ASHLEY MAKES FINALS AT LAS VEGAS TO KEEP TOYOTA FINALS STREAK ALIVE
Multiple Toyota racers in the thick of championship battles going to Pomona
LAS VEGAS (October 29, 2023) – On a cold, windy day at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Justin Ashley powered his Leatherwood Distillery Toyota dragster to the Nevada FallNationals finals Sunday afternoon. The finals appearance was Ashley’s best run of the Countdown to the Championship as he continues his chase for a maiden Top Fuel title. This also extended Toyota’s streak of reaching the finals in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car, which now stands at 22.
Other Toyota title contenders, Steve Torrence (semi-finals) and Doug Kalitta (second round), were eliminated earlier in the afternoon as the Top Fuel standings flipped flopped throughout the weekend. Heading to Pomona, Torrence now leads Top Fuel with 2,483 points, gaining two positions in the standings this weekend. Kalitta sits second and trails Torrence by 15 points, while Ashley sits 82 points behind.
Alexis DeJoria was the top Toyota Funny Car racer at The Strip as she reached the second round this afternoon, her best result since Maple Grove. Ron Capps and J.R. Todd both fell out in the first round and will look for better results to finish off 2023 at Pomona Dragway.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 20 of 21
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Justin Ashley | Leatherwood Distillery Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Finalist | W 3.736 vs. D. Mercier (3.752) W 3.703 vs. A. Prock (3.727) Holeshot W 3.730 vs. S. Torrence (3.680) L 5.796 vs. M. Salinas (3.673) |
| Steve Torrence | Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Semi-finals | W 3.694 vs. C. Millican (3.705) W 3.674 vs. B. Force (3.785) L 3.680 vs. J. Ashley (3.730 – Holeshot W) |
| Doug Kalitta | Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | Second Round | W 3.683 vs. T. Zizzo (3.719) L 3.710 vs. J. Hart (3.734 – Holeshot W) |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L 3.739 vs. B. Force (3.703) |
| Shawn Langdon | Future Energy Solutions Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | First Round | L 3.744 vs. T. Schumacher (3.697) |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Final Result | Round-by-Round |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | Second Round | W 3.923 vs. T. Wilkerson (4.674) L 4.805 vs. R. Hight (3.859) |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L 4.090 vs. A. Laughlin (4.089) |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | First Round | L 4.830 vs. C. Pedregon (4.749) |
TOYOTA QUOTES
JUSTIN ASHLEY, Leatherwood Distillery Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Maynard-Ashley Racing
TF Final Result: Finalist
How would you describe your day in some tricky conditions?
“Yeah, I thought the day was good for us. We came into this weekend with a goal to keep our championship hopes alive, which wasn’t an easy task with the weather conditions we had today adding another barrier to it. Would’ve loved to win the race itself, but the entire team did a great job. Quick turnaround times and did an awesome job responding to some adversity. I feel good about what we had, and we can take this information and learn from it. The whole Leatherwood Distillery Toyota team is going to be ready for an exciting weekend coming up at Pomona.”
STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing
TF Final Result: Semifinals
Take us through your day today.
“Overall, it was a great weekend for the Capco Contractors Toyota dragster team. We’re leaving with the points lead heading to Pomona. We just need to keep this momentum going for a shot at the championship.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).
Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).
