Mopar Drivers Fly in Prime Conditions During Final NHRA Seattle Qualifying

August 6, 2016 , Kent, Washington -  Crew chiefs and drivers in NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series hunger for what they call "mine-shaft" conditions, and on Saturday at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Wash., their wishes came true. Conditions for the 29th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at the facility nestled in the forest just outside of Seattle were near-perfect, and with bountiful oxygen souping up the hot rods, records were shattered. Matt Hagan, driving the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car out of the Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) stable, blasted to a bold 332.51 mph pass in the final qualifying session to smash the Pacific Raceways track record. The 2013 Seattle winner's pass was the seventh quickest in NHRA Funny Car history.
 
Hagan's HEMI®-campaigning DSR Funny Car teammates were impressive as well, and points leader Ron Capps, wheeling the Dodge Charger that has reached seven Funny Car final rounds this season, raced to a 3.843-second pass to secure the third-quickest pass in class history and the No. 2 spot in the qualifying order. Jack Beckman, driving the Infinite Hero Dodge Charger, recorded the eighth fastest pass in history with a 3.861/332.26 for the No. 4 spot and scored a total of two bonus qualifying points as one of the quickest cars in two sessions. Tommy Johnson Jr., behind the wheel of the Terry Chandler-backed Make-A-Wish Dodge, recorded a 3.902 to start 10th.
 
Hagan, the No. 5 seed, had a tough go of it on Friday at Pacific Raceways, but he shook off the rough start and stepped up to a quick 3.885/328.06 in the first session on Saturday. He rounded out qualifying with an even-better 3.872 at the new track record 332.51. Hagan will race John Hale in the first round on Sunday.
 
"That was definitely something to build off of, but it was a handful up there on the big end," said Hagan following his final pass of the day. "We are definitely building momentum going into raceday tomorrow. We have Dickie Venables [crew chief] in our corner, and he's a smart guy. He's going to work hard, and he's got a game plan going into tomorrow. These conditions are incredible out here. These guys have these cars dialed in, and it's incredible to watch. I think the fans are loving it right now, and it's just awesome to be a small part of it. I can't wait to see what we can do on raceday. "
 
In the first round of eliminations, Ron Capps will race Tim Gibbons, Beckman will square off with Gary Densham, and Johnson Jr. will go head-to-head with John Force.
 
Mopar in Top Fuel
Tony Schumacher took Mopar to the top of the sheets with a career-best and track-record setting 3.686-second pass at 323.58 mph in his U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster. The powerful pass set the Don Schumacher Racing driver in the No. 1 spot for the 80th time in his career and came with Pacific Raceways bragging rights as it was the first run to break into the 3.6-second zone. Schumacher will race No. 16 qualifier Ron Smith in the first round on Sunday.
 
"We're just happy to go into raceday as the No. 1 qualifier," said Schumacher, who had not nabbed a pole in 28 events. "It's been a long time. It was a great run for the Army team because you know you always want to be first, and it's just such an accomplishment these days when you are. We've accomplished a lot of milestones out there, and with all the great cars, we were the first to run a 3.60 in Seattle – and we're proud of that. Hats off to all the Army guys for all the sacrifice and dedication they put in to make sure we have a great car each week. Tonight, we'll get to celebrate a great run."
 
Schumacher's DSR Top Fuel teammate Leah Pritchett is the No. 8 seed. She recorded a best time of 3.741 with Mopar power and will race Morgan Lucas in round one.
 
Mopar Dodge Dart Pro Stock Qualifying
Each of the Mopar-powered Dodge Dart Pro Stock drivers clocked out of qualifying with season-best elapsed times, capitalizing on the pristine conditions in Seattle and preparing for a strong raceday.
 
Allen Johnson, whose Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart put Mopar in the winner's circle in Denver just two weeks ago, made progress in each session and was a quick 6.550 at the finish line stripe in the closing qualifying round. Johnson will be looking for his second win of the season with a start from the No. 5 spot and a first-round meeting with fellow Dodge campaigner Deric Kramer.
 
Five-time Pro Stock champ Jeg Coughlin Jr.'s impressive 6.562 in the Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar Dodge Dart sent him up to the No. 7 position, and from there he will challenge part-time Pro Stock racer Matt Hartford.
 
Mopar Performance Dodge Dart driver Erica Enders, the reigning and back-to-back Pro Stock world champion, is in a heated battle with Alex Laughlin for the No. 10 position in NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship standings, and she will take matters into her own hands in the first round as she goes up against the second-year competitor. Enders is currently No. 11 in the Pro Stock points, just nine points behind Laughlin.
 
Countdown to the Championship Positions Clinched
Tony Schumacher in Top Fuel and Jack Beckman in Funny Car became the latest drivers to clinch a championship berth thanks to outstanding performances in Seattle qualifying. Throughout the regular season, drivers in all four professional categories battle to lock in a spot in the six-race championship playoffs. The top 10 drivers in the points following the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day Weekend will vie for the ultimate trophy. To date, Mopar drivers Schumacher, Beckman, and Ron Capps have each secured their right to race for the championship.
 
Mopar's Recent History at Pacific Raceways
Seattle's Pacific Raceways was first opened in 1960. The 2016 NHRA Northwest Nationals mark the 29th annual NHRA event at the facility at just 280 feet elevation. The quick racecourse has been home to victories for eight of the currently competing Mopar-driven drag racers across the professional categories. The most recent winner is Tommy Johnson Jr., who drove the Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car to victory at the event last season. Seattle is also the home of his first win at the professional level. In 1993, Johnson won the Top Fuel title there.
 
Tony Schumacher, who now wheels the HEMI®-powered U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster, has four Seattle wins (2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008). Dodge Charger Funny Car drivers Ron Capps (1998), Jack Beckman (2007), and Matt Hagan (2013) each have one Seattle victory. In Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin Jr. (2002), Allen Johnson (2006), and Erica Enders (2012) have also claimed Seattle wins.
 
Championship eliminations at the 29th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals will begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, August 7, 2016.

About Mopar Motorsports
The Mopar brand’s commitment to professional motorsports competition was established in the 1950s when a partnership ignited with drag racing pioneer Don Garlits, resulting in the breaking of numerous speed and performance barriers in HEMI®-powered vehicles over the next several decades. In 2016, Mopar will look to once again vie for a NHRA World Championship title in both Pro Stock and Funny Car categories. While Mopar remains involved in a various professional motorsports series, it continues to honor its roots by being a proud supporter of Sportsman racing within the NHRA with its sponsorship of the HEMI Challenge and Mopar’s Tom Hoover Sportsman Challenge.
Mopar
Mopar is the global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic accessories.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over more than 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar  expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

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