Sat, 25 Feb 2017, 10:08 AM National Record run by Pritchett, Papa John's Team Leads 1-2-3 DSR Day

Courtesy of Don Schumacher Racing Photo copyright 2017 Auto Imagery, Inc.

CHANDLER, Ariz. -

Leah Pritchett

Three weeks ago, Don Schumacher Racing's Leah Pritchett and the Papa John's Pizza Top Fuel dragster Powered by Pennzoil, recorded the quickest elapsed time in drag racing history. But it was in testing and wasn't an official mark.

But on Friday afternoon in the second qualifying session of the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix, Pritchett with crew chief Todd Okuhara, assistant Joe Barlam and the Papa John's team made history with a time of 3.658 seconds in competition to set an official elapsed time record and capture the provisional pole at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park heading to Saturday's last two sessions before championship eliminations a day later at 11 a.m. (MT).

"From halftrack on it was like the car got lighter," said Pritchett, who won two weeks ago in the season-opening Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., and one year ago won at Wild Horse to earn her first Top Fuel title.

"When we ran that .65 in testing and to go that quick again is a whole new realm. Man, it's fun."

Although her testing time of 3.654 was one-thousandth quicker that Saturday's run, testing performances do not qualify for NHRA records.

"This has been everything a dream could be made of. It's almost too good to be true," she said.

"But it's because of the attention to detail I see with Todd, Joe and everyone on our Papa John's team.

"I won't lie, it's nice to say your team is the quickest in the world, but there are other drivers like my teammates who are not very far behind us."

In the other lane was DSR teammate Tony Schumacher (U.S. Army), whose time of 3.667 combined with Pritchett for the quickest side-by-side runs ever.

"Great job for the Army car today," said Schumacher, who has won at Firebird a Top Fuel record five times. "Our first one was outstanding. The second run was just flawless. There was more out there. It was quick, and smooth and easy. And right down the middle. And all those good things, but there was some left in it.

"DSR is 1-2-3 that's an impressive stat at any racetrack you go to."