LONG BEACH, CA (May 29, 2024) — For the first time since his Top Fuel rookie season in 2021, NHRA driver Buddy Hull is making his return to the New England Nationals, May 31-June 2, at New England Dragway, this time as a rookie Funny Car driver, driving for Jim Dunn Racing.
“Looking back at the first time I competed at this event, it makes me realize how far I have come,” said Hull. “Back in 2021, this race was one of the first national NHRA events that I had ever competed in. Almost everything has changed since then. I’m now blessed to be competing in Funny Car instead of Top Fuel, and for the legendary Big Jim. I have an incredible wife and we’re welcoming a baby boy real soon. I don’t think I could have imagined back then where I would be now, both on the track and off. Life is crazy like that.”
For the past two races, Hull has qualified in the No. 13 spot. He’s made several strong passes during qualifying that make this next race in Epping feel very promising.
“We are continuously moving the needle in the right direction, working out the kinks with some new parts and making adjustments based on the data,” said Hull. “We’re going to keep attempting to make A to B runs, while putting on a good show for the fans. When I was in Epping three years ago, the fans were incredible. They are honestly the biggest reason why I am so pumped to be coming back. Every race so far this year, there have been fans who have come to my pits, saying how they remember me during my rookie season, and are just as excited as I am to see where I am now. The NHRA has the best fans in the world, I will say it again and again.”
This weekend Hull will be racing with a Blaze Exhaust Probes paint scheme on his nitro Funny Car, representing one of Jim Dunn Racing’s season-long sponsors. Since 1996, Blaze has been a leading full-service temperature sensor manufacturer that offers solutions for even the most demanding applications. Their reputation for creating the most rugged sensors available has made them a top choice in the industry.
“I’m excited to rep a company this weekend that has made the commitment to sponsor us all season,” said Hull. “I don’t take those commitments lightly because we literally could not do what we do as a race team without companies like Blaze stepping up to support us. Blaze has been a Jim Dunn sponsor for a few years now, and I’m hoping that with the addition of me as a driver, they will continue to see the value in our partnership. We’re going to make them proud this weekend.”
In addition to Blaze Exhaust Probes, Hull will be representing season-long sponsors Vertex Roofers and General Contractors, Solid Start/True Brand Products, Lescure Mechanical Services, Crow Safety, Compass Facility Services, KGC Construction, Koppl Pipeline Services, Mooneyes, Good Vibrations Motorsports, Powerbuilt Tools and Wiley X.
“We’re ready to have an epic weekend in Epping,” said Hull. “Now that we are past the Memorial Day holiday, it’s officially summertime. In my head, summer and racing go hand-in-hand. We’ve had a good start to the season, but now we’re in the real meat of it. This past month we’ve had quite a bit of downtime with only one race in May, and I can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on during that time off. The summer of 2024 is going to be a fun one.”
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will be making two qualifying runs on Friday, May 31 and two qualifying runs on Saturday, June 1 at New England Dragway. The top 16 quickest Funny Cars in the field will advance to race day to compete for a Wally on Sunday, June 2. The first round of eliminations will begin on Sunday at 11 a.m. EST. Fans can watch the finals on FS1. For tickets or more information on the NHRA New England Nationals visit nhra.com.
