Pritchett, Johnson Pace Mopar and Dodge in NHRA Carolina Nationals Qualifying

Leah Pritchett qualifies No. 3 in Mopar HEMI®-powered Top Fuel dragster from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) at zMAX Dragway
DSR’s Tommy Johnson Jr. leads all Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car drivers with third-place qualifying effort
Five Mopar Dodge Funny Cars qualify for 16-car field
Six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs begin with Carolina Nationals event
September 16, 2017, Concord, N.C. – Mopar Top Fuel driver Leah Pritchett and Funny Car counterpart Tommy Johnson Jr. qualified No. 3 in their respective categories for this weekend’s NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, putting HEMI® power from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) near the top of Sunday’s Nitro elimination ladders as the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship begins.

Pritchett made a best lap of 3.725 seconds at 327.98 mph during the second qualifying session on Friday evening in her Papa John’s Pizza/Mopar Pennzoil dragster from DSR. The pass ultimately was just .002 off the No. 1 time, barely keeping Pritchett from her seventh top qualifying spot of the year, but still in prime position to advance deep on Sunday.

Johnson meanwhile went 3.901 at 325.06 in his DSR-prepared Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T on Friday evening at the pristine facility outside Charlotte, putting him third in Funny Car. Johnson, whose team excels in warm conditions like those being seen at zMAX this weekend, has finished as runner-up in the Carolina Nationals the past two seasons. He qualified No. 1 in each of those events.

Pritchett’s Top Fuel teammate Tony Schumacher will begin from the ninth spot in his U.S. Army dragster featuring HEMI power, while the other three Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Funny Cars from DSR had varying qualifying results. Jack Beckman landed fourth in the Infinite Hero car, Ron Capps, who won at zMAX Dragway this spring in the Four-Wide Nationals, qualified his Dodge Charger R/T in the 10th position, and Matt Hagan’s Mopar/Freightliner team will start from the 11th spot.

A total of five Mopar Dodge Funny Cars will compete in the 16-car field.

The 10th annual Carolina Nationals event serves as the first in the Countdown to the Championship, a six-race playoff to determine the year-end titleholders in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.