| CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 22, 2024) – Daniel Wilkerson and Justin Ashley take SCAG Power Equipment to the quarterfinals at the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway while Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran team had a strong first round showing. Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team had a bit of a breakthrough at the Carolina Nationals. Coming into the day qualified No. 9, Wilkerson had a first-round matchup against former champion J.R. Todd. Wilkerson would get the job done on a holeshot leaving in .017 seconds and finishing with a 3.984 at 314.46 while Todd had a .066 reaction time and 3.945 at 321.50. In the second round, Wilkerson had a solid drag race against veteran Jack Beckman. The SCAG Mustang would leave the starting line first but a 4.004-second pass at 317.64 mph couldn’t catch Beckman’s 3.937 at 323.35. “I told my SCAG guys when we got back I would have paid for that package. That was nothing to hang our heads about. We got our race car back this weekend,” Wilkerson said. “It wnet down the track every run, the guys are putting it together correctly, and we have something we can tune on. So, I am very proud of these SCAG Ford boys and I’m excited for St. Louis in just a few days. Thank you to SCAG, Metalcraft of Mayville, Ford, Summit, all our partners, hopefully we keep this rolling.” Justin Ashley and the SCAG Toyota team had an eventful race day. In the first round, Ashley had to pedal his way to a holeshot victory over Dan Mercier. Ashley would leave the line first at .017 seconds, but the SCAG dragster would be up in tire smoke almost immediately. Ashley would pedal it to a 4.498-second pass at 306.74 mph to chase down Mercier who would haze the tires mid-track. Mercier’s .112 reaction time coupled with a 4.411 at at 253.52 wouldn’t be enough. In the second round, Ashley would line up against Top Fuel veteran Doug Foley. Ashley was once first off the starting line but the SCAG Toyota dragster was once again up in tire smoke. Ashley pedaled it but the SCAG machine would get sideways and have to shut off for a 5.203 at 137.36. Foley would lose traction early but pedal his way to a 4.709 at 227.15 for the win. “That was one of the more eventful Racedays we’ve had in a while. When the track gets hot like it was today it has a tendency to create some wild races,” Ashley said. “I am truly appreciative for the time, energy and effort our team puts in daily. Mike Green, Tommy DeLago, Dustin Davis and the whole SCAG Toyota team have really been putting in the work. Qualifying went well and collecting a round win was important moving forward. Now we’ll shift our focus to St. Louis. Have to thank SCAG, Metalcraft of Mayville, Toyota, KATO, Impact, and RCN Capital who we had with us for the first time this weekend. Really appreciate all the support.” Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran team came into eliminations sitting No. 14 in a 14 car field earning him a matchup against reigning world champion and No. 1 qualifier Matt Hagan in the first round. Richards would handle the BlueBird Turf machine to their best run of the weekend, a clean 4.095-second pass at 305.36 mph but it wasn’t enough for Hagan’s 3.976 at 320.97. “This BlueBird Turf / Versatran team battled through a lot of gremlins this weekend, but finished with a strong A to B lap, and that makes us feel good,” Richards said. “If Hagan slipped up, we would have been there with him. We’ve learned a lot and we’re constantly trying to be better for Bluebird Turf, Versatran, SCAG and all the Metalcraft of Mayville folks. St. Louis is in just a few days, and I can tell you we’re feeling good heading there with some momentum.” The Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing season continues with the NHRA Midwest Nationals, race three of six in the Countdown to the Championship, taking place just outside of St. Louis at World Wide Technology Raceway Sept. 27-29. |
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