The Oberhofer brothers used to wrestle.
Now they tune 11,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters together.
Rick Ware Racing has reunited Jim and Jon Oberhofer for the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, placing Jim atop Tony Schumacher’s Top Fuel entry and Jon in charge of Clay Millican’s program. Veteran tuner Nicky Boninfante will serve as co-crew chief across both cars, creating what the team describes as one operation with two entries.
The move pairs decades of championship experience with a family dynamic that predates either brother’s first crew shirt.
“Jon and I have spent our whole lives around these cars, so getting the chance to do this together again is pretty special,” Jim Oberhofer said. “We’ve both worked different paths over the years, but the approach never really changes.”
That approach once included the occasional “brother talk,” as Jon describes it.
“Ever since our sister died, we decided that we’re never going to argue again,” Jon said.
The statement carries weight, but the humor that follows is unmistakable.
“Definitely Jim O,” Jon said when asked who won more fights growing up. “He was always bigger than me.”
Jim doesn’t deny it.
“Well, yeah,” he said when asked if he feared legendary tuner Ed “the Ace” McCulloch might step between them during tense moments. “Hell yeah.”
The laughter masks a résumé that reads like a history book.
Both brothers cut their teeth at Kalitta Motorsports, contributing to championship programs in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Jim’s career began as a parts washer in 1983 before progressing to crew chief and general manager, while Jon climbed from cylinder head specialist to championship-winning co-crew chief roles.
Together, they have been part of multiple NHRA championships and U.S. Nationals victories.
Rick Ware saw more than hardware.
“When you look at what Jim and Jon have accomplished in this sport, it’s remarkable,” said Rick Ware. “But what really stands out to me is that they’ve grown up in this business together. There’s built-in trust and understanding that isn’t manufactured.”
That trust extends beyond bloodlines.
Boninfante, who joined Rick Ware Racing in 2024, has long-standing ties to both brothers. His résumé includes a 2015 NHRA Funny Car championship and decades inside some of the sport’s most competitive operations.
“After being around this sport as long as I have, you recognize when a group fits,” Boninfante said. “There’s respect here. Nobody guards information and nobody panics when things don’t go perfectly.”
Jim refers to Boninfante as the “voice of reason.”
“Nicky said that he had to be in between us in case my brother and I wanted to fight with each other,” Jim said. “But we’re too old for that anymore. My mom won’t allow it.”
The humor doesn’t disguise the seriousness of the objective.
“We’ve got one goal, we want to put Clay and Tony in the winner’s circle,” Jim said. “We don’t care how we do it.”
The reunion also brings an ironic twist.
For years, Jim Oberhofer tuned against Schumacher during the Army dragster era. The rivalry produced tense moments and championship battles.
“After all these years with Tony, we obviously had our rivalries back in the day,” Jim said. “So now to be on his side and him racing with us, I’m actually really enjoying him.”
Schumacher’s arrival over the winter led to a moment of levity inside the shop.
“Tony’s like, ‘Boy, this is awkward,’” Jim said. “Because we might’ve threatened Tony once or twice over the years.”
Now, those rivalries are replaced by collaboration.
Jon nearly stepped away from racing before the opportunity surfaced.
“I was at a point where I didn’t want to race anymore,” Jon said. “And then now that I’ve had the opportunity to come over here, it’s been like it’s special to me.”
The return to working alongside his brother sealed the decision.
“I didn’t really think about going anywhere else,” Jon said. “If not, I was just going to sit at home.”
Instead, the Oberhofers are back in adjoining pits, tuning two Top Fuel dragsters under one banner.
“It’s competitive, but it’s also fun,” Jon said. “And that’s usually when you do your best work.”
For the Oberhofer brothers, the arrangement is simpler than the stat sheet.
They used to argue about who won the fight.
Now they argue about clutch timing.
“We don’t have to explain much,” Jon said. “We already know what each other is thinking.”
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