Mopar Express Lane NHRA Midwest Nationals Presented by Pennzoil
Event No. 8
World Wide Technology Raceway
Madison, Ill.
October 2-4, 2020
LEAH PRUETT
Mopar Dodge Top Fuel Dragster
2019 St. Louis Recap:
Qualified sixth; Semifinal finish (defeated Antron Brown in E1, Austin Prock in E2; defeated by Billy Torrence in E3)
Last Event (Gainesville):
Qualified eighth; Semifinal finish (defeated Joe Morrison in E1, Clay Millican in E2; defeated by Steve Torrence in E3)
2020 Season Statistics:
13 round wins; ranked third in points
Career Statistics:
148 races; eight wins; 12 No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:
- Sits third in the Top Fuel point standings, and is within two rounds of the No. 1 ranked driver
- Owns the St. Louis track speed record (332.75 mph) achieved during the 2017 event
- Pulling double-duty, competing in both Top Fuel and the Factory Stock Showdown Series
From Leah:
We might be hitting the track in St. Louis with our cool, crisp blue-chrome Mopar dragster, but we will continue to bring the heat to what looks to be a very cool St. Louis weekend. (Crew chiefs) Todd Okuhara and Neal Strausbaugh are known to have a strong set-up sheet for ultra-fast times in these conditions, and given our consistency, we are definitely looking forward to laying down rubber and making every run count as we chase this championship. Points are tight, with the competition even tighter, and right now we are honing-in on tightening up our program and digging hard to get that elusive Wally gold this weekend. We are aware of the points, but continue to race as we have done all season. We are focused on each individual run, conditions, and getting as much of our Mopar power stuck tight to the track to turn on win lights, no matter who we are up against. It is an exciting time with just four races left in the season, and we know that our St. Louis fans are just as excited as us to catapult our momentum.
LEAH PRUETT
Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak
St. Louis Event Highlights:
- 2018 event champion
2019 St. Louis Recap:
Qualified seventh; Quarterfinal finish (defeated Ryan Priddy in E1; defeated by Arthur Kohn in E2)
Last Event (Gainesville):
Qualified 12th; First round exit (defeated by Arthur Kohn in E1)
FSS Career Statistics:
20 races; three wins; one runner-up; two No. 1 qualifiers
Noteworthy:
- Recorded the first official seven-second FS/XX pass at the 2018 event (7.936)
From Leah:
My Factory Stock teammate, Mark Pawuk, has been doing a phenomenal job pulling the weight of our Mopar team, and this week, crew chief Kevin Helms and Terry Snyder have made some substantial changes to El Bandito that will elevate us to match our competition. This is the last season for El Bandito in this series, and he is still fighting hard, and we are doing everything we can to maximize his potential before we transition to the 2021 Drag Pak next season. The evolution of this class, the Drag Pak, and our motor program is something I am excited about, and I am looking forward to a very strong back-half of the 2020 Factory Stock season.
Source: Don Schumacher Racing
Photos: Mark J. Rebilas Photography
