Tommy DeLago made the SCAG Racing team look as if the controversy of the past couple of weeks was just a ripple in a lake. Seven years after last leading a nitro team, the veteran tuner stepped back into the spotlight as crew chief for SCAG Racing’s Top Fuel entry, replacing Mike Green and stabilizing a program that had been under scrutiny.
DeLago, who spent the past four seasons as assistant crew chief on the Justin Ashley-driven car, assumed the lead role at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway alongside newly hired assistant Jason McCulloch. The transition came quickly, but for DeLago, the challenge represented more than just a midseason shake-up — it was a professional rebirth.
“It’s been seven years since I’ve been in that role,” DeLago said. “Even though I’ve been here for four years, it’s a totally different role. So building your procedure and a routine spins your head a little bit. But once we got to knock the rust off and got such an awesome group of guys here and a pretty good baseline to work from, I laid in bed last night and just… I was emotional. I mean, this is what I wanted.”
He admitted he hadn’t planned to get his opportunity this way. “I didn’t ever picture it this is how I would get my opportunity,” he said. “It does kind of suck in certain respects that we didn’t get to finish the year together. But at the same time, this is business, and once the owners figure out what they want to do, then you got to do what you got to do. So here I am just trying to do the best job that I can, working with Jason and fricking enjoying it, man.”
For DeLago, returning to a lead role after years in the background was emotional. His path back wasn’t just about racing — it was about growth. “Seven long years worth of it,” he said when asked how long he’d been preparing mentally for another chance. “I mean, everybody knows I used to be a pretty big drinker, partied a lot. I still was able to have a little bit of success. But when I got a chance to really grow up and think about it, it’s like, ‘Okay, I want to make all these life changes.’ I want to be able to put a hundred percent focus on the race car and see what can be accomplished with a hundred percent focus.”
That shift in mindset, he said, changed everything. “That’s another reason why I’m excited — way clearer mind than back in the past, way more focused,” DeLago said. “This is all I want to do, and I appreciate it way more than I ever have.”
Asked if he’s a different person than the one who won a championship with Matt Hagan, DeLago paused before answering. “Well, a zebra can’t really change his stripes, but he can define them and round off the sharp edges,” he said. “I would say I’m not a different person. I’m just trying to be more polished.”
That polish showed as he settled into his new role. While the team didn’t make a standout run in Friday’s opening qualifying session, DeLago’s leadership was evident. His calm, calculated approach helped the team regroup after a string of frustrating results earlier in the Countdown stretch.
His first full pass as crew chief came with a moment of self-deprecating humor. “My eyesight is so bad, I thought it said, ‘74,’ on the first run, so I was pretty damn excited,” he laughed. “And then I got back here, and it said, ‘79.’ I was like, ‘Well, better than a stick in the eye,’ but I got all excited thinking it was a lot better than that.”
DeLago said simply getting the car down the racetrack was a victory in itself. “A lot of guys were smoking the tires,” he said. “I had no idea what I was doing. I got up there with a baseline, and I know you’re supposed to stick with the numbers, but I’m also a gut-feeling guy. My gut feeling said I needed to make certain changes, so I did. So just to go down the track, I was pretty happy.”
The renewed sense of purpose comes at a time when SCAG Racing is navigating change on multiple fronts. The organization has undergone internal restructuring following Green’s departure and continues to refine its overall performance heading into the 2026 season. For DeLago, though, the focus remains squarely on the task at hand — tuning, teaching, and trusting the process.
What stood out most about his approach this weekend wasn’t bravado but gratitude. “I was emotional,” DeLago admitted. “I mean, this is what I wanted. I didn’t want it to go down this way, but I’m enjoying it. I’m working with Jason, and I’m just doing the best job I can.”
DeLago’s comeback is both personal and professional — a story of endurance, reinvention, and quiet redemption. In a sport where split seconds can define a career, he’s proving that patience and persistence can be just as powerful as horsepower.
