Pro Modified racer Spencer Hyde is very much aware of the volatility nitro brings. Now, he’s about to experience that volatility when a body is lowered on an 11,000-horsepower Funny Car.
Hyde, 33, who has raced Top Fuel and most recently raced in Pro Modified, is the newest driver for Jim Head Racing, as announced on Friday afternoon at the Performance Racing Industry trade show.
“I’m very excited about it, to say the least,” Hyde said. “I wasn’t really looking for a Funny Car seat, but it happened to come along and a pretty cool opportunity. So I’m going to take it and see what we can do.
The interesting aspect of Hyde’s appointment is the most convincing recommendation came from a former team driver and one who knows Head very well.
Chad Head, Jim’s son and General Manager for Kalitta Motorsports, provided the most compelling recommendation for Hyde.
“Chad had called me about a month ago and said, ‘Hey, my dad’s going to call you. He’s looking for a driver for his Funny Car,” Hyde recalled. “I, at first, thought he just meant for a race or two. I didn’t know if Blake had to miss one or something. And I said, ‘Okay, what do you mean? What’s the deal?”
“Chad said, ‘Well, Blake’s done, and he wants somebody to drive the car next year. He asked me who to call, and I told him to call you.”
Hyde admits he was flattered by the thought, but one factor remained in the back of his mind.
“Wow. I’ve never driven a Funny Car,” Hyde said. “Why would you tell him to call me?”
“He said, ‘Well, I watch you in the fuel car, I watch you in the Pro Mod, and I think you’d be a great Funny Car driver.”
The call from Jim came shortly thereafter, and the result was a 30 minute phone call that covered a lot more than just driving the ornery breed of race car.
“We have a lot in common, both in the construction background and both big fans of drag racing,” Hyde said. “So, one thing led to another, and he came up here two weeks ago. He flew up to see me, and we had dinner, and I took him through my race shop and showed him around town, and last week, he gave me a call and said, ‘Let’s put this thing together and go do this.”
Hyde and Head discussed the balance of operating a successful construction company and racing an aggressive schedule on the NHRA’s Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
And, yes, Hyde had already been informed of Head’s strong-willed nature. As Hyde sees it, he can handle that aspect just fine.
“Everybody warned me that he is a difficult guy, and he’s straight to the point; he’s a little brash at times,” Hyde said. “I’ll be honest, he is about as close to my father as I’ve ever met. My dad’s a tough guy, and he and I butt all the time, but I’m used to dealing with tough guys and straight-to-the-point and no BS kind of people.
“Jim and I have so far hit it off really well. We’ve only spent time together once, but we’ve been on the phone. We’ve probably had two or three hours’ worth of phone calls over the last month, and it’s so far, so good. I like the guy a lot, so here’s hoping I can work for him.”
“Chad was a big supporter for Spencer, and he made a good case for him,” said Jim Head, Hall of Fame driver, tuner and team owner. “He has come up through the racing ranks, and I like that he is a levelheaded guy with a passion for drag racing. The fact that he has made passes in a Top Fuel dragster and has had success in Pro Mod was a plus, too. We have had a lot of success the past two seasons with Blake (Alexander) driving for us, and I don’t see any reason why we can’t keep turning on win lights with Spencer.”
Hyde began his racing career in the Junior Dragster category in 2006. He then progressed to compete in Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, Outlaw 10.5, and various sportsman and bracket classes at both regional and national levels. In 2021, he was recognized by Drag Illustrated as one of their 30 Under 30 standout racers. Most recently, he has participated in Pro Modified racing with PDRA in the Pro Boost class, achieving a significant victory at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod in March 2023. Additionally, Hyde secured his Top Fuel license in February 2023 and has since competed in two NHRA national events: the 2023 In-N-Out NHRA Finals and the 2024 NHRA Texas Fall Nationals.
Hyde will begin acclimating to the Ford Mustang Funny Car and will complete the necessary cross-over passes to convert his Top Fuel license during the off-season. Last season, Jim Head’s Funny Car secured a victory at Brainerd, achieving seven semifinal finishes and seven top-four qualifying spots.
Hyde understands he’s got a monumental challenge ahead of him but believes he brings value to the program.
“I’d like to think I’m pretty good with my reaction times,” Hyde said. “I’ve only made 18 or 20 runs in the Top Fuel car, but I think I’ve only had one light over .100. Everything’s between .050 and .090 in Paton’s fuel car. I think that’s pretty competitive, and I really don’t have any bad habits in a fuel car.
“I’ve only made 18 or 20 runs, and I think I’m pretty coachable. Pro Mods are a handful to drive, just like a Funny Car is. So, I think between my Pro Mod experience of those things being a handful to drive and my experience in the Top Fuel car, I already know what to expect for the acceleration. I know what it’s going to feel like when the clutch locks up. I know they get squirrely when they put cylinders out. So I think that the combination of the two cars I’ve driven, I think naturally, I’m hoping anyways, that I’ll make a good Funny Car driver.”
Plans for testing and cross-over licensing are still being finalized. Hyde will compete at the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals from March 6-9, 2025, at Gainesville Raceway.
