Buddy Hull has a Funny Car, a race team and a hometown NHRA national event this weekend. What he doesn’t have is enough sponsorship money to put the first two into the third.
And that’s why Hull Racing won’t be competing at the NHRA Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.
For a driver based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, missing this one tugs at the heartstrings a bit more than others. This isn’t some race halfway across the country where travel expenses might make staying home an easier decision. This is Hull’s backyard, where family, friends and longtime supporters would normally get to see him race.
Instead, Hull finds himself in a position familiar to too many independent nitro racers. He’s got the desire to race, but desire doesn’t buy nitromethane, parts or the resources necessary to run a Funny Car.
Hull isn’t trying to sugarcoat the situation, either.
The sponsorship dollars haven’t materialized, and rather than pretend otherwise, he’s telling people exactly why his operation won’t be on the property this weekend.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Hull said.
Hull has spent more than two decades owning and driving race cars. He knows what it costs to race, and he knows the difference between finding enough money to make the next event and finding enough to keep a team operating.
Right now, he’s trying to accomplish the latter.
Hull said the team continues pursuing corporate backing, developing sponsorship proposals and meeting with prospective marketing partners. He’s not interested in putting together a deal that gets him through one weekend only to face the same problem at the next race.
There’s also an understanding that the companies writing the checks need something in return.
“I also understand that sponsorship isn’t charity. It’s a business investment, and it’s our responsibility to demonstrate the value we can bring to the companies that choose to partner with us,” Hull said.
“That’s something we take seriously.”
Hull’s attachment to drag racing goes considerably deeper than owning a Funny Car. His family has been involved in the sport since the 1950s, long before today’s sponsorship presentations, hospitality programs and corporate marketing budgets became part of the business.
His wife Madi’s family has its own racing history. Her grandfather, Jim Livingston, owned Woodburn Dragstrip in Oregon, while her uncle, Jay Livingston, formerly owned National Trail Raceway in Ohio.
Madi’s mother grew up working at Woodburn, handling duties in the ticket booth and concession stand. Between the two families, there’s a considerable amount of drag racing history, much of it accumulated outside the cockpit.
And Hull would like to see that history continue.
He and Madi have a son, Maverick Lee Hull, whom Buddy hopes might someday develop the same interest in drag racing. Hull would like nothing better than to stand behind his son on an NHRA starting line, although he acknowledges that decision will ultimately belong to Maverick.
“I’ll never quit unless it’s on my terms. Those terms will probably be my son driving,” Hull said.
That’s a long-range ambition. The more immediate problem is getting Dad’s Funny Car back to the racetrack.
Hull has not announced when that will happen, and he’s making no promises about a return date. Until the necessary sponsorship is secured, his team remains on the sidelines. He’s also mindful of the crew members who have invested their time in the operation and the sponsors who have already supported it. Their involvement hasn’t gone unnoticed, even if the team won’t be racing this weekend.
There is no shortage of racers who would gladly trade their problems for the opportunity to compete in an NHRA nitro category. But getting there and staying there are two different battles, and Hull is fighting the second one.
“We don’t have a confirmed date for our return, but our goals haven’t changed, and neither has our determination to achieve them,” Hull said.
“We look forward to seeing everyone at the racetrack again soon.”
