EPPING, NH – Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Energy raced to their third final round of the season and seventh overall. Ashley entered race day as the No. 8 qualifier after a tough two days of qualifying.  The Top Fuel championship contending team was sitting No. 16 heading into the final qualifying session on Saturday night and a strong final run moved them into the top half of the field as the No. 8 qualifier. It was the Phillips Connect team’s toughest outing this season in qualifying. They dug deep and made their best run in Q3 when Ashley blasted down the track in 3.768 seconds at over 326 mph. It was Ashley’s only full pull over two days of qualifying. Crew chief Mike Green was glad to put up a decent number but knew the team had squandered some quality track time in the process.

“I have had it all screwed up since we got here,” said Mike Green. “There is a lot better track out there than we showed on that run. We just needed to get it down there to get in the show. We will look at it and hopefully we can do something better on race day. We will keep working on it and I am glad we got in on down through there. I am looking forward to racing tomorrow.”

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Irvine, CA – Velociti announced its partnership with Phillips Connect and Justin Ashley Racing for the remainder of the 2022 NHRA Camping World drag racing series. Velociti will serve as Phillips Connect’s technology deployment expert at the track, and join the team for VIP drag racing experiences.

“We’re excited about the partnership and look forward to hosting our clients, partners and employees to a truly unique hospitality experience,” said Velociti SVP, Ryan Powell.  “We have a long history in motorsports and this next chapter with Phillips Connect and Justin Ashley Racing will allow us to reach an even larger audience.”

Velociti was recently named Phillips Connect’s exclusive deployment partner and in less than 12 months, has installed more than 10,000 of Phillips Connect’s full smart trailer solutions onto trailers around the country. Velociti focuses its business around rapid, professionally managed deployments, and saw a fit with the Top Fuel action at the NHRA.

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PLAINVIEW, NY – After a two week break Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster team powered by Vita C Energy are ready to roll into New England Dragway for the NHRA New England Nationals. The two-time 2022 finalist and winner of the season-opening Winternationals has high hopes as the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series shifts into high gear for the summer months. This weekend’s national event kicks off a schedule that includes three races in four weeks that Ashley feels will be perfect for his young team to continue to build momentum.

“This will be an active and exciting stretch for our Phillips Connect team to start the summer months,” said Ashley, who has qualified no worse than 6th at any of the first seven races this season. “We have an opportunity to learn, grow and continue to get better in a short period of time with races scheduled so closely together. (Crew chiefs) Mike Green and Tommy DeLago are doing a great job and the rest of the team and I are ready to put our best foot forward on and off the racetrack.”

This season Ashley has never been lower than fourth in the Camping World point standings but the 2020 rookie of the year knows that there are a lot of competitors behind him that have strong teams and talented drivers. Through seven races Ashley has faced almost a half dozen former world champions at every event. The caliber of competition in every round of eliminations has never been higher in the Top Fuel ranks. To date Ashley has held his own with a win loss record of 10-6 this season.

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RICHMOND, VA – Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot came out of their hauler at Virginia Motorsports Park ready to make a run for the points lead. Their first two qualifying runs locked them solidly into the top half of the field and his first pass was the second quickest of the session earning the 2020 Rookie of the Year two qualifying bonus points. The team stepped up their efforts on Saturday morning posting an even quicker 3.700 second pass at 325.85 mph. In the final qualifying session after a lengthy rain delay Ashley and his Mike Green tuned Phillips Connect Toyota dragster threw everything at the track making a run for the top spot but they overpowered the conditions and moved into race day as the No. 6 Top Fuel team on the property.

In the first round Ashley pulled up beside veteran and multiple time world champion Tony Schumacher. The 2022 Winternationals winner was looking to avenge a first round loss to Schumacher at the NHRA Arizona Nationals earlier this season in their first meeting. Ashley was able to pick his lane and the three-time winner got the jump off the starting line with a strong .049 reaction time. Unfortunately, his Phillips Connect Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot which also has backing from Auto Shocker, Lucas Oil, and KATO Fastening Systems overpowered the race track. The immediate loss of traction combined with Schumacher’s unblemished run combined to end Ashley’s race day in the first round.

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IRVINE, CA – Phillips Connect and Justin Ashley Racing announce their partnership with the Wyakin Foundation, a nonprofit organization that connects wounded and injured veterans with the resources and opportunities to have a better future. The partnership will extend for the remaining 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season.

Phillips Industries is a longstanding supporter of the Wyakin Foundation, and connected Justin Ashley Racing with the nonprofit in January 2022. Since then, Ashley and his team have been dedicated to helping Wyakin, along with Phillips Connect, in its mission of preparing wounded veterans for fulfilling post-military careers.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Wyakin Foundation for the rest of the 2022 NHRA season,” said Phillips Connect’s CEO and Founder, Rob Phillips. “The Phillips family has always sought out philanthropies we resonate with, and Wyakin has been on the top of our list. The work that they do with the veterans in our community is so admirable, and we are proud to continue supporting them and their mission of making the transition for soldiers a bit easier.”

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RICHMOND, VA – Six races into the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot are battling for control of the points lead. Less than three rounds of racing separate the top four drivers in the hyper competitive category that has seen five different winners and ten different finalists this season. Ashley sits in third place just 46 points behind the leader Brittany Force. Heading into Virginia Motorsports Park the Phillips Connect and Vita C Shot Top Fuel team is looking to make a move.

“I can’t say enough about the job Mike Green and Tommy DeLago are doing as crew chiefs on this race car,” said Ashley, who also enjoys support from Auto Shocker and KATO Fastening Systems. “We have been running great throughout the early part of the season. Although we lost in the second round at Charlotte, we qualified number one and picked up our first four-wide round win as a team. I am very much looking forward to bringing that momentum into Virginia.”

Only Ashley and Mike Salinas, currently No. 2 in the points, have been to multiple final rounds in the Top Fuel class this season. Ashley, a three-time national event winner, has also raced to a semifinal finish at the Gatornationals. In addition to round wins the 2020 Rookie of the Year secured his first No. 1 qualifier at the Circle K Four-Wide Nationals. His worst starting position this season is sixth and he also has a No. 2 qualifier and two No. 4 qualifiers to his credit.

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CONCORD, NC – Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot made two major steps forward this weekend at the Circle k Four-Wide Nationals. The third year pro earned his first No. 1 qualifier and also won his first round of racing in the unique four-wide format. Ashley, the 2022 Winternationals winner and most recent runner-up at the SpringNationals, a three-time national event winner, was confident going into race day. His quickest elapsed time of 3.669 seconds from the Friday night session gave his Davis Motorsports team the latitude to make the most out of the final day of qualifying. His first quad was composed of No. 16 qualifier Cameron Ferre, No. 8 qualifier Austin Prock and No. 9 qualifier Antron Brown.

After the tree flashed and all four 11,000 horsepower race cars charged down their respective lanes it was Ashley collecting his first career round win in the four-wide format with a dominant win. Unfortunately, the team did not get any data from the run as the clocks did not record a time. Ashley’s Phillips Connect Toyota crossed the finish line a full dragster length ahead of Ferre, who also moved to the second quad. Since there was no official time recorded Ashley did not have any lane choice in the second round.

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CHARLOTTE, NC – Third year pro Justin Ashley continued his hot start to the 2022 NHRA season with his first career No. 1 qualifier at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals today at zMax Dragway. Driving the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot at the fifth race this season Ashley ran to the top of the field on Friday night with a 3.669 second at 331.77 mph run. It earned the 2020 Rookie of the Year the provisional pole. The time held up through two more rounds today when conditions warmed up and challenged all the teams.

“We are fortunate to have accomplished a lot in a short period of time,” said Ashley, who won the season opening Winternationals and has a runner-up from last weekend’s SpringNationals to his credit this season. “To be able to sit here and say we are the No. 1 qualifier at an event like this with the depth of the Top Fuel field is great. This says a lot about our Davis Motorsports team. Crew chiefs Mike Green and Tommy DeLago do a great job race in and race out. There is always pressure no matter where you are if it is No. 1 or No. 16. There is pressure on race day because it is race day. You are out there to win, and no one puts more pressure on ourselves than we do. We are not racing the person in the lane next to us or the next car a couple lanes over, we are just racing the race track.”

The success of Friday afforded the team some latitude today to take some chances. With a strong number in the bank his team took the opportunity to invest in their future.

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CHARLOTTE, NC – After a strong showing last weekend at the NHRA SpringNationals in Houston, third year pro Justin Ashley will head to the Circle K Four-Wide Nationals in search of his first four-wide win at the unique event. Ashley powered his Mike Green tuned Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot to the No. 4 position in qualifying and then raced to his second final round of the season. Ashley is solidly in third place in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings five races into the season.

“The Top Fuel category is very competitive, and it’s shown throughout the first few races of the season,” said Ashley. “Each round of racing is equally as important as the next and teams are ready to capitalize on every opportunity. I am looking forward to joining our team in competition at the Circle K Four-Wide Nationals this weekend.”

The 2020 Rookie of the Year collected his third career victory at the season opening Winternationals and has added an additional semifinal finish to his ledger prior to the runner-up finish in Houston. Consistent qualifying times have put the young driver in a great position to succeed. As the second four-wide national event of the season opens this weekend with two qualifying runs on Saturday Ashley knows it will be critical to maximize every pass down zMax Dragway.

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BAYTOWN, TX – Justin Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Vita C Shot showed they will continue to be a team to be reckoned with as the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series heats up. Today at Houston Raceway Park Ashley, who qualified No. 4 raced to the final round coming up a few feet short of his second victory against new points leader Brittany Force. In the opening round Ashley took out Doug Foley, then Austin Prock and reigning world champion Steve Torrence to reach his sixth career final round.

“That was a tough final round and the truth is there are no gimmes out here,” said Ashley. “The entire Top Fuel field is so tough. The guys did a great job today. We had some issues after the semis and they were able to turn it around and get to the final on time. I didn’t do my job. I have to learn from that. Hats off to Brittany and her team. Our Phillips Connect, Vita C Shot Toyota team did a great job this weekend. The good news is we only have to wait a few days until we get to Charlotte.”

In the first round Ashley came into race day hot getting a starting line advantage over Foley, .046 to .092, and he never trailed in the drag race crossing the finish line with a strong 3.740 second pass at 329.26 mph. In the quarterfinals facing his Winternationals final round opponent Austin Prock Ashley had lane choice and once again he grabbed his second win light of the day when Prock redlit with an early start. Ashley’s winning time of 3.792 seconds at 326.79 mph wasn’t enough for lane choice in the semifinals against four-time world champion Steve Torrence.

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