Pritchett Stuns in Top Fuel Debut and Salinas Achieves New Personal Best E.T. for Scrappers Racing
The Scrappers Racing team finished the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series with a solid performance at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. In Top Fuel, Jasmine Salinas and Gary Pritchett, who was making his Top Fuel debut this weekend, both raced to quarterfinal finishes. Jasmine also achieved a new personal best elapsed time. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Jianna Evaristo wrapped up the best-performing season of her career.
Gary Pritchett made his Top Fuel debut this weekend behind his “Bunny and the Boys” dragster, owned by Travis Shumake and powered by Scrappers Racing. The talented driver wowed fans right from the start when he made a blistering pass of 3.750 at 329.91 in the first round of qualifying. He backed it up on Saturday with a 3.752 at 329.26, followed by a 3.769 at 319.67. His first and fastest lap landed him in the No. 15 qualifier position, meaning that he would face No. 2 qualifier Steve Torrence in the first round of eliminations. Pritchett helped Torrence win four world championships when the two worked together.
After eliminations were delayed due to a plane crash that occurred in the pits, Gary finally got the chance to line up against his former boss. He left the starting line first with a stunning .028-second light. Torrence ran into tire smoke early and Gary stayed ahead to turn on the first win light of his professional career.
In the next round, Pritchett faced fellow Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart. Pritchett got the starting line advantage with a .047-second light to Stewart’s .056-second bulb, but Stewart got around him to turn on the win light.
“I couldn’t ask for anything better. This weekend has been a dream come true,” remarked Pritchett. “I’ve enjoyed every second of it from top to bottom. All of the guys on the Scrappers team made it happen. Both teams worked together and we couldn’t have done it without them. In one of our qualifying passes, I got to line up next to Jasmine, with Adem Cave on my car and his brother Arron on Jasmine’s, that was a really cool moment for all of us. There are so many people who’ve helped me get here and I can’t thank them enough. I’ve really got to thank my fiance, Jessica and all of the sponsors who came out to make this possible – Hoopes Fire Prevention, Dom and Sarah from 142 Speed Shop, J & A Service, Spell Paving, the Napp Brothers, and Cecil County Dragway.
“If you would have told me that I would make five runs in the 3.70s, I wouldn’t have believed you. We stepped it up on race day. You only get one shot at this and when it happens, you’ve got to step it up and give it your all. I definitely felt the pressure running against my former team (when racing Torrence). But I just pretended it was a match race.”
Qualifying got off to a bumpy start for Jasmine as she dropped a couple of cylinders in the first round of qualifying on Friday. On Saturday, she made up for it with a stellar run of 3.723 seconds at 332.43 mph, landing her in the No. 11 position on the ladder. In the final qualifying opportunity of the season, Jasmine lined up next to her Scrappers Racing teammate, Gary Pritchett. With Arron Cave and Rob Flynn tuning her machine and Adem Cave and Troy Fasching tuning Gary’s, it was special for everyone at Scrappers Racing to see the Cave brothers face off, even if it was in a qualifying capacity.
Jasmine faced No. 6 qualifier Shawn Reed in the first round of eliminations. Not only did she get the starting line advantage behind the wheel of her Valley Services Scrappers Racing dragster, but she also stayed ahead of Reed all the way to the stripe for a holeshot win. Her 3.691-second pass at 330.07 mph marks a new career-best elapsed time for the up-and-coming driver.
In the second round of eliminations, Jasmine faced the current Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta. She smoked the tires immediately after leaving the starting line, ceding the quarterfinal win to Kalitta.
“I think this was a great ending for Scrappers Racing,” said Jasmine. “It was exciting to have a second car here and it was exciting to have Gary making his debut with us. The two Cave brothers getting to line up their cars and run against each other in qualifying was really special for them. Both cars had a really good Sunday, despite going out in the second round. We’ve figured a lot of things out. When I think about how I started my Top Fuel career at this track back in March, I can see how far I’ve come as a driver. I no longer feel like an imposter in my dad’s car. I feel like a Top Fuel driver.”
Jianna Evaristo experienced a great season aboard her Valley Services Scrappers Racing Buell. A rising star in Pro Stock Motorcycle, Jianna currently holds the speed record among females in the ultra-competitive category. After rain delays on Friday, Jianna took to the track on Saturday laying down an impressive run of 6.871 at 200.80. She really picked up the pace in the second heat of the day, powering to a stunning lap of 6.834 at 202.09.
Starting eliminations from the No. 12 spot on the ladder, Jianna faced No. 5 qualifier Steve Johnson in the first round. Johnson got the starting line advantage and held on to it for the win. Despite an early exit, Jianna feels optimistic about what’s to come.
“We’ve had a very successful season, looking back on it,” said Jianna. “I’ve had the best performing season of my career, which is ironic because of how today ended up. I wanted to finish higher in points but it’s the best performance I’ve ever had. We’ve come a long way this season and I’m proud of all we’ve done. I have a lot to work on in the off-season and I’m looking forward to making some big changes to help me become a better racer next year now that I feel more comfortable on my motorcycle. One thing that will remain the same is riding this Buell. It’s been a challenge but I love it! It’s the best decision and after using this year as a kind of training year to familiarize myself with the new bike, next year is going to be really incredible.”
This story was originally published on November 18, 2024.
The post Pritchett Stuns in Top Fuel Debut and Salinas Achieves New Personal Best E.T. for Scrappers Racing first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
