HULL CLAWS HIS WAY TO THE QUARTERFINALS IN EPPING
Buddy Hull raced to second quarterfinals of the season at the New England Nationals
By: Jim Dunn Racing
EPPING, N.H. (June 1, 2025) — It’s an exciting day at the races when the No. 16 qualifier takes out the No. 1 qualifier in the first round. Funny Car driver for Jim Dunn Racing, Buddy Hull, did just that today at the 12th NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway. Driving the nostalgic, 75th anniversary Mooneyes Funny Car, Hull advanced past No. 1 qualifier and reigning World Champion Austin Prock. He then fell in the quarterfinals to Spencer Hyde, the leading Rookie of the Year contender and eventual race runner-up.
“Nitro Funny Cars, man. If you can just go to A to B in these things, you have a 50% chance of winning,” said Hull. “That’s just what it is. And in that first round, we went A to B today. It wasn’t an incredible run, but it got the job done. Austin Prock smoked the tires at the step, and unfortunately, we fell victim to the exact same mistake in the second round against Spencer Hyde. But again, that’s NHRA drag racing for you.”
Out of three qualifying attempts made between Friday and Saturday, Hull’s best run came during Q3, with a 4.190 second, 309.70 mph pass. During his second qualifying run, he had his best reaction time of the season of 0.079 seconds. All throughout the race weekend, he was consistently posting some of his best reaction times of his Funny Car career. Now in his sophomore season, Hull continues to get more and more confident in his ability to control the race car.
“I’ve always been comfortable in the race car. I’m very confident in my ability to command the race car,” said Hull. “I have a good understanding of where I’m at on the racetrack, and that’s certainly helped me get to this point. And the more runs I make, the more seasoned I get. I’m that much more prepared for the ‘what if’ scenarios. I’m really focused right now on my reaction times getting better. I’m getting more and more consistent.”
Hull went into race day on Sunday fully confident that he could win rounds. No matter where he qualifies, he knows that he must believe he can win to ensure that it will happen. That self-confidence is what led him to knock out No. 1 qualifier, current points leader and reigning World Champion Austin Prock in the first round.
“For every run I center myself and focus on the task at hand,” said Hull. “Going into this matchup, I knew Prock technically had the better car. But I also know better than to let that discourage me. I did everything within my control as a driver to steer the car well and make sure that I was the first person to the finish line. And I was able to turn on a pretty big win light because of it.”
The classic yellow Mooneyes Funny Car is a match made in heaven for New England Dragway, one of the most historic tracks on tour. This year, Jim Dunn Racing is running a special 75th anniversary edition of the car, and fans can’t get enough of it.
“This is the first time the Mooneyes car has seen the East Coast in over 20 years,” said Hull. “The fans love the Mooneyes car, and so do I. It’s an iconic look at an incredible track. Mooneyes is an incredible brand. I’m so glad we got a round win for them this weekend. We’ll be after the same thing next weekend in Bristol.”
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will be back in competition at the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 6-8 at Bristol Dragway. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, June 6 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, June 7. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals visit nhra.com.
Qualifying Results
Q1: 9.307 sec, 76.01 mph; Qual. 16
Q2: 8.843 sec, 75.03 mph; Qual. 15
Q3: 4.190 sec, 309.70 mph; Qual. 16
Q4: No run; Qual. 16
Bonus Points: 0
Race Results
First Round
Buddy Hull, Dallas, Tex., Mooneyes Dodge Charger, (.113), 4.167 sec, 303.64 mph def. Austin Prock, Pittsboro, Ind., Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS, (.065), 5.046 sec, 284.33 mph
Second Round
Spencer Hyde, Stratford, Ontario, Head Inc. Funny Car, (.110), 3.925 sec, 325.30 mph def. Buddy Hull, Dallas, Tex., Mooneyes Dodge Charger, (.090), 11.680 sec, 82.93 mph
