Championship Drag Racing

Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Brainerd, MN
(August 10-13)

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Driver Profile

Mike Ashley ProCare RX Dodge Charger

Brainerd, prerace: Momentum means everything in drag racing and for NHRA POWERade Funny Car driver Mike Ashley he has plenty of it working in his favor. In consecutive weekends, the Knoll Gas – Torco Race Fuels-sponsored driver has established consecutive semi-final finishes as well as a track record. Ashley is gunning for a national event victory during this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

Ashley has only four starts under his belt in the new Knoll Gas – Torco Race Fuels Funny Car and those came with no testing.

“We made some runs in Martin last weekend and I am enthused with the progress that we’ve made in such a short time,” Ashley said. “Brian Corradi has assembled a crew that delivers time and time again. When I get into that car I have the full faith that it can go out and lay down a number.”

Ashley will be racing in Brainerd for the first time in his career. He began his career last Labor Day weekend in Indianapolis during the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Ashley looked like a seasoned veteran when he scored a semifinal finish during the Fram Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, Calif. Ashley qualified ninth and methodically worked his way past Phil Burkart and Robert Hight before dropping a tough match opposite Tony Pedregon.

The Sonoma success built off of Ashley’s best qualifying performance in NHRA competition the week prior in Seattle. Ashley thundered to the No. 4 qualifying spot. That was preceded by a qualifying triumph in his debut a week earlier in the atmospherically challenged conditions of Denver.

Qualifying in Denver was the largest victory of them all. Ashley brought an untested and unproven Funny Car to the 9,000 feet of adjusted altitude at Bandimere Speedway and qualified for final eliminations.

“We just have incredible amount of confidence headed into this weekend,” Ashley said. “We are going to keep building on the things that got us where we are now.”

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