When he departed Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway on Saturday afternoon with the New England Nationals Wally in hand, Justin Ashley was firm in the belief it was just another victory.
It wasn’t some overarching signal of a “changing of the guard” in NHRA, but rather a simple testament to the work his Phillips Connect dragster team did during the offseason.
Nonetheless, Ashley’s flawless performance brought up the question — is the 28-year-old leading the charge for the next generation of champions?
The third-year Top Fuel star defeated two-time champion Brittany Force, four-time titlist Steve Torrence and eight-time class kingpin Tony Schumacher on his way to the final win light.
Prior to the doubleheader weekend at Bristol, which featured both the postponed New England Nationals and Thunder Valley Nationals, Ashley was the only Top Fuel driver with multiple triumphs this season. Force, Torrence and Schumacher have yet to visit the winner’s circle this year.
But on Saturday, Ashley added a third Wally to his rapidly growing collection.
“That consistency is really a result of the work from Dustin Davis (team owner), Mike Green and Tommy DeLago (crew chiefs) and all the guys,” Ashley said.
“For me, it’s a matter of staying focused, staying in my routine and trying to do the same thing each and every time.”
The New York native’s aptitude behind the wheel was displayed again the following day, as he replicated his picture-perfect run through the elimination ladder to score his fourth victory this season and second in as many days.
Ashley defeated Doug Foley, Josh Hart, Austin Prock and three-time champion Antron Brown en route to his second consecutive Thunder Valley Nationals title. During his matchup against Brown, the Phillips Connect driver also set the track speed record — 336.49 mph.
“Four wins in only eight races is certainly an accomplishment and a great feeling,” Ashley said. “But we have a healthy understanding that we can’t stay stagnant, we need to continue to get better because everyone around us is doing the same thing.”
It’s no surprise Ashley doesn’t want to be complacent, even in his moment of triumph, considering how close he came to winning the Top Fuel championship last year. Entering the NHRA Auto Club Finals seven points behind Force, Ashley suffered a brutal first-round exit that cost him a shot at the title. It was his seventh first-round loss of the year.
While Ashley has combatted a few early exits in the opening stretch of races, his consistent trips to the winner’s circle have become hard to ignore. Eight races into the 21-round season, he’s already surpassed his three victories last year.
The championship expectations may be high, but the 2020 Rookie of the Year knows he’ll face his fair share of less-than-ideal results before the NHRA Finals come around again.
“The depth of the field is so tough, every round is difficult, so it’s only natural to have those ebbs and flows — to have the wins and the first-round losses,” Ashley said. “We trust and understand what we’re doing.”
His inexplicably quick reaction times — which were an average of .046 seconds during the Thunder Valley Nationals — have been key in keeping his on-track results consistent.
However, Ashley is just as quick to lend credit to his crew for their joint success.
“Truthfully, the reaction time is irrelevant if we don’t have the car that we have,” Ashley said. “So yeah, it’s something that I’m proud of, but obviously it’s a team game. Whether it’s a win or a holeshot, or a win on a no-shot, a win is a win any way they come.”
His weekend sweep at Bristol Dragway — encompassing the New England Nationals, Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and Thunder Valley Nationals — also marked the first win for the newly merged Maynard Ashley Racing operation.
Ashley (Max Out Motorsports) joined forces with Joe and Cathi Maynard (JCM Racing) in late May.
With four victories, the dragster driver has inherited the Top Fuel points lead from Torrence, who is now 64 points behind Ashley.
“This is not a changing of the guard,” Ashley said with a chuckle. “These guys have won a lot of races, and a lot of championships before. But during race day, there’s no time to focus on any of that.”