Torrence, Capps lead Toyota in qualifying for tomorrow’s final eliminations
NORWALK, OHIO (June 24, 2023) – Justin Ashley’s team continued to run strong when it counts defeating fellow Team Toyota driver Doug Kalitta and earning his second consecutive Mission Foods Challenge win on Saturday afternoon to earn three bonus points for the Countdown for the Championship. It is Ashley’s fourth Challenge win this season. For Sunday’s eliminations, Ashley is seeded seventh, joining Steve Torrence (second) and Doug Kalitta (fourth) with top-half qualifying efforts.
In Funny Car, Ron Capps followed his Bristol win with his second Mission Foods Challenge win. The reigning Funny Car champion starts second tomorrow with his Team Toyota teammates Alexis DeJoria (fourth) and J.R. Todd (seventh) also in the top half of the field as Toyota searches for its 200th NHRA victory.
Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park
Race 9 of 21
TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Qualifying Position | First Round Opponent |
| Leah Pruett* | Dodge Direct Connection Top Fuel Dragster | 1st (3.684) | K. Wurtzel |
| Steve Torrence | Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 2nd (3.688) | D. Foley |
| Doug Kalitta | Applied Innovation Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 4th (3.700) | D. Mercier |
| Justin Ashley | Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 7th (3.708) | C. Millican |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 9th (3.730) | M. Salinas |
| Shawn Langdon | Kalitta Air Bounty Hunter Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 14th (3.777) | B. Force |
(*non-Toyota driver)
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Qualifying Position | First Round Opponent |
| Bob Tasca III* | Motorcraft Ford Mustang Funny Car | 1st (3.884) | B. Bode |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | 2nd (3.887) | A. Laughlin |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | 4th (3.901) | P. Lee |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | 7th (3.918) | J. Force |
(*non-Toyota driver)
TOYOTA QUOTES
JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Maynard Ashley Racing
TF Qualifying Result: 7th
How exciting is this?
“It’s very exciting for myself and all of the drivers – setting ourselves up for Sunday. We can kind of get in the right mindset. It is so important to collect those championship points now, early on in the year. It is a blast. It’s a fun race. Knowing you are racing the semi-finals from the race before, makes it that much more difficult. As is, there is no escaping. There are no easy rounds in Top Fuel. You have four of the best out there – it’s going to be a tough run every time. I’m really happy to collect those points and get another win.”
Is this what you dreamed of?
“Yes, absolutely. Being at many, many tracks as a kid, watching my father make passes in Pro Mod and Funny Car and feeling like I was in the car with him. These are the moments that you dream about, and I have so much gratitude just to be here. Then to be able to turn on so many win lights that we can. It is really a dream come true for myself and a lot of the guys on the team. Mike Green and Tommy DeLago (crew chiefs) they do a great job at bringing that championship experience and it resonates throughout the rest of the team.”
Can you talk about what it means to win for the Maynard family?
“We have been fortunate to win a number of races, and this year, a number of challenges, but this one stands out. Believe it or not, this win is more significant than any of the others we’ve had this year – for that reason. We all good together, and RFC (Racers for Christ) did a great job of saying a team prayer, and a bunch of teams were involved with it. It was an emotional day. We know we have an angel with Cathi (Maynard) us. Joe (Maynard) Joe (Maynard) Sr. – we are all thinking about them. We are all praying about them. This is the least we can do. We can’t wait for them to get back out here and join the family again with us. It’s definitely an emotional day – a tough day, but to be able to turn on another win light for Cathi, all that she’s done for so many of us out here, really is tremendously, tremendously meaningful.”
How impressed have you been with your team?
“It’s very impressive. The team put a lot of work in the offseason to be able to perform like we are doing now this season, but to be able to actually execute on it is a different story. You are talking about changing track conditions, really hot race tracks and times where we have had to make really quick turnarounds. It speaks volumes to the team that we have and to the mindset that we have. It is very easy to win races and then get complacent, but that is not what this group is about. Just each race in its own sphere – we don’t worry about the future, we don’t worry about the past, but taking one round and one race at a time. All of this winning stuff is great, and it’s far from just me. It’s a full team effort.”
How have you been able to stay so locked in?
“Well I think when you surround yourself with so many good people – good things happen. So just leaning on others that have experience is helpful. Just trying to do everything that we can to learn from each run, up and down the race track. Myself, looking at the data, looking at the situation – focused on continuous improvement. We are focused on getting better – not worrying about what is going on off the race track, but just focused on what is happening in the driver’s seat. It has resulted in a lot of success.”
Can you talk about the will your team has and staying locked in?
“It’s a tough thing to do, because this is a grueling stretch. The weather starts to get hot. The conditions are really tricky, so I think the reason we’ve been able to do it – and are going to continue to do it – is because of the experience that we have. Not only Mike Green and Tommy DeLago (crew chiefs), but a lot of the personnel that we have working on the race car have championship winning experience. They’ve done that. You can’t buy experience. They’ve been there, done that, everything you can imagine, before. We are just going to take what they can apply and do the same moving forward.”
RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports
FC Qualifying Result: 2nd
How cool is it to pick up another Challenge win?
“It’s pretty cool. I would love to give the trophy right now to Mr. Bader (Bill Bader, track owner) and these fans. The fans here are unbelievable. The championships, races – everything has to go through that car. Jimmy Prock and Robert Hight. I would like to think most of the teams say the same thing about our NAPA car. Toyota really helps us a bunch. You are going to have to go through (Matt) Hagan and (Bob) Tasca, but when you are up there and you are waiting and you are running Prock and Hight, and it’s for – I don’t even know what the money is – but it is for points that go in our bank for the Countdown. That is huge. I can’t thank Mission Foods enough for spicing up our lives with this whole thing all year. 2Fast2Tasty has really changed the whole outlook of the weekend. It has got you up there and got you up on the wheel on a Saturday, which is awesome. Toyota, Revchem on board this year – a new partner. Anytime a Toyota can outrun the Chevys is a feather in our cap, so great job Slugger (Labbe) and the boys.”
DEAN ANTONELLI, crew chief, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports
Can you talk about what this win means?
“Mission Foods put together a great program out here for all of the teams. We have just been fortunate to capitalize on the last couple. It’s not often when you get one by on Jimmy (Prock), so I’m sure he didn’t try to run .93. Tomorrow is when the real points are, and we will try again.”
What would it mean to your team to win the 200th for Toyota?
“Our association with Toyota has not been long, but if we can help hit that milestone it would be really special. They’ve developed a great body with the Supra. We are just happy to have it on our car and have them as partners.”