Ashley Chasing Top Fuel History At Pomona Winternationals

Justin Ashley hopes to earn a fourth straight Winternationals win at Pomona Dragstrip this weekend. (NHRA photo)

POMONA, Calif. – Justin Ashley has a chance to do something special this weekend at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, as the Top Fuel star enters the historic 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals seeking a fourth straight win at the legendary race.

A handful of drivers have won the Winternationals three consecutive times, but only one driver in NHRA history – Don Prudhomme in Funny Car from 1975-‘78 – has won the race four years in a row.

That gives Ashley a historic opportunity to become the first Top Fuel driver to accomplish the impressive feat and just the second overall in NHRA history to win four consecutive times at one of the most historic races on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour.

Ashley has actually made four straight Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals finals and finished it off the last three seasons, including last year, when Ashley beat Tony Schumacher in the championship round on a holeshot in his 11,000-horsepower SCAG Power Equipment dragster.

To make the weekend even bigger, Ashley is also racing in the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout, which was postponed from Gainesville to Friday in Pomona.

He’ll take on two-time world champion Brittany Force in the opening round of the big-money bonus race on Friday. Ashley is fully aware of the opportunity that’s in front of him.

“We have the opportunity to do something very special in Pomona,” Ashley said. “The NHRA Winternationals are always prestigious, but this one certainly has more juice to it given the circumstances. I am incredibly proud of our SCAG Racing team for earning the right to be in this position. They deserve it.

“Our strategy heading into the weekend remains the same. The focus is being the very best versions of ourselves that we can be both on and off the track,” Ashley continued. “We’ll let the rest take care of itself. We know what needs to be done (and) now it’s go time.”

Last season, Ashley (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) claimed Winternationals victories.

This season’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, including elimination coverage on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET. A special Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout block will air from 9:30-10:30 p.m. ET Friday night.

The big-money Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout pits eight marquee Top Fuel drivers against each other on Friday.

The first-round matchups are set, as four-time world champion Steve Torrence takes on racing legend Tony Stewart, while Doug Kalitta called out Clay Millican. Shawn Langdon selected Antron Brown as his opening-round opponent, and Ashley and Force will face off.

The quickest winning driver of the first round gets to select their semifinal opponent, setting the other matchup as well. It all goes down on Friday, with the first round taking place at 2 p.m. PT. The semifinals follow at 3:20 p.m., and the finals close an action-packed day at 4:55 p.m.

It’s another marquee opportunity to celebrate something big for Ashley, who is still looking for his first victory of the season against a loaded Top Fuel field. However, the former NHRA rookie-of-the-year knows his team will be ready.

“It was nice to pick up our first round win of the year (on Sunday in Phoenix),” said Ashley, who has 15 career Top Fuel wins. “Seeing that win light on Sundays always brings a big smile to all of our faces.

“Of course, we would have loved to go further, but we learned a lot from the race and (Monday’s) test session. I am super proud of our team and ready to go again.”

In addition to the Mission Foods Series, fans can also see the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Legends Nitro Funny Cars, and the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, while the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department will hold a special racing exhibition.