Justin Ashley spent the preseason test weekend doing more than turning laps.
He balanced the demands of a reshaped primary team while helping bring a second Top Fuel operation to life.
Ashley tested his Scag Power Equipment dragster for the first time with crew chief Tommy DeLago and a restructured lineup of crew members. At the same time, he shook down Will Smith’s Bluebird-sponsored Top Fuel dragster while Smith recovered from a recent medical procedure.
Ashley viewed the additional seat time as an advantage rather than a burden.
“I think it’s going to be good,” Ashley said. “I look at it like an opportunity. Every lap I get a chance to drive a race car is a lap that gives me some kind of advantage over the competition.”
It marked the first time Ashley had pulled double duty in a test session.
“I’ve never done that before,” he said. “I’ve never pulled double duty.”
The priority, however, extended beyond his own car.
“Our priority is going to be to get our car and get that Bluebird top fuel dragster ready to go for Will Smith as well,” Ashley said.
Smith’s car arrived at the track as a newly assembled combination with a largely new crew.
“The car is essentially brand new, and they just put it all together,” Ashley said. “I have to give him credit. It’s pretty amazing that they made it here.”
Ashley’s role centered on providing feedback and accelerating the learning curve.
“For sure,” he said of passing along notes. “To pass on to Will, but also to pass on to his team as well because it’s a new team.”
He stressed that communication would define the partnership moving forward.
“I think that communication between myself and Will and the rest of their guys on the team is going to be crucial for them moving forward,” Ashley said.
The weekend also introduced significant change within Ashley’s own program.
DeLago and Jason McCulloch assumed leadership of a team that retained a small core but integrated several new faces. The shift marked one of the most substantial personnel overhauls Ashley had experienced since entering Top Fuel.
“This is definitely different,” Ashley said. “We were fortunate to keep a really good group together for a long time.”
He framed the transition as part of the sport’s competitive cycle.
“This is the nature of the sport,” Ashley said. “This is a business and this happens. People switch teams all the time.”
The adjustment required recalibration but not hesitation.
“In hindsight, I’m really, really glad the changes happened the way that they did,” Ashley said. “I think sometimes change is necessary for growth.”
Ashley maintained that confidence in the new group remained high.
“It’ll be important for us to operate at a high level and compete for a championship this year with the group that we have,” he said.
Beyond the technical exchange, Ashley and Smith shared similar paths into the category.
“I spent a lot of time working through the sport looking for the opportunity that I’ve been blessed enough to have,” Ashley said. “Same thing with Will Smith.”
Ashley described Smith as humble and appreciative of the opportunity before him.
“He really is a great guy,” Ashley said. “He’s polite, he’s courteous, he’s humble.”
The dynamic between the two drivers appeared collaborative rather than competitive.
“I like the idea that we can work together and work to make each other and our teams better,” Ashley said.
As testing concluded, Ashley returned to focusing solely on his primary entry, but the additional laps and shared data remained part of the weekend’s takeaway.
Every pass served a purpose.
“Every lap I get a chance to drive a race car is a lap that gives me some kind of advantage over the competition,” Ashley said.
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