The COVID-19 pandemic put NHRA racing on hold for five months , threatening to put a damper on a year that seemed to have so much promise .
But Ashley , wise beyond his years , didn ’ t waver in the down time . He saw a talented team around him , a dedicated and driven team owner in Dustin Davis and a crew chief in Aaron Brooks that was going to be ready when racing resumed .
This debut was something built as years in the making and pandemic or not , Ashley was going to keep pushing forward .
“ I think that we ’ ve been fortunate to be able to accomplish a lot over the last few years . When you ’ re in the middle of it , you ’ re so focused on what you ’ re doing and you ’ re so focused on the task at hand that you really don ’ t get a chance to sit back and look at everything as a whole ,” Ashley says . “ The truth of the matter is I ’ m fortunate to be able to be in the position that I am . It ’ s far from an individual effort . It ’ s a team effort , it ’ s a program effort , and it takes a really large supporting cast . We ’ ve accomplished so much in such a short period of time . I ’ m proud to be a part of the journey and excited about all that we ’ ve accomplished .”
But that journey didn ’ t include shutting down for five months . Ashley , though , came back with a vengeance , putting a stamp on his rookie season – one that finished by being named NHRA ’ s Rookie of the Year in a no-brainer decision – with a victory at the NHRA Summernationals , which was the second race of the NHRA restart in July .
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