Magic Dry pro Scott Palmer’s long, strange trip to Top Fuel success adds another chapter 

DINWIDDIE, VA – Four races into the 2019 season, Scott Palmer had yet to win a round in his Magic Dry Organic Absorbent Top Fuel dragster. The mini drought prompted him to go on a personal search for his “lost mojo,” beginning in historic Winslow, Arizona where he stopped to visit the Mojo Coffee Company.

Strangely, or perhaps not, his luck changed after that fateful day with round wins coming at every race since then, a streak he is confident will continue at this weekend’s second annual Virginia NHRA Nationals, especially as he fiddles with his newest talisman.

“Mike Kloeber’s wife Korene read the story about my search for mojo and she’s a very spiritual girl who’s in tune with all that stuff so she knew I wasn’t joking around,” Palmer said. (Mike Kloeber is fellow driver Clay Millican’s crew chief). “She was in New Orleans recently and came across this little necklace that had an interesting story attached to it. It basically said if you wear it all the time, you’ll get your mojo back. Then, when everything is right with the world, you’re done with it and you take it off.

“We’ve won our first-round races at the last three national events so our mojo is definitely coming back, but I don’t think we’re fully back to where we want to be. Just to be sure I’m gonna keep wearing it for now.”

Palmer’s six-week-long search for mojo has resonated with his legion of fans, some of whom have gone as far bringing their own “lucky” items to Palmer on race weekends.

“It’s been really cool,” he said. “People have been showing up with all kinds of things. Everyone wants to help, which is so nice. We’ve also gotten a bunch of photos of people standing in front of the Mojo Coffee Company. I’d say it’s more than a pretty good coincidence that our luck is turning around.”

While his spiritual stance is finding firmer ground, Palmer and crew are also taking care of the business end of their racing equation. The team used the off weekend since the last NHRA tour stop in Atlanta to perform general maintenance on their hot rod.

“There’s not a single piece of this car that hasn’t been touched since the last race,” Palmer said. “The guys are working hard. I’ve also taken some personal time to work on my reaction times. I feel like I need to be extra good with my lights because I’m thinking about a lot more than just cutting a good light when I get up there.

“Because I am basically a crew guy that gets to drive the car, my mind is always thinking about every decision I made with the setup. People ask me if I tune that stuff out once I get in the seat but I can’t really do that, so I’m working on taking at least five seconds to slow everything down and do my thing when it’s time to race.

“I’ll focus on my mojo and see if I can’t turn on some more win lights.”