Canadian Funny Car standout Spencer Hyde continued to build momentum in his sophomore NHRA season with a stellar performance at the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs, powering the Head Contractors and Engineers Racing Funny Car to a runner-up finish in one of the hottest race weekends in NHRA history.
“Overall, a fantastic weekend,” said Hyde. “We made it down seven out of eight runs. We’re not usually great on hot racetracks. We learned some stuff in Gainesville, and really showed that we applied what we learned. We had the most consistent race car here, which is a lot to be proud of.”
The reigning NHRA Rookie of the Year showed strength from the outset, earning his second career No. 1 qualifier thanks to a blistering 3.979 second pass at 317.64 mph during Friday’s opening qualifying session. Hyde added to his qualifying success with a total of seven bonus points, including three for the top run and four more for posting the second quickest elapsed times in the second and fourth qualifying sessions.
With a consistent hot-weather setup dialed in by crew chief Jim Head and car chief Dave Leahy, Hyde entered race day confident in his race car, a sureness that translated into strong, steady performances under extreme track conditions.Hyde opened eliminations with a first-round matchup against No. 16 qualifier Blake Alexander. Hyde delivered his best run of race day, a 4.014 second pass at 315.64 mph, to secure the win light and advance to the quarterfinals.
“Getting past the first round is always such a weight lifted off your shoulders,” said Hyde. “As long as you win a round, you don’t feel like you wasted a whole weekend.”
As temperatures climbed and track conditions became increasingly challenging, Hyde continued to excel. In the second round, he defeated J.R. Todd to move into the semifinals, locking in a spot in the upcoming Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, an opportunity to earn additional bonus points and prize money.
Hyde then faced Matt Hagan in the semifinals and once again came out on top, advancing to the third final round of his young Funny Car career.
Sunday’s grueling conditions tested teams across the board, turning race day into a true endurance challenge. In the final, Hyde matched up against veteran Ron Capps, a longtime mentor. Despite a strong effort, Hyde was edged out at the starting line and was unable to close the gap before losing traction late in the run, settling for a runner-up finish.
“It sucks getting off the tire in the final there and being so close to my first win,” said Hyde. “I watched these guys work so hard to turn this thing around in the heat. When Capps blew up and hit the wall, we had to wait for that clean up, and we had 40 minutes less than everybody else. These guys turned it around in less than 40 minutes, and they were exhausted. I just wanted so badly to win for them.”
Hyde credited the strength of his team and partners, including OUTLAW Beer and Jim and Janet Russell of the Caine Group, for helping make the weekend possible. With the runner-up finish, Hyde moves to a career-best No. 2 in the NHRA Funny Car points standings, signaling a strong start to what is shaping up to be a breakout sophomore campaign.
“My first win is coming,” said Hyde. “We’ve got a consistent race car. I’m driving good. Jim’s tuning good. Nobody’s making mistakes out there. Our time is soon.”
Hyde and the Head Racing team will be back in competition in three weeks at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals on April 9-12 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. It’s a significant race because it will be the 1,000th Funny Car race in NHRA history. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, April 10 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, April 11. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Winternationals visit nhra.com.
This story was originally published on March 23, 2026. 
