Photos by Robert Richard
It might be just a test session, but on Wednesday at Bradenton Motorsports Park, two of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season champions put their respective eliminators on alert.
Early on Wednesday, during the private testing portion of the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) and Austin Prock (Funny Car) brought their nitro cars out of the box swinging.
For Ashley, his 3.662 elapsed time put him atop the first two days of testing, but it was his booming speed of 338.94 miles per hour that proved most impressive as he tied Brittany Force’s fastest-ever Top Fuel speed in 2022 at Pomona, CA. Ironically, it was Ashley in the opposite lane when she delivered the record run during qualifying.
“We weren’t aiming to set a record or anything as much as we are just trying to get better,” Ashley said. Personally, as a driver, I was just trying to knock off the cobwebs a little bit and feel comfortable in the race car. And then us as a team, I don’t know that it was one thing specifically that we were focused on, but I think we were just testing a bunch of different things, different parts and pieces, so on and so forth, and make sure that the guys get used to being in the rhythm of things again and turning the car around a few times in one day.
“It’s good to know just for a point of relativity that our whole SCAG team did a great job today, and we had the best lap of the day.
Shawn Langdon also stepped up on the second day and ended up Ashley’s closest challenger with a 3.685, 330.96. Brittany Force failed to improve on Tuesday’s 3.689, 330.23. Antron Brown was fourth with a 3.701, while Doug Kalitta rounded out the 3.702.
Just to think, the NHRA Funny Car contingent has a 20-race schedule left to study the back of the Austin Prock Camaro SS. Thus far, in the private testing session portion of the PRO Superstar Shootout, there’s been plenty of practice to be had.
In one of the most impressive runs of the day, Prock ran a 3.815, 333.23 to put over .05 between himself and No. 2 runner Ron Capps, whose final run of the day netted a 3.868.
“This whole team works really hard, and right now, the results are paying off,” Prock said. “Got a long way to go. Like I said yesterday, we got a lot different on this race car, and we’re learning every time we take it up to the starting line. So, we had a successful day. We learned a lot of good information and a lot of bad information and worked out a lot of bugs as well. So, yeah, it was a successful day. Big numbers on the board, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend.”
Imagine this, the 3.81 wasn’t the best run of the batch; it was the 3.87 in the heat of the day on a 115-degree strip that ought to have competition concerned.
“You want to see those low numbers, but when you can rip off a mid-80 in the middle of the day, those are impressive runs as well,” Prock said. “So every time we’ve brought it up there, if it goes to the finish line, it’s running good ET. And had a planned shut off tonight, but it was hunting. It was probably going to go quicker than that .81. So, yeah, looking forward to the rest of the weekend.”
Last year’s speed merchant Bob Tasca III was third with a 3.874, 334.90, while J.R. Todd, in his first outing working with new crew chief Dickie Venables was fourth with a 3.874. Jack Beckman was fifth with a 3.896.
Erica Enders didn’t make a full pass in Tuesday’s testing, and up until the final run of Wednesday evening’s session hadn’t made a single run all day.
Enders ran a 6.525, 209.69, which is now the quickest run of the event. She’s followed by Tuesday’s leader Greg Anderson (6.530, 208.88), Troy Coughlin Jr (6.550, 210.05), rookie Matt Latino (6.552, 199.49), and
Deric Kramer (6.544, 209.23).
BEST RUNS THROUGH WEDNESDAY
TOP FUEL
1. Justin Ashley – 3.662, 338.94
2. Shawn Langdon – 3.685, 330.96
3. Brittany Force – 3.689, 330.23
4. Antron Brown – 3.701, 332.51
5. Doug Kalitta – 3.702, 330.88
6. Josh Hart – 3.752, 329.12
7. Shawn Reed 3.752, 305.49
8. Tony Stewart 3.791, 278.06
9. Doug Foley – 3.915, 246.75
FUNNY CAR –
1. Austin Prock – 3.815. 333.23
2. Ron Capps – 3.868, 333.68
3. Bob Tasca III – 3.874, 334.90
4. J.R. Todd – 3.875,314.09
5. Jack Beckman – 3.896, 328.14
6. Matt Hagan 3.905, 315.12
7. Chad Green – 3.940, 315.27
8. – Daniel Wilkerson – 3.945, 242.15
9 – Dave Richards – N/A
(N/A) = Did not make a full pass during the session.
PRO STOCK
1. Erica Enders – 6.525, 209.69
2. Greg Anderson 6.530, 208.88
3. Troy Coughlin Jr 6.550, 210.05
4. Matt Latino 6.552, 199.49
5. Deric Kramer – 6.544, 209.23
6. Aaron Stanfield – 6.559, 209.46
7. Chris McGaha – 6.578, 208.97
8. Greg Stanfield 6.578, 208.68
9. Stephen Bell 6.579, 209.88
10. Mason McGaha 6.585, 206.89
11. Dallas Glenn 6.607. 178.59
12. Chris McGaha 6.639, 208.01
13. Cory Reed 6.733, 168.77
14. Jeg Coughlin Jr. 6.778. 171.77
15 – David Cuadra – 6.826, 152.85
16 – Christian Cuadra N/A
17. Brandon Miller N/A
