At the beginning of the month Funny Car team owner and driver Chris King was full of optimism heading to the 72nd NHRA Cornwell Tools U.S. Nationals facing one of the largest fields of Funny Cars in recent memory. The independent team gave it their best and narrowly missed the field with their 12,000-horsepower Howards Cams/Competition Products Funny Car. They showed flashes of improvement but a mechanical failure on the last day of qualifying doomed the team’s efforts to make the show. This weekend heading into the NAPA Midwest Nationals King is confident the team has made significant progress.
“We had to skip Michigan to get some parts, but we are ready for this weekend in St. Louis,” said King, a full-time Chicago firefighter. “We had help from (Alexis DeJoria crew chief) Jonnie Lindberg and (Ron Capps’ crew chief) Dean Antonelli has been working with my crew chief Bob Peck. The support in this Funny Car class is unbelievable. We were really carrying the front end in Indy and thanks to some parts from Jonnie he should have that problem fixed and we should be ready to fly down the track in St. Louis. The last time I set a personal best was in Indy in 2024 when I qualified for the U.S. Nationals, and I feel like we have a strong chance of resetting those records.”King has steadily been improving his entire racing operation and with crew chief Peck the team is looking to turn a serious corner at World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend. The team has moved into a new shop and has made significant upgrades to the Funny Car. The opportunity to showcase those changes is a big priority for King.
“We saw the improvement at the U.S. Nationals from the move to the new shop and having more parts,” said King. “It has really helped being in Brownsburg, Ind., to work with other teams and bounce ideas off them. My goal is to be out here full time. We have great sponsor support, and we want to put on a good show for the fans.”
Throughout the season King and the Howards Cams/Competition Products Funny Car have had a singular goal. They want to continue to make performance improvements and wow the fans. They have been successful every race this season when they have taken to the track. They have also been fan favorites off the track offering first responders and veterans the opportunity to meet with King and sign his race car. King, a firefighter himself, views this as a small gesture to say thank you to the men and women who are putting themselves on the line day in and day out.
“It is cool to see fellow firefighters and veterans sign the car,” said King. “I talk to just about everyone who signs the car and we all have so much in common. I appreciate the sacrifices they are making for all of us. I have made those same sacrifices throughout my career, and I just want to give them a cool opportunity and experience.”
Qualifying for the NHRA Midwest Nationals will begin on Friday, October 2, with two sessions of qualifying. On Saturday, fans will be treated to two more qualifying sessions and on Sunday the quickest 16 Funny Cars will duke it out for the 75th anniversary diamond Wally. Final eliminations will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the race will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
