CompetitionPlus.com learned Tuesday afternoon that Mike Salinas, the owner and driver of the Scrappers Racing Top Fuel dragster, is going to sit out the 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Series racing season.
Salinas will be joined on the sidelines by his daughters, Jianna, who pilots a Pro Stock Motorcycle, and Jianna’s older sister, Jasmine, who drives an A-Fuel dragster.
“With everything that is going on out here and we are swamped with work and we decided that this year is not good for us, we will come out next year,” Salinas said. “All my crew members have been coming back and forth to help me with my businesses. We will come out next year when we are ready to race the right way. I want to race against the best people. We will start next year fresh and hopefully, all this stuff is cleaned up and we can go racing.”
Mike Salinas finished seventh in the points a year ago and won his first two career NHRA Mello Yello Series Top Fuel national events. He didn’t compete in any events in 2020.
Jianna finished 14th in 2019 Pro Stock Motorcycle point standings, highlighted by her improbable win at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., Nov. 17.
Mike said the plan is to get his daughter Janae licensed in Super Comp and A-Fuel. The elder Salinas said he would like to see Janae competing in the A-Fuel ranks by the middle to the end of the 2021 slate.
“We are just going to get ready for 2021,” Salinas said. “We will be ready in 2021. All my crew, all my guys will come work all year, so we stay together. and I am going to have the same crew of 10 guys. (Co-crew chief) Brian Husen, all my guys will be back. They have been working at my companies and they are handy, and I really appreciate that they have been helping us and we’re going to be a strong team in 2021.”
Salinas is based in San Jose, Calif. He owns a garbage company and a sanitation port-o-potty rental business among other things.
“We have been so busy all year,” Salinas said. “Our race team is financially solid. We are going to stock up on parts for 2021 and 2022. If everything goes to par, we are going to start building a new car in about two months to get ready for 2021. The car will be Jasmine’s Top Fuel (dragster) so she can get her license in Top Fuel.”
