Dave Richards is quickly adding to his experience as a Funny Car driver in NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, and his latest venture into the world of the thunderous nitro-fueled race cars will include a debut in the Lone Star State at this weekend's 30th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals. Richards, who has competed in four events so far this season in the Paul Richards Racing family Toyota Solara, will race at Texas Motorplex for the first time thanks to friends Brian and Janie Mahoney and their son, Shawn.
 
"They came to Charlotte this year and loved it," said Richards, who made his Funny Car debut at the NHRA New England Nationals in Epping in 2013. "Brian offered to help us get to another race, and we decided to hold off and get a little bit more prepared so that we could really race to the best of our abilities in Dallas. It should be a lot of fun this weekend, and we're grateful for their help."
 
Paul Smith will once again be available for consultation, although he will primarily be assigned to the Funny Car driven by young Blake Alexander who also returns to the series at Texas Motorplex.
 
Richards, owner of All Pro Pools and a resident of West Palm Beach, Fla., will be assisted on-site by the usual suspects – his hard-hitting, dedicated team – but with a couple of new faces that add to what the ever-evolving driver calls a 'great chemistry.' Paul and Dave's brothers, Michael and Brian, will also join the group in Texas to round out the family affair.
 
Although they won't be in attendance at the race, Richards' wife, Serena, and daughter, Leah, will be cheering them on from home, along with Paul's wife Marlo, and Richards' parents, Gary and Peggy, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on October 9th.
 
"Our car has been running pretty well, so we won't change a whole lot for the weekend – we're just going to go there and do our best," said Richards. "I'm definitely feeling better and better in the car, and we're becoming more confident as we go on. As a driver, I'm gaining confidence and am especially happy that I don't have to wait four months to get back in the seat this time.
 
"We're grateful to have Prestige Corporate Headquarters, Hedman Hedders, and Florida Brake and Truck Parts on the car, and thanks to the Mahoneys, we should be able to make all four qualifying runs. That means we'll be comfortable a lot quicker with what is a new environment for us in Texas."
 
The NHRA FallNationals will likely be the last race of the season for Richards and the team, but they are thrilled to have the opportunity to add this venue to the list.
 
"It was really neat to see how much Brian and Janie loved the Charlotte race," said Richards. "They really recognized the family atmosphere and how this is a group of people who take time off from their regular jobs to come and do this because we all love it. We're really happy that somebody noticed the great dynamics of our team.
 
"I'm just the lucky guy who gets to drive the racecar, and this isn't just about me – it's about all of the hard work and dedication that everybody in our group puts into the program. We're grateful that Brian and Janie saw that, and now they are part of it. Hopefully, together, we will have a great weekend to remember."