CHICAGO, IL – Funny Car team owner and driver Chris King made the most of his time at the 2023 PRI Show in Indianapolis renewing several sponsorships as well as landing new partnerships with Fire Department Coffee, NGK Spark Plugs and Goodson Tools & Supplies. The veteran driver will continue to add marketing programs as the Chicago firefighter heads into a busy off-season in advance of his return to racing action during the 2024 NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series. The team relocated their racing operation to Brownsburg, Indiana, and added veteran tuner Bob Peck as crew chief for the Funny Car team.

Funny Car driver and team owner Chris King talks 2024 plans and new sponsors with NHRA’s Hannah Rickards at PRI, photo courtesy of Werner Communications

“We solidified existing deals with Competition Products, Howards Cams, Red Line Oil, Impact Safety, and Reid Rocker Arms,” said King, who competed in five NHRA national events in 2023. “We’re added new partnerships with Fire Department Coffee, NGK Spark Plugs, Goodson, and we are working on a couple other deals. We have more partners and better deals than any point in my career, but as we all know these race cars run on nitro and money.”

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ST. LOUIS – If you had asked Funny Car team owner and driver Chris King a month ago if he thought that he would be competing in the NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway, he would have said no. After badly injuring his engine at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, King thought he was done for the season. But he rallied, and with the support of the NHRA racing community, he was back in action this weekend. For him, just having the chance to compete this weekend was a win.

“We didn’t think we would be able to make it this weekend,” said King. “But we figured it out and live to race another day. This sport is all about repetition. I knew we needed to get at least one other race underneath our belts so we could get better and go into next season even stronger.”

King made one qualifying run on Saturday, at 4.771 seconds and 187.50 mph. He was prepared to make an even stronger second run, when his team realized that the car was not in the best place that it could have been, and it would be safer and smarter to conserve parts for next time. The decision robbed him of a final qualifying run and his team slipped to the No. 18 spot going into race day on Sunday.

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CHICAGO, IL – After a very rough outing at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in August Funny Car team owner and driver Chris King took a few weeks to evaluate his program and determine what the best course of action was for his Howards Cams/Competition Products Dodge Funny Car team. King made the tough decision not to compete at the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals, but the up-and-coming driver did attend the race and spent time with tuners and began conversations with additional crew members to improve his team’s manpower. Ultimately, King decided to forge ahead and with new parts, additional crew members and a positive attitude and the Chicago fireman and Funny Car driver is eager to get back into competition this weekend at the NHRA Midwest Nationals from World Wide Technology Raceway.

“There were a lot of sleepless nights after Brainerd,” said King, who has competed in three events so far this season. “I asked myself why am I still doing this and how badly do I want this. At the end of the day, I want to be out here full time. I have some great sponsors supporting me and I feel like we made some great additions to the team after Brainerd. The amazing thing is how supportive the NHRA driver and crew chief community is. I talked to a lot of guys who gave me some suggestions and we also were able to pick up some parts that will keep us going.”

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CHICAGO – The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway was a tough outing for Funny Car team owner and driver Chris King and his Howards Cams/Competition Parts Dodge Funny Car team. During the two days of qualifying the team severely damaged a motor battling to make the 16-car field. The team had plans to race in the 69th Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park this weekend but the start-up team ran out of time to get their equipment in race ready shape for the biggest drag race of the season. King will be attending the race and fulfilling his sponsor and fan event obligations but will not be racing.

“It is just so disappointing to not be able to race at the U.S. Nationals,” said King, who qualified No. 14 earlier this season at the Mile-High Nationals. “We were making strides on the performance side at Denver and Topeka, but Brainerd really set us back. My whole goal this year, which I didn’t talk about too much, was to get our program competitive so we could maybe make an impact at Indy and get the attention of more sponsors. That isn’t going to happen on the track, so I am going to go and do all the fan events I committed to and make the most of a bad situation.”

King will be one of many drivers attending the Cruz Pedregon Open House and Car Show (462 Southpoint Circle, Brownsburg, IN) on Thursday, August 30 at 7 p.m. ET for a free driver and celebrity autograph session. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.  and drivers will start signing at 7:00 p.m.  On Friday King will also be signing at the DSR Performance Block Party (1681 E. Northfield Drive, Brownsburg, IN) benefiting Riley Children’s Hospital at noon ET. The Funny Car driver and team owner has several other private events on his schedule and will be at the race as well.

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BRAINERD, MN – Upstart Funny Car team owner and driver Chris King knew chasing his dream of moving from his job as a Chicago firefighter to full-time professional Funny Car would be an uphill battle. What King did not anticipate was the hill would be Mount Everest-like in nature. Through four races this season King has experienced every aspect of frustration and disappointment with flashes of success sprinkled in to maintain a glimmer of improvement and motivation. This weekend at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway King made two qualifying passes but was unable to make the 16-car Funny Car field, damaging his motor beyond repair in the third qualifying session on Saturday.

“We had a plan coming into this weekend with our Howards Cams/Competition Parts Funny Car and Terry Totten’s Top Fuel dragster,” said King. “We were going to get Terry’s Top Fuel dragster in the show on Friday and then turn our attention to my Funny Car for the rest of the sessions. We just go behind the eight ball after the Friday night session and then on Saturday during the first session we kicked the rods out. I am so disappointed.”

During the past two national events King had been making positive strides running multiple personal best times and speeds at the Mile High Nationals in Denver where he qualified No. 14. Last weekend in Topeka at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor King narrowly missed the field qualifying No. 17 but additional personal best runs had the team hopeful for success this weekend in Brainerd.

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CHICAGO, IL – Heading into the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Funny Car driver and team owner Chris King has several goals for his Howards Cams/Competition Products team. Racing at Brainerd International Raceway for the first time, King is eager to make positive strides after a tough race last weekend at the Menards NHRA Nationals in Topeka. The full-time Chicago fireman is building his team with sponsor support and the assistance of a part-time crew led by veteran tuner and racer Terry Totten.

“We hurt ourselves a little last weekend in Topeka but those are the hits you take sometimes as a young and developing team” said King, who has competed at three national events this season. “We are learning every time we work on the car and make a run. Our runs are getting quicker and faster and we are not hurting parts or oiling down the track. Those are all positives, but it is a frustratingly slow process. I love racing and I want to go as fast as possible but when you are building a quality racing program you have to take your time. The patience of the process is what is painful.”

The past two races, Denver and Topeka, have seen King make consecutive runs that are all quicker and faster than he has ever gone in the past. He started his professional career with a handful of races in 2021 and last year he rededicated himself to putting the right pieces together to make a positive run at success this season. The former Alcohol Funny Car racer has the support of many of his fellow competitors in the Funny Car and Top Fuel ranks, so he knows he is moving in the right direction.

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TOPEKA, KS – Nothing is more motivating for a drag racer than achieving back-to-back career bests. Chris King, the Chicago-based Funny Car team owner and driver, was able to experience this firsthand at the Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmor in Topeka. This weekend followed King’s recent success at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver in July, the upstart driver was able to reset personal best elapsed time and speed records during qualifying for the second consecutive NHRA national event.

“We’re continuing to improve every lap out,” said King. “Every run is faster and faster and we’re learning more about the car as we go. The big picture is that we’re accomplishing our goals.”

Chris King rolls up to starting line at Menards NHRA Nationals, photo credit Innovation Creative Exports

During round one of qualifying, King made his quickest pass to date of 4.571 seconds at 223.91 mph. Then, in round two he bested himself again by making a clean, 4.524 second pass at 231.99 mph, setting a new elapsed time record.

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CHICAGO, IL – Success is measured differently depending on where a person or team is on their journey. For upstart Funny Car team owner and driver Chris King his most recent event, the NHRA Dodge Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado, was a successful event even if he had more than his fair share of struggles. In his second race of the season King qualified and also ran career best numbers but a preparation error in the pits cost him a chance at a first round victory. Despite that King and his Howards Cams/Competition Products Dodge Charger Funny Car will enter their third race of the season this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmor looking to keep their positive momentum going.

“I am looking forward to running career best numbers again,” said King, as he prepares to head to Topeka. “The team has some good momentum headed into the weekend and I am very positive about the work my crew chief Terry Totten has put into the race car. I feel very comfortable in the car and all those things will work together to give us a good chance for success at Heartland Park Topeka.”

In Denver during round three of qualifying, King made a 4.724 second pass at 242.15 mph, both the quickest and fastest run of his career at the time. He took what he learned in that run and then made a 4.608 second pass at 270.32 mph in the final round of qualifying, outdoing himself and setting a new personal best elapsed time and speed. Racing on the mountain of Bandimere Speedway has its own sets of challenges with thin air and tricky conditions so the move to Heartland Park Topeka and its smooth and quick surface closer to sea level has King and his crew ready to lower his career marks.

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DENVER – At his second NHRA event in 2023, Funny Car team owner and driver, Chris King, made two of the quickest and fastest runs of his career during qualifying at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.

“I’m extremely excited for the progress we’re making,” said King. “Terry Totten [my crew chief] has been working his butt off at the shop to make this car right for me. And now that we’re getting down the track, it just gives me a whole new level of excitement knowing that we’re not going to go out and blow the tires off or shake my head to oblivion. We’re going to keep chipping away at it to get to that 4-second stage and we’re going to be a handful for whoever pulls up next to us.”

During round three of qualifying, King made a 4.724 second pass at 242.15 mph, both the quickest and fastest run of his career at the time, despite drifting out of the groove and clicking off early. He took what he learned in that run and then made a 4.608 second pass at 270.32 mph in the final round of qualifying, outdoing himself and setting a new personal best elapsed time and speed.

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CHICAGO – Chicago firefighter, NHRA Funny Car team owner and driver, Chris King, did not have the fiery start that he hoped for at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance. In his first national event since 2021, King did not qualify for the competition on Sunday, even with a strong effort. King was appreciative of the entire effort by the Howard Cams/Competition Parts Dodge Charger Funny Car team all weekend.

“I haven’t been in a big show car in two and a half years,” said King. “This is a deal that we put together in like two weeks. We have a brand-new crew that had never met each other until this weekend. It’s a very new operation and a lot of things were worked out this weekend. The guys bonded great, and this season will be a season of learning and making slow progress.”

In the first round of qualifying, King had to adjust to being behind the wheel of a 12,000-horsepower vehicle again. After about 300 feet, he was off the throttle, and still qualified No. 9 at the time. Moving into the second round, he had his quickest run of the weekend, making a 5.629 second pass at 135.41 mph. He wasn’t bumped out of the field until after the third round, when he dropped a cylinder and had to back off the throttle.

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