Richards and the SCAG Racing BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car team have been anxiously awaiting this weekend’s American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Following a solid performance at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, where Richards made the second semifinal appearance of his career, Richards and his crew are focused on maintaining consistency and chasing round wins. The BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car has shown steady progress this season, and Richards is eager to capitalize on the team’s momentum at Virginia Motorsports Park.
“I’m definitely ready to get back at it, get back in the BlueBird Turf car. So, needless to say, I’ve really been looking forward to Richmond,” Richards said. “I’m excited to see how we do after our performance in Bristol. We’re planning on doing more of the same, stay consistent and get some round wins. Three runs on Saturday in hopefully the same conditions as we’ll have on race day is exciting. And we’ll be competing in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with both our teammates. That could be interesting.”
The Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge is a rematch-style format specialty race where Richards will face his semifinal opponent from the previous event to earn championship bonus points and prize money. Richards will be joined by SCAG Racing teammates Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) and Daniel Wilkerson (Funny Car) in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge taking place during the final two qualifying sessions on Saturday.
In 2024, Richards qualified 16th for the Virginia Nationals race day and had a first-round exit to veteran Bob Tasca III. Richards enters this weekend sitting 13th in points after two semi-final finishes and a quarterfinal appearance.
Racing action at the American Rebel Light NHRA Virginia Nationals kicks off with three qualifying rounds on Saturday at 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Fans can catch qualifying action on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET and eliminations coverage on FOX Broadcasting Network (FOX) Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET.
This story was originally published on June 19, 2025. 
