SRI Performance and Daido Metal will take over the points leading McLeod Racing nitro Funny Car driven by Paul Lee for the upcoming Charlotte NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, NC. SRI is the exclusive distribution partner for Daido Metal Nitro Bearings, and Paul Lee Racing is their official nitro funny car team. Spa Technique and Riken Rings will have a larger presence on the 330+ MPH hot rod, with SPA offering state-of-the-art fire suppression systems and Riken having high-performance rings, also sold exclusively at SRI.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the Paul Lee Racing program”, states Greg Fornelli, owner and president of SRI Performance. “After the big win at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, there’s a ton of momentum heading into Charlotte. We’ve built a strong relationship, and it’s exciting to see our products perform at this level. I’m looking forward to another great weekend of racing at the Four-Wide at Charlotte’s ZMAX Dragway!”
“Riken Ring Corporation has been making high-performance rings for many other racing applications worldwide and has stepped in and designed some great new ring packages for the NHRA nitro division,” said Chad Elliott, Director of Technical Sales at SRI Performance. “Although new to this type of racing, they have done an amazing job delivering rings that have worked very well in Funny Car (PLR) and Top Fuel. They continue to improve the product and have new designs to test later this season. Their quality and attention to detail are second to none.”
Daido Metal has entered the world of NHRA drag racing at the highest level with their new line-up of performance bearings, and the PLR race team could not be happier with the race-winning results. PLR crew chief, Jonnie Lindberg, and team consultant, John Medlen, were involved from the beginning to guide Daido engineers in the process of perfecting their performance bearings that can handle the extremes of over 11,000 horsepower.
“We at Daido Metal USA are thrilled to partner with Paul Lee Racing for the 2025 season. This collaboration highlights our dedication to innovation and excellence in racing. Together, we’re enhancing our products and elevating the sport, making it faster, safer, and more competitive. We’re excited for a partnership that will drive racing technology forward,” said Dustin Kull, race account manager.
“Professional racing is the ultimate proving ground,” said Ron Brock, business development manager. “Our mission is to push the limits of what’s possible through cutting-edge technology and unwavering quality.”
Paul Lee Racing is off to a great start for the 2025 NHRA season with Paul’s first-ever nitro funny car win at the Phoenix race, and then followed it up with a runner-up finish at last weekend’s Las Vegas 4-wide event. With that finish, Paul Lee took back over the lead in the overall NHRA nitro funny car championship points standings heading into the Charlotte Four-Wide national event this weekend.
“Our race team has been performing at the highest level, and a big part of our success is partners like SRI, Daido Metal, Riken, and SPA. SRI’s exclusive products have proven to be a winning combination in performance and safety with our nitro funny car team. We already have a win this year and are leading the points heading into Charlotte, so that’s proof of what our team chooses to run,” said team owner and nitro Funny Car driver, Paul Lee.
Lee has also qualified for the next running of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge held on Saturday during afternoon nitro funny car qualifying sessions with hopes to win his first Mission Foods champion ”Chip” trophy. The Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series arrives in Charlotte April 25-27, 2025, for the first of two four-wide events at zMax Dragway during the 2025 season.
This story was originally published on April 22, 2025. 
