During qualifying runs over the weekend at the famed all-concrete zMAX Dragway outside Charlotte NC, the intensity ratcheted up for the final round of qualifying at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. As engines came to life on Saturday for the second of six Countdown events for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, it was Doug Kalitta, John Force, and Erica Enders temporarily holding the top spots in qualifying for Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock, respectively.
Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley made a career-best run to close out qualifying on Saturday and picked up his second straight Number 1 qualifier at zMAX Dragway for the 2022 season. Ashley posted an impressive run with a 3.688 ET at 335.65 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect dragster. Ashley and Brittany Force thrilled race fans making the two fastest side-by-side runs in track history.
In Nitro Funny Car, John Force held onto the No. 1 position with a 3.854 ET at 330.47 mph from Friday qualifying. The 16-time world champion claimed his second straight top qualifier position at zMAX Raceway and his 165th career top qualifier in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS. In Pro Stock, Erica Enders improved on her Friday run with a 6.510 elapsed time at 212.46 mph in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.
Brown Moves to Second in Countdown Points
Three-time world champion Antron Brown qualified seventh, but eliminated Austin Prock, who was the winner of Round One of the Countdown at the NHRA Pep Boys Nationals. Brown then eliminated Prock’s teammate Brittany Force and Clay Millican enroute to the Top Fuel Final. Justin Ashley defeated Alex Laughlin, defending world champion Steve Torrence, and Doug Kalitta to earn his way to the shootout at Charlotte’s all-concrete zMAX Raceway.
Brown posted his first Countdown to the Championship win in six years with a 3.672 elapsed time at 335.73 mph. Driving the Matco Tools/Lucas Oil/Toyota Top Fuel dragster, Brown grabbed the holeshot off the tree as Ashley carded a quicker 3.671 ET. The win was Brown’s third in the last five NHRA races. His victory at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals moves the former champion into second place just 43 points behind Ashley and nine points ahead of Brittany Force.
Capps Moves to Second in Countdown Points
As an owner/driver, Ron Capps came to Charlotte for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals needing to make a big move in the Countdown to the Championship to make up points on Funny Car rivals Robert Hight and Matt Hagan. Capps outran Blake Alexander and Bob Tasca III enroute to a semifinal matchup with Number 1 qualifier John Force. In the bottom bracket, Alexis Dejoria eliminated JR Todd and Countdown points leader Robert Hight before earning her spot in the Final with 3.887 ET to Matt Hagan’s 3.893 elapsed time.
Capps posted a quicker 3.899 ET to defeat a faster John Force at 331.53 mph. After Dejoria and Capps had made flawless passes during the elimination rounds at zMAX Raceway, neither had a stellar final run. Both dropped cylinders and lost power but Capps relied on a .059 reaction time to coast across the line with one of his most important Funny Car victories in the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. It was Capps’s 71st class win and moved the driver of the NAPA Toyota to just 27 points behind Robert Hight for the Championship.
Stanfield Moves to Second in Countdown Points
Aaron Stanfield put the Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro back into the hunt for the Countdown to the Championship over the weekend at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. Stanfield knocked off Deric Kramer, defending world champion Greg Anderson, and a red-hot Troy Coughlin Jr. to reach the Pro Stock Final. Matt Hartford qualified fourth and eliminated Bo Butner III and Dallas Glenn enroute to a semifinal matchup with four-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders.
Hartford grabbed a slim lead off the tree with a .016-second reaction time to Enders .019 RT before laying down a near perfect run with a 6.568 ET at 209.01 mph. Stanfield posted a starting line advantage and held on for a margin of victory of nine feet at the finish line. It was Stanfield’s third Wally of the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and the seventh Pro Stock victory of his young career. The win at zMAX Raceway on Sunday allowed Stanfield to pull within 64 points of his Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders.
UP COMING:
NHRA Midwest Nationals
The Countdown to the Championship for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action with the NHRA Midwest Nationals on Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.
