Mike Salinas has been the hottest Top Fuel Dragster pilot this season and he showed it again with his fourth win of the season and seventh overall. With crew chief Rob Flynn at the helm, the Scrappers/Valley Services dragster has been both quick and consistent, allowing Salinas to remain a perfect 4-0 in finals in 2022.
This is Rob Flynn's first season with Salinas and the Scrapper's Racing Team.
Salinas’ latest win came at the expense of Josh Hart, who enjoyed his best outing of the season. Hart gave it his best shot with a 3.783 in the final, but Salinas was long gone with a stunning 3.706 run at 333.58 mph. With the victory, he’s passed Brittany Force as the championship leader in Top Fuel.
“I know how hard it was to get here,” said an emotional Salinas. “We earned the right to be here. We belong here. We have a great team and I’m learning how to drive again. My guys are going crazy right now because it’s their best year ever and some of them have been out here a long time. Life could be different but I just appreciate being able to be out here.
“Basically, Rob Flynn brought a calm to the team,” Salinas said. “Here, everybody has a voice. They see things that he can’t see all the time and they share things and we ask each other what can we do to improve. That’s unprecedented. It makes everyone feel like they are the crew chief. Today was a crazy day. I was happy to get through the first round. I just need to deal with them one at a time.”
Hart, who shocked the sport with a win in his debut last year in Gainesville, drove his R+L Carriers dragster to wins against quality opponents including Spencer Massey, Austin Prock, and championship leader Brittany Force. Tuner Ron Douglas dialed up a pair of 3.75-second runs on race day.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series action will continue at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals, July 15-17 in Denver.
See the recap from Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor:
See the Sunday photo gallery from NHRA National Dragster staff:
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