Story By: SARA SLAUGHTER / SCAG RACING – BRISTOL, TN – Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team will be looking for another career best weekend at Bristol Dragway for the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals to keep them climbing the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series points standings.
With a runner-up finish at the Four Wide Nationals in Charlotte where he also recorded his career best speed (333.16 mph) and elapsed time (3.885 seconds) and two consecutive semifinal appearances at the Route 66 Nationals, a home race for the Illinois native, and the most recent New England Nationals in Epping, N.H. where he had his career best qualifying finish at No. 4, Wilkerson has moved with 66 points of reaching the top five in the Funny Car points standings.
“This SCAG Power Equipment, Summit Racing Ford Mustang team has found some consistency, maybe a little luck too but Tim has been making good decisions and the car has been responding,” Wilkerson said. “All the hard work is paying off. It’s been fun. We’ve picked up round wins and continue to hit some of my career bests. I think we’ll have more of that this weekend, improved qualifying and going rounds on race day.”
Wilkerson’s crew chief father, Tim, has raced to runner-up finishes three times at Bristol Dragway in 2022, 2014 and 2010. In 2023 at Bristol Dragway, as crew chief for Chad Green, Wilkerson led Green’s team to a No. 3 qualifying position and a semifinal finish that included defeating Tim in the second round.
“I love Thunder Valley; the setting is amazing. It’s unique sitting between these two mountains,” Wilkerson said. “The racetrack is tricky though, it has some bumps, which I think we have some answers for this year. My family is going to be coming out to this event so hopefully we can take some winners circle pictures with everyone this weekend.”
Competition at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals begins with four rounds of qualifying Friday at 5:30 and 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 4:15 p.m. Eliminations are slated for noon on Sunday. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Friday at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.