The 69th Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals, August 31-September 4, will have a prize purse of $2 million, hundreds and hundreds of competitors from all over the globe and one passionate, high-energy HULL’K themed Top Fuel dragster driven by Dallas entrepreneur Buddy Hull. The businessman from Texas has turned his Methanol Moonshine/Renegade Race Fuels 11,000-horsepower land rocket into an eye-catching homage to one of the biggest superheroes in the known universe. The idea came to Hull as an effort to attract young kids and bring more casual fans into the sport.
“I just love doing cool things and trying to introduce new people to NHRA drag racing,” said Hull. “We are going to run this design a couple races and hopefully have some fun and put some smiles on some faces. I can’t thank all my sponsors for supporting this idea. Indy is the biggest race of the year and we wanted to make a bit of a splash.”
Hull has been working on growing his program since the 2021 season and every year the third generation drag racer had made progress. The biggest leap he took was adding veteran crew chief Mike Guger to his program at the beginning of this season. With Guger’s wealth of experience and keen eye Hull’s operation has been steadily improving and this weekend he feels as confident as ever that the team could turn a corner with improved performance and success on race day.
“We got off to a rough start at the beginning of the season and had to sort a few things out,” said Hull. “In Topeka we made some really good runs and most importantly we didn’t hurt anything. These race cars can do a lot of internal damage to themselves because we run them right on the ragged edge. Mike has a great handle on how hard he can push to get great times. With five qualifying runs we are planning on making the most of the weekend and get into the show for Monday.”
In addition to the season-long sponsors backing Hull his marketing team has put together a handful of regional deals for the U.S. Nationals. This weekend the team is getting support from Fletcher Chrysler, Rush on Main, and Green Street Pub. The team will be supporting each of these businesses with decals on the race car, social media promotion and additional appearances throughout the weekend. They will also be included in the team’s PA script that is used over the weekend.
“We have sponsors that want national and regional exposure, but I think it is important to also reach out to the local companies and give them a chance to participate,” said Hull, who owns several businesses. “These small companies get the same treatment and opportunities at the U.S. Nationals and we appreciate their support. This is an expensive endeavor so every area we can save money just makes our team stronger. We can invest in other areas if we can get a sponsorship deal for a tow vehicle or get our meals catered. I am thankful for the support from Fletcher Chrysler, Green Street Pub and Rush on Main.”
In 2021 Hull made his first appearance at the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals and it was an experience the driver will not forget. He qualified No. 13 and lost in the first round to Josh Hart but he took away a lot of positives and it motivated him to come back. This season Hull has been working towards a successful weekend at Indy.
“My rookie season we learned so much and racing Indy that year was so cool,” said Hull. “This place has so much history and you have so many teams competing for 16 spots. Honestly just making the field that year was a big deal. This year the competition will be even more fierce, but I love the challenge.”
Leading up to the race Hull will be attending several free fan events including the Cruz Pedregon Open House on Thursday, August 31 at 7 p.m. and the DSR Open House benefiting Riley Children’s Hospital on Friday, September 1 at noon. Hull and a number of other NHRA professional drivers will be signing autographs and posing for photos with fans.
“The fans are why we are out here so getting to spend time with them leading up to the race is awesome,” said Hull. “I want to meet as many fans as possible and let them know how much we appreciate their support. At the track I work on the car, but I always try and sign for anyone and we give away a pretty good number of used parts. There is nothing better than putting a smile on someone’s face at the racetrack.”
Hull and the Methanol Moonshine/Renegade Race Fuel HULL’K Top Fuel dragster will be on track for the first time Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET. The team will get two qualifying runs on Saturday and two more on Sunday to grab one of the 16 spots in the field. Final eliminations will start at 11:00 a.m. ET on Monday with the race being broadcast on FS1 and FOX.
