Blake Alexander confirmed to CompetitionPlus.com, he will be racing in the Top Fuel class in NHRA’s national events in Dallas – this weekend – and the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals (Nov. 9-12) in Pomona, Calif.

Alexander will be driving the Pronto Auto Service Centers-sponsored dragster owned by Del Worsham. This is the same dragster Alexander drove in Englishtown, N.J., in June and Chicago in July.

“This is exciting to get back out here,” Alexander said. “I know Del has been working hard at Dexter Tuttle’s shop and Del and Dexter are going to tune the car in Dallas and Pomona. They are chipping away at it to try and make the car better and competitive. I feel more comfortable driving a dragster after a long layoff than Funny Cars. The dragster is a lot of fun like the Funny Car but Top Fuel is more straightforward and less violent. I still have a lot to learn, and am having a lot of fun with Del, Chuck, and the whole Worsham-Fink crew."

The Dallas race Friday through Sunday at the Texas Motorplex will have special significance for Alexander since the National PRONTO Association is headquartered in nearby Grapevine.

“We have like 350 people coming throughout the weekend to entertain and I want to make sure everybody is having a good time and all the people who work at the headquarters who have not got to see NHRA drag racing yet, get to see it up close and personal and enjoy it,” Alexander said.

The last time Alexander drove was at the Route 66 Nationals July 9 in Chicago, and he captured his first career Top Fuel round win against 8-time world champion Tony Schumacher on a holeshot. Alexander lost in the second round to eventual race champion Steve Torrence.

“That felt good,” Alexander said about defeating Schumacher. “I was just trying to do my part and I was able to cut a great light (.020).”

Prior to competing in a Top Fuel dragster this season, Alexander was driving in the nitro Funny Car ranks.

Alexander’s career-best performance in a nitro Funny Car is his runner-up finish at the 2013 spring race at Charlotte, N.C., when he lost to Matt Hagan in the finals.

Alexander made his first career nitro Funny Car start in 2011 at Reading, Pa.

Thanks to his victory over Schumacher, Alexander can put on his resume that he’s won rounds in Top Fuel and Funny Car not something that many racers have done.

“That’s cool to have won rounds in both classes, but I want to win more than just one round (in Top Fuel),” he said.

Alexander acknowledged he’s looking forward to racing in Pomona next month.

“I grew up in Southern California and it’s great that I get to race at the track I first went to as a child and saw Kenny Bernstein, and Blaine Johnson and guys like that race,” said Alexander, who was born in Glendora, Calif., and grew up in La Verne.

Alexander also said he’s already has preliminary plans for the 2018 season.

“We are working toward running more races next year in Top Fuel,” he said.