Pritchett, Papa John's/Mopar team win No. 1 qualifying spot for Sunday's Mopar Mile-High Nationals

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Pritchett, Papa John's/Mopar team climb the mountain to grab pole
with Bandimere record; Capps, NAPA lead DSR Funny Cars at No. 5
MORRISON, Colo. (July 22, 2017) - Leah Pritchett has been to the mountaintop and
 conquered it Saturday with Don Schumacher Racing's Papa John's Pizza/Mopar Top 
Fuel dragster when her team led by crew chief Todd Okuhara raced to their fourth
 No. 1 qualifying position of the year in the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals near
Denver.
Pritchett's run of 3.733 seconds at 326.74 mph shattered Bandimere Speedway's elapsed
time record by thirty-four thousandths of a second.
"The wheels were up from the start," said Pritchett, whose Mopar-backed dragster
 Powered by Pennzoil will go for its fourth event title in 14 events and cut into
the points lead held by Steve Torrence.
After three of this year's worst qualifying sessions in one event by DSR, which 
has won 18 of a possible 26 event titles through 13 events, Pritchett led a resurgence
in the final session with reigning Funny Car world champion and points leader Ron
Capps and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger R/T squad moving from eighth to fifth
place and teammate Jack Beckman (Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Dodge) going from
ninth to sixth.
The record-setting pole added to the hoopla of the Mile-High Nationals where Mopar,
which has sponsored the race for 19 straight years, had another big reason to celebrate
the 80th anniversary of the popular Mopar brand.
"Nothing would be better than to blow out those 80 candles in the winner's circle
tomorrow," said Pritchett, who set the world time record of 3.658 at this year's
 second event but that was at sea level and not at the challenging mile-high altitude
of Bandimere.
"Eliminations tomorrow will be totally different from today; it will be hotter when
we start first round. But we know what this racecar can do now. Our fab shop back
home (near Indianapolis) put a new front half (on our chassis) and this showed what
it can do.
"Todd and (assistant Joe Barlam) thought we could run in the mid to low 3.70s, and
we did."
Pritchett will go for her fourth win of the year and fifth of her career in the 
first race of the three-week Western Swing on Sunday, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
(MDT).
Her Top Fuel teammate Tony Schumacher, who won at Bandimere with the U.S. Army team
a year ago, will start seeded fourth with Antron Brown and the Matco Tools team 
starting No. 7.
DSR has dominated the Funny Car category this year by winning 12 of 13 titles including
the last 10, but two-time world champ Matt Hagan will start in the No. 15 spot in
his Mopar 80th Express Lane Dodge and will face John Force in the first round. His
previous low this year was 11th at Houston.
Tommy Johnson Jr. and Terry Chandler's Make-A-Wish Dodge is seeded 12th.
DSR TOP FUEL DRAGSTERS
No. 1 qualifier: Leah Pritchett (Don Schumacher Racing), 3.733 sec.-track record,
326.74 mph
LEAH PRITCHETT, Papa John's Pizza/Mopar Top Fuel dragster
Crew chief: Todd Okuhara; Assistant: Joe Barlam
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Troy Coughlin Jr.
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 1
FRIDAY: 4.041 sec., 322.03 mph, (Session 1); 3.801, 318.09, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 5.044, 144.44, (Session 3); 3.733 sec.-track record, 326.74, (Session 
4)
DENVER BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (July 9), Joliet, Ill.: Qualified No. 2, lost in second round to Antron
Brown
A year ago at Denver: Qualified No. 10, lost in first round to Shawn Langdon
Career at Denver: Wins 0, Runner-ups 0, Poles 1 (2017)
TONY SCHUMACHER, U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster
Crew chief: Mike Green; Assistant: Phil Shuler
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Steve Chrisman
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 4
FRIDAY: 3.821 sec., 321.19 mph, (Session 1); 3.776, 326.63, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 3.784, 324.12, (Session 3) 9.697, 72.43, (Session 4)
DENVER BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (July 9), Joliet, Ill.: Qualified No. 5, lost in first round to Blake
 Alexander
A year ago at Denver: Qualified No. 9, won in championship round over Antron Brown
Career at Denver: Wins 3 (2005, 2008, 2016); Runner-ups 6 (1997, 2000, 2004, 2006,
2011, 2015);
Poles 1 (2014)
ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools/U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster
Crew chiefs: Brian Corradi, Mark Oswald; Assistant: Brad Mason
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Scott Palmer
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 7
FRIDAY: 3.941 sec., 308.50 mph, (Session 1); 6.668, 106.06, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 3.793, 317.72, (Session 3); 3.813, 317.79, (Session 4)
DENVER BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (July 9), Joliet, Ill.: Qualified No. 7, lost in championship round to
Steve Torrence
A year ago at Denver: Qualified No. 2, lost in championship round to Tony Schumacher
Career at Denver: Wins 2 (2009, 2012); Runner-ups 5 (1999*, 2001*, 2005*, 2008, 
2016);
Poles 3 (2001*, 2009, 2010) * Pro Stock Motorcycle
DSR FUNNY CARS
No. 1 qualifier: Courtney Force (John Force Racing), 3.889 sec., 328.30 mph - track
records
RON CAPPS, NAPA AUTO PARTS 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: Rahn Tobler; Assistant: Eric Lane
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Tommy Johnson Jr.
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 5
FRIDAY:  4.016 sec., 305.37 mph, (Session 1); 4.676, 175.11, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 5.466, 131.46, (Session 3); 3.965, 313.73, (Session 4)
DENVER BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (July 9), Joliet, Ill.: Qualified No. 9, won in championship round over
Tommy Johnson Jr.
A year ago at Denver: Qualified No. 11, lost in second 3.96und to Del Worsham
Career at Denver: Wins 1 (2009); Runner-ups 2 (1988, 2007); Poles 1 (2009)
JACK BECKMAN, Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Foundation 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chiefs: Dean Antonelli, John Medlen, Neal Strausbaugh
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Alexis DeJoria
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 6
FRIDAY:  7.990 sec., 87.61 mph, (Session 1); 4.024, 319.60, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.037, 314.75, (Session 3); 3.978, 316.97, (Session 4)
DENVER BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (July 9), Joliet, Ill.: Qualified No. 2, lost in second round to Tim 
Wilkerson
A year ago at Denver: Qualified No. 6, lost in first round to Ron Capps
Career at Denver: Wins 3 (2007, 2012, 2015); Runner-ups 1 (2008); Poles 1 (2012)
TOMMY JOHNSON JR., Terry Chandler's Make-A-Wish 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: John Collins; Assistant: Rip Reynolds
SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: Ron Capps
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 12
FRIDAY: 4.266 sec., 219.47 mph, (Session 1); 7.755, 81.14, (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.507, 191.73, (Session 3); 4.058, 304.87, (Session 4)
DENVER BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (July 9), Joliet, Ill.: Qualified No. 9, won in championship round over
Tommy Johnson Jr.
A year ago at Denver: Qualified No. 11, lost in second round to Del Worsham
Career at Denver: Wins 1 (2009); Runner-ups 2 (1988, 2007); Poles 1 (2009)
MATT HAGAN, 80th Anniversary Mopar/Express Lane 2017 Dodge Charger R/T
Crew chief: Dickie Venables; Assistant: Michael Knudsen
QUALIFY SUNDAY CHAMPIONSHIP ELIMINATIONS
First round: John Force
QUALIFYING RESULTS
Qualified: No. 15
FRIDAY:  5.544 sec., 113.27 mph, (Session 1); 9,322, 74.80 (Session 2)
SATURDAY: 4.942, 160.10, (Session 3); 9.697, 72.43, (Session 4)
DENVER BY THE NUMBERS
Last event (July 9), Joliet, Ill.: Qualified No. 4, lost in semifinals to Ron Capps
A year ago at Denver: Qualified No. 7, lost in second round to John Force
Career at Denver: Wins 0; Runner-ups 1 (2011); Poles 1 (2010)
About Don Schumacher Racing
Don Schumacher Racing, headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., fields seven professional
NHRA teams. In Top Fuel, the U.S. Army dragster driven by eight-time world champion
Tony Schumacher, the Matco Tools dragster driven by three-time world champion Antron
Brown and the Papa John's Pizza/Mopar Top Fuel dragster driven by Leah Pritchett;
and in Funny Car, 2016 world champion Ron Capps in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger
R/T; 2011 and 2014 world champion Matt Hagan in the 80th anniversary Mopar/ Express
Lane Dodge Charger R/T, and 2012 NHRA world champion Jack Beckman in the Infinite
Hero Foundation Dodge and the Make-A-Wish Dodge driven by Tommy Johnson Jr., both
of which are funded by the late Terry Chandler.
DSR has won 311 NHRA national event titles and 16 world championships.
Follow Don Schumacher Racing at ShoeRacing.com, on Twitter at @shoeracing and Facebook.com/shoeracing.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jeff Wolf (wolfj@shoeracing.com), 702.524.1368

Leah Vaughn (vaughnl@shoeracing.com), 618.516.1988

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