NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

TORRENCE RACING

STEVE TORRENCE

“I’ve got a really good group. They rarely make mistakes and that sends me to the starting line with an awful lot of confidence. Very seldom do I win races. About all I can do is screw it up, but I try really hard not to do that because I know how hard my guys work to give me the best car possible.  Whatever success we’ve had, the glory goes to God and the Capco boys. I’m just the guy who gets to wear the helmet.”

JOHN FORCE RACING

JOHN FORCE

"We left St. Louis second in the points standings behind Robert and we’ll see what we got, see what happens when we get to Charlotte. We’re going to fight the fight this weekend in Charlotte. I’ve won there a couple of times so I’d like to get PEAK and all our sponsors back in the winner’s circle,.We’re halfway in the Countdown so this race and everyone after is going to be important. They’re all important. We want to stay up in the points and Robert, Brittany and the Prock kid want that too, so we’ll see how it goes.”

ROBERT HIGHT

“We got the points lead back in St. Louis and you know, that feels great. Jimmy Prock, Chris Cunningham and all the Auto Club guys have been working really hard to get this thing running. We took some time testing and when we were in St. Louis that really showed so we’re there and ready to take that into this next one. I’m confident we can head into Charlotte, pick up those little points in qualifying and go some rounds on race day, just keep picking away at this championship. We’re so close.”

BRITTANY FORCE

“We have a good race car. David Grubnic, Mac Savage and all the Advance Auto Parts boys are moving this thing in the right direction and I’m confident we’ll get this thing back in the winner’s circle soon. We had a tough weekend at the last event in St. Louis but we’re standing in the No. 4 position in the Countdown. We have four races left and three after this next one in Charlotte, so we need to stay on top of it. This Advance Auto Parts team is excited to get to Charlotte this weekend. We’re anxious and we want to win this thing and move towards that No. 1 spot. We were so close last year, qualified No. 1 and went to the final so I’m going in with that motivation to get back in the winner’s circle this time around.”

AUSTIN PROCK

“We had the best car we’ve had all year in St. Louis, probably our best performance all year. We were seventh going in and left back in the No. 8 spot but I think things are only going to go up from here with this team. If we can keep up that momentum and not make any mistakes, I think we can get this thing back in the winner’s circle and really contend for this championship. Charlotte, here we come. I’m ready to get back after it. These off weekends are tough to deal with when you’re in the thick of things in this Countdown, so we’re all ready to get to Charlotte and get this next one going. It’s been a great year for the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist team. We’ve proven ourselves each weekend and I think this weekend in Charlotte will be exciting for the fans.”

KALITTA RACING

DOUG KALITTA

“We are not getting ahead of ourselves by any means with this points lead. There are too many tough cars out there and four more races. Anything can happen. We just are glad to be in control of our own destiny. If we take care of our business we will be just fine. These next couple of races starting with Charlotte will be critical for us. No one is getting crowned Top Fuel champion this Sunday but you definitely want hold onto the point lead or keep it within a round. It will be an exciting weekend for sure.”

SHAWN LANGDON

“We have a lot of positive momentum coming out of St. Louis. That win was a total team effort. I did my job as a driver and Del and Nicky did a great job tuning throughout race day. We raced our teammate in the final round which is how you want the day to go. We know if we can keep winning rounds we can move up in the points. That is the exciting part. We are not out of the championship hunt by a long shot. We do need another good weekend in Charlotte and I would love to sweep the two races at zMax Dragway.”

J.R. TODD 

“We got to the final last year at zMax Dragway and this year we want to get that win. This track is one of the nicest facilities we come to on the circuit and it is in the heart of NASCAR country. I have a lot of friends over on the NASCAR side of things and I would love to show off for them this weekend. It will be a tough race for sure.”

RICHIE CRAMPTON 

“We have made up some ground on the teams at the top of the point standings but we need to continue to close that gap. The best way to do that is to get some of those bonus points and qualifying in one of the top spots.”

TIM WILKERSON RACING

TIM WILKERSON

"I feel good about Charlotte. I was good first round in St. Louis, I really was. Even my wife, Krista, said, 'Boy, you look pretty confident.' I wouldn't have wanted to race me there, and to take that to Charlotte is a good feeling. I know we've got a hot rod, but we need to qualify a little bit better so we don't get a tough first-round draw. Last year we went to zMAX Dragway for this race, and I threw everything to the wall. We ended up No. 3 and went to the semi's, so we're gonna try to do the same thing. This Ford Mustang is pretty cooperative, and what happened with the blow-up was just an engine component malfunction. That's not a problem that will plague us, so I'm feeling pretty good."

ELITE PERFORMANCE

JEG COUGHLIN JR.

"You just about have to win races to climb the ladder at this point. Fortunately, the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro is extremely capable of doing just that. This will be our third race with new configuration and it's been working well for us. We just haven't served ourselves a whole lot of good luck so far. We missed a big opportunity in St. Louis but that's old news at this point. You can't change the past but you can affect the future and we have four big races left that are all very important. The reason we're optimistic is we have proven we can run at the top of the charts these last two races. We'll be ready for Charlotte and we'll be ready to win. It's been a few years since we won at zMAX (2013) but it has been a favorite of mine since they opened the doors 12 years ago."

ERICA ENDERS

“I’m more determined than I’ve ever been, my team is confident and it’s all coming together at the right time. Winning definitely encourages us to keep going. Not that the fire is ever gone, but (a win) just reignites it. I’m very excited about the four remaining races. We have every intention of going to the next four and trying to win them. It’s been great seeing the people really rally behind us. It definitely makes me smile. We’re so determined and this team works so hard at this, to have it slip through our fingers and then come through, I think people feel the sense of relief with us.”

KB RACING

GREG ANDERSON

“This is a home race for us, and you hope you have home-field advantage, but we also know how tough the competition is in this class. I love racing here at zMAX Dragway, the folks who run this track are just phenomenal, and the fans are out of this world. We always appreciate racing here, and we have had some very special weekends here. We’ve worked so hard with my red Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, trying to find exactly what it wants and what will make it happy, so hopefully our hard work pays off this weekend. We want that for Summit Racing, we want that for Ken Black, and, selfishly, I’d really like to find my way back to the winner’s circle and move up in the points. The clock is ticking on this season. It’s time to do something big.”

JASON LINE

“Last year, this race was very special for me. Reaching 50 national event wins is something I never dreamed would happen, but it did, and to have it happen with my family here was just something you’ll never forget. I’ve had some really cool things happen in the last year since then – winning Brainerd was one, for sure – and it would be tough to top what’s already in the history books. But it would sure be nice to have a good weekend with the silver Summit Racing Chevy Camaro. Last weekend showed us we can get knocked down; this weekend we’re planning to show we know how to get back up.”

BO BUTNER

“I really felt like our Jim Butner Auto Group Chevy Camaro was showing signs of improvement in St. Louis, so I’m excited to get to Charlotte. All of us, we all have to do a better job this weekend if we want to stay up there in the points chase. It’s an exciting time of year, and the fact that we’ll be racing just a little ways away from the KB Racing home base gives you a little confidence. I look for us to do well this weekend as a team. Hopefully, you’ll see a KB Racing car in the winner’s circle on Sunday.”