If the goal was to follow in his father’s shoes while charting his unique pathway, Travis Shumake made significant strides last weekend at the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals.
Shumake, the son of legendary Funny Car racer Trip, had arguably the best weekend of his young career at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, driving a Top Fuel dragster sponsored by Gillette Labs. The second-generation driver reset both career-best speed and elapsed time records.
Shumake raced in Vegas with the technical support of Scrappers Racing, who assigned tuners Troy Fasching and Adem Cave, who built the car for him in 2023 and helped him secure his license last fall.
The team took a calculated approach, choosing to make one pass each qualifying day. On Friday, Shumake ran 3.897 seconds at 309.20 mph, then recorded a career-best 3.724 at 323.12 mph on Saturday, securing the No. 9 qualifier position.
Shumake faced No. 8 qualifier Shawn Reed in the first round of eliminations. The pair launched within five-thousandths of a second of each other, but Reed pulled ahead, resulting in an early exit for Shumake.
“This weekend legitimized so many pieces of what we are trying to build,” Shumake said. “Running in the low 3.70s with back-to-back 323 mph and 324 mph passes proved that this car is fully capable of running with the pack.”
In what has become a staple of his approach to drag racing, Shumake found a way to capitalize on the drag racing performance by appearing on Sunday’s “Watch What Happens Live” show with Andy Cohen on Bravo TV.
“I’m having the time of my life,” he said. “On and off the track, things are really coming together, and my racing dreams are slowly becoming reality. I wouldn’t be here without all my season-long partners.”
Shumake, a driver and team owner, aims to close his 2024 season at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, California, from November 14-17.
