Saturday was quite the encore for Justin Ashley – and the weekend isn’t over yet.
 
A week after winning the Arizona Nationals, Ashley qualified No. 1 for the Lucas Oil Winternationals in Saturday’s final session with a 3.707-second elapsed time at 330.15 mph in Pomona, Calif.
 
This was Ashley’s third No. 1 qualifier of his career. And, if that wasn’t enough with his run, Ashley also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, a new program that debuted in Phoenix.
 
Leah Pruett clocked a 3.732-second lap at 326.48 mph in the finals of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge to finish runner-up. 
 
“I think this probably the best Saturday I have ever had at the racetrack,” Ashley said. “Amazingly, they are able to come out here – Mission Foods – and put on this 2Fast2Tasty Challenge. It is kind of twofold, right, it is great for the fans, but it is also great for the teams, which is really why we are out here and what we are trying to accomplish. Overall, for our Phillips Connect team, it really was a great day and a positive step in the right direction. 
 
“So, tonight we can enjoy this one, but tomorrow (Sunday), it goes in the rear-view mirror. We have a long road ahead, and I know we are going to have to have four perfect rounds of racing to give ourselves a chance to win. We will shift our focus in a little bit here to tomorrow.”
 
Ashley acknowledged his 3.707-second run caught him off-guard.
 
“I had no idea,” Ashley said. “I was super happy because this counts for qualifying, and I think we picked up some bonus points. Obviously, qualifying No. 1, fast of the session, and then winning this Mission Challenge it all adds up. So, no, I really wasn’t sure if it was out there before our run. I kind of just let (crew chiefs) Mike Green and Tommy DeLago do the great job that they always do. It was out there, and Arizona really paid dividends for us. Not only because we won the race, but we got four extra rounds of racing on Sunday. New tune-up, new combination. They’ve done a great job learning and adapting, and I thought you saw the results here in this last session.”
 
Ashley is pleased his team has continued the momentum it built in Phoenix, which isn’t as easy as it seems.
 
“I think it is great,” Ashley said. “You don’t want to be either a hero or a zero. You want to find some kind of consistency. To be able to take what we did in Phoenix and apply here so far Friday and Saturday in Pomona really goes a long way. It gives us more data, more information, and more to learn from. Our Phillips Connect team is resilient. These guys don’t stop until we get it right. You can see that Mike Green and Tommy DeLago have championship-winning experience. It really pays dividends. You see it every run. Those guys are quiet. They are meticulous. They go about their job the right way and just really happy with today’s result.”
 
By qualifying No. 1, Ashley meets Baldwin, and if he gets past her, he will have a bye in the second round. That, however, wasn’t on his team’s mind.
 
“We probably didn’t need to discuss it,” Ashley said. “We approach qualifying the same way each and every time, no matter how many cars are here. But yeah, I knew coming in that this is what a 14-car ladder would look like. I don’t who we are facing first round, but we are not looking past that matchup. Everybody out here is tough, and we have to do our job. That’s where our focus will be to get past round one.”
 
Ashley isn’t new to being in race day mode on Saturday and Sunday.
 
“In 2020, my rookie year, I competed on a Saturday in a final round, and that was the first time I ever had to do anything like that because it was a rain delay,” Ashley said. “I have just a touch of experience. We had the Pep Boys Shootout as well. I think it will be different, but it really only helps. It helps us as drivers get in the race day mode. I’m really happy about that. Happy about the opportunity. Happy to see how engaged the fans are.
 
“I was happy to see Mission Foods out here in their booth this morning. It was thumping. They were playing music and having a good time. It is an overall and awesome experience.”