ASHLEY, TODD COMPLETE TOYOTA DOUBLE IN SONOMA
Justin Ashley takes back the points lead with series-leading fifth win of the season
SONOMA, Calif. (July 30, 2023) – Justin Ashley continued his incredible season as the New York-native earned his fifth win this season in just 12 events as he defeated fellow Toyota driver Antron Brown in the final round. With the victory, Ashley went back around Steve Torrence to the top of the point standings by 33 points with three races to go in the regular season.
In Funny Car, J.R. Todd earned his first victory since 2021 and first win the Toyota GR Supra as he bested Chad Green in the final round at Sonoma. Todd, who scored his first Funny Car victory at the track in 2017, continued his special history at the facility as the former world champion also owns two Top Fuel triumphs at the track.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Sonoma Raceway
Race 12 of 21
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Justin Ashley | Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Winner | W. 3.707 v. 3.750(D. Kalitta) W. 3.740 v. 3.761(A. Prock) W. 3.768 v. 3.793(J. Hart) W. 3.778 v. 3.787(A. Brown) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Finalist | W. 3.744 v. 3.717(M. Salinas) W. 4.034 v. 6.321(B. Force) W. 3.794 v. 3.810(S. Torrence) L. 3.787 v. 3.778(J. Ashley) |
| Steve Torrence | Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Semi-Finals | W. 3.751 v. 3.878(R. August Jr.) W. No Time – Mechanical v. BYE L. 3.810 v. 3.794(A. Brown) |
| Shawn Langdon | Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W. 3.755 v. 3.746(L. Pruett) L. 4.697 v. 3.793(J. Hart) |
| Doug Kalitta | Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L. 3.750 v. 3.707(J. Ashley) |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Winner | W. 3.958 v. 3.980(B. Alexander) W. 3.985 v. 4.110 (B. Tasca III) W. 3.965 v. 3.999 (M. Hagan) W. 3.972 v. 4.039(C. Green) |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Semi-Finals | W. 4.602 v. No Run(T. Gibbons) W. 4.018 v. 4.577 (R. Hight) L. 4.013 v. 3.991(C. Green) |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L. Foul – Redlight v. 3.991(P. Lee) |
TOYOTA QUOTES
JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Maynard Ashley Racing
TF Final Result: Winner
Can you talk about your race?
“It was tough. Especially in Top Fuel now, competition is so tough, and so hard. It really feels like four final rounds, every time you get up there – the margin of error is so small. Looking at the ladder and seeing as we advance all of the opponents that would come next, you’ve got to think that it is going to take a real team effort to win a race this weekend. It did. Mike Green and Tommy DeLago (crew chiefs) had an incredible raceday as they always do. We ran good in qualifying. We were better than our qualifying position showed. We had a great car on raceday.”
Could you see Antron Brown? It was a close race.
“Yeah, I couldn’t that time. Sometimes, I can see them, or I can hear them. That time – maybe because it was a final round and I was dialed in, I didn’t see him or hear him or anything. I knew it was going to be a close race no matter what. Most of the time when we line up, it is a really close race. You have to credit Antron (Brown) and his team. I didn’t know where he was. I was trying to do everything I could to stay focused on my point ahead in my lane. Happy to win such a close race and that is the way to close out a race like that, a weekend like this in Sonoma Raceway.”
J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports
FC Final Result: Winner
Can you summarize what this win means?
“It has been a long road to get here. We started off with a brand-new combination at the beginning of the season, and it wasn’t dumb luck that we did there in Gainesville. We tested there for almost a week – preseason testing and then testing right before the race, and ran well during the race there, and then had the problems in Pomona. Todd (Smith, crew chief) said before the problems we had that it was going to take him a while to get a handle on this new tuneup, and the problems just set that back even further. We were just trying to recoup everything after Pomona, so now I feel like he and Jon-O (Jon Oberhofer, co-crew chief) are getting a good handle on things and just are fine tuning it and the car is responding, and the consistency is coming around. When you are going down the track like you are, it gives them more confidence and a better ability to tune it.”
What is your current take on the Funny Car class?
“I keep saying that I think that Funny Car is the toughest class in the sport. From the top to the bottom anyone can win, and we need to work on qualifying better. We definitely don’t do ourselves any favors going into Sunday – it seems like we are always in that seventh to 10 spot, which sets you up to be second-to-last or last pair first round, and when that happens you get the quick turnaround with these live TV deals, where if you have oil downs in front of you – that just makes it less time to service the thing. Guys like (Matt) Hagan), Robert (Hight) and (Ron) Capps – I feel like they set the bar high for everybody. They win a lot, and they make it look easy, but it is not easy. It is definitely not easy. You can go through guys like that and have a trophy at the end of the day, you have to take advantage of it, because when you go two-plus years without winning one of these things, you don’t know if it is going to happen again.”
What is it about Sonoma?
“There is no reason. It’s not like I try harder or anything like that. I’ve been fortunate to be with good teams in the past. It’s my favorite track on the tour; I say that when we’re not here, and I mean it. I love coming here. I got to share the winner’s circle with Eric Medlen here, and anytime you can come back here and win – it’s just extra special. To do it in Scott Kalitta’s car, and in Eric Medlen country, it is pretty magical. It’s definitely my favorite track on tour. I love Sonoma and Napa Valley. I love wine tasting and things like that, and to get the special trophy along with the Wally – it’s cool things like that, that makes this place special.”
What does mean to win in the Supra body?
“I was getting really mad. I was the only ones who hadn’t won in it. We did a lot of r&d and testing with it, and I feel like we got it all ironed out for (Ron) Capps to go out there and beat it with us, week-in and week-out with it. To finally break through and hold up our end, means a lot. I can’t thank Slugger (Labbe) and everybody at Toyota Gazoo Racing North America enough for giving us the parts and pieces and the help to go out and compete with these teams. It means a lot.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
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