Mike Salinas wants to win NHRA Top Fuel national events – that goes without saying.

However, the highly successful California businessman isn’t worrying about wins until the final six races of the season – the Countdown to the Championship.

“The whole race season is a test session until you get to the Countdown,” said Salinas, who has eight career Top Fuel Wallys. “Whoever does it the best …. Why do you think (David) Grubnic’s car (Brittany Force) is running the way it is and all these other cars are running the way they are? Everybody is trying to make this thing work; that’s the whole idea. It really is. We’ve tried all kinds of different things, and this (past) weekend (in Seattle), we found some pretty cool stuff that worked. We will keep chipping away at it, but we think we have something really special, and hopefully, it works even better at Sonoma (Calif.).”

The NHRA schedule stops for the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals July 28-30 to complete the Western Swing.

Salinas has a 5-5 elimination-round record since Epping, N.H., and has a 12-10 season record. He qualified No. 1 in Seattle with a 3.743-second lap at 329.02.

Salinas qualified third in Sonoma a year ago and advanced to the finals before losing to Brittany Force.

“We have data, we have good numbers, and we should do pretty good there,” said Salinas about Sonoma.

Salinas made his Top Fuel debut in Sonoma in 2011. He has competed in 111 career national events and has appeared in 16 final rounds, winning eight times.

“Actually, you surround yourself with good people … none of it is easy,” Salinas said. “Look what it is going on with Doug Kalitta and all these guys. Steve (Torrence) just won his first race (this season in Seattle). Everything is different nowadays because technology is better, everybody has stepped up, and everybody is closer together. It is going to be a dogfight all the way through.”

When asked if he enjoyed the challenge, Salinas responded without hesitation.

“That’s exactly what keeps us all there. We are too dumb to know any better,” he said. “We know we can do this stuff. You strategically have to set yourself up, and you have to run it like you run your business in a performance way. Same thing.”

The six-race Countdown to the Championship begins at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa., Sept. 14-17. Salinas finished a career-best third in the Top Fuel points standings in 2021 and was fifth last year.

Outside of driving his Top Fuel dragster, Salinas said he is still working on getting a Pro Stock Motorcycle license. His daughter – Jianna Evaristo, drives a Suzuki for reigning PSM world champ Matt Smith.

“I just need to take the time (to do it),” Salinas said. “We just have been really busy. Matt Smith is working with me, and he has a bike ready and waiting and we are going to try and pick a time. My daughter ran a 6.82 (seconds) at 197 mph last weekend (in Seattle). She is really comfortable on the bike, and things seem to be falling into place.”

Salinas and his family have been on a cross-country motorcycle journey to each stop on the Western Swing – Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma.

“It is just basically to take time to clear your brain and take care of business,” Salinas said. “When you own companies and businesses, your time is really valuable. Sometimes you neglect racing, and sometimes you neglect your business even though you have great people working with you, but you as the driver you, have to find times to turn it off.”