Paul Lee, owner and driver of the McLeod Racing Nitro Funny Car team, has announced the addition of Jason Bunker to the team’s brain trust. Bunker will start immediately with Dustin Heim and the team at the Brownsburg, IN shop. Lee looks at this progression in his team as a fresh start.
Bunker, a Northern California native, has been involved with drag racing since he was a teenager. With experience in Pro Modified, Nostalgia Funny Car, Nitro Funny Car, and a Top Fuel Dragster, Bunker has the passion that will complement the entire Paul Lee Racing team.
“I am very excited to be joining Paul Lee’s team,” says Bunker. “The opportunity to be fully involved with a nitro Funny Car team in Indy was the perfect next step for me and my family. Taking a look at the equipment that Paul has purchased over the last couple of years, this team has all the potential to run with the top Funny Car teams in this sport. And to work together with Dustin is going to be a really great time and we both can’t wait to hit the track in Houston.”
Bunker will be assisting Heim at the controls of the team and the tuneup for the car. With these two young guns, Lee is ready to reap in the rewards with some fresh perspective on racing in one of the toughest classes in NHRA drag racing.
“I’m certainly ready for a fresh start to the 2022 NHRA season,” Lee says. “Having Jason join Dustin as co-crew chiefs and replacing some key crew members with those two in charge, will give our team a new look and exciting new future. I’m looking forward to Houston and giving our loyal fans and marketing partners something to cheer for. We plan to go to race, and race hard. I can’t wait to see our new team in action.”
With the recent development of a new team, Lee deemed it appropriate to have a complete fresh start in Houston with a new scheme for the McLeod Racing Funny Car body.
“We’re not only starting fresh as a team, but starting fresh with an exciting new wrap, scheme, and new starting line shirts as well,” Lee says. “We will include a ‘Phoenix’ on the hood of the car that represents a ‘new beginning rising from the ashes with renewed youth’ for our team. I can’t wait for everyone in Houston to see the new car.”
The refreshed McLeod team will be ready for all the action for the final SpringNationals in Houston.
This story was originally published on April 19, 2022. 
