Prime Gasoline’s Justin Ashley closed out the ultimate NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Motorsports Park with a victory in a entrance of a sellout crowd, powering to a win over Shawn Langdon within the championship spherical on Sunday.
Robert Hight (Humorous Automobile) and Camrie Caruso (Professional Inventory) additionally gained the second of 21 races through the 2023 NHRA Tenting World Drag Racing Sequence season.
Ashley put collectively a run of three.705s at 329.34mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Join Toyota dragster powered by Nationwide Debt Aid, driving previous Langdon’s 3.732s at 329.58mph. It provides Ashley his sixth profession victory and first at Phoenix because the championship contender additionally defeated Tony Schumacher, Mike Salinas and Steve Torrence to achieve the ultimate spherical. Ashley was stellar on the beginning line throughout eliminations, leaving first within the ultimate spherical and holding on for the victory in entrance of one other huge crowd in Phoenix.
“You’re as solely nearly as good because the staff you encompass your self with,” Ashley mentioned. “We’re a resilient group and it was an unimaginable race day. The followers had been incredible all weekend lengthy, however I knew we needed to undergo a gauntlet of opponents. A win like this units the tone for the yr as a result of it builds momentum and each level issues.
“We made loads of modifications to the automobile within the low season and we’ve acquired a brand new setup, however the guys have stayed with it. It was only a matter of being affected person and it was an unimaginable weekend. The followers had been wonderful and it was completely packed.”
Langdon drove to his first ultimate spherical in 2023 and thirty eighth in his profession, defeating Antron Brown, No. 1 qualifier and Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta and Leah Pruett. He’ll face Pruett within the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Problem subsequent weekend in Pomona, with Ashley racing Torrence.
In Humorous Automobile, Hight, who completed 2022 with eight victories, picked up his 62nd profession victory in his 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Camaro after going 3.930s at 328.62mph to beat defending world champ Ron Capps. It provides Hight the factors lead and his second straight Phoenix victory, placing on a present after struggling throughout eliminations. The multi-time world champ certified simply ninth however Hight and his staff, led by crew chief Jimmy Prock, had been good on Sunday, making the quickest run of each spherical, together with a 3.900s within the semifinals to beat Chad Inexperienced. He additionally picked up wins in opposition to teammate John Power and No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca III, making one other robust run within the ultimate spherical to the massive crowd’s delight.
“We higher get used to that as a result of this complete Humorous Automobile area is stacked from high to backside, and to win considered one of these races, you’re going to must undergo 4 hitters, and that’s we did that in the present day,” Hight mentioned. “It’s an enormous win. You’ll be able to simply inform when Jimmy is on to one thing, and he’s acquired the boldness, and that offers me confidence.
“I simply love coming right here. The followers are nice and to see this crowd we had for 3 days, that actually pumps you up as a driver. They’re again within the pits with you and that’s simply what makes NHRA drag racing so superior.”
Capps went to his 141st profession ultimate spherical due to spherical wins in opposition to Alex Laughlin, Blake Alexander and Alexis DeJoria. He’ll race DeJoria within the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Problem, with DeJoria profitable the Problem on Saturday in Phoenix. Hight will tackle Inexperienced in a semifinal rematch as effectively.
Caruso loved her personal memorable day in Phoenix, choosing up her first profession victory with a run of 6.592s at 210.31mph in her Powerbuilt Instruments Camaro to slide previous Bo Butner’s 6.593s, turning into simply the second feminine to win in Professional Inventory in NHRA historical past. The second-year driver impressed all through eliminations, additionally giving the brand new KB Titan Racing staff its first victory. She opened race day by knocking off Deric Kramer, acquired previous No. 1 qualifier Cristian Cuadra after which acquired previous Matt Hartford on a holeshot. Caruso, who reached one ultimate spherical a yr in the past en path to profitable NHRA Rookie of the 12 months honors, was first off the road within the ultimate spherical as effectively, securing a victory and a second she gained’t neglect.
“It was so superior to get the win,” Caruso mentioned. “I simply went on the market prefer it was one other spherical and tried my greatest to do my job as a result of I knew the blokes had been going to do their job. I’m simply excited and grateful. I used to be actually hoping we’d begin the yr off with a very good bang. There’s only a complete bunch of individuals right here that I couldn’t have achieved it with out, particularly my staff and our companions. This new staff, working with them has actually been nice and I simply needed to carry up my finish of the discount.”
Butner reached his first ultimate spherical since 2020, which additionally came about in Phoenix, by defeating teammate and defending world champ Erica Enders, Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Kyle Koretsky. The following Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Problem in Professional Inventory will function Caruso taking over Hartford and Butner going through off with Koretsky.
The NHRA Tenting World Drag Racing Sequence returns to motion March 30-April 2 with the Lucas Oil Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.