By: Jim Dunn Racing
LONG BEACH, CA (March 5, 2025) — You can call Buddy Hull many things, a Funny Car driver, a business owner, a husband and father, among other things. But one thing you can’t call him anymore is a rookie. The driver for Jim Dunn Racing is setting out for his second season behind a nitro Funny Car at the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, March 6-9. With one full-time season of racing underneath his belt, he’s ready to attack the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season with a vengeance driving the True Brand/Tillamook Funny Car.
“I’ll always look at my 2024 season fondly,” said Hull. “It was the year that the legendary Big Jim Dunn took a chance on me, and I made the leap from driving a Top Fuel dragster to a nitro Funny Car. That in and of itself was a dream come true. And then to hit other highlights, like winning my first round of racing at the historic U.S. Nationals, launching my show ‘Talkin’ Funny Cars with Buddy Hull’ on the NHRA FAST Channel, and bringing my newborn son, Maverick, out to the track for the first time. It was a great first Funny Car season, so I want to keep that momentum going and make my second season even better, on and off the track.”
Hull has many goals for the 2025 season, and while he knows the 20-race season is a marathon and not a sprint, he acknowledges how important it is to have a good showing at the first race of the year.
“My biggest goal for the season is I want to finish in the Top 10,” said Hull. “The Funny Car class is more competitive than ever before, so I know this won’t be an easy task. But I truly believe that we have the right team in Jim Dunn Racing to make this happen.”
One of those partners is True Brand, the primary sponsor of the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car for the Gatornationals. True Brand came on as a Jim Dunn Racing sponsor in 2024, and the sponsorship was so successful that this year they have decided to expand their program.
True Brand performance additives and treatments can be used in all types of engines, fuel systems, gear/transmissions, and hydraulic systems. Since 1976, True Brand products have been used in the automotive, phosphate, citrus, railroad, steel, coal, and entertainment industries. True Brand has grown to more than 100 employees and more than 50 distributors around the world. Over the years, they have been fortunate enough to partner with and be the supplier of choice for companies such as Disney, Busch Gardens, Firestone, Goodyear, Jiffy Lube, Tires Plus, Tire Kingdom, Southeast Toyota U.S.A., Toyota of Japan, and Mazda of Japan.
“We could not do what we do without incredible sponsors like True Brand,” said Hull. “It’s an honor to represent their brand and provide them with the best possible at-track experience. When they expressed that they were interested in doing even more with Jim Dunn Racing in 2025, that was such a vote of confidence in our program, and what they believe we can do this season.”
In addition to True Brand, Hull will also represent season-long sponsors Lescure Mechanical Services, Mooneyes, Blaze Exhaust Probes, KGC Construction, Vertex Roofers and General Contractors, Crow Safety, Koppl Pipeline Services, USD and Wiley X.
Always one to be busy on and off the track, Hull will also be participating the Burnyzz FanFest on Wednesday from 6-9 p.m. Fans can also plan to catch Hull on the NHRA Stage with Hannah Rickards for New Fan Orientation on Saturday at 11:15 a.m. And on Thursday morning, Hull will be joining in a charity fishing experience benefiting the Darrell Gwynn Foundation with retired drag racer and paraplegic Darrell Gwynn. The drivers will take off from Kate Barnes Park, in the Gainesville area and spend the morning talking racing and what the Gatornationals means to their respective careers
“I am a blessed man to be able to do what I do,” said Hull. “So anytime I can spend time with fans, give back to charity or serve as an ambassador for the sport, I am going to do that. Going over 320 mph is cool and all, but it’s all the other aspects of this sport, the stuff that involves the people, that makes it all worthwhile. Me and Jim Dunn Racing have a lot of people in our corner supporting us, and this weekend in Florida is just the start of making them proud in 2025.”
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will be on track for the first time this season with two qualifying runs on Friday, March 7 and then two more qualifying runs on March 8 at Gainesville Raceway. The top 16 quickest Funny Cars will battle it out for the Wally and a special Gatornationals trophy starting on Sunday, March 9 at 11 a.m. ET with the first round of eliminations live on FS1. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Gatornationals visit nhra.com.
