Leah Pritchett Races To First 7s Pass In Factory Stock Class History, And Wins 2nd National Event In A Row

Team Speed Society Racing’s very own Leah Pritchett has been pulling double duty all season, at least at the national events that have featured the SAMTECH Factory Stock Shootout. As if driving an 11,000 horsepower nitro burning dragster for Don Schumacher Racing weren’t enough to do, Leah has also been jumping behind the wheel of her Hoonigan-sponsored Drag Pak Dodge Challenger.

We were on hand with Leah in Indy when she broke through for her first win in the Factory Stock Shootout, bringing home the Wally from the most prestigious drag race on the planet. Now, just a few short weeks later she’s added another FSXX national event win, this time in St. Louis at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals.

Leah and company rolled into Gateway Motorsports Park looking for some good air and traction, hoping to be the first to knock down the 8 second barrier in NHRA competition. She’d qualified #1 in Indy with an 8.003 elapsed time, quite literally knocking on the door of the 7-second zone, but the sweltering Indiana heat kept her just on the cusp.

In Missouri, late week rainstorms ushered in hoodie-appropriate temperatures and Pritchett and her team knew it was not a matter of “if”, but simply a matter of “when” the barrier would fall. When the call came for the cars to head to the lanes for qualifying, it was a dash to get there first, and it paid off. Pritchett would open the weekend with a blistering 7.93 elapsed time to officially break the barrier and become the first FSXX racer in the 7’s.

Just moments later, her DSR and Mopar teammate Mark Pawuk would also blast the barrier, running a 7.92 to take the #1 qualifying spot, but Leah’s heads-up decision to get to staging first earned her the distinction of being the first in the 7’s! Congrats as always to Leah and the El Bandito crew for their stellar showing. The FSXX shootout will wrap up it’s season at Dallas, where LP hopes to ride her momentum into the points lead and a series championship.