Ashley Makes History with Triple Holeshot Win

Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel team earned their fourth win of the season and 19th career victory at zMAX Dragway. Ashley defeated former champions Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, and Clay Millican in the final with a holeshot win, running 3.784 seconds with a .043 reaction time over Kalitta’s identical 3.784 but slower .068 reaction.

On the way to the finals, Ashley made NHRA history with the first-ever triple holeshot win in the second round, using a .036 reaction time to outrun Langdon, Brittany Force, and Tony Stewart. Starting from the No. 5 qualifier, Ashley advanced out of a tough first-round quad that included Langdon, Tony Schumacher, and Doug Foley.

“It’s a great feeling. Obviously winning any four-wide race, or any race for that matter, is great,” Ashley said. “But to win here for the first four-wide race in the fall that NHRA’s ever had, especially where it’s positioned in the Countdown, this was a critical day for us.”

Ashley celebrated his first win at zMAX and second career four-wide win in North Carolina, noting the importance of securing points in the Countdown to the Championship. The series continues Sept. 26-28 at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis.