The turning point came when an immigration attorney discovered a rarely used option available only to individuals with extraordinary achievements. She told Joon his résumé qualified. “She came back and said, ‘Because of your achievements in drag racing, I can get you there with a green card,’” he said. “It’s the same like winning a Nobel Prize or a gold medal in the Olympics.”
But the legal opening did not make the personal decision simple. “I was running a pretty successful company over there,” he said. “We had horses, our whole life was there.” The move required dismantling business interests, selling property, and walking away from decades of stability.
Throughout that process, one constant remained: Gerda was the balancing force, the organizer, the person who saw the whole picture while Lex focused on performance and vision. Even without speaking publicly, her impact was visible in every major decision. Joon acknowledged that nothing moved forward unless she believed in it equally. “I’m not the type of guy that’s going to force everything to my partner,” he said. “That’s not how those things work.”
He asked her directly whether she believed they should uproot everything. Her response settled the matter. “She told me, ‘If you don’t do it, you’ll always think what should have been or what could have been,’” he said. “That was what I needed.”
She did not have to push him far. “From five or six years of age, I already loved everything that had to do with America,” Joon said. “I was always a really pro-America person.” His entrepreneurial drive made the U.S. more appealing. “Where I was living, it’s just hard to be an entrepreneur,” he said. “If you make money over there, the government says, ‘You can give it to us.’”
He visited the United States frequently and saw a place where innovation was rewarded, where drag racing had room to grow, and where independence was a virtue. “I knew that was basically my country,” he said. “To be able to move here at a certain point in my life, that was really special.”
The couple settled in Brownsburg, Ind., home to many major drag racing operations. They started from scratch, pulling from their “Never Quit” identity forged during years of European racing. Strong independent-team runs — including recent 3.88 at 321 mph performances — proved they could still compete.
AMERICAN DREAM MEETS NITRO: JOON’S FIRST U.S. WIN AND CITIZENSHIP DEFINE A REMARKABLE YEAR
Lex and Gerda Joon never imagined a year where their first Top Fuel national event victory and their American citizenship ceremony would land less than three months apart. “The world Gerda and I had in mind when we moved to the U.S. basically came together this year,” Joon said. “Winning our first race and becoming U.S. citizens — that’s really what it’s all about for us.”
Their breakthrough victory came on July 28, 2025, at Milan Dragway in Michigan, a defining moment for one of drag racing’s most resilient independent teams. The achievement set the stage for another life-changing day when the couple raised their right hands and became U.S. citizens on November 23, 2025. Joon said the pairing of those milestones felt almost scripted. “For us, it was like everything finally lined up after years of pushing,” he said.
He reiterated that both accomplishments were intertwined because they represented the purpose behind their move. “Gerda always says there are people born in the wrong body, and we were born in the wrong country,” Joon said. “Being able to move here and finally become citizens — that was the dream long before we knew how to make it happen.”
Joon stressed that drag racing formed the foundation of their decision. “We came here for racing and specifically for drag racing,” he said. “That’s what we did our whole life.” But the immigration process required more than ambition. “You can’t just say, ‘Let’s go to the U.S. and start living there,’ because that’s not how those things work.”
He said the United States only grants permanent status to those who bring something exceptional. “If you want to become a U.S. citizen, you have to bring something special, otherwise it’ll never happen,” he said. His success in Europe — championships, records, and technical innovation — ultimately provided that platform.
Before they ever pursued paperwork, the Joons shipped their Top Fuel operation to America in 2009 and 2010 to race select events. “We told each other, ‘Yeah, this is it,’” he said. “This is really what we would like to do.” That desire drove them to search for a legal path forward.
The turning point came when an immigration attorney discovered a rarely used option available only to individuals with extraordinary achievements. She told Joon his résumé qualified. “She came back and said, ‘Because of your achievements in drag racing, I can get you there with a green card,’” he said. “It’s the same like winning a Nobel Prize or a gold medal in the Olympics.”
But the legal opening did not make the personal decision simple. “I was running a pretty successful company over there,” he said. “We had horses, our whole life was there.” The move required dismantling business interests, selling property, and walking away from decades of stability.
Throughout that process, one constant remained: Gerda was the balancing force, the organizer, the person who saw the whole picture while Lex focused on performance and vision. Even without speaking publicly, her impact was visible in every major decision. Joon acknowledged that nothing moved forward unless she believed in it equally. “I’m not the type of guy that’s going to force everything to my partner,” he said. “That’s not how those things work.”
He asked her directly whether she believed they should uproot everything. Her response settled the matter. “She told me, ‘If you don’t do it, you’ll always think what should have been or what could have been,’” he said. “That was what I needed.”
She did not have to push him far. “From five or six years of age, I already loved everything that had to do with America,” Joon said. “I was always a really pro-America person.” His entrepreneurial drive made the U.S. more appealing. “Where I was living, it’s just hard to be an entrepreneur,” he said. “If you make money over there, the government says, ‘You can give it to us.’”
He visited the United States frequently and saw a place where innovation was rewarded, where drag racing had room to grow, and where independence was a virtue. “I knew that was basically my country,” he said. “To be able to move here at a certain point in my life, that was really special.”
The couple settled in Brownsburg, Ind., home to many major drag racing operations. They started from scratch, pulling from their “Never Quit” identity forged during years of European racing. Strong independent-team runs — including recent 3.88 at 321 mph performances — proved they could still compete.
Living in America gave the Joons a perspective that many U.S. citizens rarely consider. “Simple answer, yes, Americans take for granted what they have here,” Joon said. “You guys don’t know what you have here.” He said most Americans never experience the realities of living abroad. “Going to Italy or the Netherlands on a holiday is not living there or working there,” he said.
He contrasted that with a moment after his European title. “The government told me, ‘You probably deserve this medal, but we don’t like that it’s not good for the environment,’” he said. “That’s typically what’s happening over there.”
Here, he said, accomplishments are celebrated rather than cautioned. “Being an American, being able to live our American dream and live the way we love to do it, that’s for us really special,” he said. The November 23 citizenship ceremony represented the moment their belief in the country became permanent.
The August 28 win at Milan also carried emotional weight. “To win a race here, that’s something that takes a lot of work,” he said. “You need to find the funding and everything else to get it done.” He said American fans often underestimate how difficult racing is in Europe, where travel demands are severe. “Every bolt, every nut, every tire has to come from the U.S.,” he said.
He recalled one example that summed up the logistical grind. “One tire was in Paris and the other one was in Amsterdam,” he said. “What do you do with just one tire?” Those experiences made the Milan win feel even more significant.
Asked whether American teams could adapt to European racing, Joon paused. “It’s a different mindset that you have to have,” he said. “Different skills to be able to do it.” But he believed many could thrive if they understood the workload.
The decision to compete with IHRA several years into their rebuild was strategic, not a departure from NHRA loyalty. “I thought IHRA might be the solution for us to make things happen,” he said. “IHRA is more like what we are used to do in Europe.”
SIDEBAR: JOON SAYS EIGHTH-MILE RACING MAY BE THE KEY TO SAVING NITRO
Lex Joon once viewed eighth-mile competition with skepticism, but two races changed his mind. “To be honest, I like it because it’s a complete different animal,” he said.
He believes shortening the racing distance may be necessary to protect the nitro categories. “On a thousand foot, the cars go way too fast,” he said. “There will be a moment Goodyear won’t give us tires anymore.” Without those tires, he said, the sport collapses. “When Goodyear stops making tires for Top Fuel and Funny Cars, the sport is done.”
Joon said eighth-mile speeds reduce strain and extend viability. “Now the speeds are going down,” he said. “Goodyear can keep making us tires.”
NHRA, he said, hasn’t taken adequate steps to slow the cars. “We keep pushing, pushing, pushing,” he said. “I think it’s going to kill the sport.” He sees the eighth-mile approach as a lifeline. “IHRA running an eighth-mile might save the sport.”
He clarified that their long-term home remains NHRA racing, but IHRA gave their independent team momentum. “Now we are NHRA people, 100%,” he said. “But to get the opportunity to work with IHRA, that’s exactly what got us going.”
For the Joons, 2025 became the year when every sacrifice paid off. The August win and the November citizenship ceremony created a storyline even they could not have dreamed. “No, never,” he said when asked if he foresaw the timing. “To be honest, never.”
Both moments — one earned on track, one earned through determination — validated their journey. They also highlighted the partnership that kept the operation moving. While Lex is the face of the team, Gerda is its infrastructure, its steadying center, and the person who manages everything no one sees but everyone depends on. Her commitment made the move possible, kept the program alive, and maintained their resilience through years of rebuilding.
Looking back, Joon said the story is simple: two people chasing a unified purpose. “This is what we want to do,” he said. “This is where we belong.”
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AMERICAN DREAM MEETS NITRO: JOON’S FIRST U.S. WIN AND CITIZENSHIP DEFINE A REMARKABLE YEAR
Lex and Gerda Joon never imagined a year where their first Top Fuel national event victory and their American citizenship ceremony would land less than three months apart. “The world Gerda and I had in mind when we moved to the U.S. basically came together this year,” Joon said. “Winning our first race and becoming U.S. citizens — that’s really what it’s all about for us.”
Their breakthrough victory came on July 28, 2025, at Milan Dragway in Michigan, a defining moment for one of drag racing’s most resilient independent teams. The achievement set the stage for another life-changing day when the couple raised their right hands and became U.S. citizens on November 23, 2025. Joon said the pairing of those milestones felt almost scripted. “For us, it was like everything finally lined up after years of pushing,” he said.
He reiterated that both accomplishments were intertwined because they represented the purpose behind their move. “Gerda always says there are people born in the wrong body, and we were born in the wrong country,” Joon said. “Being able to move here and finally become citizens — that was the dream long before we knew how to make it happen.”
Joon stressed that drag racing formed the foundation of their decision. “We came here for racing and specifically for drag racing,” he said. “That’s what we did our whole life.” But the immigration process required more than ambition. “You can’t just say, ‘Let’s go to the U.S. and start living there,’ because that’s not how those things work.”
He said the United States only grants permanent status to those who bring something exceptional. “If you want to become a U.S. citizen, you have to bring something special, otherwise it’ll never happen,” he said. His success in Europe — championships, records, and technical innovation — ultimately provided that platform.
Before they ever pursued paperwork, the Joons shipped their Top Fuel operation to America in 2009 and 2010 to race select events. “We told each other, ‘Yeah, this is it,’” he said. “This is really what we would like to do.” That desire drove them to search for a legal path forward.
The turning point came when an immigration attorney discovered a rarely used option available only to individuals with extraordinary achievements. She told Joon his résumé qualified. “She came back and said, ‘Because of your achievements in drag racing, I can get you there with a green card,’” he said. “It’s the same like winning a Nobel Prize or a gold medal in the Olympics.”
But the legal opening did not make the personal decision simple. “I was running a pretty successful company over there,” he said. “We had horses, our whole life was there.” The move required dismantling business interests, selling property, and walking away from decades of stability.
Throughout that process, one constant remained: Gerda was the balancing force, the organizer, the person who saw the whole picture while Lex focused on performance and vision. Even without speaking publicly, her impact was visible in every major decision. Joon acknowledged that nothing moved forward unless she believed in it equally. “I’m not the type of guy that’s going to force everything to my partner,” he said. “That’s not how those things work.”
He asked her directly whether she believed they should uproot everything. Her response settled the matter. “She told me, ‘If you don’t do it, you’ll always think what should have been or what could have been,’” he said. “That was what I needed.”
She did not have to push him far. “From five or six years of age, I already loved everything that had to do with America,” Joon said. “I was always a really pro-America person.” His entrepreneurial drive made the U.S. more appealing. “Where I was living, it’s just hard to be an entrepreneur,” he said. “If you make money over there, the government says, ‘You can give it to us.’”
He visited the United States frequently and saw a place where innovation was rewarded, where drag racing had room to grow, and where independence was a virtue. “I knew that was basically my country,” he said. “To be able to move here at a certain point in my life, that was really special.”
The couple settled in Brownsburg, Ind., home to many major drag racing operations. They started from scratch, pulling from their “Never Quit” identity forged during years of European racing. Strong independent-team runs — including recent 3.88 at 321 mph performances — proved they could still compete.
Living in America gave the Joons a perspective that many U.S. citizens rarely consider. “Simple answer, yes, Americans take for granted what they have here,” Joon said. “You guys don’t know what you have here.” He said most Americans never experience the realities of living abroad. “Going to Italy or the Netherlands on a holiday is not living there or working there,” he said.
He contrasted that with a moment after his European title. “The government told me, ‘You probably deserve this medal, but we don’t like that it’s not good for the environment,’” he said. “That’s typically what’s happening over there.”
Here, he said, accomplishments are celebrated rather than cautioned. “Being an American, being able to live our American dream and live the way we love to do it, that’s for us really special,” he said. The November 23 citizenship ceremony represented the moment their belief in the country became permanent.
The August 28 win at Milan also carried emotional weight. “To win a race here, that’s something that takes a lot of work,” he said. “You need to find the funding and everything else to get it done.” He said American fans often underestimate how difficult racing is in Europe, where travel demands are severe. “Every bolt, every nut, every tire has to come from the U.S.,” he said.
He recalled one example that summed up the logistical grind. “One tire was in Paris and the other one was in Amsterdam,” he said. “What do you do with just one tire?” Those experiences made the Milan win feel even more significant.
Asked whether American teams could adapt to European racing, Joon paused. “It’s a different mindset that you have to have,” he said. “Different skills to be able to do it.” But he believed many could thrive if they understood the workload.
The decision to compete with IHRA several years into their rebuild was strategic, not a departure from NHRA loyalty. “I thought IHRA might be the solution for us to make things happen,” he said. “IHRA is more like what we are used to do in Europe.”
SIDEBAR: JOON SAYS EIGHTH-MILE RACING MAY BE THE KEY TO SAVING NITRO
Lex Joon once viewed eighth-mile competition with skepticism, but two races changed his mind. “To be honest, I like it because it’s a complete different animal,” he said.
He believes shortening the racing distance may be necessary to protect the nitro categories. “On a thousand foot, the cars go way too fast,” he said. “There will be a moment Goodyear won’t give us tires anymore.” Without those tires, he said, the sport collapses. “When Goodyear stops making tires for Top Fuel and Funny Cars, the sport is done.”
Joon said eighth-mile speeds reduce strain and extend viability. “Now the speeds are going down,” he said. “Goodyear can keep making us tires.”
NHRA, he said, hasn’t taken adequate steps to slow the cars. “We keep pushing, pushing, pushing,” he said. “I think it’s going to kill the sport.” He sees the eighth-mile approach as a lifeline. “IHRA running an eighth-mile might save the sport.”
He clarified that their long-term home remains NHRA racing, but IHRA gave their independent team momentum. “Now we are NHRA people, 100%,” he said. “But to get the opportunity to work with IHRA, that’s exactly what got us going.”
For the Joons, 2025 became the year when every sacrifice paid off. The August win and the November citizenship ceremony created a storyline even they could not have dreamed. “No, never,” he said when asked if he foresaw the timing. “To be honest, never.”
Both moments — one earned on track, one earned through determination — validated their journey. They also highlighted the partnership that kept the operation moving. While Lex is the face of the team, Gerda is its infrastructure, its steadying center, and the person who manages everything no one sees but everyone depends on. Her commitment made the move possible, kept the program alive, and maintained their resilience through years of rebuilding.
Looking back, Joon said the story is simple: two people chasing a unified purpose. “This is what we want to do,” he said. “This is where we belong.”
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AMERICAN DREAM MEETS NITRO: JOON’S FIRST U.S. WIN AND CITIZENSHIP DEFINE A REMARKABLE YEAR
Lex and Gerda Joon never imagined a year where their first Top Fuel national event victory and their American citizenship ceremony would land less than