NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

A quick start paid dividends last year for Justin Ashley, who won the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals to open the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Series season and used that momentum to contend for his first Top Fuel world championship.

With an early-season win last week at the NHRA Arizona Nationals already under his belt in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by National Debt Relief, Ashley is after a second straight win at storied In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip at this weekend’s 63rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.

Ashley won on Sunday in Phoenix, bouncing back from a first-round loss in Gainesville to open the season. With sky-high expectations, it was another important step forward for Ashley, who saw first-hand the benefits of early-season success last season. A second straight victory at the historic Winternationals would add to what he’s already built this year, and Ashley is thrilled to compete for another win just days after winning in Phoenix.

“It’s ironic because last year we won the first race [Winternationals] and then lost in the first round at the Arizona Nationals,” Ashley said. “This time was the opposite. We lost in the first round of the first race [Gatornationals] and came back and won the Arizona Nationals. [But] it sets the tone for the year.

“You know you got to start strong, but you also got to finish strong, especially with the Countdown [to the Championship] format. But just growing and winning definitely helps us to collect some momentum. Every point matters, whether it’s early in the year or late in the year so we’re able to collect those points early on I think is really significant. I’m excited to have this momentum going into Pomona, which is one of my favorite races.”

Ashley (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) all won last year in Pomona, and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), including eliminations at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 2. The first trip to In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip of the year is also the third of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA season, with Sunday’s win vaulting Ashley to fourth in points in a loaded field.

Ashley finished fourth a year ago but also led the points at two different times, including for four straight races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The team continues to take positive steps forward, even while competing against a loaded lineup that includes reigning world champ Brittany Force, Steve Torrence, Gainesville winner Mike Salinas, Phoenix runner-up Shawn Langdon, Antron Brown, Leah Pruett, and Tony Schumacher.

Ashley will also get the chance to compete in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge for the first time, as the unique challenge debuted in Phoenix, offering competitive racing during Saturday qualifying, along with a bonus purse and bonus points for the playoffs. It features a rematch of the semifinal participants from the previous race, meaning Ashley will take on Torrence in a must-see matchup in Pomona and Langdon will face off with Pruett. The winners will meet to close out qualifying, offering somebody a chance to win twice in one weekend at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

“It’s exciting, and it’s another opportunity to go out there and compete like it’s race day,” Ashley said. “I’m really proud and really excited to have the opportunity to double up there. It’s going to be an exciting atmosphere, and we’re just going to keep working hard. It’s obviously a team effort, and that’s what it takes to be able to win against all these champions in the class.”

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 3 p.m. PT on Friday, March 31, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 1 at noon and 3 p.m. The finals of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge take place at the end of final qualifying in each category. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 2. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET. on Saturday and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, leading into eliminations at 7 p.m. ET.
 
To purchase tickets to the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general-admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket.