Ashley's Luck Runs Out Early in Vegas

LAS VEGAS (October 28, 2007) - When you play blackjack, sometimes you win and sometimes you bust – it all depends on luck., With seven out of the eight higher-qualified drivers falling victim to an un-predictable track in the first round, getting the win light meant having luck on your side, and for Mike Ashley, driver of the Torco Race Fuels Dodge Charger R/T, he got lucky in the first round, but the luck ran out in his quarterfinal match against Jim Head in the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.

In the first round of eliminations, the cards fell in Ashley's favor, taking the win light while coasting down the track after smoking the tires and peddling the car. His opponent, Scott Kalitta, had gone up in smoke at 300 feet and was unable to catch the limping Ashley, giving Ashley the win.

"That was lucky,” Ashley said. “Every car that went down the track had trouble, and we had a stroke of fortune on that one. You really had to take a hit and hope for the best, and we did well on that one.”

In round two, Ashley gave up lane choice to Jim Head, and the groove in the right lane pulled him too close to the center line, causing Ashley to try to correct to avoid crossing the into the other lane. Head's car went straight down the right lane, and after Ashley straightened the car, Head was too far ahead to be caught.

"It's disappointing, because I really wanted to get a win for my wife Mindy, but it just wasn't in the cards for this weekend," Ashley said.

"No matter, though, because we'll head to Pomona and try to wrap up the season with a win. It's been a great weekend here in Vegas with my wife and my dad and a lot of people from Torco and Lend America.

"This week, we're going to have the Eric Blake Faulkner car we won the U.S. Nationals with on display with the folks at Barrett-Jackson for the SEMA show, and we're hoping that will create a lot of excitement for the car as it goes to the Auction in January," he said.

Ashley and the Gotham City Racing team head next to the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona next weekend, November 1-4.