LAS VEGAS, NV (April 18, 2021) — Tim Wilkerson once again showed that his independent Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Shelby Mustang team has the power and performance to make an impact during the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. As the 21st NHRA Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals unfolded today Wilkerson knew he had a race car that could contend for the title. On Friday Wilkerson rolled off the trailer and posted a 3.998 second pass at 314.24 mph to solidly place his Mustang Funny Car in the show. On Saturday he and co-crew chief Richard Hartman continued to focus on a race day tune-up that could lead the team back to the winner’s circle. They entered race day as the No. 11 qualifier but he knew there were improved performance numbers on the horizon.
In the first quad Wilkerson took the win light getting the stripe first in front of No. 3 qualifier Alexis DeJoria and No. 11 qualifier Terry Haddock. Chad Green, the No. 6 qualifier, had an issue on the starting line and did not make a run. His winning time of 3.919 second was a huge improvement from his best qualifying effort and was the second quickest run of the session.
“I was really excited after that first round win,” said Wilkerson. “We looked at the data from Friday and Saturday and just tuned it up. That was the second quickest run of the session and it went right down the middle of the groove. We knew we could do that again which gave the whole team a lot of confidence.”
Heading into the second quad Wilkerson was joined once again by DeJoria along with Funny Car champions Matt Hagan and John Force. Wilkerson returned with a strong tune-up and he advanced with a 3.947 second pass getting to the finish line stripe right behind Hagan’s 3.927 second run. The pair of round winners advanced the final quad along with Ron Capps and Bob Tasca III.
The final quad was an amazing race as Tasca, Capps and Wilkerson were welded together for the entire race. At the finish line Tasca and Capps were able to get the noses of their race cars around Wilkerson for the top two spots handing him a semifinal finish. Wilkerson’s last pass of the event, 3.922 seconds, was a near mirror image of his first round elapsed time. That is the kind of performance he was looking for as the season begins to pick up the pace heading to Atlanta in two weeks.
“We have a strong race car for sure. Richard and I have a good handle on our tune-up,” said Wilkerson. “We are going down the track on race day and you will win a lot of rounds doing that. I am really pleased with that final pass. I was trying to run a low 3.92 and we did exactly that. The conditions here will give us some great data as we head into the summer months. This whole Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing team did a great job all weekend.”
The Levi Ray & Shoup Shelby Mustang will leave Las Vegas tied with Matt Hagan in fifth place in the Camping World Funny Car standings.
Qualifying Results
Q1: 3.998 sec, 314.24 mph; Qual. 7
Q2: 4.346 sec, 206.64 mph; Qual. 9
Q3: 4.075 sec, 308.99 mph; Qual. 11
Bonus Points: 0
Race Results
First Quad
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Tim Wilkerson 11 .131 3.919 327.19 (W)
Alexis DeJoria 3 .142 3.950 321.73
Terry Haddock 14 .152 4.069 309.42
Chad Green 6 Broke Before Staging
Second Quad
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Matt Hagan 7 .064 3.927 325.06 (W)
Tim Wilkerson 11 .097 3.947 325.14 (W)
John Force 2 .075 4.049 304.60
Alexis DeJoria 3 .136 4.257 220.30
Final Quad
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
Bob Tasca III 5 .057 3.938 328.46 (W)
Matt Hagan 7 .056 3.955 324.98 (R/U)
Tim Wilkerson 11 .095 3.922 320.43
Ron Capps 4 .073 3.978 316.75
Camping World Funny Car Top Ten
1. Bob Tasca III, 187
2. J.R. Todd, 166
3. Robert Hight, 152
4. Ron Capps, 139
5. Tim Wilkerson, 129
5. Matt Hagan, 129
7. John Force, 118
8. Alexis DeJoria, 117
9. Cruz Pedregon, 106
10. Chad Green, 66