Story By: NHRA – PHOENIX, AZ – J.R. Todd powered to the Funny Car victory in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday at a sold-out Firebird Motorsports Park, defeating John Force in the final round of the specialty event as part of the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals.
Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge.
Todd held off Force in the final round of the Challenge with a run of 3.974 at 316.67 in his 11,000-horsepower DHL Toyota GR Supra. It gives the former world champion his second victory in the specialty race, with the first coming last year in Sonoma. Todd swept that weekend, which is something he would certainly love to replicate in Phoenix. Todd knocked off Matt Hagan in the earlier round before leading from start-to-finish against Force in the final round.
“Anytime you could turn on a win light against the greatest of all time, that’s it’s doing something whether it’s the Mission race or the actual Sunday event,” said Todd, who won the Gatornationals earlier this season. “He’s a tough one to get by.
“It’s weird to say that we’ve been struggling this year, but we have been struggling to get down to try to make clean runs and haven’t really been consistent a lot, so coming up to this race I think the game plan was just going from A to B to make sure we got a good clean run. to start off the weekend.”
In Top Fuel, Tony Schumacher picked up the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory with a run of 3.925 at 292.77 in his 11,000-horsepower Leatherwood Distillery/RAC Financial dragster, getting past Brittany Force in the finals of the specialty race. It’s the first victory in the Challenge for Schumacher, an eight-time Top Fuel world champ, who likes the direction the team is headed.
“This does a lot for us,” Schumacher said. “The car has been running well. They’ve made some changes. We’re happy where we’re at. We’re gaining knowledge. We have a great race car. I’m driving the car well, minus that last round. All things considered, we get to do it again tomorrow. This is a great race track, it’s a sold out show today and I’m looking forward to getting started for tomorrow.”
Enders’ Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge win in Pro Stock came against Mason McGaha, as the defending world champion tracked down McGaha with a run of 6.541 at 210.87 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car. It’s the second specialty event win for motorsports’ winningest female, and she’ll look to pick up her 50th career national event win on Sunday.
“We’re obviously very thankful for what Mission is doing for our sport and our class, and it’s exciting to have a race within a race despite the stress that it has been,” Enders said. “Rolling off the trailer and having no shots at the Tree or the racetrack before that round of eliminations, it was nerve-wracking. Fortunately, my horsepower saved me. I’ve saved my car before and today they saved me.”
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CHANDLER, Ariz. — Saturday’s final results from the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park.
Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge Top Fuel Challenge — Tony Schumacher, 3.925 seconds, 292.77 mph def. Brittany Force, 4.378 seconds, 216.62 mph.
Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge Funny Car Challenge — J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.974, 316.67 def. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.007, 320.89.
Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge Pro Stock Challenge — Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.541, 210.87 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.591, 208.91.
CHANDLER, Ariz. — Final round-by-round results from the 39th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, the third of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:
ROUND ONE — Tony Schumacher, 3.755, 328.38 def. Billy Torrence, 4.726, 158.26; Brittany Force, 3.689, 334.90 def. Justin Ashley, 3.902, 313.58; FINAL — T. Schumacher, 3.925, 292.77 def. B. Force, 4.378, 216.62.
FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:
ROUND ONE — J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.923, 320.58 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.996, 281.77; John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.901, 325.37 def. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 8.909, 82.80; FINAL — J. Todd, 3.974, 316.67 def. J. Force, 4.007, 320.89.
PRO STOCK CHALLENGE:
ROUND ONE — Mason McGaha, Chevy Camaro, 17.916, 45.52 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.518, 210.90 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.575, 209.72; FINAL — E. Enders, 6.541, 210.87 def. M. McGaha, 6.591, 208.91.
