E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals
Event 3 of 24 (Indy 1)
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, July 11-12, 2020
Top Fuel Qualifying:
No. 10 (3.934 E.T. at 306.33 MPH)
Top Fuel Results:
E1: 3.817 E.T. at 262.03 MPH defeated Tony Schumacher 4.108 E.T. at 253.14 MPH
E2: 3.813 E.T. at 319.14 MPH defeated by Doug Kalitta 3.803 E.T. at 321.58 MPH
Top Fuel Race Recap:
Leah Pruett won the Indianapolis Factory Stock Showdown Wally trophy in 2018 and was hoping to pick up an Indy Mello Yello Wally during the 2020 NHRA restart. She qualified her Mopar Top Fuel dragster 10th and found herself squaring off with Tony Schumacher in the first round of eliminations at his long-awaited first race back. Against the winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history, Pruett was first to step on the throttle, and although she slowed near the eighth-mile marker, Pruett led from start to finish as Schumacher encountered problems early on. The quarterfinal round saw Pruett lining up opposite another Top Fuel heavy-hitter, current point leader Doug Kalitta. Once again, Pruett had the starting line advantage and maintained her lead until just past the eighth-mile block when Kalitta pulled ahead and posted the win in a close side-by-side race.
From Leah:
“It was an early morning start, but we were more than ready. Racing Tony (Schumacher) isn’t ideal. Tony had traction issues and we had the (blower) belt release which is one of the worst feelings as a driver. You’re ahead, you’re going, you’re making power and all of a sudden, you’re coasting. I heard Tony pedal and I was thinking ‘oh my God, just make it.’ It felt great to get the win light. We brought everything we had against Doug Kalitta in a heavy-hitter matchup and it was one of the closest races we’ve had in a long time. What that shows is that this Mopar/Pennzoil team hasn’t skipped a beat. We’re as strong as we’ve ever been and we’ll keep progressing and come back here next weekend with a solid foundation for both cars with Cory (McClenathan) and me, and we’ll be ready to go after that Wally.”
Source: Don Schumacher Racing
