Justin Ashley remembers it like it was yesterday. The taste of ice cream. The booming of fireworks high overhead. And the joy on his father’s face as he hoisted his first major trophy in NHRA competition.

The year was 2007 and Justin Ashley was just 12 years old, learning the ins and outs of the drag racing business for the very first time. But an inaugural trip to a track that had just switched sanctioning bodies to the National Hot Rod Association and was hosting its very first national event, that July afternoon in 2007 changed everything for Ashley and his outlook on the sport he would later come to love.

That afternoon, Ashley’s father, Mike Ashley, won his first of three NHRA victories in the Funny Car category, defeating Kenny Bernstein in the final at Summit Motorsports Park at the inaugural Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

“I remember so much about that win because it was the inaugural NHRA race at Norwalk and the first time I saw my father win a Funny Car race in person,” Ashley said. “I remember watching the fireworks on Saturday night, the pounds of ice cream being eaten throughout the weekend and seeing the pure elation from my dad at the top end of the track after he won the event.”

Nearly 10 years later to the day, Ashley got his own taste of the fast life making passes in Anton Brown’s Top Fueler to earn his professional license. So what would it mean for Ashley to win at the same track his dad won at all those years ago?

“A win at Norwalk would mean the world to me,” Ashley said. “Watching him win this event is a memory that will forever be ingrained in my mind. It was the moment when I saw all the energy, effort and commitment from he and his team come to fruition. A win at that same track 15 years later would be incredibly meaningful for my father, my family and I.”

Ashley already has one special moment with his family from earlier this week when he earned a Father’s Day victory over Shawn Langdon at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals a few days prior in Bristol. With two victories already this season behind the wheel of his Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel dragster, adding another at the season-opening Winternationals, Ashley will look to start a winning streak this weekend in Norwalk.

“Our goal at the beginning of the season was to win races and put ourselves in a position to win a championship by securing a spot in the Countdown. We have a lot of work to do but our four finals appearances and Winternationals and Bristol wins have resembled the start we envisioned,” said Ashley, a four-time national event winner. “We are going to keep working hard and focusing on being successful every weekend. The competition out here is incredibly tough. There were no easy rounds (last week) against a lot of tough competition which made winning on Father’s Day with my dad at the race that much more special.”

Off the strength of four final rounds in seven races, Ashley has climbed to third in the standings as he looks to put himself into the championship conversation for the first time in his young career.

“I do feel confident this weekend, but this sport will humble you in a hurry,” Ashley said. “I just want to keep getting better as a driver and working with the team to give us the best chance to win. Mike (Green) and Tommy (Delago) are doing an amazing job. The team Dustin Davis has assembled is tremendous and we are having a lot of fun.