tobler to get us lane choice in that first run in the heat was monster, and we’ll see if we can have some fun on Father’s Day.”
MATT HAGAN
Driver of the MOPAR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 9
The Competition: No. 8 Tommy Johnson Jr.
The Results:
Q1: 4.064 E.T. at 313.44 MPH
Q2: 4.012 E.T. at 317.27 MPH
Q3: 4.738 E.T. at 173.49 MPH
Q4: 5.910 E.T. at 117.54 MPH
Quotable:
“We just need to deal with the conditions, and just get down the race track. It’s been tough, but we’ll get after it and get a game plan together for tomorrow.”
TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Qualified: No. 8 (lane choice)
The Competition: No. 9 Matt Hagan
The Results:
Q1: 4.025 E.T. at 313.51 MPH (Two bonus points for second quickest run of the session)
Q2: 5.260 E.T. at 136.65 MPH
Q3: 4.036 E.T. at 317.34 MPH
Q4: 4.003 E.T. at 318.24 MPH (Three bonus points for second quickest run of the session)
Bonus Points: Five
Quotable:
“We took a shot Q2 when the conditions were good, but we’re not racing in those conditions. We’ll be racing in conditions similar to what we had today, and we had a really good race car today. Having lane choice isn’t going to hurt either – that was our goal Q4.”
