Story By: SARA SLAUGHTER / SCAG RACING – MADISON, IL – Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team enter this weekend’s NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway ready to put on a show in front of family and friends.
Wilkerson lives in Springfield, Illinois making World Wide Technology Raceway a home track for the second generation racer. The Rookie of the Year candidate will be looking for a late season surge as he enters the third weekend of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship sitting eighth in points after securing a No. 9 qualifying position and quarterfinal finish at the most recent event, NHRA Carolina Nationals.
The second round showing a zMAX Dragway just outside of Charlotte was an improvement from two consecutive first round losses at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania that kicked off the Countdown to the Championship and the prestigious U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis that marked the end of the regular season.
“I cannot remember a more frustrating three runs than Reading round one of eliminations and the first two qualifying sessions at the Carolina Nationals in my entire racing life. That being said, I firmly believe we have fixed it and we have a badass car. We got to show it a little in that second round at Charlotte,” Wilkerson said. “I can’t wait to race this SCAG Mustang in front of a ton of friends and family. I know we are a top five team and we are going to need a strong showing in these last four races to prove it.”
Wilkerson’s goal for a top five finish is well within reach. The SCAG Mustang team are only 55 points behind the No. 5 spot with plenty of racing left and a newfound confidence in their hot rod.
The NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway will kickoff with four rounds of qualifying on Friday and Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET and an eliminations show on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.