Tag: Camrie Caruso

Caruso sidelined from NHRA competition with broken fibula

Camrie Caruso is expected to miss a minimum of six weeks of NHRA Pro Stock competition with a broken fibula in her left leg and a possible sprained ankle after a Saturday crash at Firebird Motorsports Park. The incident happened in Q3 of Pro Stock …

Camrie Caruso is expected to miss a minimum of six weeks of NHRA Pro Stock competition with a broken fibula in her left leg and a possible sprained ankle after a Saturday crash at Firebird Motorsports Park.

The incident happened in Q3 of Pro Stock qualifying for the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix. Caruso was on a solo run when her Aqua Prop/True Brand/Big Jeff Audio Chevrolet Camaro had issues off the starting line. Upon completing the run, which clocked in at 142.87mph, Caruso’s car let out a cloud of white smoke before hanging a left and hitting the wall. The car then turned back across the racetrack and hit the wall in the right lane.

Caruso was evaluated by the NHRA medical staff at Firebird Motorsports Park before being transported to a local hospital. The injury was announced Sunday morning.

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“First and foremost, I want to thank the fans and everyone who has reached out to me for support,” Caruso said. “The NHRA community always rallies around one of its own and that’s something I’ve now experienced firsthand. The outpouring of support has been incredible.

“My return date is a little up in the air at this moment, but I can’t wait to get back on the track and represent my incredible roster of partners aboard my Aqua Prop/True Brand/Big Jeff Audio Chevy Camaro.”

Caruso did not qualify for Sunday’s event. A year ago at Firebird Motorsports Park, Caruso became the second female to win in NHRA Pro Stock competition when defeating Bo Butner in the final round. It was her 21st career start.

It is Caruso’s third year of NHRA Pro Stock competition. She was named Rookie of the Year in 2022.

Ashley, Pedregon, Caruso go No. 1 at NHRA Winternationals at Pomona

Justin Ashley picked up the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge as part of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, also racing to the No. 1 qualifier position in Top Fuel to close out Saturday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. In the …

Justin Ashley picked up the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge as part of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, also racing to the No. 1 qualifier position in Top Fuel to close out Saturday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Chad Green (Funny Car) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) also picked up wins in the bonus event in Pomona. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and Camrie Caruso (Pro Stock) qualified No. 1 at the third of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Ashley went 3.707s at 330.15mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by National Debt Relief to beat Leah Pruett in the final round, earning the bonus purse and bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. The run also gave Ashley, who won last weekend in Phoenix, his third career No. 1 qualifier and plenty of momentum heading into Sunday.

“This is probably the best Saturday I’ve ever had at the racetrack,” said Ashley, who will race Krista Baldwin in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. “It’s been pretty amazing and just a really positive step in the right direction. It’s a new tune-up and a new combination, and my team has obviously done a great job learning and adapting and I thought you saw the results here in this last session.”

Brittany Force finished No. 2 with a 3.712s at 328.86mph and Pruett took third with a 3.725s at 331.04mph.

It was a memorable moment for Chad Green, who picked up the win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge over Alexis DeJoria with a run of 3.974s at 316.08mph in his 11,000-horsepower Bond-Coat Ford Mustang. Green knocked off Robert Hight, who finished third in qualifying, earlier and then got past DeJoria, who qualified second, with a strong run in the final round of the bonus event, enjoying the biggest moment in his young Funny Car career in the process.

“It’s a really big moment for us,” Green said. “It’s our first win in Funny Cars as a team. This season is going a little better than I expected to start the season off, but we’re not surprised. I mean, we’ve got a good car. We’ve got a good group of guys, and we’re focused this year.

“It definitely proves we’re for real and we do feel we can do some damage. We definitely don’t have the car running as fast as we think we can get it running, but it’s been really consistent.”

Pedregon’s 3.865s at 302.28mph from Friday in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT kept the two-time champ at the top, giving him the top position for the first time this season and 63rd in his career. He’ll open eliminations against John Force, looking to pick up his second straight win at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip after closing out 2022 with a victory.

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“I didn’t think that 0.86s would hold up at all particularly last night because I shut the engine off and I questioned myself because thought, ‘Man I probably could wring its neck out a little longer there.’ I thought we left a little on the table there, but the weather warmed up just enough to keep the guys from getting there,” Pedregon said.

Hartford enjoyed some redemption in the Pro Stock ranks, picking up a win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. He defeated Camrie Caruso, who beat him in the semifinals in Phoenix, and then Kyle Koretsky in the final round in his GETTRX Chevrolet Camaro, going 6.546s at 210.80mph in the final round to earn the bonus points and bonus purse in the special race. Hartford also finished second in qualifying.

“I felt that we should have won in Phoenix if the driver had done his job and to come here and have a chance at some redemption, it’s really run and NHRA and Mission did a phenomenal job of putting this together,” Hartford said. “It was great, but all that being said, we’ve got a huge day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Caruso did enjoy one highlight on Saturday in her Powerbuilt Tools Camaro, finishing as the No. 1 qualifier when her run of 6.518s at 211.79mph from Friday held up. It gave the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year her second career No. 1 spot and plenty of excitement heading into eliminations, where she will meet Steve Graham in the opening round.

“I think we’ll be just fine (on Sunday),” Caruso said. “My guys are really smart and they know what they’re doing. I’m just going to continue to try and stay calm and not let anything rattle me. We’re going to focus on trying to get win lights and see what we can put together on race day.”

Eliminations for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Force, Pedregon, Caruso top early NHRA qualifying at Pomona

Reigning Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force powered to the provisional No. 1 spot on Friday, making the quickest run of the day to kick off the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and …

Reigning Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force powered to the provisional No. 1 spot on Friday, making the quickest run of the day to kick off the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and Camrie Caruso (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the third of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Force went 3.712s at 328.86mph in her 11,00-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster to vault to the top at her home track, putting the two-time champion in line for her second No. 1 qualifier this season and 44th in her career. Force, who made the fastest run in Top Fuel history at Pomona last year (338.94mph), is also after her first win of the season.

“Honestly, it didn’t feel like a great run to me,” Force said. “It was exciting to go No. 1, but we know we have a little more in it. That’s a good, solid run. Our team made some big, big changes this off-season, but I think in the long run it’s going to be good for us. We’re ready for that first win of the season and I hope it comes sooner than later. We’re aware it might take a couple races, but I feel like we’re getting our footing and I’m confident we’ll have this car figured out soon.”

Justin Ashley, last week’s winner in Phoenix, drove to second thanks to his 3.729s at 329.99mph, while Antron Brown went to 3.730s at 329.34mph to put him third. Ashley will also take on Steve Torrence in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, while the other matchup features Leah Pruett racing Shawn Langdon.

The last time Cruz Pedregon was at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, the two-time Funny Car champ made a series of career-best runs and drove to the win. Months later, Pedregon is once again performing at a high level in Pomona, going 3.865s at 302.28mph in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT to take the provisional No. 1 spot. It would be the veteran’s 63rd career No. 1 qualifier if it holds up as Pedregon looks to keep on rolling in Pomona and possibly pick up his second straight win at the legendary facility.

“I’ve been trying really hard to keep the car in the groove,” Pedregon said. “That was my focus and it was a great run. It wasn’t the start we wanted in Gainesville or Phoenix, but I just think we’re notoriously slow starters. I think we’ll have a really great car for this year and I think we’ll be good the rest of the year. I think we got all the bugs worked out and some of the things we learned at the first two races we were able to apply here. It was just a team effort and it showed with our performance today.”

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Robert Hight, who won last weekend in Phoenix, went to the second spot with his 3.892s at 329.99mph, and Alexis DeJoria is third after going 3.883s at 333.49mph. In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, Hight will take on Chad Green, while DeJoria, who won the first challenge of the year, will face off with Phoenix event runner-up Ron Capps.

Coming off her first career Pro Stock victory, Caruso continued to roll on Friday in Pomona, racing to the provisional No. 1 spot in her Powerbuilt Tools Camaro with a run of 6.518s at 211.79mph. If it holds, the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year would pick up her second career No. 1 qualifier and the first of the season. It was another impressive performance from Caruso, who has enjoyed a quick start with the new KB Titan Racing team and is looking to keep the momentum going this weekend at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

“That was just awesome,” Caruso said. “Pomona has always been good to us, but to go No. 1 right after we won in Phoenix was super special. We weren’t part of the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge in Phoenix, but now we are and it’s a special incentive for us. It’s just really cool and I’m thankful they’ve put together something like this. It’s been really awesome starting off the season like this, especially coming into a team that’s been so successful. I didn’t want to hold them back, so it was a relief getting that first win.”

Matt Hartford, who takes on Caruso in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, is currently second with a run of 6.524s at 211.13mph and Dallas Glenn’s 6.528s at 211.33mph puts him third. The other Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge matchup includes Kyle Koretsky and Phoenix runner-up Bo Butner.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. PT on Saturday at Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Ashley, Hight, Caruso win NHRA Arizona Nationals

Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley closed out 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 round on Sunday. Robert Hight (Funny Car) and …

Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley closed out 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 round on 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 3.705s at 329.34mph in his 11,000-horsepower Phillips Connect Toyota dragster powered by National Debt Relief, driving past Langdon’s 3.732s at 329.58mph. 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 race day. 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 setup, 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.”

Langdon drove to his first final round in 2023 and 38th in his career, defeating Antron Brown, No. 1 qualifier and Kalitta Motorsports teammate Doug Kalitta and Leah Pruett. He’ll face Pruett in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge next weekend in Pomona, with Ashley racing Torrence.

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 3.930s at 328.62mph 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 3.900s 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.

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“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.”

Capps went to his 141st career final round thanks to round wins against Alex Laughlin, Blake Alexander and Alexis DeJoria. He’ll race DeJoria in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, with DeJoria winning the Challenge on Saturday in Phoenix. Hight will take on Green in a semifinal rematch as well.

Caruso enjoyed her own memorable day in Phoenix, picking up her first career victory with a run of 6.592s at 210.31mph in her Powerbuilt Tools Camaro to slip past Bo Butner’s 6.593s, 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 race day 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.

“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.”

Butner reached his first final round since 2020, which also took place in Phoenix, by defeating teammate and defending world champ Erica Enders, Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Kyle Koretsky. The next Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge in Pro Stock will feature Caruso taking on Hartford and Butner facing off with Koretsky.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action March 30-April 2 with the Lucas Oil Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.