Chicago firefighter Chris King, who battles a different kind of fire once a year, understands the monumental challenges ahead of him as a part-time nitro Funny Car racer. 

King is giving it another shot at this weekend’s NHRA Route 66 Nationals. While he fell short in last season’s appearance, he was encouraged enough to bring his Cams/Competition Products Dodge Charger Funny Car back to the track outside Chicago for another shot. 

“We made some significant changes in the off-season, and I feel like we are starting the season in a much better position,” said King, who made his professional Funny Car debut in 2021. “Last year, we raced in five races, and we had our ups and downs. I have to thank everyone that has worked over the off season and beginning of this year to get us to this point. I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep in the past couple of weeks, but when you are chasing a dream, that doesn’t really matter.”

King’s team isn’t looking to reinvent the wheel or become a drag racing legend; he just wants his team to capitalize on every shot they make down the strip and do so without hurting the limited parts supply they have. 
 
“We don’t have a big budget, but we have more parts this season than we have ever had,” said King. “We are not going to go out and run low ET, but we can race smart and race the track. The Funny Car class is tough, but I love every second of the competition at the track. We have received a lot of support from other teams in the class. I am excited to get to the track and hit the throttle. I am really glad the NHRA and the Chicago track added the fourth qualifying session. That will really help our team.”

King has been persistent in marrying his career as a first responder to his hobby of racing in a sport where those challenged to protect drivers are not much different than his occupation. This is why, each year, he hosts a firefighter experience event on the Thursday before this event to introduce his fellow races to the challenges that he and his associates face daily. 

 
“The firefighter experience is something I have always wanted to do ever since I started racing Funny Cars,” said King. “You get a unique perspective when you are putting out a fire or knocking down a door with an axe. The similarities between the focus you need and the physicality of both jobs are so similar. I am excited to show a new group of drivers what my day job is like.”
 
King is aware of the monumental challenge he faces this weekend. For this particular event, 17 other Funny Cars are competing for 16 available qualifying positions. 
 
“We have been working for months towards this race and putting our best foot forward,” said King. “When we come off the trailer on Friday, we want to just make a nice smooth run to shake the car down. We have a lot of new parts, and we aren’t going to try anything crazy. We are going to race what the track gives us, and hopefully, at the end of the day on Saturday, we will have one of the sixteen quickest times.”
 
“I have a personal connection to every charity I work with and that is one of the things I missed about not being at the racetrack, was the connection to something I loved,” said King. “When you are a member of the firefighter or first responder community, it is a big family, and racing is the same thing. I can’t wait to just be around the other drivers. They have all been welcoming and supportive in the past. This year, we will be doing more races, so I hope to get to know some of these guys even better.”
 
In 2021, King raced in three NHRA national events, qualifying for the Mile High Nationals in Denver, The Kansas Nationals in Topeka, and the Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. Last year, King entered the Route 66 Nationals, the Mile-High Nationals in Denver, the Topeka Nationals, the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, and the Midwest Nationals in St. Louis.  King looks forward to competing in five or six national events this season.