HYDE SHOWS CONSISTENCY IN DALLAS WHILE LOOKING AHEAD TO FINISH THE COUNTDOWN
By: Head Racing
DALLAS (October 18, 2026) — Spencer Hyde and the Head Contractors & Engineers Funny Car team continued to demonstrate their consistency at the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, recording a 3.9-second elapsed time on every pass throughout the weekend at Texas Motorplex. Although a first-round loss to J.R. Todd ended Hyde’s race day, the reigning NHRA Rookie of the Year leaves Texas encouraged by the performance as the Countdown to the Championship enters its final two races.
Hyde, the only full-time Canadian driver in the NHRA nitro ranks, opened qualifying with a competitive performance in the crowded Funny Car field. His best qualifying effort came Friday night during the Battle for the Saddle, when he powered the Head Contractors & Engineers Funny Car to a 3.922 second pass at 323.93 mph. The run secured him the No. 12 qualifying position in a tightly contested field where every thousandth of a second mattered.
photo cfredit Innovation Creative Experts
Hyde’s consistency continued into Sunday’s opening round of eliminations, where he faced Todd. Both drivers delivered competitive performances, but Hyde’s quicker elapsed time was not enough to overcome Todd’s advantage at the starting line. Hyde recorded a 3.940 second pass at 329.60 mph, his best run of the weekend in terms of speed and elapsed time, but Todd reached the finish line first for the win.
“Obviously, losing in the first round is tough,” said Hyde. “We ran a 3.940 at 329.60 mph, and it was a great run, but J.R. did what he needed to do on the starting line. That’s part of this sport. You can have the quicker car and still come up short. We’ll take the positives from this weekend, keep working on the little things and focus on finishing these last two races strong.”
While the result was not what Hyde and crew chief Jim Head had hoped for, the weekend offered a positive indication of the team’s ability to deliver consistent performance under pressure. Every one of Hyde’s runs fell within the 3.9-second range, a notable achievement in a competitive Funny Car category where track conditions and changing weather can make repeatable performance difficult.
“I feel really good about the consistency we showed this weekend,” said Hyde. “Every run we made was in the 3.9s, and that’s something we can take a lot of confidence from. To go out there and make that kind of run after run tells us the car is in a good place, and Jim and the guys are doing a great job giving me something I can race with every time we pull up to the starting line.”
The Texas NHRA Fall Nationals marked the fourth race of the six-event Countdown to the Championship and was part of the Stampede of Speed, a 10-day celebration of motorsports, entertainment and fan experiences at Texas Motorplex. The event brought together top NHRA competitors and fans for a week of activities leading into the on-track action.
Hyde embraced the opportunity to connect with fans throughout the event, participating in the Pre-Stage FanFest presented by Red Line Synthetic Oil on Thursday in Waxahachie, where he signed autographs, before taking part in a Q&A session with fans in the Champion’s Club on Saturday.
“The Stampede of Speed is such a cool event, and I think it’s one of the best examples of what makes NHRA drag racing special,” Hyde said. “It’s not just about what happens on the track. There’s so much going on all week, and the fans get a chance to be part of the experience in a meaningful way. Getting out to FanFest and then spending time with everyone in the Champion’s Club was a lot of fun.”
The 2026 season is a landmark year for NHRA, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Hyde and the Head Contractors & Engineers team have continued to build on his Rookie of the Year campaign, working to establish themselves among the competitive Funny Car field while pursuing a strong finish to the season.
Hyde leaves Texas ranked 10th in the championship standings, with two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship. With the field separated by narrow margins, every qualifying position, bonus point and round win will be critical as the championship battle approaches its conclusion.
Supported by Hyde Construction, OUTLAW Light Beer and The Caine Group, Hyde and the team will look to carry the consistency they demonstrated in Texas into the final two events of the Countdown.
“We know what’s in front of us, and we’re not giving up on anything,” said Hyde. “We have two races left, and our focus is on making the most of every opportunity. The consistency we showed here is encouraging because we know we can put good numbers on the board. Now we need to keep building on that, qualify well and turn those performances into round wins.”
Hyde and the Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car will be back in NHRA competition in two weeks at the MOPAR NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge on October 29-November 1 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, October 30 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, October 31. The fifth race day of the 2026 Countdown to the Championship will be contested on Sunday. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals visit nhra.com.
Qualifying Results – Funny Car
Q1: 3.956, 320.90 mph; Qual. 5
Q2: 3.922, 323.93 mph; Qual. 10
Q3: 3.954, 325.47 mph; Qual. 11
Q4: 3.935, 328.18 mph; Qual. 12
Bonus Points: 0
Race Results
First Round
J.R. Todd, Jupiter, Fla., DHL Toyota GR Supra, (0.057), 3.940 sec, 329.60 mph def. Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Head Contractors & Engineers Funny Car, (0.089), 3.917 sec, 324.00 mph
Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Point Standings – Funny Car
- Matt Hagan, 2503
- Jordan Vandergriff, 2405
- J.R. Todd, 2384
- Austin Prock, 2348
- Jack Beckman, 2343
- Ron Capps, 2315
- Alexis DeJoria, 2276
- Daniel Wilkerson, 2207
- Chad Green, 2155
- Spencer Hyde, 2149
