BUDDY HULL READY FOR HULL’K ROUND TWO IN ST. LOUIS
DALLAS, TX – Never one to rest on their laurels Buddy Hull and Buddy Hull Racing will be back in action this weekend for the NHRA 
Midwest Nationals from World Wide Technology Raceway, racing one of the most unique cars to hit the NHRA scene in recent memory. Hull rebranded his Methanol Moonshine and Vertex Roofing Top Fuel dragster to a kid friendly HULL’K design that drew rave reviews at the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. National at the beginning of the month. Getting this green machine back on track for another NHRA national event is a labor of love for Hull, a Dallas-based business owner and Top Fuel competitor.
Buddy Hull and the HULL’K Top Fuel dragster, photo by Ron Lewis Photography
“I just wanted to do something cool to get kids excited about NHRA drag racing,” said Hull, when asked about the redesign. “We have great marketing partners and growing the sport is one of our big goals. We want to perform on the track of course but getting kids excited and interested is also so important. I also really love the Incredible Hulk, so it is an awesome car to get to race.”
Hull and his Mike Guger tuned Top Fuel team have been working their way through the naturally challenging ups and downs of racing Top Fuel dragsters at the highest level. The stakes will be even higher this weekend at the NHRA Midwest Nationals, the third NHRA Countdown playoff race. While Hull is not in the mix this season for a Top Fuel world championship his participation could easily tip the balance of power as the championship points tighten up down the stretch. The impact he could have on the championship is not lost on the former power lifter and competitive racer.
“We are going to be racing at least three Countdown races starting in St. Louis and we are not coming out to just be a filler team,” said Hull. “We have a race car that can go up and down the track with solid elapsed times and high speeds. I am not looking to be a spoiler or a blocker, but I would love to be a guy that adds an element of excitement to the Countdown. The competition is already at an all-time high with 12 teams really in the championship hunt. I want the fans to see 16 top quality cars on race day duking it out for the win in St. Louis.”
This season Hull has raced from coast to coast and his results have been hit or miss after the team battled some serious tune-up issues over the first three races. Following the Chicago National event Hull and Guger went through the entire race car and found some issues which they have been correcting over the past few races. The results have been slow and tedious but creating a consistent tune-up for an 11,000-horsepower land rocket is one of the toughest mechanical endeavors in motorsports.
“You can’t make wholesale changes in these race cars overnight even when you find the root of the issue,” said Hull. “Everything about making these cars run 3.70s at 330 mph is interconnected and when you make a change in one area it triggers changes across the board. Luckily Mike Guger is a smart dude, and I can’t thank my crew guys enough for all the hard work that have put into our team. This HULL’K Top Fuel dragster will be ready to roll in St. Louis and it will be a stacked field for sure.”
The entry list for the Midwest Nationals is shaping up to be one of the most competitive of the season with 19 teams vying for 16 spots in the field. The teams will have three qualifying runs over Friday and Saturday to post times quick enough to race on Sunday in front of a packed house of fans. The third race of the Countdown has traditionally become one of the signature races of the playoffs. Hull and his HULL’K team are focused and excited to get back into a racing groove that will see them compete in three races over the next five weeks.
“This is really the start of our own Countdown,” said Hull, of the three race stretch from St. Louis to Dallas to Las Vegas at the end of October. “We have been working so hard all season that starting this weekend we want to have killer runs and make some noise in St. Louis, then build on it in Dallas where we have another cool announcement and then Las Vegas. I love being out here and competing with the other teams but just as important is the time with the fans.”
The HULL’K Top Fuel team will be on track Friday night under the lights at 7 p.m. followed by two qualifying runs on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The final eliminations will start and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday and Hull hopes fans watching the race on FS1 will see a lot of the purple and green Top Fuel dragster on their TV screens.
