PLAINVIEW, NY – Two weeks ago Justin Ashley turned on every win light available to the third-year pro winning the rescheduled NHRA New England Nationals, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals over a three day stretch at Bristol Dragway. For the second time this season Ashley defended his 2022 victory at a national event going back-to-back in Bristol just like he did earlier this season at the historic NHRA Winternationals. This weekend at the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, June 23-25, Ashley and his Maynard Ashley Racing Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster powered by Okuma will be looking to make it three national event wins in a row.

“We approach each race with a renewed mindset,” said Ashley, who will also be competing in his fourth Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. “Our Phillips Connect Toyota Racing team accomplished something very special in Bristol. It was important for us to reflect, appreciate and value those victories. But our focus and attention has now shifted to Norwalk. The competition is going to be tough and many teams are hitting their stride. We’re excited for the challenge.”

Summit Motorsports Park, recognized as “America’s Racetrack,” is a fan friendly facility that Ashley would like to build a winning legacy. The past two seasons he has qualified well, starting in the top half twice, but his race days have not been extended efforts.

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BRISTOL, TN – There was a lot on the line heading into the Thunder Valley Nationals and championship contender Justin Ashley and his Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team had a lofty list of goals for Bristol Dragway. Competing in the rescheduled New England Nationals, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and the 22nd NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals all in one weekend, the three-time 2023 winner was hoping to grab three more event wins and accelerate his championship hopes. The 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year checked all the boxes at the conclusion of race day winning his second consecutive Thunder Valley Nationals in an epic all Toyota final round against Antron Brown less than 24-hours after winning the New England Nationals and his third Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge title of the season.

“I’m on cloud nine. It is just an amazing feeling. It’s so hard to win a race,” said Ashley, who has collected $30,000 and nine championship points for his Mission Challenge victories alone. “It is so difficult, so to be able to come into one weekend, in three days, and win two events and one Mission Foods Challenge, is really something special. It’s hard to turn on win lights in this sport, so I just have so much gratitude for my entire team and the work they did to turn this car around round after round, and make sure it went down the racetrack. We had a lot of friends and family here – this is not too far from when the Maynards are, so they had a lot of their friends out as well. It’s a big win for the entire team.”

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BRISTOL, TN – For the third time this season Justin Ashley and Maynard Ashley Racing Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster defeated a gauntlet of tough NHRA Top Fuel competitors and world champions enroute to victory. The second-generation driver moved into the NHRA Top Fuel points lead with his win at the postponed and relocated NHRA New England Nationals outrunning Dan Mercier, two-time world champion Brittany Force, four-time world champion Steve Torrence and finally in an all JCM Racing final eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher.

“Everybody out here is tough,” said Ashley, who was competing in his 14th career Top Fuel final round. “I don’t think about it during the race, but after, I think it is important to reflect and appreciate when you go up against some of the best in the world. Each one of these drivers is fantastic. Each one of these teams is great. It’s an honor just to line up next to them, so to turn on a win light with Mike Green, Tommy DeLago (crew chiefs), and the guys is truly special.”

During two days of qualifying last week Ashley was able to get his Phillips Connect Toyota dragster qualified in the No. 10 spot and into a first round race with Canadian Dan Mercier. During the second round of qualifying at the Thunder Valley Nationals on Friday night Ashley began his pursuit of three wins in one weekend. The 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year was first off the line with a strong .038 reaction time and never trailed in the race. It was Ashley’s second consecutive win over Mercier and set up and tough match-up with Force.

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PLAINVIEW, NY – There are big time weekends in motorsports where national events add specialty races to the mix, but this weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 9-11, will raise the stakes for 2022 New England Nationals runner-up and 2022 Thunder Valley Nationals winner Justin Ashley and his Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team. Mother Nature forced the postponement of the New England Nationals to Bristol Dragway putting Ashley and the rest of the Top Fuel field that qualified for the Epping National event in a position to turn on eight win lights over three days and win three events.

“I don’t know if the NHRA could pack more excitement into one weekend,” said Ashley, a seven-time Top Fuel national event winner. “Teams could realistically leave Bristol with two national event wins and a Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory in only 3 days. This is a great opportunity for the Thunder Valley fans to enjoy a high level of racing from our Phillips Connect Toyota team and others.”

This will be Ashley’s third Thunder Valley Nationals and the young driver has made the famed drag strip nestled between the Tennessee mountains one of his favorite stops on tour. Last Wednesday Ashley was at the track as part of the event’s pre-race media celebrity race and the defending champion was eager to get back into race mode. During the media event Ashley was able to talk about his on track success as well as his many sponsors including Toyota, Mac Tools, Lucas Oil, KATO Fastening Systems and of course Phillips Connect. In 2021 he qualified No. 5 and defeated Shawn Langdon and Billy Torrence before losing to Steve Torrence in semifinals. Last year on Father’s Day Ashley qualified No. 14 and won the race after upsetting No. 3 qualifier Josh Hart and then defeating Doug Foley, Steve Torrence and Shawn Langdon.

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PLAINVIEW, NY – Last year Justin Ashley used a runner-up finish at the NHRA New England Nationals as the launching pad for a summer-long surge of consistency. This year the third-year professional is the only multi-time Top Fuel winner so far this season, has picked up two Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victories and two weeks ago announced the formation of Maynard Ashley Racing to make his Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel team even stronger for the foreseeable future. The 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year is eager to get to a track that is one of the closest facilities to his hometown.

“New England Dragway is considered a home track for my family and I since we can make the drive over in a few short hours,” said Ashley, a seven-time Top Fuel national event winner. “It’s nice to race in the Northeast and give my family and friends the opportunity to join us at the racetrack. The New England Nationals are sure to be packed with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm.”

This will be Ashley’s third race at the historic facility and the young driver and team owner has never started from the bottom half of the field. This season Ashley has started every race except for the season opening Gatornationals from the top half of the field. The strong qualifying efforts combined with his nearly psychic reaction times have made Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster team one of the leading championship contenders. They have two wins this season collecting Wally’s at the Arizona Nationals and the famed Winternationals and Ashley was also the No. 1 qualifier at the Winternationals. It was a stellar weekend for the team and one that he would like to continue to duplicate throughout the season.

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CHICAGO – Justin Ashley’s bid to double up a second time, combining a Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win with a Top Fuel race win came up short today at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals. Through three rounds of qualifying at Route 66 Raceway Ashley and his Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster were never slotted lower than fourth in qualifying. The 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year picked up two qualifying bonus points for posting the third quickest runs of the first and second sessions.

On Saturday Ashley, who announced the formation of a new team Maynard Ashley Racing, picked up the $10,000 cash prize for winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge for the second time. Ashley won the specialty race for the first time at the Winternationals and followed that up with a race win on Sunday. His Mission Food Challenge win where he bested Antron Brown and Austin Prock gave the seven-time Top Fuel winner confidence heading into race day.

“This sport will humble you very quickly,” said Ashley. “That’s why it’s important to enjoy the wins when they come. You have to take it one round at a time and one day at a time to give your team the best opportunity to win. I’m really proud of the effort that our Phillips Connect Toyota Racing put in all weekend. We had a great day on Saturday, winning the Mission Foods Challenge and running well each round.”

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PLAINVIEW, NY – Top Fuel standout Justin Ashley is ready to return to Chicago with his Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster and the rest of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Ashley competed in two national events in the Top Alcohol Dragster category at the stadium style facility located in Joliet, Illinois when he was getting his career started. A lot has happened to Ashley since he buckled up for those high-speed passes down Route 66 Raceway in 2017 and 2018. He’s made the jump to Top Fuel, earned rookie of the year honors in 2020 and is a championship contender for the second consecutive season. With two wins already in 2023 Ashley and his Phillips Connect Toyota team are ready to reintroduce themselves to the Chicago area fans and two wide racing.

“I am definitely looking forward to getting back into the rhythm of traditional two-ride racing,” said Ashley, a seven-time Top Fuel winner. “Four-Wide racing certainly has its place and I have the utmost respect and appreciation for the level of excitement it brings to our sport. But we’ve now shifted our focus to Chicago and the traditional two-wide style of racing that comes with it. Our Phillips Connect Toyota team can’t wait for our return to Route 66 Raceway.

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CONCORD, NC – Justin Ashley wrapped up a two race swing of four-wide national events with a strong showing at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals today at zMax Dragway. As the No. 2 qualifier Ashley and the Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster earned qualifying bonus points with a strong pass on Saturday and went into race day with momentum. His first round quad featured three tough competitors including Mike Salinas, Austin Prock and rookie Jacob McNeal.

In a wild opening round Ashley and Prock took win lights to advance to the next quad. NHRA rookie McNeal jumped the start for a red-light disqualification while Salinas led the remaining trio off the starting line with a strong .028 reaction time. Prock flew down the track with the quickest run of the session, an impressive 3.686 second run while Ashley and Salinas both lost power and began a coasting battle as they each tried to reel in the finish line. It was Ashley getting to the line just ahead of a slow rolling Salinas to pick up just his second win light in the four-wide format.

“When you are racing four-wide anything can happen,” said Ashley, who has two Top Fuel wins already in 2023. “When we say that we mean it because to be honest with you I didn’t even know that we won that first round until we turned the corner. That was a pleasant surprise. There was so much craziness that went on, but we’ll take a win anywhere that we can get one.  Coasting to the finish line isn’t something that we have done before.”

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