NHRA drag racing closes out an historic facility chapter with last ever version Arizona Nationals….
Justin Ashley won a convincing Top Fuel title during the final NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Motorsports Park with a victory in a front of a sellout crowd, powering to a win over Shawn Langdon in the championship, last Sunday.
Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Camrie Caruso (Pro Stock) also won the second of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.
Ashley put together a run of 3.705-seconds at 329.34 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by National Debt Relief, driving past Langdon’s 3.732 at 329.58. It gives Ashley his sixth career victory and first at Phoenix as the championship contender also defeated Tony Schumacher, Mike Salinas and Steve Torrence to reach the final round. Ashley was stellar on the starting line during eliminations, leaving first in the final round and holding on for the victory in front of another massive crowd in Phoenix.
“You’re as only as good as the team you surround yourself with,” Ashley said. “We’re a resilient group and it was an incredible raceday. The fans were fantastic all weekend long, but I knew we had to go through a gauntlet of opponents. A win like this sets the tone for the year because it builds momentum and every point matters.
“We made a lot of changes to the car in the off-season and we’ve got a new set-up, but the guys have stayed with it. It was just a matter of being patient and it was an incredible weekend. The fans were amazing and it was absolutely packed.”In Funny Car, Hight, who finished 2022 with eight victories, picked up his 62nd career victory in his 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Camaro after going 3.930 at 328.62 to beat defending world champ Ron Capps. It gives Hight the points lead and his second straight Phoenix victory, putting on a show after struggling during eliminations. The multi-time world champ qualified just ninth but Hight and his team, led by crew chief Jimmy Prock, were brilliant on Sunday, making the quickest run of every round, including a 3.900 in the semifinals to beat Chad Green. He also picked up wins against teammate John Force and No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca III, making another strong run in the final round to the huge crowd’s delight.
“We better get used to that because this whole Funny Car field is stacked from top to bottom, and to win one of these races, you’re going to have to go through four hitters, and that’s we did that today,” Hight said. “It’s a huge win. You can just tell when Jimmy is on to something, and he’s got the confidence, and that gives me confidence.
“I just love coming here. The fans are great and to see this crowd we had for three days, that really pumps you up as a driver. They’re back in the pits with you and that’s just what makes NHRA drag racing so awesome.”
Caruso enjoyed her own memorable day in Phoenix, picking up her first career victory with a run of 6.592 at 210.31 in her Powerbuilt Tools Camaro to slip past Bo Butner’s 6.593, becoming just the second female to win in Pro Stock in NHRA history. The second-year driver impressed throughout eliminations, also giving the new KB Titan Racing team its first victory. She opened raceday by knocking off Deric Kramer, got past No. 1 qualifier Cristian Cuadra and then got past Matt Hartford on a holeshot. Caruso, who reached one final round a year ago en route to winning NHRA Rookie of the Year honors, was first off the line in the final round as well, securing a victory and a moment she won’t forget.

Camrie Caruso made some racing history – becoming NHRA’s 2nd female winner for the Pro Stock category.
“It was so awesome to get the win,” Caruso said. “I just went out there like it was another round and tried my best to do my job because I knew the guys were going to do their job. I’m just excited and thankful. I was really hoping we’d start the year off with a really good bang. There’s just a whole bunch of people here that I couldn’t have done it without, especially my team and our partners. This new team, working with them has really been great and I just wanted to hold up my end of the bargain.”
Saturday’s racing schedule at Phoenix did include the inaugural (newly introduced for 2023 Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge.
For Funny Car class racing Alexis DeJoria claimed the victory defeating J.R. Todd in the Funny Car final round of the bonus event in front of a sold-out crowd at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.
Also in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Troy Coughlin (Jr.) picked up wins.
DeJoria went 3.914-seconds at 324.51 mph in her 11,000-horsepower Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota GR Supra to knock off Todd, claiming the bonus purse and bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
The win also took place at the site of her first Funny Car victory, which came in 2014 at Phoenix.
In Top Fuel, Kalitta enjoyed a great day at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park with his victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. The veteran earned the win over Mike Salinas in the bonus event with a run of 3.868 at 294.82 in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster.
In Pro Stock’s first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Troy Coughlin Jr. kept his early-season hot streak going, beating Greg Anderson in the final round with a pass of 6.572 at 208.78 in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. It follows his victory in Gainesville and Coughlin, who also knocked off Dallas Glenn in a Gatornationals rematch, couldn’t be more thrilled with his quick start.
Lucas Oil Lowdown (Final Round Results Summary)
Competition Eliminator — Bruno Massel, Chevy Cobalt, 7.043, 185.28 def. Ralph VanPaepeghem, Bantam, 7.301, 181.64.
Super Stock — Brad Burton, Pontiac Firebird, 9.332, 136.75 def. Kyle Rizzoli, Chevy Cobalt, 9.085, 139.88.
Stock Eliminator — Jody Lang, Chevy Malibu Wagon, 12.125, 94.65 def. Tony DeFrank, Chevy Camaro, 19.726, 65.29.
Super Comp — Thomas Bayer, Dragster, 8.938, 163.08 def. Brandon Dolezal, Dragster, 8.942, 180.45.
Super Gas — Chris Bishop, Chevy Corvette, 9.966, 154.67 def. Bill Dennis, XLR, 9.926, 166.46.
Top Sportsman — Sammy Gonzales, Pontiac Grand Am, 7.157, 192.49 def. Lance Abbott, Chevy S-10, 6.895, 193.16.
Top Dragster — Chad Axford, Dragster, 6.808, 193.32 def. Dylan Hough, Dragster, 6.650, 202.48.
Posted with files from NHRA Communications
All Photos by Dave DeAngelis
Link to the LMLCMedia event photo gallery from Phoenix : HERE