Leah Pritchett goes back-to-back to open the 2017 NHRA Top Fuel season

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Samuel Reiman

Leah Pritchett and Matt Hagan have gone back-to-back to open their 2017 seasons in the NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car classes respectively at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix.

While Jason Line couldn’t go back-to-back in Pro Stock after his win in Pomona, his teammate Greg Anderson got the job done for KB Racing, proving that the Summit Racing guys are once again going to be a force in 2017.

In Top Fuel, it was a repeat of what we had seen in 2016 when Leah Pritchett and Brittany Force had shaped up for the first all-female Top Fuel final since 1982. As was the case last year, it was Pritchett who emerged the victor for her third career win with a 3.705 holeshot win over Force’s 3.704. Pritchett also defeated Clay Millican and Shawn Reed en route to the final after having a Bye in Round 1. She has been the No. 1 qualifier and race winner in both of the opening two rounds.

“I’m learning to do what it takes to get into that extreme, severe mindset of what it takes to do what we’re doing,” said Pritchett. “Honestly I’m trying to keep up with my team for how well they’re doing and make them proud of me as a driver and do the job that is expected of a Don Schumacher racing team and I think we’re doing pretty OK with that. We’re blessed with the equipment and the talent capabilities of the people and everyone that it takes to make it. I’m happy I can hold up my end of the bargain.”

Much like his Don Schumacher Racing teammate in Top Fuel, Matt Hagan has gone back-to-back with race wins in Funny Car after defeating his teammate Ron Capps in the final. Capps put up a fight though, with Hagan just edging his teammate at the line with a 3.878 over a 3.883. Hagan also put an end to the days of Cruz Pedregon, Tim Wilkerson and Tommy Johnson Jr. after qualifying fourth.

“It’s just great. We got ourselves a hotrod right now,” Hagan said. “The car is running strong. My lights are on point right now. I’m just feeling it, feeling this race car, this race team. We’re just digging. Everybody is working hard. The car is going down the race track every lap. How much more could you ask for. It’s a great feeling to crawl in the car knowing that you have the confidence that it’s going to run strong and then when your lights are good it’s a real hard combination to beat.”

In Pro Stock, Jason Line’s bid to go back-to-back ended when he was defeated by Drew Skillman in Round 2. Meanwhile, his teammate Greg Anderson made his way all the way to the final from the right side of the ladder where he met up with Skillman. Anderson took the win with a 6.547 over Skillman’s 6.565. He had also won rounds against Kenny Delco, Shane Gray and Tanner Gray en route to the final after qualifying second.

“It was brutal today, but I knew it was going to be coming in,” Anderson said. “The class is awesome right now. I think every race I had today was decide by less than a foot. You just don’t get better racing than that. It’s fantastic out there. It’s just a battle royale every time you stage the car. Anybody can win and that’s what it’s all about.”

Meanwhile, Rickey House won in the Top Fuel Harley class with a 8.802 in the final after Bob Malloy red-lighted.
Rickey House Wins Top Fuel Harley Final at Phoenix | 2017 NHRA DRAG RACING

The NHRA drivers and the Pro Stock Motorcycle class will be back in action in three weeks’ time with the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.