CHICAGO FIREFIGHTER PREPARES FOR NHRA FUEL FUNNY CAR DEBUT
For a man who fights fire for a living, driving a fuel Funny Car in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series should be another formidable challenge.
Chris King will make his competition debut next Friday at the Dodge NHRA Mile High Nationals.
King, who has experience behind the Top Alcohol and Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars, will drive a Toyota for Mark Howard's Papillion, Neb.-based Howard Motorsports Funny Car operation.
"Not many people ever get the chance to drive a nitro Funny Car, let alone compete in one at the highest level of the sport, and I get chills and get all fired up just thinking about it," King said. "Tomorrow isn't guaranteed – especially in my line of work – and I'm 100% focused on making this happen while I can. Who knows? With some sponsor help and a little luck, maybe I can make a name for myself out here."
King is backed by the Howard Motorsports' all-volunteer crew, led by crew chief Terry Totten and sponsored by Chip Lofton's Vita C Shots.com, Impact, Competition Products, Howard's Cams, and JJ Supply of North Carolina.
Current plans include competing at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in Topeka, with the possibility of making an appearance at the NHRA U.S. Nationals during the Labor Day weekend.
Of particular note, King's permanent driver number is 343, which honors the 343 New York firefighters killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. His efforts represent The Ronnie Thames Foundation, a public-safety/first-responder charity that works toward children's burn prevention, care, and hospitality for families going through burn hospitalizations, first-responder recognition, and public-safety programs.