BUDDY HULL WORKS OUT NEW KINKS IN CHICAGO

CHICAGO – Every Top Fuel driver knows that to be successful in drag racing, there has to be some trial and error. For Dallas-based driver Buddy Hull, that error unfortunately meant that he did not qualify for competition on Sunday at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.

“It’s the first time since I’ve been a team owner, we haven’t qualified,” said Hull. “It’s an interesting feeling. Within that feeling I have to thank everybody from Renegade Race Fuels. I’m disappointed in myself that we didn’t get in the show for them and my team.”

With every run during qualifying, Hull’s Renegade Fuel and Motor Oils Top Fuel dragster improved in both elapsed time and speed. In round one of qualifying, he lost traction early and in round two his car went up in smoke within the first 330 feet. The final qualifying session saw Hull mix up cylinders and then push out a head gasket, leading the engine to let go with a quick flash of flames. Still, this was a 3.952 second pass at 264.86 mph. Unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough, when competing in one of the quickest Top Fuel fields in history.

“[Crew chief] Mike Guger is working hard,” said Hull. “The reality is that we have so many new parts on our racecar. We have new superchargers, a new clutch program and new fuel system. We’re figuring it out. [In Q3] Kyle Wurtzel ran a 3.81 right next to me and we are looking at his incremental times and at mine. At the 330 mark I was ahead of him. If the racecar would have done what we told it to do – which it didn’t – it was going to run a 3.78 or 3.79 and we would have been in the show.”

Despite a tough race weekend, Hull remains thankful for his sponsors, and is optimistic for the season ahead. His next race will be the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver, July 14-16.

“I have to thank all my supporters, Renegade Race Fuels, Methanol Moonshine and my own company, Vertex Roofing and General Contractors,” said Hull. “I hate losing and not qualifying feels like losing. I can say that when you lose, it gives you a chance to get better.”

When asked what he will take away from the first race in Chicago since 2019, Hull emphasized not letting one bad race affect your outlook for the rest of the season. If anything, one bad race serves as the best motivation for the next matchup.

“It’s all about having a good attitude,” said Hull. “No matter what we do, whether we qualify, or miss the show or we qualify number one, our attitudes will remain the same. You better believe that when we go to Denver, we’re going to come with a vengeance. We’re going to come pissed off, and not in a bad way. We are excited to get to Denver.”

Hull is racing a limited schedule in 2023, but he is looking forward to the Mile High Nationals, Topeka Nationals, the U.S. Nationals, the Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, the Fall Nationals in Dallas and the Las Vegas Nationals.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 7.310 sec; 95.32 mph; Qual. 17

Q2: 5.675 sec; 117.15 mph; Qual. 20

Q3: 3.952 sec; 264.86 mph; Qual. 19

Bonus Points: 0

photo by Ron Lewis Photography