DSR Richmond Final Qualifying Report – by the Numbers

Dinwiddie, VA – NHRA Virginia Nationals

DSR Richmond Saturday Highlights:

Funny Car pilots Tommy Johnson Jr. and Ron Capps will start from the No. 2 and 3 positions on Sunday at Virginia Motorsports Park
Matt Hagan also qualified in the top half of the Funny Car field
Johnson raced the Make-A-Wish Hellcat to the quickest E.T. of Q3
Capps navigated the NAPA Brakes machine to the quickest pass of Q4
Capps made a ‘top three’ run in three out of the four qualifying sessions
Leah Pritchett will start race day from the quick-half of the Top Fuel field for the seventh consecutive event
Antron Brown powered the Matco ‘Tools for the Cause’ Top Fuel machine to the second quickest-run of the third session
Round one features two DSR intramural battles: Pritchett vs. Brown, Hagan vs. Jack Beckman

Driver Information:

Top Fuel:

ANTRON BROWN
Driver of Matco’s Tools for the Cause Top Fuel Dragster
Matco’s Tools for the Cause to benefit the Fisher House Foundation

Qualified: No. 11

The Competition: No. 6 Leah Pritchett

The Results:
Q1: 3.843 E.T. at 317.94 MPH
Q2: 4.425 E.T. at 177.95 MPH
Q3: 3.864 E.T. at 307.86 MPH (Two bonus points for second quickest run of the session)
Q4: 3.839 E.T. at 320.97 MPH

Bonus Points: Two

Quotable:
“We made really good runs in our Matco Tools Toyota in Q3 and Q4, and conditions on Sunday should be very similar to what we saw today. We just need to keep going out and making those types of passes and we’ll be in good shape on race day. Unfortunately, we just missed the set-up on Friday night and we’re going to start further back than what we would like, but in the end, everyone out here is tough and you have to beat the best to win.”

LEAH PRITCHETT
Driver of the MOPAR Dodge Top Fuel Dragster

Qualified: No. 6 (lane choice)

The Competition: No. 11 Antron Brown

The Results:
Q1: 3.793 E.T. at 321.58 MPH (Two bonus points for second quickest run of the session)
Q2: 4.877 E.T. at 147.97 MPH
Q3: 6.079 E.T. at 114.04 MPH
Q4: 4.360 E.T. at 184.40 MPH

Bonus Points: Two

Quotable:
“I started the weekend by flying out to Richmond with Antron. We made a pact that we’d meet in the final round but it looks like we’re a little premature on our plan. Man, we definitely don’t like running our teammate at all. They’ve been making huge strides. It doesn’t look like it from a numbers standpoint, but for us, we’ve been enlightened with our race car today. We feel good about it. It’s shown some new colors that we plan to paint with tomorrow. It’s hot; these conditions are very tricky for the tuners. Tomorrow is a whole new day, we plan to put on a good show for the fans and do what we came here to do and that’s pick up some good points and hopefully our first Wally of the year.”

Funny Car:

JACK BECKMAN
Driver of the Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Qualified: No. 10

The Competition: No. 7 Matt Hagan

The Results:
Q1: 5.015 E.T. at 152.68 MPH
Q2: 4.005 E.T. at 320.28 MPH
Q3: 10.071 E.T. at 67.29 MPH
Q4: 4.071 E.T. at 285.23 MPH

Quotable:
“It’s no secret we’re struggling. Everyone tries to put a positive spin on things but right now, we’re struggling. It’s not the first time we haven’t qualified well this year. In fact, we’ve qualified lower than this and made it several rounds on Sunday, but it just kind of digs you into a bit of a hole that you’d rather not be in.

“We’re going to have to face a team car, we won’t have lance choice but it doesn’t matter here. This track is billiard table smooth; the best on the tour right now, but it’s incredibly hot out here. I am just very confident that (co-crew chiefs Dean) Guido (Antonelli) and John (Medlen) are going to spend some hours looking at the data and we’ll go out there swinging hard tomorrow. First-round conditions are theoretically going to be the best we’ve had all weekend long. We don’t have the luxury of backing it down racing against Dickie Venables and Matt (Hagan), so at this point, we just need to find ourselves and it’s going to start first round tomorrow.”

RON CAPPS
Driver of the NAPA Brakes Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Qualified: No. 3 (lane choice)

The Competition: No. 14 Jim Campbell

The Results:
Q1: 3.927 E.T. at 321.50 MPH (Three bonus points for quickest run of the session)
Q2: 3.927 E.T. at 318.92 MPH (One bonus point for third quickest run of the session)
Q3: 4.128 E.T. at 253.42 MPH
Q4: 3.953 E.T. at 319.52 MPH (Three bonus points for quickest run of the session)

Bonus Points: Seven

Quotable:
“Great job by (crew chief) Rahn Tobler. We’re having fun with this NAPA Brakes car. We’re trying to continue on. It’s fun for Tobler to do what he’s done so far in the time I’ve gotten to drive for him which is put numbers up that force the other crew chiefs to go back and have to change their cars. I talked about it in Atlanta, I’m just very lucky to be driving this race car right now.

“We’re coming up on the end of May and the end of the NAPA Brakes promotion. We’re trying to keep America safe and save people money, and it’s fun to be able to do that with this NAPA Brakes race car. The fans really love it.”

MATT HAGAN
Driver of the Shelor Motor Mile Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Qualified: No. 7 (lane choice)

The Competition: No. 10 Jack Beckman

The Results:
Q1: 4.074 E.T. at 313.44 MPH
Q2: 4.001 E.T. at 320.51 MPH
Q3: 4.045 E.T. at 315.64 MPH (One bonus point for third quickest run of the session)
Q4: 3.991 E.T. at 321.27 MPH

Bonus Points: One

Quotable:
“We’ve got a really good, consistent race car. We had some issues with the fuel pump seizing up and had a lever break, but (crew chief) Dickie (Venables) has gotten that under control. Our Shelor Motor Mile Hellcat is going down the race track. It’s smooth in both lanes, they’re pretty even. I’m excited about tomorrow; it’s going to be a good race day.”

TOMMY JOHNSON JR.
Driver of the Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

Qualified: No. 2 (lane choice)

The Competition: No. 15 Terry Haddock

The Results:
Q1: 4.135 E.T. at 252.10 MPH
Q2: 3.922 E.T. at 323.58 MPH (Two bonus points for second quickest run of the session)
Q3: 4.029 E.T. at 314.68 MPH (Three bonus points for quickest run of the session)
Q4: 4.021 E.T. at 312.21 MPH

Bonus Points: Five

Quotable:
“Sunday’s conditions look like they’re going to be just like Saturday’s, so to go down the track both runs and lay down two solid 4.02s in a row, with one of those holding up to be the quickest of the session, it shows how consistent our Make-A-Wish Dodge is and it should make for a good race day tomorrow.”

Factory Stock Showdown Series:

MARK PAWUK
Driver of the Empaco Equipment MOPAR Dodge Challenger Drag Pak

Qualified: No. 13

The Results:
Qualifying:
Q1: 8.054 E.T. at 169.85 MPH
Q2: 15.253 E.T. at 68.42 MPH
Q3: 17.242 E.T. at 58.09 MPH

Eliminations:
E1: 12.584 E.T. at 90.76 MPH defeated by Pete Gasko Jr. 8.022 E.T. at 171.36 MPH

LEAH PRITCHETT
Driver of the MOPAR Dodge Challenger Drag Pak

Qualified: No. 12

The Results:
Qualifying:
Q1: 8.054 E.T. at 170.06 MPH
Q2: 8.077 E.T. at 168.09 MPH
Q3: 15.926 E.T. at 77.60 MPH

Eliminations:
E1: 9.126 E.T. at 167.22 MPH defeated by Scott Libersher 8.994 E.T. at 168.87 MPH