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Daniel Wilkerson, SCAG Ford Team Ready to Rebound at NHRA Winternationals

Funny Car rising star Daniel Wilkerson and his SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team are primed to make waves at the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, the third stop of the 20-race 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Under the guidance of his father and crew chief, Tim Wilkerson—a 27-year NHRA veteran with 24 career wins—Daniel is eager to capitalize on a strong car and a fresh opportunity in Pomona. After a promising test session following the Arizona Nationals, Wilkerson is set to shake off an early exit in Phoenix and chase his first career Funny Car win at the iconic Southern California event. 

“We stayed to test after the Arizona Nationals and it went exactly like we hoped. We made a few hits on our backup car, so we have a solid now. Plus, grandpa [Tim] made his runs to keep his license, so everyone is happy,” Wilkerson said. “Tim and these SCAG guys had the race car on kill for the Arizona Nationals and I blew it. So, I’m going to hold up my end of the deal in Pomona and I think we can probably snatch us up a win in California.” 

In 2024, his rookie season, Wilkerson qualified eighth for the Winternationals but had a first-round loss to Jeff Diehl. With the 11,000-horsepower SCAG Ford Mustang dialed in and a hungry driver behind the wheel, the team is ready to turn heads in front of the Pomona crowd.

Racing action at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip begins Friday with two rounds of qualifying at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. PT, followed by two more on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. PT. Eliminations kickoff Sunday at 11:00 a.m. PT. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET and Sunday at Noon ET and eliminations Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

This story was originally published on March 27, 2025. Drag Illustrated

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