Justin Ashley In Homestretch of Regular Season Headed to Brainerd Nationals

BRAINERD, MN (Aug. 18.) -- Two races remain in the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series regular season and Justin Ashley, driver of the Smart Sanitizer Top Fuel dragster powered by Strutmasters.com, is focusing on a strong finish heading towards his first Countdown appearance. This weekend’s NHRA Brainerd Nationals will be a chance for Ashley to add another win at Brainerd International Raceway. The second-generation driver won the Top Alcohol Dragster title in 2017 at the Minnesota track.

“My rookie year they didn’t have the Countdown so working on putting ourselves in a position to win a championship under this format is a new experience for me,” said Ashley. “We’ll take one qualifying session, one round and one race at a time. Brainerd is our priority. However, one of our big goals coming into the season was making the Countdown. I am really happy with how well our team is working together and getting two races in a row like Topeka and Brainerd will only help keep us in a good racing groove.”

Ashley and his Davis Motorsports team have an over 200-point lead on the driver in eleventh place with two races remaining before the top ten drivers are locked into the Countdown for the Championship. If Ashley can leave Brainerd International Raceway with a lead of at least 188 points he will clinch his first berth in the Countdown and race for his first Top Fuel world championship in the NHRA playoff format. Points will be reset after the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis with only the top ten drivers competing for the championship.

“My rookie year they didn’t have the Countdown so this will be a new experience for me,” said Ashley. “We aren’t looking past Brainerd but getting in the Countdown was one of our big goals for this season. I am really happy with how well our team is working together and getting two races in a row like Topeka and Brainerd will only help keep us in a good racing groove.”

Ashley has been a consistent performer all season. Lately, his reaction times and the performance of his Mike Green tuned race car have combined to make him one of the toughest competitors on tour. In Pomona he raced to his second final round of the season defeating two former world champions in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Last weekend in Topeka, his Top Fuel dragster, which is also backed by Auto Shocker and KATO Fastening Systems, was one of the quickest cars in qualifying and raced to the quarterfinals.

“I know what this team can do and the last are proof of that,” said Ashley. “ We are creating momentum at the perfect time of the season. We are all looking forward to Brainerd and of course Indianapolis, the biggest race of the year.”

Qualifying for the NHRA Brainerd Nationals will get underway Friday, August 20, at 6 p.m. with two additional qualifiers on Saturday, August 21, at 2 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Final eliminations will start on Sunday at 11 a.m. with the race broadcast on Fox from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET