For more than five decades, Paul Lee has chased a singular dream: to be in position to win a Funny Car championship. That journey, which began when he was just 13 years old, has carried him through countless challenges, personal triumphs, and the ups and downs that define drag racing. Now, as the 71st annual NHRA U.S. Nationals approaches at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Lee believes he has his best opportunity yet to leave Indy with a victory – and potentially set himself up for a run at the championship.
Lee enters the weekend with a breakout season already in motion, sitting solidly inside the top 10 in points. The U.S. Nationals, known as “The Big Go,” offers 1.5 times the usual points, making every round win even more valuable as the Countdown to the Championship looms. For Lee, it’s not just about showing up – it’s about capitalizing.
“You want to be in the top 10. You want to start in the Countdown as high as you can,” Lee said. “You can win or lose a championship by a couple of points, so every position means a lot, whether it’s fourth, fifth, third, second. Points and a half is definitely something we’re shooting for.”
While he’s clear that nothing tops the importance of a championship, Lee acknowledges that Indy has a mystique unlike any other stop on the calendar.
“To me, nothing beats a championship. That’s the ultimate. That’s why we race,” he said. “Race wins are second, but the biggest race win would be the U.S. Nationals, because that’s our biggest race. It’s the biggest drag race in the world. Who wouldn’t want to win that? Once you win the U.S. Nationals, as far as single race wins go, nothing beats that one.”
Lee has raced at Indy many times before, both in Alcohol Funny Car and Fuel Funny Car, and he carries plenty of memories of hard-fought battles at the event. One in particular stands out. “I remember beating Robert Hight in the first round one year, and then Ashley Force beat me second round,” Lee recalled. “Ashley and I were joking at the top end. That was kind of fun.”
But this time, he insists, feels different. “Yeah, this is the best car I’ve ever driven in Fuel Funny Car,” Lee said. “This is my best chance to win Indy so far, for sure.”
That optimism stems from the steady growth of his program, the hard work of his team, and the joy he feels every time he climbs into his car. Unlike many of his competitors, Lee doesn’t see racing as a job. He’s quick to point out that this pursuit is still very much his passion project.
“Since I was 13 years old, all I ever wanted to do is win a Funny Car championship,” Lee said. “Even further than that, I wanted to be able to have the chance to win a championship. Even if I don’t win, I just want to have that chance. If I finish second or third, at least I gave it a good shot. People don’t realize that this is a 50-year work in progress.”
That perspective, built over decades, gives Lee a unique mindset heading into Indy. While the stakes are enormous, he doesn’t feel the pressure that so many others do at the U.S. Nationals.
“I don’t have any pressure. This is my fun. I don’t do this for a living, so I don’t have to win or lose,” Lee said. “I spend my own money to do this. This is my hobby, so I feel zero pressure. It’s not pressure, it’s opportunity. I have a chance with this team this year to not only have a chance to win Indy, but a chance to compete for a championship. That’s all I can do. And if you win, fine, but you’ve got to leave it all out on the table and give it all you got.”
For Paul Lee, Indy isn’t just another race. It’s the place where history is made, reputations are cemented, and dreams are either realized or put on hold. With his strongest car yet, a seasoned team behind him, and a career’s worth of determination fueling every pass, Lee enters the 2025 U.S. Nationals with clarity, focus, and the belief that this could finally be his moment.
“This is my best chance yet,” he said – and with the way his season has gone, there’s every reason to believe him.
This story was originally published on August 27, 2025. 
