JUSTIN ASHLEY WINS TEXAS FALL NATIONALS FOR FOURTH WIN OF 2024 SEASON
Toyota claims 16th Top Fuel win last 19 races
ENNIS, Texas. (Oct. 13, 2024) – From the No. 12 seed to start eliminations, Justin Ashley captured his fourth Wally Trophy of 2024 by winning the Texas Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis. Ashley went through a stout lineup on his way to victory Sunday, having to defeat Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon, Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican – all winners during the season – for the event win. It’s career win number 15 of Ashley’s career and is also Toyota’s 16th Top Fuel win in the last 19 NHRA races. With his triumph, Ashley also takes over the Top Fuel points lead from Toyota teammate, Brown, with just two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship.
In his home race at Texas Motorplex, Steve Torrence made the semifinals Sunday but fell to Ashley in a hotly contested penultimate round. Shawn Langdon and Billy Torrence, who made his 100th career NHRA start today, were the other Toyota Top Fuel Dragsters to advance past round one.
In Funny Car, Ron Capps made the finals for the second consecutive race and the sixth time this season but fell in the end to Matt Hagan. Capps maintained fourth position in the Funny Car points standings after today’s results. His GR Supra Funny Car teammates, J.R. Todd and Alexis DeJoria, were eliminated in the first round on Sunday.
The final round appearances by Ashley and Capps on Sunday also mark 41 consecutive NHRA event final rounds for Toyota in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is next on track at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with eliminations set for Sunday, November 3.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Texas Motorplex
NHRA Texas Fall Nationals
Race 18 of 20
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Justin Ashley | SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Winner | W (3.775) V. A. Brown (3.776) W (3.951) V. S. Langdon (4.274) W (3.806) V. T. Schumacher (3.817) W (3.773 – holeshot) V. C. Millican (3.662) |
| Steve Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Semi-finals | W (3.756) V. K. Baldwin (6.121) W (3.881) V. B. Torrence (5.491) L (3.777) V. C. Millican (4.245) |
| Shawn Langdon | Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (3.724) V. J. Salinas (3.745) L (4.274) V. J. Ashley (3.951) |
| Billy Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W (3.773) V. J. Hart (6.903) L (5.491) V. S. Torrence (3.811) |
| Doug Kalitta | Mobil 1 Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L (4.954) V. C. Millican (3.740) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L (3.776) V. J. Ashley (3.775) |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Finalist | W (3.912) V. D. Richards (12.205) W (3.945) V. B. Alexander (9.718) W (3.900) V. A. Prock (No Time) L (3.934) V. M. Hagan (3.943 – holeshot) |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L (5.059) V. C. Pedregon (4.017) |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero CaféToyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L (No Time) V. D. Wilkerson (3.908) |
*= Non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
JUSTIN ASHLEY, SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, SCAG Racing
TF Final Result: Winner
It seems like you make these wins seem so easy. How do you do it?
“Divine intervention. This weekend speaks to God’s presence in our lives. I’m a little bit emotional about this one. We had unique circumstances, but our team came through. To be able to get a win for Team Toyota and to be able to double-up with Jeg (Coughlin, Jr.) and everyone at SCAG Power Equipment, this is a really special victory. This victory is because of Randy (Gloede, CEO of SCAG Power Equipment), Maria (Oldenburg, President of SCAG Power Equipment) and the team itself, the team working on this race car. Could not be prouder nor thankful!”
RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports
FC Final Result: Finalist
How would you describe your day and weekend?
“It’s been fun the last few races, climbing our way back up (the points standings). Just watching Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) all season long, trying to figure out where we like the clutch, how comfortable he was with the tune up to get the car where he feels we can throw down with anybody in the pit area. With that being said, obviously coming off a final round in St. Louis a couple weeks ago, which is great to build off that momentum. Talked (after St. Louis) about how this race is a big-time momentum race, either good or bad. It’s great in some way with another final-round finish, but it almost hurts worse losing in the final and being that close. But I cannot say enough how happy I am with our NAPA Auto Care team. The conditions were so demanding and so tricky, that’s when it pays off to have the GR Supra body. We were able to trim it out a little in qualifying and go 3.86 and qualify really well. The big thing was, Sunday, being able to go down a tricky track. Felt like we had an advantage with the GR Supra. And getting to the final round. I haven’t talked to Guido yet about what the car did, just happy to go down all the runs we did with power. It’s a big-time, important thing. I mean, I said it’s a momentum race, so you build upon her, going to (Las) Vegas. So, it hurts now. I’ll be okay in a few hours (laughs), a little better tomorrow. And then by Tuesday, I’ll be even more mad at myself for not being able to cut a better light. That part hurts.”
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