Street Car Takeover, the nation’s premier street-legal drag racing event series, announced today that longtime grassroots racing advocates Tom “Jimmy Dale” Gunner and Michael Poland have secured an ownership stake in the rapidly growing series, solidifying a partnership that is set to reshape the future of grassroots drag racing in America.
The move formalizes a collaboration that has been building momentum over the past two seasons, most notably through the explosive growth of the Lil’ Gangstas 5.30 index class – a category founded by Gunner and Poland that has quickly become one of the most competitive and talked-about grassroots classes in the sport.
Street Car Takeover, co-owned and promoted by Chase Lautenbach, is coming off one of the most successful seasons in its 13-year history and recently unveiled a coast-to-coast 2026 schedule that spans 16 events, opening January 9-10 at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix, Arizona, and concluding November 13-14 at the same venue.
As part of the expanded partnership, Lil’ Gangstas will be contested at every Street Car Takeover event in 2026, further integrating the class into SCT’s national platform and fan-first event model.
“Street Car Takeover and Lil’ Gangstas uniting is about more than a class addition – it’s about raising the bar for grassroots drag racing across the country,” said Lautenbach. “Individually, both brands have reshaped the landscape. Together, we form a powerhouse that puts racers first, delivers real competition, and gives fans a show that’s worth the trip.”
Founded on the idea of relatable, street-driven cars competing at a high level, Street Car Takeover has grown into one of the largest and most attended grassroots racing series in the country, blending heads-up drag racing, roll racing, car shows, burnout contests, and fan-focused entertainment into a single weekend experience.
For Gunner and Poland, the ownership move represents both belief in the SCT platform and a long-term commitment to pushing the sport forward.
“Jimmy and myself continue to push the needle – for ourselves and for this industry,” said Poland. “We want to leave it better than we found it, and this is another step in the right direction. We’re excited for the partnership with Street Car Takeover and hope to keep pushing promoters, sponsors, tracks, and racers to work together toward what’s best for drag racing.”
Gunner echoed that sentiment, emphasizing accessibility and opportunity as the driving forces behind the deal.
“The future of drag racing depends on creating opportunities – bringing new faces in, supporting grassroots racers, and making sure anyone with passion has a place in this sport,” Gunner said. “That’s what Street Car Takeover does best, and that’s Poland and my main focus for 2026.”
The 2026 Street Car Takeover schedule will once again crisscross the country, with notable stops at Auto Club Famoso Raceway, Texas Motorplex, Beech Bend Raceway Park, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Maple Grove Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway, and Gainesville Raceway, among others.
Additional details regarding class integration, payouts, and event-specific announcements will be released in the coming weeks.
For more information, visit www.streetcar-takeover.com.
This story was originally published on January 7, 2026. 
