JOLIET, Ill. — Justin Ashley heads to this weekend’s Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK at Route 66 Raceway feeling good about the path his SCAG Racing team is on.
There have been adjustments with new crew chiefs and new team members, but the Top Fuel standout continues to thrive, especially over the past three races.
After a slow start to the year, Ashley has picked up steam in his 12,000-horsepower dragster, advancing to two semifinals and a final round in the loaded Top Fuel category. This weekend’s race in Chicago also marks a massive event for the SCAG team, as hundreds of employees will be on hand at Route 66 Raceway.
Ashley loves the opportunity to put on a show for them as he seeks his first win of the season and at the fan-favorite facility.
“I think we’re on a good path,” Ashley said. “Tommy (Delago, crew chief) and Jason (McCullouch, co-crew chief) have a plan and I love the plan they’re following. It’s like building a new house. It’s a brand-new combination and we started everything from scratch. We’re laying that foundation and I think you’ll see more of it start to come to fruition the next few races.
“I’m happy with how we’re doing and I know there’s areas where we’ll continue to improve. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve really enjoyed this whole process through the first five races. We’ve got a championship group and we have a lot of fun together. We enjoy being around each other and it’s a great culture with this team.”
Ashley will also get to take part in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, taking on reigning world champion Doug Kalitta in a semifinal rematch from the most recent event at South Georgia Motorsports Park.
Ashley will try to avenge that defeat and then parlay that into a victory against a field that features a host of standouts, including points leader Shawn Langdon, who won in Georgia and made the fastest run in NHRA history with an incredible blast of 345.00 mph.
Others to watch include Leah Pruett, defending event winner Stewart, Gainesville winner Josh Hart, four-time world champion Antron Brown, rookie Maddi Gordon, Clay Millican and Chicago native Tony Schumacher.
But this is an important race for Ashley and SCAG Racing, with their headquarters not far from Route 66 Raceway. That means a great deal of their employees will be in attendance, which is something Ashley treasures, especially if he can bring him a victory.
“It’s definitely an honor,” Ashley said. “We’re out here representing this company and this is the first real opportunity to express our gratitude. There are hundreds of employees at Metalcraft of Mayville who work hard and diligently at their jobs, and we’re looking forward to spending time with them.”
