Massey, Prestone/FRAM team earn third win of season, set records at 4-wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway Sunday

April 15

Concord, N.C. (April 15, 2012) – The saying the third time is a charm rings true for the Prestone/FRAM Top Fuel team and Spencer Massey as they captured their third win of the season during the 2012 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series today in the unique 4-wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

The team made themselves known in a big way during the opening round of eliminations on Sunday where conditions were just right for setting records when the team posted a 330.55 mph pass to earn their way into the second round.

“It’s unbelievable,” Massey said. It was awesome going 328 mph yesterday and then coming out this morning and blistering a 330 right after watching (teammate) Tony Schumacher go 330 mph, too.”

But going 330 mph wasn’t enough for Massey and company today. During the final round of eliminations, Massey used a .037-second reaction time to get his edge and coupled that with a stout tune-up from crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Phil Shuler to result in a 3.802-second run at 332.18 mph that turned on the win light.

The 332.18 mph run is also the new national speed record.

“When I crossed the finish line I didn’t really realize who had won because with this 4-wide it’s kind of difficult to tell who won,” he said.

“When I made the turn off and everyone started telling me that we had won and went 332 mph. That’s just unreal at 1,000 ft. That just tells you how awesome these guys and Phil Shuler and Todd Okuhara are.”

Massey and the Prestone/FRAM team are leading the points and are still sticking with their game plan developed early in the season.

“We were just trying to go down the racetrack every time and not beat ourselves,” Massey said. “That’s been our motto lately, to not beat ourselves, go A to B and have the other teams beat us.”

“It’s about having patience, having your head in the game, paying attention and doing your job right.”

Massey and the Prestone/FRAM team did all of those things today en route to their victory.

TOP FUEL
Event winner: Spencer Massey (third NHRA event title in five 2012 events)

Spencer Massey, Prestone/FRAM dragster
Qualified: No. 6

Round 1: ADVANCED: SPENCER MASSEY (3.794 sec., 330.55 mph** and Antron Brown (3.805 sec., 324.51 mph); ELIMINATED: Morgan Lucas (4.376, 215.62) and Hillary Will (3.869, 308.78).
** Fastest 1,000-foot run ever in NHRA

Round 2: ADVANCED: MASSEY (3.834, 324.20) and BROWN (3.827, 324.44); ELIMINATED: Brandon Bernstein (3.825, 325.77) and David Grubnic (10.887, 64.87).

Final: WINNER - MASSEY (3.802, 332.18***); RUNNER-UP - Schumacher (3.833, 320.81); THIRD - Brown (3.844, 322.34); FOURTH - Kalitta (4.858, 185.92).
*** The fastest 1,000-foot run ever in NHRA and NHRA record