Mile-High magic for Denver champions Pruett, Hight, Hartford and Smith

A Western Swing sweep is maybe essentially the most elusive prize in all of Tenting World NHRA championship drag racing and following the ultimate rounds of the Dodge Energy Brokers NHRA Mile-Excessive Nationals, solely Leah Pruett, Robert Hight, Matt Hartford, and Matt Smith, are nonetheless eligible to succeed in that lofty objective.

Pruett claimed her first win because the 2021 season-opener in Pomona, however extra importantly, she scored her first win as a member of Tony Stewart Racing, the workforce assembled final winter by her husband, the NASCAR Corridor of Famer. Pruett has wrestle at instances this 12 months, however she was among the many efficiency leaders in Denver together with her Dodge Energy Brokers dragster and has now solidified her spot within the Prime 10.

The ultimate was anticlimactic as Pruett was awarded a single run after Shawn Langdon’s DHL dragster was shut off after placing fluid on the beginning line through the burnout. Not content material to take it straightforward, Pruett completed the job with a 3.884, 316.38 to make it official.

“That is every little thing,” stated an emotional Pruett. “This being the Dodge Energy Brokers Nationals we brokered that Dodge energy all week lengthy. My crew has been flawless all weekend lengthy and couldn’t be extra proud to do that in entrance these Denver Followers. I’ll say two issues; this view by no means will get previous. Additionally, that is the primary Prime Gas win for Tony Stewart Racing and that may even by no means get previous.

“So far as Shawn goes, he’s actually good,” Pruett stated. “I do know we’d not be essentially the most appropriate individuals by way of personalities. I hated after I misplaced to him within the [2020] Indy last however it doesn’t matter what occurred in different lane I had confidence in our workforce. We ran 3.88 within the last and that will have been laborious to beat.”

Pruett was strong in Denver from the primary qualifying session to the ultimate. She was third quickest within the discipline with a 3.777 after which drove to wins towards Antron Brown, Clay Millican, and Justin Ashley. Pruett’s win over Ashley was maybe her most spectacular as she minimize a .015 mild and in addition ran a 3.879 within the warmest situations of the weekend.

Hight has been a beast this season along with his Auto Membership Camaro and has now gained 5 of the season’s first 11 races. The four-time world champion ran his season report to a powerful 30-6 after stopping Bob Tasca III within the last spherical. Hight didn’t have lane selection however powered to a 4.065 for the win after Tasca shut off early in his Motorcraft Fast Lane Ford.

“I don’t know if I’d name it dominance. There are nonetheless a variety of good race automobiles out right here,” stated Hight. “Final 12 months was the worst Denver race ever. We by no means went down the monitor right here bit Jimmy [Prock] and Chris [Cunningham] had a 12 months to digest it. This time, we went down monitor everytime and we bought slightly faster and faster.

“We raced good at the moment,” stated Hight, who now has 58 profession wins. “We might have pushed it slightly more durable in spherical one and we’d have been in similar boat as Hagan and smoked the tires. To have 5 wins this time of the 12 months is wonderful. 5 wins complete is a profitable season. To have that many half-way by season is unbelievable however the subsequent 11 are those that actually depend. I’d prefer to get to 60 this 12 months. I don’t suppose that’s out of the query.”

Along with his wins in Pomona, Phoenix, Richmond, and Norwalk, Hight additionally has runner-up finishes in Epping and Charlotte. In Denver, Hight was within the thick of the battle from begin to end as he certified No. 2 with a 3.928 after which

For a lot of the 2022 season, Matt Hartford and his Whole Seal workforce have insisted that they’re higher than their report confirmed and in Denver, they proved with a victory to kick off the Western Swing.

Racing towards low qualifier Aaron Stanfield within the last, Hartford did precisely what he wanted to with a .004 response time and his greatest run of eliminations, a 6.967. Stanfield was alongside Hartford for a lot of the monitor, however light earlier than the end line after his engine reportedly turned bitter.

Hartford, who hadn’t been previous the quarterfinals in any of the earlier eight races this season, now has 5 profession wins in Professional Inventory.  

“We got here right here in 2019 and will have gained however Greg [Anderson] had a greater automobile,” stated Hartford. “This Whole Seal Camaro is coming round and I’m beginning to drive higher. Aaron is imply. His automobile is quick and he’s one other among the best drivers within the class. On the final race the Elite camp bought mad at me. I admire their video games towards me. This time, he went in and staged He went in and staged instantly. As quickly as I pre staged, they instructed him to go in.

“That .004 mild within the last; I’m gonna borrow a line from Jason Line and say my foot should have slipped off the clutch,” Hagan stated. “I’m nonetheless trying on the time slip and a 6.96 in these situations. That’s unhealthy ass. We wouldn’t have turned it round with out the help of the KB guys. This deal isn’t over but. We’re coming.”

There aren’t many certainties in drag racing or life for that matter, however after Friday’s opening qualifying run, Matt Smith because the final man standing on Sunday would have been concerning the closest factor possible to a certain wager.

In what was simply essentially the most dominant efficiency of his profession, Smith dominated from begin to end. Buying and selling his Suzuki for final 12 months’s trusty Denso Buell, Smith completed off the rout with a 7.097 to rout Joey Gladstone’s recreation 7.163. For good measure, Smith additionally re-set the monitor pace report at 190.22 mph whereas using to his thirty fourth profession win.

“As for the choice to run a Suzuki, we simply don’t have all of the elements and items we have to have a backup. As a substitute of taking an opportunity on hurting it, we introduced out final 12 months’s Buell. It’s the bike that gained this race final 12 months and it paid off. We certified No. 1, gained the race, and set each ends of monitor report. I can’t ask for way more than that. I hate to place it again up within the trailer, however I would simply do this and reserve it for countdown if I want it.

“I actually want I’d have run [wife] Angie within the last however one thing occurred to her bike within the semi’s. Her bike slowed up, however Denso took the win and that’s most vital. In the present day, Joey [Gladstone] ran a 7.15 and Eddie [Krawiec] ran 7.14 in order that they had been quick. They only missed the tune-up slightly. The Suzuki’s can be higher up right here subsequent 12 months. I assure it.”

Smith topped the qualifying charts with a 7.090, the primary sub 7.1-second run by a Professional Inventory Motorbike at Bandimere Speedway. He loved a full six-hundredths cushion over the No. 2 qualifier, his spouse, Angie.

Smith by no means let up on race day with dominant wins towards Marc Ingwersen, Angelle Sampey, and Gladstone, who was showing in his second-straight last.