NHRA Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley, the 2020 Rookie of the Year, will compete in the Menards NHRA Nationals Friday through Sunday at Heartland Motorsports Park. [Photos by Ron Lewis Photography]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Justin Ashley's most recent race in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series was a good news/scary news scenario for the second-year Top Fuel driver.
The 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year advanced to his second career final in the NHRA Winternationals nearly two weeks ago, but an extremely hot day in Pomona, Calif. took a toll on the 26-year-old Ashley, who had to be pulled from his SmartSanitizer Top Fuel dragster powered by Strutmasters.com before the final run after suffering symptoms of severe heat exhaustion.
Ashley is back in tip-top condition as he prepares to compete in this weekend's Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park and looks back at the scary situation in Pomona as a learning experience.
Justin Ashley
"I was feeling fine the next morning,'' Ashley told TopSports.news. "I definitely had to sleep on it and it and obviously it was kind of a crazy situation, one that I'll definitely be able to learn from. But by the time it was all said and done I just had to sleep on it and wake up the next morning and at that point I just felt so much better. And then the following day, almost two days later, I felt like I was finally back to full strength.''
And while not being able to race Leah Pruett in the final was tough to swallow, Ashley is ready to move on.
"That's exactly how I'm looking at it,'' he said. "It was unfortunate that I put us in a position to have to make that decision, but at the same time it's lesson learned. Now I know what to do moving forward.''
Ashley, who captured its first Top Fuel win last season as a rookie, comes to Topeka sitting seventh in Top Fuel points and is extremely happy with how the 2021 season is going.
"I feel like we're doing a really nice job this year,'' Ashley said. "Our program really has taken that next step. We're on the verge of turning the corner right now and I feel like as soon as we turn the corner things are going to be wide open for us.
"We brought in crew chief Mike Green in the offseason and he's made a tremendous, tremendous difference. The entire Davis Motorsports team has been doing a phenomenal job and the car's been super consistent.''
With the Countdown to the Championship looming in the near future, Ashley just wants to keep making progress.
"As you saw last (race) we're ready to put it all together on race day and I think the way the sport's set up with the Countdown, it's all about getting hot at the right time and that's what we've got to focus on,'' Ashley said. "It's just one race at a time and these next two races before the Countdown we just need to make sure we're in peak condition heading into playoff time.''
Steve Torrence is the three-time defending Top Fuel world champ and has dominated an extremely-talented class again this season, but Ashley said all of his focus is on the Davis Motorsports dragster.
"We focus on ourselves,'' Ashley said. "Obviously Torrence is doing a phenomenal job and you've got Antron Brown and the Schumacher cars and the Kalitta cars, who are all obviously capable of winning races at any time. The competition is stiff, the best competition in the world, but we're focused on ourselves and only on ourselves.
"We've got to be the best team that we can be and if we do that and stay in our own lane I'm confident that we'll be fine and we'll be able to compete with the best.''
Ashley, the son of former Funny Car driver Mike Ashley, said his father as well as Brown, the three-time world champ, have been great role models.
"My father has been a tremendous influence on my racing career and on my life,'' Justin Ashley said. "He's somebody that I can lean on when I need advice and somebody that I know is always going to be there for things that are on the track and things that are off the track, too, kind of teaching me how to be a better representative for our team and our sponsors on and off the race track and things that I can do behind the wheel to improve my driving and my driving style.
"Just knowing that he's there makes a huge difference for me and it's kind of the same thing with Antron Brown. I've modeled my entire driving style after him, the way he approaches driving mentally and kind of the way he physically drives the car and I've learned so much from him. He's another guy that I'm constantly talking with on the business side of things and on the racing side of things and somebody that I really appreciate having in my life.''
A graduate of the Top Alcohol ranks, Ashley will be making his first appearance at Heartland Motorsports Topeka and is eager to get started in Friday's 8 p.m. qualifying session.
"It will be new to me which is exciting,'' Ashley said. "Obviously when you go to a track you have experience at there's a little comfort level in knowing that you've raced there before, but I think the fun of it, especially for me in my first real full year, is to go to places where I haven't raced before.
"I'm excited about it and it will be a new and fun experience. I've just got to make sure I'm totally prepared, but the finish line is still 1,000 feet no matter where you go.''
NHRA CAMPING WORLD DRAG RACING SERIES STANDINGS
Top Fuel
1. Steve Torrence, 1014 points
2. Antron Brown, 701
3. Brittany Force, 625
4. Leah Pruett, 579
5. Shawn Langdon, 514
6. Mike Salinas, 513
7. Justin Ashley, 466
8. Billy Torrence, 448
9. Doug Kalitta, 439
10. Clay Millican, 388
Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 734
2. Bob Tasca III, 729
3. John Force, 698
4. Robert Hight, 697
5. Matt Hagan, 689
6. J.R. Todd, 677
7. Alexis DeJoria, 632
8. Tim Wilkerson, 552
9. Cruz Pedregon, 537
10. Blake Alexander, 343
Pro Stock
1. Greg Anderson, 835
2. Aaron Stanfield, 709
3. Erica Enders, 648
4. Matt Hartford, 566
5. Dallas Glenn, 524
6. Kyle Koretsky, 521
7. Mason McGaha, 518
8. Troy Coughlin Jr., 488
9. Deric Kramer, 487
10. Chris McGaha, 357
