Daniel Wilkerson admits he's dreamed of driving a fuel Funny Car on the NHRA tour for more than a race here or there, and the reality is when he heads into the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals in March, he will do so with less than ten races of experience under his belt.

And, for the first time, having not exhausted his maximum requirements for Rookie of The Year eligibility, he'll get to compete for the title. 
Of course, his first opportunity puts him up against contenders such as motorsports legend Tony Stewart, Ida Zetterström, and Sienna Wildgust, to name a few.
"At first, I thought Tony Stewart was going to be the biggest hurdle to jump, but the hits just keep coming," Wilkerson said on a recent episode of CompetitionPlusTV's Power Hour show. "The last 10, 15 years for as long as I've been dreaming about doing this, they've all been tough. So it doesn't really change the way we're going to come out there anyway, though. We're going to come out swinging and let the chips fall where they do."

Sometimes, a change can do someone good. Billy Torrence, the founder and CEO of CAPCO Contractors, Inc., is banking on a status change for 2024 to do the trick. 

Torrence is changing his status from a super part-timer on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series to full-time. He’ll adjust from racing only eight times over the last two seasons to making a full pull in 20-plus seasons for 2024 behind the wheel of a second CAPCO Contractors Top Fuel Toyota.

The elder Torrence will have the opportunity to bridge the win-gap between himself and his son Steve, who has won 54 national events. 

GETTRX, powered by Global Electronic Technology, Inc., confirmed its partnership with Matt Hartford Racing will continue in 2024. The company will serve as a major sponsor for Hartford throughout the upcoming NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series.

During the previous year, Hartford and his team achieved a 31-15 round record, securing three wins, including a victory at the US Nationals. They also made five final round appearances and finished in third place in the final full season points. 

GETTRX™ CEO Steve Bryson expressed satisfaction with the ongoing partnership with Hartford and his company, Total Seal Piston Rings.

When you dominate from start to finish, the odds usually stack in one's favor. They were stacked pretty high from Mark Micke as he drove his way to the $32,000-to-win winner's purse at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission Sunday night at Bradenton Motorsports Park. 

Micke fought his way through five rounds of eliminations and recorded a 3.609-second pass at 222.84 MPH in the final round to beat Ken Quartuccio and seal a second consecutive U.S. Street Nationals win. Quartuccio ran a 3.629-second, 208.14 MPH runner-up effort. 
 
The U.S. Street Nationals marked the season opener for the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series, which crowned winners in five drag radial classes. Joining Micke in the headlining winner's circle were Jason Collins (Pro 275) and Mark Meiering (X275).

The inaugural SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout, presented by Johnson's Horsepowered Garage, will feature a special Top Fuel vs. Funny Car Shootout, with the winner being awarded the Don Schumacher Nitro Superstar Award. Don Schumacher, a legendary figure in professional drag racing, will be honored during the event, which will take place from February 8-10 at Bradenton Motorsports Park. 

Final eliminations are underway at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission at Bradenton Motorsports Park. Two of the headlining divisions, the Outlaw Pro Mods and Limited Drag Radial, were able to get two rounds in before Saturday’s racing was completed.
 
“We’ve got two rounds of eliminations done in some of our classes and one round of eliminations in the rest of the classes,” said Victor Alvarez, track owner and promoter. “We’ll have eight cars left in all of the classes tomorrow to finish this race out. We have a little weather in the morning that we are hoping doesn’t come, but if it does, we’re prepared to still finish the race on time. 

The love of driving a nitro Funny Car is what continues to fuel Jim Campbell.

That’s why he’s returning to the NHRA circuit to drive a limited schedule in 2024.

“I’m stoked to be driving the 2024 season with Mark Herzhauser’s car, and Mark is a super cool dude, and his team is so fun to work with,” Campbell said. “And I just love driving a Funny Car.”

Lucas Oil is coming back as part of a multi-year agreement with NHRA to back sportsman drag racing. The deal solidifies Lucas Oil’s continued sponsorship of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and its position as the “Official Oil of NHRA.” T

“Lucas Oil has been an integral part of the NHRA for nearly a quarter of a century, and I am proud to announce a new, long-term extension with this remarkable organization,” said Brandon Bernstein, Director of Partnership Marketing for Lucas Oil. “This has always been one of our most cherished motorsports relationships because of the NHRA’s amazing history and its remarkable fanbase. Our sponsorship of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Antron Brown, and at other levels throughout the NHRA reflects our deep dedication to drag racing and the entire motorsports community. We have witnessed some incredible growth in this sport, and I firmly believe 2024 will be one of the most exciting seasons in NHRA’s history.”

The longstanding sponsorship covers various facets, including the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, involvement with three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown, and title rights for major events like the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals and the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.

It isn’t how one starts but how one finishes that makes the most difference. For veteran doorslammer racer Mark Micke, he started out qualifying at the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission on top. He fell out of the top spot but, with one last attempt, reclaimed the top spot with a 3.579-second pass at 221.02 MPH in his twin-turbocharged ’69 Camaro, an improvement of five-hundredths of a second on his Thursday night effort. 

Final elimination rounds were moved up a day with the threat of rain hitting on Sunday. Racers will get one more qualifying session on Saturday. Headlining qualifying in the top tier divisions were Mark Woodruff (Pro 275) and Eric LaFerriere (X275).  

Outlaw Pro Modified became a matter of who wanted the top spot the most. Micke was in the top spot until the final session when Derek Ward drove around him by .002 (3.604) of a second. Micke saved his best for the session’s final run, leapfrogging him with a 3.579 at 221.02.