Leah Pritchett and her Todd Okuhara/Joe Barlam-orchestrated Papa John’s Dragster crew rather liked having the NHRA Top Fuel bragging rights Friday at Nitro Spring Training at Chandler, Ariz.

So they went out Saturday and made sure they head into net weekend’s season-opening Circle K Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., as the team to beat – or at least one to fear.   

Pritchett led the dragster drivers Friday with a 3.677-second performance (unofficially fourth-quickest in Top Fuel history). But she upped the ante and lowered the elapsed-time standard, unofficially, Saturday morning. She clocked a 3.654-second pass (at 331.85 mph) for unofficially the quickest ever in the sport.

Because it occurred during a testing session and not an official NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national event, the feat will not be recognized by the sanctioning body.

However, it was better than both Shawn Langdon’s 3.662-second E.T. in 2015, at Brainerd, Minn., and Steve Torrence’s 2016 blast at Sonoma, Calif., of 3.671 seconds, which the NHRA regards as the official national record.

Pritchett followed Saturday afternoon with a 3.691-second run at 327.51-mph.