Scrappers Racing was a part of NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series history this weekend at the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis. For the first time, the ultra-competitive Top Fuel category featured four female drivers on the ladder, including Scrappers Racing’s Jasmine Salinas and Julie Nataas, who made her Top Fuel debut.
After inclement weather rained out the opportunity to qualify on Friday, drivers were eager to see what the track would have in store for them on Saturday. None were more excited than Julie, who’d been dreaming of the moment she would be at the helm of a Top Fuel dragster since she started competing in the cutthroat sport at only nine years old.
Julie, the 2023 Top Alcohol Dragster world champion, showed the drag racing community why she deserves a spot on the pro circuit when she powered her Airmine Scrappers Racing Top Fuel machine to a stunning inaugural run of 3.791 seconds at 314.90 mph. She backed it up with another quick lick in the second qualifying attempt, running a 3.807 at 318.92. Her first pass put her in the No. 15 qualifying position for her first professional start.
Julie faced eight-time Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher in her first round of NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competition. She is the 111th competitor that Schumacher has faced in his career as the winningest Top Fuel driver in the sport. Both drivers struggled at the hit, creating a pedal-fest situation in front of the packed grandstands. Julie caught her tire shake and managed to get back on the throttle to continue pushing forward as Schumacher faced similar issues in the lane beside her. Veteran driver Schumacher used his years of experience to stay ahead of Julie and turn on the win light. The early exit did nothing to quash the Top Fuel dreams of the young Norway native.
“I want to do this forever,” remarked Julie. “I know now more than ever that this is where I belong, chasing horsepower alongside the best drivers in the world. If this is the only time I ever get to drive a Top Fuel dragster, then I’m so grateful to have this experience. The right sponsor partners are out there and I’m going to do everything I can to show them what I can add to the legacy of this sport. I can’t thank Airmine, Rockstar Energy, Red Line Oil, Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Hedinger’s Equipment enough for creating this opportunity. No matter what the future holds, we made history this weekend with four females in Top Fuel. And I’m so honored to be a part of it. The best is yet to come!”
With 19 competitive Top Fuel machines on the property at World Wide Technology Raceway this weekend, Top Fuel rookie Jasmine knew that she and her crew would have to put on a great performance to ensure a solid qualifying position. The talented driver delivered in spades, first running a 3.826-second pass at 309.34 mph to get into the field. She turned it up a notch for the second of only two qualifying opportunities this weekend when she delivered a beautiful run of 3.745 at 320.81 to land in the No. 7 position on the ladder.
Jasmine faced three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown in eliminations on Sunday. Unfortunately for Jasmine, she smoked the tires at the hit, ceding the first-round victory to Brown.
“It’s hard to put into words how I’m feeling after this weekend,” said Jasmine. “I’m proud of my friend and teammate Julie for doing such a great job in her debut. And being a part of NHRA history is incredible. The more diversity we have in the sport, the more of an impact we will make in the world of motorsports. But in terms of our performance, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated. That’s a part of what makes this sport so alluring. If it wasn’t such a challenge, I probably wouldn’t want to do it. So I’ve got to take the bad with the good. We are all learning together.”
Aboard her Valley Services Scrappers Racing Pro Stock Motorcycle, Jianna Evaristo made two great-looking passes during qualifying. She started with a fierce lap of 6.883 seconds at 196.64 mph in the first heat on Saturday, following it with an improved and equally impressive run of 6.880 at 196.73 to land in the top half of the ladder in the No. 7 position.
In the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Jianna faced former Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Geno Scali for the second time this season. Jianna squeezed the tree just a tick too early, leaving the stripe 0.007 seconds before the light turned green, resulting in an early exit for the up-and-coming driver who has been on the cusp of another national event win all season.
“That’s not how we wanted race day to go,” said Jianna. “But overall, we had a good showing. I want to focus on ending this season on a positive note. These next three races, I’m going to focus on my skills as a rider and do everything I can to finish on a strong note.”
The Scrappers Sisters, Jasmine and Jianna, will travel to the Dallas area for the next stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour, the Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, October 10-13. Julie will be back behind the wheel of her Top Alcohol Dragster at the same event as she works to defend her NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world championship title.
This story was originally published on September 30, 2024. 
