At five-foot-six, 155-pounds, Justin Ashley knew his options were limited, yet it didn't deter him from pushing beyond his natural boundaries. The high school football standout wanted to play college ball, so he tried out for Ithaca College.

Ashley made the team in the most longshot odds since Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger's experience with Notre Dame.

It didn't take Ashley long to realize the differences between high school sports and the NCAA, even in Division III. In high school, Ashley was an all-district wide receiver and team captain.

Fast-forwarding to his drag racing career, when Ashley made his debut in the Top Alcohol Dragster division, he drove to the winner's circle in Gainesville, Fla.

Looking back to his days on the gridiron, Ashley learned invaluable lessons of perseverance that would later encourage one of the more remarkable runs of success for a rookie driver.

"I barely got any playing time, but what I learned is how we all play a part in a team," Ashley said, starting to chuckle. "I was on the scout team; got player of the week twice. I really didn't belong there; the odds were against me from the start. I put every bit of my heart into it and made the most of my opportunity."

Little did Ashley realize those odds of being a college football player paled compared to those he'd face on October 14, 2019. He was a front-runner in Top Alcohol Dragster, but he made his Top Fuel debut on this day. It was like high school to college all over again. Top Fuel has always been known for chewing up dreams and spitting them out.

Ashley, who made the field as the twelfth qualifier, used a quicker reaction time to get the best of Mike Salinas. When he took out 2019 Rookie of the Year Austin Prock on a holeshot in the next round - the questions began to swirl, "Who is this Justin Ashley?"

Ashley left on the multi-time champion and points leader Steve Torrence in the semi-finals and led for much of the race until the combination of breakage and Torrence's superior horsepower took the stripe.

Like in college football, Ashley didn't think he had any business being on the same track, at that time, with seasoned veterans like Steve Torrence, Antron Brown, and Doug Kalitta. Instead of looking for the importance of results, he looked at the opportunity and made the most of it.

"When I came into Charlotte, I hadn't made a full pass through the lights under power," Ashley admitted. "I really didn't focus on but one round at a time. I know that's a cliche saying, but it's the truth. I knew what I needed to do behind the wheel, and I focused on that every time I got in the car.'

From that point, Ashley finished in the top ten in consecutive seasons; seventh in his 2020 Rookie of the Year season, fifth in 2021, and fourth in 2022, after ascending as high as the points leader.

Ashley has always subscribed to the mantra of expect to win, and the combination of tuner Mike Green and Tommy DeLago had him chock full of confidence.

"We knew the competition was going to be sick this season," Ashley said. "But I felt our chances were as good as anyone else. We knew we had good parts; I knew our crew could run with anyone. I knew I had to do my job to complement what they were doing."

Ashley did, winning three of seven final rounds. Proving his strength wasn't only on the starting line, he added two No. 1 qualifier performances.

While Ashley appears to be fully developed as a Top Fuel driver, he admits he still has some work to do heading into his fifth season, driving the Davis Motorsports Phillips Connect/Vita C Shot dragster.|

"Yeah, I think probably the thing that I'm still learning the most is how to develop a routine that works best for me," Ashley explained. "Over the course of a 22-race season, you have everything from your travel schedule to what times you get to the track, what times you leave the track, and what routine helps provide your team with the best opportunity to win.

"I think that's something that's taken me by surprise, the importance of that and maintaining some semblance of consistency when things around you frequently change. So that's something that I'm still working on, to kind of find that routine that works best."

Ashley understands one can never make a second first impression and his Pomona win was probably his most crucial performance by winning in his Phillips Connect sponsorship debut. What started as a three-race deal extended to a rest-of-the-year program and then inevitably a multi-year deal.

"Winning such a prestigious event at Phillips Connect's hometrack was a huge boost of confidence that we carried forward throughout the rest of the season," Ashley said. "What I love about our relationship with Phillips Connect is that it's a true win-win. It's the beginning of something special and the greatest opportunity in motorsports.

"Together, we're going to use this platform to generate a lot of business for Phillips Connect and generate growth within our program. It definitely helps provide stability, and we would not be racing or be in this position without Phillips Connect. I am so grateful for our partnership and very much look forward to representing their company in the best light on and off the racetrack."

And, just to think, it was all predicated on a drag racer who thrived in beating all the odds stacked in his pathway.