Pritchett Qualifies Mopar Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Top Fuel Dragster No. 1 at NHRA New England Nationals
Leah Pritchett takes third Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier position of 2017 and fourth of career with track-record pass of 3.673 seconds at 328.86 mph at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire
No. 1 qualifier is the sixth for Mopar HEMI® power in the Top Fuel category out of nine events this season
Pritchett is running a special Mopar Dodge Challenger SRT Demon paint scheme for fifth annual New England Nationals
Tony Schumacher qualifies Mopar-powered U.S. Army dragster No. 3 in Top Fuel
Ron Capps leads Mopar in Funny Car category with No. 3 qualifying effort in Dodge Charger R/T, all four Mopar-backed Don Schumacher Racing Funny Cars qualify in top nine
Five Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars to compete in 16-car field
June 3, 2017, Epping, N.H. – Leah Pritchett qualified her Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Top Fuel dragster No. 1 for this weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals, further adding to the Demon’s dominance on the drag strip.
Sporting a special Demon livery celebrating the powerful new Dodge, Pritchett turned in a pass of 3.673 seconds at 328.86 mph in her Mopar HEMI®-powered machine during the third round of qualifying at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire. Only a handful of Top Fuel cars were able to make qualifying attempts in the fourth and final session before a lengthy rain delay. Yet despite the cooling conditions when on-track action resumed, Pritchett was able to hang on and claim the top spot.
Pritchett’s lap represented a track elapsed-time record. It was also her third low E.T. of the 2017 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and fourth of her career. Additionally, the No. 1 qualifying effort was the sixth for Mopar in the Top Fuel category out of nine events this year. The current Top Fuel points leader, Pritchett will be looking for her fourth Wally trophy since February on Sunday.
Her Mopar and Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) teammate, eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher, qualified his U.S. Army dragster in the third position. He and Pritchett are now tied for the 2017 series lead as each have qualified No. 1 on three occasions.
In the Funny Car category, Mopar Dodge Charger R/T machines from DSR were led by Ron Capps, who will begin the New England Nationals from the third qualified spot as he looks to win his fifth consecutive event. His Mopar stablemates all turned in solid efforts, with Matt Hagan qualifying fourth, Jack Beckman fifth and Tommy Johnson Jr. ninth.
For the second event in a row, cool weather and ideal atmospheric conditions helped drivers and teams turn in some extremely quick and fast laps throughout each qualifying session.
Mopar/Dodge Notes & Quotes
(best elapsed time in bold)
Leah Pritchett, Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Top Fuel Dragster
Qualified No. 1, first-round bye
Friday: (3.747 seconds at 324.59 mph – Q1); (3.696/328.78 – Q2)
Saturday: (3.673/328.86 – Q3) (3.701/313.44 – Q4)
“This track is going to be so killer tomorrow and it’s going to need a lot of power. That’s what Mopar does, is create power. It’s what (crew chief) Todd (Okuhara) and (assistant) Joe (Barlam) and this team are able to do as a team. We’re going to bring all the power that we can. What we do in qualifying, because we don’t get to practice, we prepare for race day.
“I want to say that I am above and beyond grateful and blessed to be able to be in this car. Don Schumacher has had the vision for it and has been able to put the right people in the right places and I’m honored to be here. We just want to keep going No. 1 as much as possible for everybody.”