Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley After First St. Louis Win at NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals

ST. LOUIS, MO – September 24, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Coming off a standout performance in Charlotte, if Top Fuel title contender Justin Ashley can close out this stretch of three straight races to open the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs with another strong performance at this weekend’s NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway, he’ll find himself among the Top Fuel world title favorites.

Ashley, though, isn’t looking that far down the road, only what his team can accomplish this weekend in St. Louis. Fresh off celebrating the win in the NHRA’s first-ever four-wide race, Ashley is focused on performing well in his 12,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment dragster.

He’s never won in St. Louis during his standout career, but Ashley is riding high with wins in two of his past three races. Ashley won the prestigious U.S. Nationals in Indy to close the regular season and then again in Charlotte, bringing plenty of momentum to the critical playoff race in St. Louis.

“We have to take what we learned (in Charlotte) and use that in St. Louis,” Ashley said. “We just need to keep doing what we’re doing. We don’t want to get caught up in the points because if we don’t take care of business, none of that matters anyway. Our approach is one race at a time and see where we end up. This Countdown is all about consistency, stacking up round wins and putting yourself in a good position to go for the championship. That’s where our focus will be (in St. Louis).”

Last season, Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) each claimed wins, and this year’s race will once again be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage airing at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 28. It is the 17th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA season and the third of six playoff races, marking the halfway point of the championship chase.

A passionate St. Louis fanbase, one that has continually packed the standout facility over the years, will greet Ashley and the rest of the Top Fuel stars at the can’t-miss event.

The loaded class also features points leader Doug Kalitta, who holds a 38-point advantage over Ashley and a 59-point lead over Shawn Langdon. Racing legend Tony Stewart is in fourth and 68 points back, while other stars include Clay Millican, reigning world champ Antron Brown and Brittany Force, who is making her final St. Louis appearance before retiring from full-time racing at the end of the season.

But Ashley is as battle-tested as any of the championship contenders in Top Fuel and he’s also established himself as the best leaver in the category. His reaction times have been incredible throughout his career, but even more impressive as of late as Ashley continues to lean on recent experiences with the championship race heating up.

“You can’t buy experience and now we’ve been in contention for a championship the last 3-4 years and just leaning on that experience,” Ashley said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that have been through the Countdown and won championships, so just leaning on their guidance and expertise. These races are hard to win and the margin for error is so small. We’ve got four races left, but I’m a firm believer in enjoying a win when they come before shifting your focus to the next one.”

Beckman took over for NHRA legend John Force last season and went on to win twice in the Countdown, including the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals. This year, everyone is again chasing reigning Funny Car champion Austin Prock, who has the points lead and eight wins this season. Multi-time champions Matt Hagan and Ron Capps are close behind as they aim to get closer in St. Louis.

Glenn won last season’s race in St. Louis and he’ll look to win his third straight race in the playoffs after a perfect start thus far in 2025. Reigning champ and KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson, six-time champ Erica Enders, who has six St. Louis wins, Aaron Stanfield and Matt Hartford will look to stop Glenn’s streak.

Herrera won his second consecutive St. Louis race last season, defeating Chase Van Sant in the final round. Herrera won the regular season championship after winning five races, but John Hall opened the Countdown to the Championship with the win and Richard Gadson moved into the points lead with his Charlotte victory.

The NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown, Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock. It is the final race of the season in Factory Stock Showdown and Mountain Motor Pro Stock.

Fans will be invited to the Nitro Alley Stage, which hosts Nitro School, meet and greets, music and more. Race fans at World Wide Technology Raceway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each driver racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the St. Louis event winners.

As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, which includes interactive displays, merchandise, food, and fun.

NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5 and 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 26, and the final two rounds on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 12:15 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 28. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday and then eliminations coverage starting at 3 p.m. ET.

Tickets may be purchased at the WWTR ticket office, by phone at (618) 215-8888, or online at www.wwtraceway.com. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information on NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing-related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association 

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