The 2023/2024 offseason was not a slow one for Doug Foley and his Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel team, as they re-introduced co-crew chief Doug Kuch and made a slew of changes before preseason testing. Foley is now prepared to kick off the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season with returning partner Alloy Employer Services at the NHRA Gatornationals, March 7-10, at Gainesville Raceway.
Foley and his team co-owned by longtime partner Tim Lewis took part in a two-day test session at Gainesville in mid-February to see if the changes they made in the shop translated into on-track performance gains. The Mooresville, N.C.-based driver is now confident he can head back to Gainesville for the Gatornationals in race mode rather than test mode.
“We did make some changes over the winter and the car responded really well,” Foley said. “Fortunately it did because we didn’t get much time down there with a shortened test session due to rain. The early numbers were really impressive and we definitely feel like we have something to work with going into Gainesville. Our goal was not to go to the Gatornationals and start the season still in test mode. We feel like now we can make a few minor adjustments and we should be fairly competitive.”
The test session also proved that Kuch, who tuned the Foley Lewis Racing dragster for most of Foley’s Top Fuel career, and co-crew chief Lance Larsen will make a formidable duo as the team competes in around half of the races on the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods schedule.
“Testing was the first time that Doug’s been back with us in a couple of years,” Foley said. “We picked up where we left off a couple of years ago. He knew that we’ve improved some of our parts and pieces since his last stint with us. Over the last three months, Doug and Lance have been working really well together to take the information we’ve gathered over the last few years and figure out the best approach to build on that and grow from there.”
Foley believes one of the team’s primary areas for growth is in qualifying. The team has put together strong runs on race day, but tough draws have prevented them from turning those performances into win lights.
“Our biggest goal this year is to not put ourselves in that No. 13, 14, or 15 spot in qualifying all the time,” Foley said. “We have to figure out how to give ourselves a better opportunity on Sunday. Putting ourselves in the middle of the ladder would give ourselves a little bit of a break.”
Foley will begin the season with Alloy Employer Services as the primary partner on the Foley Lewis Racing dragster at Gainesville. The human resources service provider started its partnership with the team at the prestigious U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis last season and will now serve as the primary sponsor at Gainesville, Norwalk, and Indy.
“Having Alloy expand on their program from last year to three races is a huge testament to what they think Foley Lewis Racing can do to expand their customer base and grow their business through NHRA drag racing,” Foley said. “JR [Pine, CEO] and Chris [Estey, CMO] believe in what we can do, and we’re working hard at the races to make sure that we’re capable of bringing them some customers and delivering on the B2B side.”
Foley will also start a new partnership with United Garage Door Company, a wholesale company providing the highest quality overhead door products in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, New York, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. United recently acquired Authority Garage Supply Inc. in Florida, so Foley Lewis Racing will represent the Authority brand as well as C.H.I. Overhead Doors and Liftmaster at the Gatornationals. United Garage Door will also be the primary sponsor at Chicago and major associate at Norwalk.
“To have a company that came on board during the winter step up and give us this opportunity is really exciting,” said Foley. “When you’re a small team and you get these opportunities to grow with these companies and show them that you’re capable of delivering on and off the track, it’s a testament to all the hard work that the entire team puts into this.”
Alloy Employer Services, United Garage Door Company, and Authority Garage Supply Inc. are all supporting Foley Lewis Racing in addition to a lineup of new and returning partners.
“DDP Roofing really stepped up and helped us get through the winter projects,” said Foley, who also mentioned partners like Red Line Oil, MR Drywall Service LLC, PROTECS, The BAMR Company, and Teligent Solutions. “We also welcome Sander Engineering as the Official Wheel of Foley Lewis Racing.”
Foley encourages fans to consider the brands that support NHRA drag racing and its teams when making purchasing decisions.
“A lot of fans probably don’t realize how much they can help their favorite race teams by buying from the companies that get involved with teams, especially small teams like ours,” Foley said. “If you’re an employer and need workers’ comp solutions, consider Alloy Employer Services. If you’re a builder and you buy a lot of garage doors every year, check out United Garage Door or Authority Garage Supply. It really does make a difference.”
Foley and the Alloy Employer Services Top Fuel dragster will hit the track at the NHRA Gatornationals for nitro qualifying sessions at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Friday, as well as 1:20 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Round 1 of eliminations is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
This story was originally published on February 28, 2024. 
