Just like his Nostalgia Funny Car alumni Steven Densham and Jason Rupert will attest, Tony Jurado learned that a Camping World Drag Racing Series Funny Car is absolutely sensory overload. 

“The thrill is there,” Jurado said. “It’s cool being here. I’ve always wanted to do this, but there’s a lot to drive in these fuel cars. I have a ton of respect for those drivers, the guys who drive these cars. It’s a difficult learning curve, and we’re getting through it. But absolutely, it’s awesome.”

Jurado got off to a tough start in Friday’s Q-1 session, crossing the centerline and taking out timing cones. He was able to get a run on the board in Saturday’s opening session with a 4.597, 195.31. In the final session on Saturday, Jurado realized a dream by running a personal best 4.176, 270.86, to claim the final spot in the field. 

Of special note, there were five ex-Heritage Series drivers in competition in the Funny Car division this weekend. Jurado said it wasn’t hard to see the Nostalgia Funny Car series has become a training ground for future Big Show stars. 

“I think for me it was,” Jurado said. “I don’t know if that works for everybody else. But that was my goal. I started with a Pro Mod blown alcohol car, then went to nostalgia and to nitro. I didn’t want to jump right into the big car. I made 50 or 60 runs in that car and then progressed to this. For me, it worked.”

Jurado entered the final session in the 17th spot, and his run put him as high as 13th. However, four pairs later, he’d dropped to the bump spot. 

"This has been a tough journey licensing, and getting through the whole process of this big show car," Jurado said. "But I knew we were able to do it. And just really happy."