As far back as Dave Richards can remember, he just wanted to be a full-fledged member of the club.
As Richards will attest, this club wasn’t just any club but a fraternity of those driving the most volatile drag racing vehicle on the NHRA tour. It’s the Funny Car Club.
Last year, Richards became a member of the exclusive group when his Versatran Funny Car committed to running the full NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule. At the recently completed Performance Racing Industry trade show, Richards revealed he’s moved his team into drag racing’s nitro playground – Brownsburg, Indiana.
“We’re moving the shop from Wisconsin, where the majority of the crew guys lived, to Indy just to be more centrally located, and it’s going to make it a lot easier for the guys to get the car ready and all the parts are here, all the manufacturers are here, so it’s just going to make it a lot easier on the guys once we get the move done,” Richards said. “It’s exciting to be able to race full time and now to have a shop in the same area, and we’re right down the street from our dragster team, so it’s going to be really cool to see where it all takes us. I’m excited for the future.”
Richards’ foray into full-time drag racing was a rollercoaster experience of ups, downs, and twists. He’s reminded of baby steps, and that’s exactly what he executed last season. While he only scored one round win all season, he did qualify for 16 of 20 races.
Richards says he will take whatever victories he can get as the team gains experience.
“We were at the new shop this morning,” Richards said. “We got a new car, so I was there getting a seat poured for it, and it’s really a surreal feeling to be here and then to be getting all this stuff and seeing it really happening. To be able to do it again in 2025, I’m excited.”
Part of last season’s miscues can be traced to driving a race car that didn’t fit his 6′ 2″, 225-pound frame, but Richards refuses to make excuses or complain because, as he sees it, “I’m blessed enough to be living the dream.”
Sometimes, that dream could be a nightmare as he struggled to make the most of the situation.
“We started with a car that was too small for me,” Richards said. “But I’m not going to complain; I still get to drive a Funny Car. I was a little more comfortable in the car when we got to Pomona. The car drove straight and did what it was supposed to. For a while there, I felt like I was along for the ride, but by the end of the season, I could drive it.”
This renewed enthusiasm is why, combined with a new car and shop, Richards is excited about what 2025 could bring.
“We feel there’s a legit chance to make it in the top ten next season,” Richards said. “We’re going to give it all we got, but we definitely have a legit chance. We got everything we need, so I’m excited to see how it all plays out.”
