Hagan earns third pole of year with Mopar Dodge, gains on Capps; Pritchett’s Papa John’s tune-up warms up to qualify 4th at Norwalk
NORWALK, OH – It was a magnificent early summer Saturday in Northern Ohio that delighted a capacity crowd at 
Summit Motorsports Park.
After a rainy Friday, the following day was fan perfect with sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s.
But that combination of weather was not very productive for low elapsed times let along track records that were produced the evening before.
Fortunately for Don Schumacher Racing’s Matt Hagan and the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T Powered by Pennzoil tuned by Dickie Venables, no one was able to challenge the record time they set Friday with a run of 3.865 seconds at 333.33 mph that earned Hagan the third pole of the season and 29th of his career.
“All in all I feel pretty good, I think Dickie Venables has a great handle on this race car and the racetrack. Like I said last night, the groove even today is still a little narrow out there, so it’s a little tough to navigate,” said Hagan, a three-time winner this year and two-time world champion who is looking for his first Ohio win.
Hagan, the world record-holder for time (3.802) and speed (338.85) with a run this year Topeka, arrived at Norwalk, Ohio, trailing teammate Ron Capps by 163 points but was able to narrow the gap by 10 points in qualifying.
For the second straight week, reigning world champion Ron Capps and the points-leading NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge struggled in qualifying and will start No. 13. Last Sunday, Capps qualified 10th but went on to win his fifth title of the year.
“We really want to try to catch Capps right now. He’s got five wins, we’ve got three. We need to put this Mopar car in the winner’s circle tomorrow.
“On race day, it’s always anybody’s ballgame. I’ve won from 16th spot and I’ve won from No. 1 before so you’ve just got to be in it to win it.
“Looking at what Capps and those guys are doing, they’re just not beating themselves. They’re not really running that fast. You look at their qualifying, I don’t think they qualified that great. But they’re just going down the racetrack. And on Sunday, that’s what you have to do.”
DSR teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. and Terry Chandler’s Make-A-Wish Dodge quailed fifth while Jack Beckman in Chandler’s Infinite Hero team are seeded ninth.
In Top Fuel, Leah Pritchett’s opening run of 3.720 on Friday was her best of the weekend and it held for the No. 4 qualifying spot ahead of teammates Antron Brown (Matco Tools) in fifth and Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army) in eighth.
“I definitely feel good going into Sunday,” said Pritchett, who is second in points with three wins.
“I think we’ve got a handle on our warm-track tune-up and that’s something we’ve been working on for quite some time. It took our last qualifying run to be able to prove to ourselves that everything is doing what it’s supposed to.”
Pritchett’s leading time after the opening session fell to No. 4 after a mechanical issue caused her parachutes to eject prematurely that aborted the run.
Three-time and reigning world champion Antron Brown and the Matco Tools dragster was best among his teammates in the night run with a time of 3.736 that places him fifth. The U.S. Army dragster with Tony Schumacher is eighth.
This weekend marks the end of the June Swing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series that featured four races in four weekends.
DSR TOP FUEL DRAGSTERS
No. 1 qualifier: Doug Kalitta (Kalitta Motorsports) 3.709 sec., 327.43 mph
LEAH PRITCHETT, Papa John’s Pizza Top Fuel dragster
Crew chief: Todd Okuhara; Assistant: Joe Barlam
SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Ike Maier
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 4
FRIDAY: 3.720 sec., 322.27 mph, (Session 1); 7.173, 85.95, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 10.772, 72.53, (Session 3); 3.808, 323.81, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.658 sec.-world record (2017, Phoenix); 330.23 mph (2017, Topeka)
NORWALK BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (June 18), Bristol, Tenn.: Qualified No. 3, lost in championship round to Clay Millican
A year ago at Norwalk: Qualified No. 13, lost in second round to J.R. Todd
Career at Norwalk: Wins 0; Runner-ups 0; Poles 0
ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools/U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster
Crew chiefs: Brian Corradi, Mark Oswald; Assistant: Brad Mason
SUNDAY’SCHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Dom Lagana
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 5
FRIDAY: 5.988 sec., 114.61 mph, (Session 1); 3.736, 332.26, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 3.786, 327.19, (Session 3); 4.882, 150.82, (Session 4)
Best time, speed: 3.667 (2017, Phoenix); 333.16 mph (2017, Topeka)
NORWALK BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (June 18), Bristol, Tenn.: Qualified No. 7, lost in second round to Shawn Langdon
A year ago at Norwalk: Qualified No. 2, lost in second round to Shawn Langdon
Career at Norwalk: Wins 1 (2014); Runner-ups 2 (2010, 2015); Poles 0
TONY SCHUMACHER, U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster
Crew chief: Mike Green; Assistant: Phil Shuler
SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Mike Salinas
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 8
FRIDAY: 3.785 sec., 328.38 mph, (Session 1); 3.76, , (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 3.874, 296.63, (Session 3); 3.789, 323.74, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.660 sec. (2017, Topeka); 332.51 mph (2016, Brainerd)
NORWALK BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (June 18), Bristol, Tenn.: Qualified No. 6, lost in first round to Scott Palmer
A year ago at Norwalk: Qualified No. 6, lost in second round to Brittany Force
Career at Norwalk: Wins 1 (2007); Runner-ups 0; Poles 0
DSR FUNNY CARS
No. 1 qualifier: Matt Hagan (Don Schumacher Racing) 3.865 sec.-track record, 333.33 mph
MATT HAGAN, Mopar Express Lane 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: Dickie Venables; Assistant: Michael Knudsen
SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Jeff Diehl
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 1
FRIDAY: 3.881 sec., 332.02 mph, (Session 1); 3.865-track record, 333.33, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.034, 321.88, (Session 3); 3.979, 327.35, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.802 sec.-world record (2017,Topeka); 338.85 mph-world record (2017, Topeka)
NORWALK BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (June 18), Bristol, Tenn.: Qualified No. lost in semifinals to eventual event winner Ron Capps
A year ago at Norwalk: Qualified No. 6, lost in first round to John Force
Career at Norwalk: Wins 0; Runner-ups 0; Poles 1 (2015)
TOMMY JOHNSON JR., Terry Chandler’s Make-A-Wish 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: John Collins; Assistant: Rip Reynolds
SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: J.R. Todd
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 5
FRIDAY: 8.568 sec., 82.47 mph, (Session 1); 3.925, 329.34, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.008, 320.05, (Session 3); 3.990, 316.38, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.837 sec. (Phoenix 2017); 330.80 mph (Seattle, 2016)
NORWALK BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (June 18), Bristol, Tenn.: Qualified No. 8, lost in semifinals to Jack Beckman
A year ago at Norwalk: Qualified No. 8, lost in semifinals to Courtney Force
Career at Norwalk: Wins 0; Runner-ups 0; Poles 0
JACK BECKMAN, Terry Chandler’s Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chiefs: Dean Antonelli, John Medlen, Neal Strausbaugh
SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Cruz Pedregon
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 9
FRIDAY: 12.165 sec., 81.77 mph, (Session 1); 6.723, 103.40, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.321, 224.88, (Session 3); 3.971, 322.04, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.825 sec., (2016 Pomona 2); 334.15 mph (Seattle 2016)
NORWALK BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (June 18), Bristol, Tenn.: Qualified No. 5, lost in championship round to Ron Capps
A year ago at Norwalk: Qualified No. 5, lost in first round to Alexis DeJoria
Career at Norwalk: Wins 2 (2009, 2015); Runner-ups 0; Poles 0
RON CAPPS, NAPA AUTO PARTS 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: Rahn Tobler; Assistant: Eric Lane
SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Jonnie Lindberg
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 13
FRIDAY: 4.420 sec., 196.64 mph, (Session 1); 4.144, 236.13, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.201, 239.53, (Session 3); 4.018, 321.19, (Session 4)
Best Time, Speed: 3.839 sec. (2017, Phoenix); 333.58 mph (2017, Phoenix)
NORWALK BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (June 18), Bristol, Tenn.: Qualified No. 10, won in championship round over Jack Beckman
A year ago at Norwalk: Qualified No. 3, won in championship round over Courtney Force
Career at Norwalk: Wins 1 (2016); Runner-ups 3 (2011, 2013, 2014); Poles 0
