When his drag racing days are over, Joe Morrison can look back and know he experienced almost every form it offered. This weekend, he will enter his 11th different category as a fuel Funny Car driver in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series during the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.
Morrison, who has raced in multiple nostalgia categories burning nitro, will wax nostalgic behind the wheel of Paul Smith’s Entertainer Funny Car.
“I’ve wanted to drive an NHRA Nitro Funny Car since the 1970s, watching legends like Jungle Jim, Snake, Mongoose, and, of course, Paul Smith at E-Town. To make my competitive debut driving for Paul Smith not only is exceptionally humbling, but it just feels right. Many experienced nitro pilots have gotten their feet wet with Paul Smith for a reason, and I’m happy to join that list.”
Morrison completed his crossover licensing from Top Fuel last July at Virginia Motorsports Park and last competed in NHRA during the 2022 season. The desire to drive a nitro-burning Funny Car on the grand stage of NHRA has percolated in his heart since childhood when he’d attend drag races at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ.
Almost as passionate as Morrison is for driving a race car, his Right2Breathe initiative holds an equally vital role in his time at the dragstrip.
In addition to his debut, Morrison will be instrumental in the “Put Your Lungs on the Dyno” Lung Health Screening Project at the 2024 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.
In collaboration with a team of healthcare professionals, the New Jersey-based 501(c)(3) non-profit will offer onsite lung health screenings and education to the estimated 70,000+ fans and racers expected in Norwalk.
The Right2Breathe® Project is a dynamic, grassroots initiative focused on Lung Health Education, Awareness, and Screening. This campaign is hosted at various public venues, including automotive and sporting events across the United States. The Norwalk screening event marks Right2Breathe’s second venture of 2024, following a highly successful event at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, NC.
“Right2Breathe® believes that people can overcome great challenges when they allow their passions in life to inspire them,” Morison said. “Inspired by his love for NHRA Drag Racing, my dad was able to live well and enjoy his life despite having very severe COPD. We had ten great years of racing together before he passed away in 2016. Our mission with Right2Breathe is to help others live better and live longer by getting diagnosed earlier than my dad.”
A team of medical professionals from Cleveland Clinic are generously donating their time to demonstrate their dedication to the community they serve. They offer free lung screenings and answer questions about common lung diseases, including COPD, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Lung Cancer, Asthma, and Long Haul COVID. Additionally, they provide free resources for race fans, vendors, and competitors attending the event.
Dr. Anu Suri, a senior Pulmonologist from Cleveland Clinic, will be one of the physicians with Right2Breathe during the weekend.
“It’s an honor to collaborate with the Right2Breathe team for the second time and contribute through raising awareness around prevention, early detection and sharing resources on management of chronic lung diseases. I truly believe that there is immense value and power in this collective effort, which will make an impact and serve this wonderful NHRA community. We at Cleveland Clinic strongly believe in partnering with our community to preserve lung health and help people breathe better”.
All of the initiative ties in together with Morrison’s drag racing efforts.
He made his NHRA Top Fuel debut in 2020 and has raced in 17 national events since.
“It’s been my goal to compete in the NHRA Nitro Funny Car division. However, these things are wild, quick, and unpredictable. It made sense to start my accelerated learning curve in Top Fuel, and those 17 events were exceptionally educational.
“Funny Car licensing last year in Virginia was great. Working with the entire Smith family was seamless and professional. Paul gave me a great car to drive during the licensing process. I honestly think he could get a funny car down a dirt road if he wanted.”
Morrison will be competing at Norwalk thanks to the support of The Glockner Oil Company, PennGrade 1® High Performance Oils, and Dawn D’Agostino.
