Five-time Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world champion Justin Lamb developed a thirst for competition early and had a series of talented mentors who guided him through the learning process. It began with his father, Chris, who first introduced Justin and sister Ryen to the world of quick-and-fast by way of trips to the river with the family boat. Eventually, Chris partnered with a friend on a blown alcohol hydro boat, and his children found that they quite enjoyed the sound and the fury of race engines.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #193, the Interview Issue, in March / April of 2025.]
Eventually, the family transitioned to racing on land, and they never looked back. They entered the Jr. Drag Racing Series with no previous experience and learned by trial and error. Persistence and an ongoing enthusiasm for competition drove the family deep into the heart of Sportsman racing, and for Justin, it became a way of life.
In addition to his gleaming collection of series titles, Justin’s list of accomplishments includes 31 national event wins and 34 trophies racked up at the division level. The hard-charging, focused driver did what only two had done before when he doubled with both Stock and Super Stock championships in 2017, and he logged his name in the record books again as one of just 30 racers to have claimed two wins at one NHRA national event with Stock and Super Stock victories at the spring race in Las Vegas in 2018. Seven division titles complement his five world championships.
Justin has continued to compete in NHRA’s Sportsman series and bracket races, but in recent years, the tables have turned somewhat as the driver who learned so much from drag racing greats such as Peter Biondo and Kyle Seipel has taken on a role of instructor alongside three-time world champion Luke Bogacki in the This Is Bracket Racing Elite program. Ahead of the 2025 season, Justin and Drag Illustrated contributor Kelly Wade had a conversation diving into what continues to fuel the accomplished racer and invested coach.
For readers that don’t know, tell us a little bit about where this whole drag racing thing began for you.
My dad didn’t race, but he was always into fast stuff. He and two partners had a blown alcohol drag boat, truck, and trailer and all the stuff, and they did that for years. After that ended, we were at a car show one day and there were Jr. Dragsters there – at the time, they were pretty new on the West Coast. My dad said, “Well, shoot. Let’s try drag car racing.” I was seven at the time and got a Jr. Dragster for my eighth birthday.
At what point did you realize this was something you really wanted to commit to?
As soon as I could actually race it. I just thought it was the coolest thing ever, and I would come home from school and be out there cleaning my race car and just sitting in the thing. I loved it right from the start.
Over the years, you’ve had some really remarkable seasons and incredible accomplishments. What are you most proud of?
Winning three championships in two years; finishing first and first (Super Stock and Stock) in 2017, then first and second in 2018. I ended up being a decent driver, but I really enjoy and have a lot of pride in my cars, and there is no doubt in my mind I had the best race cars in the country those years.
Do you like the tuning aspect more than the driving?
I like the thinking part of things and putting forth the effort to have the best equipment – not necessarily the most expensive, but the fastest. I want my cars to work really, really well and be consistent, and that’s a huge source of pride for me. It’s not a thrill for me to go down the track, but if I could take a car that’s mediocre and make it really good, I like that. I guess the best way to put it is that driving is something I have to do, but the rest is what I like to do.
What do you think has been the key to your success?
I just think it’s the whole package. It’s like in basketball – I’m not comparing what I’ve done, but if you look at the Bulls when [Michael] Jordan was there, his first 10 seasons he was a great player, but he wasn’t unbelievable. He needed Scotty Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Phil Jackson, the right ownership group. It’s the whole thing. Those years we did really well, it was the whole thing. We had the best race cars, I was driving as good as anybody else and maybe better, and I had the support of my dad and all of our sponsors. The whole thing clicked; it wasn’t just one thing. Aside from someone like Peter Biondo, who you can put in a cardboard box with wheels and he’d win, I think we all have to have the whole thing.
You’ve said before that Peter Biondo was someone instrumental to your success. Who else has been part of that in your career?
In the Jr. world, we had to figure it out. We didn’t know what bracket racing was, and we learned as we went. My dad and I, we learned from scratch and figured it out together. When I got older, V. Gaines taught me how to work on the car, check valves, change jets, all of the above. That’s where I really started to like working on the car and the tuning aspect.
But the biggest influences on my driving were Kyle Seipel and Peter Biondo. Peter and I became very good friends and would talk every day, and he taught me so much about racing. From the driving aspect, from start to finish, there is no one better than Peter Biondo.
Fast forward a few years and I was probably 20 when Kyle and I started racing together. I was lucky enough to race with Kyle for years. We traveled together, he would race the cars and help me along the way with my dial. Kyle was incredible at dialing a race car, and he taught me that and expanded on what Peter shared with me to help my driving.
Those two were huge influences in racing and life. They’re older than me, so I was the youngster – just a punk, bratty kid – and they forced me to get over that. “Don’t be a punk. Figure it out.” It wasn’t just racing, it was life stuff with those two.
And now, you’ve come to be a coach. How did that transition happen?
A big part of that started with Luke Bogacki. He asked me to come on as an instructor with This Is Bracket Racing Elite, initially just for a couple of months. I didn’t know a lot about it, but he let me become a member to see what it was all about and I thought it was awesome. It was a refresher to stuff I already knew, but I was also learning stuff. Right away, I was like, “Do you want me to do this long term?”
The other side is that my dad and I have always done work for people, putting together cars, getting them set up and running consistent. We started putting together Shane Thompson’s Silverstate cars, and now I do the same for Dylan Hough, helping with his cars and with his driving and dialing. It’s a group effort, but Mindy and Brian [Dylan’s parents] give Dylan and I free rein to go to different races or try new parts. It’s pretty cool how it morphed into this. Dylan is a good driver and I get to do the rest – tune, setup, dial. It’s been pretty successful to this point – he almost won the championship last year, won a couple national events. It’s pretty fun.
What’s the best part about helping others reach their own goals?
In a way, it’s almost like paying it back. This is what Pete and Kyle did for me, and I would assume they probably felt the same. They helped me a lot, and I went on to win x, y, and z. There is nothing cooler than helping a This Is Bracket Racing Elite member on a Tuesday, and Monday morning a week later they’re like, “I went out and did what you said, and it helped.”
People are so appreciative, and we have a great group of members. Same thing with Dylan. The Houghs have been around racing their whole lives, but not bracket racing like Dylan is doing. It’s awesome seeing them excited, and when he wins, it feels like we all did it together. I distinctly remember standing in the parking lot at Fontana when I won my first race, and the first thing I did was call Peter and say thank you. It’s almost full circle for me now, getting those calls. It’s very rewarding.
That’s sort of moved into a new generation now with This Is Bracket Racing Elite’s Jr. Dragster program, hasn’t it?
Yeah, that was kind of my push to Luke, and he took it and ran with it. He really has a knack for seeing the whole picture. We both have kids that race Jr. Dragsters, and so we understand how difficult it is. There is a huge void there, and there is so much we can teach parents and their kids. We can speed up the learning curve substantially, from the basics to the complicated. There is so much opportunity to help people in the Jr. world, so it’s really a win-win.
How has your mindset changed over the years, in regard to drag racing?
I used to think it was the most important thing ever, and now I realize that it really isn’t. It’s a huge part of my life, but I appreciate being able to go to my son’s soccer tournament and my daughter’s dance competition and spend time with my wife. That’s probably been reflected in my success on the racetrack the past couple years, but when my kids are grown, if I want to race 52 weekends a year I’ll do it. Drag racing is hard, and it’s taught me a lot about work ethic, but it’s also taught me to cherish friendships. All of my best friends are in racing, and it’s where I met my wife. It’s just a great group of people.
This story was originally published on May 27, 2025. 
