Top Fuel standout Leah Pritchett led the Dodge//SRT Mopar driver contingent in the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals near Dallas. She qualified the HEMI®-powered Pennzoil Dodge Top Fuel Dragster of Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) No. 2 for the third time in the first four NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship events.
Ron Capps led seven Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car drivers into Sunday’s Funny Car field, capturing the fourth position in qualifying and will face fellow Dodge//SRT and DSR teammate Jack Beckman in the first round. Matt Hagan drove the Western Technical College Mopar CAP Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car to the sixth spot.
Pritchett grabbed her sixth No. 2 qualifying slot of 2019 with Friday evening’s run of 3.681 seconds at 332.10 mph. That was one of four full passes Pritchett made in preparation for her final push to make a claim for the 2019 Top Fuel world championship. History shows she will need to reach Sunday’s final, and likely win, to have a realistic shot with two events remaining. Pritchett has a round win-loss record of 4-3 during the first three 2019 Countdown events and has lost in the second round of the previous three Dallas events.
With Friday night offering the best conditions for qualifying, Saturday proved to be a testing session for Sunday’s eliminations. The Capps-Beckman matchup is one of two first round races Sunday pitting Countdown contenders. There are also two races with Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars squaring off. Paul Lee qualified eighth and will take on DSR’s Tommy Johnson, Jr. in the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car.
Pritchett is pulling double duty this weekend and also earned the No. 2 position in Factory Stock Showdown (FSS). The defending event winner posted an impressive pass of 8.017 seconds at 170.11 mph behind the wheel of the DSR Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. Pritchett’s DSR teammate Mark Pawuk qualified the Empaco Equipment Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak ninth.
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Dodge//SRT Mopar Notes & Quotes
(qualifying times/speeds below)
Leah Pritchett, Pennzoil Dodge Top Fuel Dragster
Qualified No. 2, will face No. 15 Kebin Kinsley
Friday: (3.767 seconds at 324.28 mph – Q1) (3.767/332.10 – Q2); Saturday: (3.801/327.43 – Q3); (3.814/316.90 – Q4)
“I’m looking forward to a new short block in our motor tomorrow. We’ve had some major power issues after we ran that 3.68 in Q2. Our strategy of qualifying well when it counts on Friday night has paid great dividends for this Pennzoil team to start off in a good position to go rounds on Sunday. We look forward to putting on a great show for the fans. This is very much a pivotal point in the Countdown; points are tight, and this is when you’re going to see this Pennzoil team shine.”
Ron Capps, NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
Qualified No. 5, will face No. 12 Jack Beckman
Friday: (4.047 seconds at 273.27 mph – Q1) (3.881/332.43 – Q2); Saturday: (4.633/179.88 – Q3); (4.022/290.16 – Q4)
“Obviously, we qualified well on Friday night, and that’s important to set the field. We’ve been fighting some adversity here and I’m confident we’ll get these issues worked out before race day. We’ve been in these types of situations before, and we don’t want to race a teammate first round, but Jack Beckman is ahead of us in points, and there are only two races left in the Countdown when we leave here tomorrow. I’m excited about tomorrow. This is the excitement of the Countdown, and it’s awesome for NHRA fans.”
Matt Hagan, Western Technical College Mopar CAP Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Funny Car
Qualified No. 6, will face No. 11 Blake Alexander
Friday: (4.068 seconds at 267.96 mph – Q1) (3.890/310.77 – Q2); Saturday: (4.122/245.27 – Q3) (3.950/317.49 – Q4)
“We struggled a little bit in that right lane, so hopefully we can keep lane choice tomorrow stay over in the left lane. All in all, we are really proud to have Western Tech and the Mopar CAP program along for the ride with us this weekend here in Dallas. The Dodge Charger SRT Widebody Hellcat Funny Car has been running really good. We just need to go out and win a race. It’s time to get it done tomorrow.”
Tommy Johnson, Jr., Make-A-Wish Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
Qualified No. 9, will face No. 8 Paul Lee
Friday: (4.179 seconds at 224.28 mph – Q1) (3.920/324.44 – Q2); Saturday: (3.993/319.22 – Q3) (3.936/316.60) – Q4)
“We definitely have a ‘hot weather’ kind of car, so if we can get those conditions tomorrow, I’ll feel very confident. We’re consistent when it’s cool out, but even more so when it’s hot.”
Jack Beckman, Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
Qualified No. 12, will face No. 5 Jack Beckman
Friday: (3.937 seconds at 327.11 mph – Q1) (4.202/220.22 – Q2); Saturday: (3.990/316.90 – Q3) (4.601/177.09 – Q4)
“It’s a bummer we missed it last night in the Q2 hero run; we pushed it too hard. In that last run, it started moving over to the right and I’m turning further left, and left, and left, and I just let it get too far to the right and lost traction. Hopefully, we got far enough down the track that we got data for tomorrow. I think it’s going to be warmer tomorrow. I think we’ve got a decent hot track tune-up. I think we have a good chance at getting four win lights tomorrow.”
Mopar Motorsports PR
