In drag racing, fans usually remember the driver who turns on the win light. They rarely see the crew member sliding beneath a hot, oil-stained race car minutes after a run, trying to prepare a 12,000-horsepower machine for another trip down the racetrack.
Those crew members have always been there. Most of the time, they’re invisible.
NHRA and VizionOne Hand Cleaner are working to change that through the “Grunt of the Race” program, an initiative designed to recognize the bottom-end mechanics who perform some of the toughest jobs in professional drag racing.
At every NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event, the diver on the winning Top Fuel and Funny Car team receives a $250 bonus from VizionOne Hand Cleaner. The award may not make headlines like a race victory, but it acknowledges a role every nitro team understands is critical.
Anyone who has spent time around a Top Fuel dragster or Funny Car knows the assignment.
After a run, divers climb beneath race cars still carrying heat from a 330-mph pass. Working around clutch components, driveline assemblies, fuel systems and engine parts, they inspect, repair and prepare cars for the next round under time constraints that leave little room for mistakes.
Those jobs rarely come with public recognition.
Rodger Brogdon, owner of VizionOne Hand Cleaner and a longtime racer, believes that’s overdue for change.
“Those guys — and girls — are the unsung heroes on the nitro teams,” Brogdon said. “When that car comes in and it’s steaming and sometimes dripping after a run, the divers are the ones who jump in there and make stuff happen where few want to. I’ve always had a fond appreciation of what they do, and we at VizionOne Hand Cleaner believe they deserve to be recognized.”
The award has already produced a growing list of recipients during the 2026 season.
No crew member has benefited more than Travis Vandermell, whose work with Shawn Langdon and Kalitta Motorsports has earned him three Grunt of the Race awards. The recognition has come during a stretch that has seen Langdon put together one of the strongest runs of the season, including three consecutive victories.
Success in Funny Car has spread the award across multiple organizations.
Aaron Kelley earned recognition while helping Jordan Vandergriff’s John Force Racing team score victories. Caden Gibson collected the award while working with Chad Green Racing, while Narciso Bravo became the most recent recipient after Austin Prock’s Funny Car victory for Tasca Racing.
The list reflects what team owners and crew chiefs have long understood.
Championships may be won by drivers, but they are built by entire crews. On nitro teams, few jobs are more physically demanding than the work performed beneath the race car between rounds.
NHRA officials believe the program fills an important gap.
“It’s always exciting to see unique programs like this and VizionOne has done a great job recognizing a vital crew member in this fashion,” NHRA Senior Director of Advertising Jeff Morton said. “These bottom-end mechanics are crucial to the success of any top team, so it’s a huge thrill to see VizionOne provide this special bonus. They’ve already been a tremendous partner to NHRA and our race teams and we look forward to seeing this relationship continue to grow.”
The program also aligns with VizionOne’s place within the sport.
The American-made hand cleaner was developed by Texas emergency room physician Dr. Ashton “Doc” Hudson and is designed to remove grease, clutch dust, fuel residue and racing grime. The product is available on the NHRA Midway at national events as part of the company’s growing partnership with NHRA.
For Brogdon, however, the award is about more than a product.
It’s about acknowledging the people who often finish their work long after the spotlight has moved elsewhere. In a sport where hundredths of a second can determine the outcome, those crew members remain among the most important people most fans never notice.
The Grunt of the Race program ensures they won’t be overlooked quite as often.
Vandermell, who has already won the award three times and is the only one in Top Fuel, is grateful more for the recognition than the monetary reward.
“Being the guy that’s underneath the car and you kind of getting kicked and everything dripped on you, you’re kind of the last one looked at by everybody at the ropes and just cool to have that little extra recognition for it, for being the grunt,” Vandermell said.
