LONG BEACH, CA (April 10, 2024) — Even though he is already four races into his inaugural Funny Car season, driver Buddy Hull is still experiencing firsts. This weekend, he will be piloting his Jim Dunn Racing KGC nitro Funny Car for the first time at a four-wide race, at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on April 12-14.
“Four-wide races are one of the coolest parts of NHRA drag racing. They hold a special place in my heart not just because they are electrifying for both drivers and fans, but because I made my professional debut at the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals back in 2021, when I was racing my Vertex Roofers and General Contractors Top Fuel dragster,” said Hull. “I’m a sentimental guy, so the four-wide races literally track for me how long I’ve been competing at the professional level. And this year is even more special, because it’s my first year driving for Big Jim, and my first in a Funny Car. It all feels very meant to be. I’m only in year four, but then I look at guys like Ron Capps who just celebrated year 30 in Phoenix. That’s the kind of racing career I am striving to have.”
Hull has emphasized that he does not care who he races in the other lane, because he is only ever focused on his job as a driver. That approach does not change for him in four-wide competition.
“I get asked all of the time if four-wide racing is more nerve-wracking, or even if it’s harder,” said Hull. “But I don’t think it is. As a competitor, it’s thrilling to be doing something a little different than a normal national event. But it’s not more challenging than any other race day. It doesn’t matter if I’m racing one guy or 50. My goals and focus will never change. I’m just trying to get the car down the track as aggressively as I can, while keeping it in one piece.”
This weekend Hull will be sporting a KGC Construction paint job on his nitro Funny Car. KGC, headquartered not far from the Jim Dunn Racing shop in Southern California, has been a longtime partner of the team. The full service general contracting firm manages and facilitates a complete range of construction projects.
“One of my favorite aspects of becoming a driver for Jim Dunn Racing has been the opportunity to join forces with their existing sponsors,” said Hull. “I obviously have an affinity for blue collar companies, since I own a roofing company myself. The talented people at KGC exude a lot of the same values as Vertex, delivering quality work to their customer base. I can’t wait to host them at the track this weekend and build even stronger relationships with their team.”
In addition to KGC Construction, Hull will be representing season-long sponsors Vertex Roofers and General Contractors, Solid Start/True Brand Products, Lescure Mechanical Services, Crow Safety, Blaze Exhaust Probes, Koppl Pipeline Services, Mooneyes, Good Vibrations Motorsports, Powerbuilt Tools and Wiley X.
“A four-wide race is one of the best events you can bring your team to,” said Hull. “There is one less round of racing, which makes every round of competition feel a little more important. And with tighter turnaround times, it’s vital for your team to be working in sync. Now that we have three races underneath our belts, I feel like our team is in a great spot going into race day. It’s going to be an exciting weekend for sure.”
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will be making two qualifying runs on Friday, April 12 and two qualifying runs on Saturday, April 13 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The top 16 quickest Funny Cars in the field will have a chance to take home the first four-wide Wally of the season on Sunday, April 14. The first round of eliminations will begin on Sunday at 12 p.m. PST. Fans can watch the finals on FS1. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals visit nhra.com.
