Story By: ELON WERNER / JIM DUNN RACING – LONG BEACH, CA – The midpoint of a season is an opportunity to both reflect and remotivate. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, June 27-30, in Norwalk, Ohio marks the tenth race in a 20-race season, and nitro Funny Car driver Buddy Hull has plenty to reflect on. As he gears up for his first time back at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park since his debut season in Top Fuel in 2021, he is ready for the second half of the 2024 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
“It’s great to be going back to Norwalk,” said Hull. “So much has changed in my racing career in just three short years, since I was last at this race. I’ve made the transition from Top Fuel to Funny Car. I’m racing for the iconic Jim Dunn. I’m fortunate to be racing for the full season instead of just a few races a year. I’m a truly blessed man.”
The drum that Hull has been beating for a few weeks now is consistency. His car is finally consistently running in the low 4-second ET range. And with Norwalk being the fourth race in the past five weekends, there’s consistency with time-on-track.
“It’s so difficult to make advancements in your career when you’re not able to give full effort to it. And that’s true for anything, not just drag racing,” said Hull. “That’s how I felt when I was racing Top Fuel, and not competing at every race on the calendar. Starting and stopping keeps you from being able to build up a strong momentum. I’ve always done the best I could with the circumstances I’ve worked hard to earn. But now that I’m out here full-time, now I feel like I can really begin to reach my full potential as a driver.”
Norwalk is the final race of a four-race commitment that Hull is racing with a Blaze Exhaust Probes paint scheme on the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car. Blaze is one of Jim Dunn’s season-long sponsors, and since 1996, they have been a leading full-service temperature sensor manufacturer that offers solutions for even the most demanding applications. Their reputation for creating the most rugged sensors available has made them a top choice in the industry.
“One thing that really set Richmond apart to every other race this year so far was just how hot it was,” said Hull. “We felt like the flames on the side of our car were literal with how much we were burning up. I’m hopeful that we will have more reasonable track temperatures this weekend in Norwalk, but we’ll take whatever Mother Nature throws at us. And we’ll continue to try and represent the good people at Blaze well.”
In addition to Blaze, Hull will be repping other season-long sponsors Vertex Roofers and General Contractors, Solid Start/True Brand Products, Lescure Mechanical Services, Crow Safety, KGC Construction, Koppl Pipeline Services, Mooneyes, Good Vibrations Motorsports, Powerbuilt Tools and Wiley X.
“Last weekend in Richmond was everything I love and hate about this sport,” said Hull. “I’m becoming a better driver and so many things are coming together for our team. But seeing the Force crash really rattled me. It’s a reminder of how quickly things can change when you’re in one of these cars. How lucky we are to be able to compete in this sport at the same time as legends like him. And that you have to be on your A-game at all times while in the seat. One thing I will say is watching the outpouring of support for him is also a reminder that we have the greatest community in the world. I’m lucky to be a part of it.”
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will be making two qualifying runs on Friday, June 28 and two qualifying runs on Saturday, June 29 at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. The top 16 quickest Funny Cars in the field will then compete for a Wally on Sunday, June 30. The first round of eliminations will begin on Sunday at 11 a.m. EST. Fans can watch the finals on FOX.