Story By: SARA SLAUGHTER / SCAG RACING – LAS VEGAS, NV – Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team can’t deny the progress they’ve made just three races into the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season.
They head to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals determined to keep it going.
Wilkerson and the SCAG team, led by Daniel’s father, Tim, are coming of a quarterfinal finish at the NHRA Arizona Nationals where they qualified in the top half of the field for the second consecutive time. Sitting 10th in the points standings, Wilkerson is looking for his first Funny Car victory in his first season racing the full NHRA Mission Foods Series schedule.
“I’m excited to get to Vegas. Coming off a weekend in Phoenix where we learned a lot and made progress, I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the SCAG Summit Ford Mustang,” Wilkerson said. “Four-wide is a little different. I have pretty limited experience racing in the four-wide format, but I think, as long as nothing crazy happens, I should be fine. We get four qualifying runs, which will help our progress continue so we can turn on a few more win lights on Sunday.”
Wilkerson will also be competing in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday during qualifying with the finals being run during the final session. It will be the first time the specialty race within a race has been contested at a four-wide event. Eight racers in each of the pro categories from the Arizona Nationals qualified for a chance to earn championship bonus points and a cash prize.
“It’s pretty awesome what Mission Foods has brought to NHRA Drag Racing. This Challenge adds some extra excitement to qualifying. I know the fans love it, but it’s an added bonus for the teams as well. I’m looking forward to competing in it for the first time as a driver,” Wilkerson said. “I had a lot of experience on the tuning side of the Challenge with Chad Green last year. I’m super excited they added it to the Four-Wides this year and I’m glad that our team can be a part of it.”
Competition at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway kicks off with four rounds of qualifying Friday and Saturday at noon and 2:30 p.m. Eliminations will begin Sunday at noon. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Friday at 11 p.m. ET and Sunday at 11 a.m. ET and an eliminations show Sunday at 7:00 p.m. ET.