NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

If you’re NHRA Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley, it would be hard not to love Bristol Dragway. Ashley has won back-to-back races in scenic Thunder Valley, including last year when he swept the weekend in incredible fashion, including the postponed Epping event, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race, and the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

It may be hard to top that at this weekend’s 23rd annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, but Ashley will try as he seeks an impressive third straight victory at Bristol Dragway. Only Top Fuel legend Tony Schumacher and Pro Stock’s Mike Edwards have won three straight times in Thunder Valley, meaning Ashley will try to join some rarified air.

He’s enjoyed another banner year thus far in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, entering the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals as the points leader on the strength of two wins in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster. As expected, the annual trip to Bristol is one Ashley enjoys a great deal.

“It’s one of the more challenging places we race, but it’s been a complete team effort there,” Ashley said. “Our team’s experience tuning and navigating this track has played a big part in it. Last year in Bristol was a weekend I’ll never forget, and every time I go to Bristol from now on, it’s going to be something I think about. They absolutely pack the place in Bristol, and it’s such a special place to race. With all the sounds that are so unique to that facility, I just have so many fond memories of racing there.”

Ashley (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock), and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took home titles last year in picturesque Thunder Valley, and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday. It is the eighth of 20 races during the 2024 season, and the fan-favorite Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge also takes place on Saturday, featuring semifinalists from last weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals.
 
Ashley won’t be part of the bonus race this year, experiencing a rare first-round defeat on Sunday. He’ll have an immediate chance to bounce back in Bristol, which could be one benefit of a busy June that features four race weekends.
 
But he’s also facing off against a deep Top Fuel class that includes reigning world champ Doug Kalitta, who won on Sunday in Epping, Antron Brown, Brittany Force, Steve Torrence, Shawn Langdon, Clay Millican, and racing legend Tony Stewart, who is making his Bristol Top Fuel debut this weekend. Ashley, though, is eager to put last weekend behind him and see if he can create some more Bristol magic.

“This stretch is going to be critical for us to get into a rhythm,” Ashley said. “You can go from one race to the next, and if you won the race before, it’s great. You can carry that momentum into the next one, and if you lose, it might even be better because you don’t have to sit on it too long and suffer. You can go right to the next race. But in the summer months when it becomes hot, the tracks can be really challenging, so the people who are going to win are those who can go up and down the track.”

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:30 and 7 p.m. ET on Friday, June 7, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, June 8 at 12:30 and 3:15 p.m. Eliminations will begin at noon ET on Sunday, June 9. Television coverage includes qualifying action at 7 p.m. ET on Friday and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday on FS1, leading into eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.
 
To purchase tickets to the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets.