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Justin Ashley Powers SCAG Racing Into NHRA Brainerd Nationals Semifinals
Highlights
- Justin Ashley reached semifinals at NHRA Brainerd Nationals.
- Ashley posted fastest times, defeated Shawn Reed and Clay Millican.
- Doug Kalitta eliminated Ashley in semifinal round.
- Will Smith achieved career best despite early elimination.
- Daniel Wilkerson and Dave Richards faced mechanical issues.
- Next event: NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, September 2-7.
SCAG Racing delivers a strong NHRA Brainerd Nationals, as Justin Ashley reaches the Top Fuel semifinals at Brainerd International Raceway, sharpening form ahead of Indianapolis.
Ashley qualifies fifth in the SCAG Power Equipment dragster with 3.743 seconds at 333.99 mph, building on SCAG Racing’s Brainerd campaign and signalling competitive pace for the team.
He defeats Shawn Reed in round one with a .038 light and 3.750 at 331.36. He then edges Clay Millican, .041 and 3.793 at 335.57, underlining repeatable performance.
Against Doug Kalitta in the semifinal, Ashley launches .039 to .064, but loses on elapsed time, 3.805 at 327.74 versus Kalitta’s 3.747 at 329.18.
Ashley frames the weekend as a reset, praising SCAG representation at trackside. He says the crew finds a consistent window and schedules Monday testing with the new open cockpit car.
Ashley clocks 3.743s in qualifying, then reaches 335.57 mph in eliminations, confirming top-end speed and consistency.
Adapting to the open cockpit package will take mileage, Ashley concedes, but incremental familiarity should widen tuning options before the U.S. Nationals.
Will Smith qualifies eleventh for SCAG in the BlueBird Turf dragster at 3.777 and 328.30. He runs a career-best 3.726 at 330.47, but loses to Leah Pruett’s 3.702.
Smith notes sustained pace through testing, aligning preparation with observations from Ron Capps’ Brainerd-to-Indy form ahead of Indianapolis.
Will Smith posts a career-best 3.726s at 330.47 mph despite a first-round exit.
In Funny Car, Daniel Wilkerson qualifies fourth at 3.902 and 322.81. A .052 light beats Bobby Bode’s .092, but early mechanical trouble forces a shutdown and ends his day.
Dave Richards qualifies ninth at 3.924 and 327.66, but trails Alexis DeJoria early and clicks off to 5.358 at 135.63. The team stays Monday for further testing.
Richards highlights robust SCAG tent support and fan engagement, underscoring the program’s growing footprint at national events.
Next stop: 72nd NHRA U.S. Nationals, September 2–7, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The Mission Foods NHRA series now turns to the 72nd U.S. Nationals, September 2–7, at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, following a competitive Brainerd Nationals recap and detailed semifinals results.
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Visual Summary
SEMIFINAL SPEED
⚡
Justin Ashley
Ashley’s Top Stats
.038
RT
Lightning reaction
RT
Lightning reaction
333.99
mph
mph
Qualified 5th | Semis after 2 dominant rounds
vs
Kalitta
3.747s
| 329.18 mph
| 329.18 mph
Fraction faster in semis
🟦
Will Smith
Career-best ET: 3.726s
Career-best ET: 3.726s
Out in Rd 1 but fastest yet
🚗
Daniel Wilkerson
Qualified P4
Qualified P4
Shut down, mechanical issue
🏁
Dave Richards
Strong support
Strong support
Tested for Indy after loss
Momentum Points Toward Indy
Testing the new open cockpit & prepping for the “Big Go”
“We’re finding our groove. The SCAG team is getting stronger every round — and Indy is in our sights.”
– Justin Ashley
“`
**Visual Metaphor:**
A dragster mid-acceleration, speed streaks flashing behind it, sets the scene—Ashley blazed to the semifinals in a flurry of color and velocity. Speed meters, compact stat bursts, and “moment” badges turn every headline into a visual checkpoint, while the bold progress bar shows SCAG Racing charging confidently toward Indy. One glance, and fans *feel* the speed, the momentum, and the hunger for that next breakthrough.
Nicholas Rivera delivers NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car news, including eliminator-round results and reaction-time stats. He brings track-side interviews, contender profiles, and championship-point breakdowns straight from drag-racing’s biggest national events.
