Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Denver Post-Qualifying Report – 07.15.23

ASHLEY ADDS ANOTHER CHALLENGE WIN IN COLORADO
Doug Kalitta, Antron Brown start inside the top-three for the final eliminations at Bandimere

MORRISON, Colo. (July 15, 2023) – Justin Ashley’s continued excellence in the Mission 2Fast2Tasty Challenge was showcased just outside of Denver as the points leader earned his fifth Challenge win, beating Austin Prock with a 3.883 sec. elapsed time. That time qualified Ashley in 11th, while Team Toyota was led by Doug Kalitta in second and Antron Brown in third.

In Funny Car, all three of the Toyota GR Supra Funny Car drivers closed with their best passes, led by Ron Capps with a 3.982 second pass. Capps starts eliminations from fifth, while former Funny Car champion and multi-time Denver winner, J.R. Todd, also starts inside the top half of the field.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Bandimere Speedway
Race 10 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Maynard Ashley Racing

TF Qualifying Result: 11th

Winner – Top Fuel Mission Foods 2Fast2Tasty Challenge

Can you walk us through how you continue to have success with this challenge?

“It is incredible. You really try not to think about the championship this early out in the year, but how could you not, because these championship points are so critical, now that we are at 15, it’s really a dream come true. Now when they reset the points, everything pretty much starts from scratch – so that is why those 15 points are so critical. They are so important in the long run, so really ecstatic with all of these Mission Foods wins. We will just try to keep tagging them on and learning each and every time we go down the race track.”

Your crew chief didn’t act like this helped much for tomorrow. What did he mean by that?

Knowing Mike (Green) and all crew chiefs – they always want a little bit more. I’m sure he wanted to run a little bit better, especially in that last session, because the conditions were so good, but we’ve done it before from a number of different positions – as low as 14, as high as two or three, I think we’ve won races at. Sunday is a brand new day. I don’t think this run is going to have any correlation to tomorrow because the conditions are going to be so different. That race is going to be won or lost tomorrow based on who is able to go a-to-b most of the time, most likely. Mike Green and Tommy DeLago is always going to want more. They are just so good at what they do, so they are going to get it figured out.”

What is it like racing in this type of atmosphere?

“It’s incredible. We’ve raced in a lot of fun and exciting packed houses, Gainesville comes to mind, Phoenix comes to mind. There is something special about racing at Bandimere. When you go out there and you look at the crowd, the way the stands are built into the mountain – it’s really amazing and really motivating. I’m really sorry to see it go, but grateful to the Bandimere family for all they have done. Big opportunity to race tomorrow out here at the track that we all know, and the track we all love.”

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

Qualified in second, how do you feel going into race day?

“I feel good. It was nice to move up a little bit in that last session. It seems like our Mac Tools Toyota Dragster is running good. We’ve been going down the track all of the rounds. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It is kind of bittersweet being the last one, so it would be nice to running towards the front at the end of the day.”

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