In his first race as a Funny Car driver, Spencer Hyde briefly looked like a rookie. It was also about the only time any of the NHRA’s Rookie of the Year contenders had a realistic shot.

Hyde was named the 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year on Monday evening at the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Awards Ceremony at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. The Pro Modified driver turned Funny Car competitor from Stratford, Ontario, earned the most votes from a national media panel recognizing his performance, media presence, and fan engagement.

The Rookie of the Year award honors the top first-year competitor who best represents the future of the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Leading auto-racing journalists select the winner based on events entered, performance on and off the track, promotional involvement, and relationships with fans, sponsors, and media.

“It’s a huge feather in my cap to come out here as a nobody and do well,” Hyde said. “We’re at a 50 percent win-loss ratio, which is pretty tough to do your first year out here. You’ve got a guy like Tony Stewart who won it last year. Other big names in our sport like Del Worsham, who was Rookie of the Year in 1991, who I just raced in Las Vegas. To be added to this list is a huge honor. I hope to be another Rookie of the Year who goes on to win big races and championships.”

Hyde posted a 16–17 record this season driving Jim Head’s Funny Car. He qualified for the Countdown to the Championship, earned his first career nitro victory, won the Las Vegas Four-Wide NHRA Nationals Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and reached final rounds at the New England Nationals in Epping and the Sonoma Nationals. He also secured the No. 1 qualifier position at the Reading Nationals and added two semifinal and six quarterfinal finishes across the 20-race schedule.