Story By: ELON WERNER / NITRO FUNNY CAR 343 – CHICAGO, IL – Funny Car driver Chris King grew up attending the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals as a fan and then a crew member on Lucas Oil Series sportsman teams.
The magnitude of participating in the “Big Go” for the first time as a nitro Funny Car driver with a competitive team is starting to sink in with the full-time Chicago firefighter as he prepares for his third race of the season. King will once again be behind the wheel of the Competition Products/Howards Cams Funny Car that he owns and is tuned by veteran crew chief Bob Peck, at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, August 30 – September 2.
“I get goosebumps thinking about racing at the U.S. Nationals,” said King. “This is the biggest race of the season, it is the 70th Toyota U.S. Nationals and I will be competing against the best of the best. I feel like I am in the best position heading into a race I have ever been in. When I got out of the race car in Norwalk, I couldn’t wait to get back into it for the U.S. Nationals.”
During the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals King qualified No. 15 and gave J.R. Todd and the DHL Toyota Funny Car team a solid race in the first round. The Competition Products/Howards Cams Funny Car has continued to improve throughout the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season in limited appearances. Between races King and Peck have been adding parts and working on a tune-up that will set them up for success at the U.S. Nationals and beyond.
“I am being realistic about our program, but we have a Funny Car that can run 4.10s and we will plan on doing that right out of the trailer in Indy,” said King, who started his Funny Car career in Denver in 2021. “We can chip away at that time over the next four sessions, and I feel like we can have a Funny Car that can make low four second or high three second runs. It is exciting to think about. Every driver wants to win the U.S. Nationals. I am not being cocky, but Indy is a place that if you can make the show, magic can happen on Monday.”
King has enjoyed long-time support from Competition Products and Howards Cams throughout his career and this year he added Fire Department Coffee to his marketing program, which only makes sense considering he is an active firefighter. The marketing relationships King has fostered combined with his growing status as a fan-favorite continue to motivate him to build a program that aspires to be on tour full-time.
“Every race we attend I try and make new fans and deliver for all our sponsors,” said King. “We will be doing two pre-event fanfests and I will be on the ropes signing autographs for anyone who wants to come by our pits. This event is so special, and I want to really make a good impression. This team works hard to look professional and compete on the track. We are going to throw down some good elapsed times and hopefully we will surprise some people. Drag racing is one sport where you really can work your butt off and see results because anything can happen when two 12,000-horsepower Funny Cars line up beside each other. I have been working on my lights and Bob has been working on the tune-up.”
In the 70-year history of the Toyota U.S. Nationals the list of winners includes dominant mega- teams and independent operations. This year King will be looking to make the field of 16 Funny Cars and see if he can capture some of the Indy magic that will write his name in to the history books.
Qualifying will begin on Friday night, August 30 and teams will have two more qualifying sessions each day on Saturday and Sunday. The quickest 16 Funny Cars will square off on Labor Day, Monday, September 2, looking to turn on four win lights and hoist the iconic Wally trophy at the end of the day. The race will be broadcast live throughout the weekend on FS1 and FOX.