Dave Richards Racing
DAVE RICHARDS SEEKS MOMENTUM-BUILDING FINISH IN BLUEBIRD TURF / VERSATRAN MUSTANG AT NHRA FINALS
POMONA, CA – The 2025 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series concludes this weekend as Dave Richards and the SCAG Racing 
BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang Funny Car team arrive at storied In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip determined to finish their second full season campaign on a positive note at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals.
After finishing 12th in points in 2024, Richards posted a career-best elapsed time of 3.920 seconds during the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte and made a semifinal appearance at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol and, after making it to the final quad, earned semifinal points at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals. Richards and the BlueBird Turf team enter the Finals 13th in points with, 139 points behind the top 10—a margin that could close with points and a half on the table for the season finale.
“It’s hard to believe we’re wrapping up two years of full-time racing,” said Richards. “The morale of the team is high. We’re all excited to get to Pomona and finish on a high note. We don’t want to spend the off-season thinking about our last race in any other way than an amazing performance by our BlueBird Turf / Versatran team. We want to know we showed our true potential. We’re going to do our best and I truly am excited to see the outcome.” Continue reading
DANIEL WILKERSON TAKES SCAG MUSTANG TO SEMIFINALS AT NEVADA NATIONALS
LAS VEGAS – Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team raced to another impressive semifinal finish 
Sunday at the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster advanced to the quarterfinals, while Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang had a first-round exit.
Wilkerson, who qualified No. 7 with a 3.919-second run at 329.02 mph, powered through the first two rounds of eliminations. In round one, he took down Paul Lee who dropped a cylinder to go only 4.009 at 315.49, Wilkerson was able to pull away, laying down a 3.912 second pass at 331.12 mph. In the second round he took down former world champion Jack Beckman on a holeshot with a solid .057 reaction time and 3.932 pass at 320.58 mph to Beckman’s .098 reaction time and 3.909 pass at 330.88.
In the semifinals, Wilkerson faced off against championship contender and eventual race winner Matt Hagan. Wilkerson took an early lead and was ahead about 300 feet out before his SCAG Mustang smoked the tires, slowing to a 4.695-second pass at 213.43 mph. Hagan took the round win with a 3.912 at 327.43 mph. Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS AND BLUEBIRD TURF / VERSATRAN MUSTANG CHARGE TOWARD BREAKTHROUGH AT NHRA NEVADA NATIONALS
LAS VEGAS – Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang Funny Car team are rolling into The Strip at Las Vegas Motor 
Speedway with renewed vigor, eyeing a dramatic surge into the NHRA Funny Car top 10 as the 2025 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series winds down with only two races left.
Currently 13th in points and just 101 markers shy of cracking that elite threshold, Richards is treating this weekend’s Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals as prime opportunity to ignite a late-season rally in the neon-drenched desert. Recharged after the two-week break, Richards has high hopes for the BlueBird Turf / Versatran team at the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals.
“It’s been a good few weeks off, spent a lot of time catching up on the pool business and enjoying time with my girls; flag football is back in season,” Richards said. “But I’m really excited for this race. I have high hopes for our BlueBird / Versatran team. The guys have been busting their butts getting things perfect for these last two races. We’re sticking to our plan, trying to stay consistent. Consistency brings performance. We’re looking for a breakthrough weekend.” Continue reading
DANIEL WILKERSON TAKES SCAG RACING TO SEMIFINALS AT TEXAS FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, TX – Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team rallied to their fifth semifinal finish of the 
season Sunday at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex. Justin Ashley took the SCAG Toyota dragster to a quarterfinal finish while Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang found consistency but had a first-round exit.
Wilkerson had a rare misstep in his semifinal battle against three-time world champion Ron Capps. Wilkerson left the starting line late at .127-seconds to Capps’ .072 and wasn’t able to make up enough ground to reach the finish line first. Capps won the round on a holeshot with a 4.019-second pass at 315.81 mph to Wilkerson’s 3.983 at 325.73.
“We continue to have a badass race car in the heat. I just hate being the one that seems to be letting us down every time we have a car that I’m pretty convinced could win the race,” Wilkerson said. “I just somehow got out of my routine. I did something weird when I stuck my foot where I thought it needed to go, and I revved the thing up and it screwed the hole run up. It’s disappointing because I’ve been doing it like that for a while and this time, when it’s important, it screwed us up. But mama said there’d be days like this. Just hate it for my guys; from [crew chief] Tim [Wilkerson], all the way through the whole crew. They gave me a great race car, and I let everybody down. Hopefully we have similar conditions at the next one in Vegas so that we can hit the reset button and kick everybody’s butt there.” Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS AND BLUEBIRD / VERSATRAN TEAM GUNNING FOR TOP 10 PUSH AT TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
ENNIS, TX – Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang Funny Car team are fired up to tackle Texas Motorplex this 
weekend at the Texas NHRA FallNationals, the pivotal fourth round of the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship.
Currently sitting 13th in the Funny Car points standings and just 96 points shy of cracking the top 10, Richards is determined to deliver consistent performances to climb the leaderboard in the season’s closing sprint.
Texas Motorplex has been a track of triumph and trial for Richards, where the team recorded a career-best 3.92-second elapsed time pass last year—while also overcoming a devastating 2023 crash that tested their resolve. Rebuilt stronger, the BlueBird Turf / Versatran squad enters the weekend ready to put on a show for a massive group of supporters. Continue reading
DANIEL WILKERSON AND JUSTIN ASHLEY REACH SEMIFINALS AT NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS
MADISON, IL – Daniel Wilkerson in the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car and Justin Ashley in his SCAG Power Equipment 
Toyota Top Fuel dragster put SCAG Racing in the semifinals Sunday at the NAPA Auto Park NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway. Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran machine had an early first round exit.
As the No. 3 and No. 14 qualifiers, Daniel Wilkerson and Dave Richards squared off in the first round. Wilkerson smoked the tires almost immediately and coasted to a 11.893-second pass at 76.97 mph, but it wouldn’t matter. Richards left the starting line -.169 too early for a red light start and that gave Wilkerson the win. For the record, the BlueBird Turf machine ran 4.067-seconds at 316.30 mph.
“That one hurt. This BlueBird Turf team has been working so hard and it’s starting to show. It showed in the first round, we should have had that win and I blew it,” said Richards about the first red-light start of his 13-year career. “I’m going to be kicking myself for that but overall, it was a good weekend, and it has us optimistic for the last three races of the season.” Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS AND BLUEBIRD TURF / VERSATRAN TEAM OPTIMISTIC FOR NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS
MADISON, IL – Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang Funny Car team are heading into the NAPA Auto Parts 
NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway with growing confidence.
As the third of six races in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, this event marks a critical opportunity for Richards and his team to build on their recent progress following a solid performance at the NHRA Four-Wide Carolina Nationals.
“We’re going to be building from Charlotte,” said Richards who qualified No. 15 and had a first quad exit. “The BlueBird Turf car really started responding to what we were telling it to do. It’s really positive feedback that the team is headed in the right direction, what we’ve been working on is working, slowly but surely. We just need to keep at it. Three races in a row has offered an opportunity to build some momentum, so we plan to start the first qualifying session off on the right foot and let that flow through into race day.” Continue reading
JUSTIN ASHLEY WINS NHRA FOUR-WIDE CAROLINA NATIONALS IN HISTORIC FASHION
CONCORD, NC – Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster team picked up their fourth win of the season 
Sunday at the NHRA Four-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Ford Mustang team earned semifinal points for making it to the second final quad appearance of his career while Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran team had a first quad exit.
In his seventh final round of the season 32nd of his career, Ashley lined up with former champions Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican. Well known for his stealth ability on the starting line, Ashley and the SCAG Toyota dragster crossed the finish line in 3.784-seconds, identical to Kalitta’s elapsed time but Ashley’s .043-second reaction time to Kalitta’s .068 gave Ashley the holeshot victory, the 19th win of his career, his first at zMAX Dragway and second in the four-wide format in North Carolina.
“It’s a great feeling. Obviously winning any four-wide race, or any race for that matter, is great. But to win here for the first four-wide race in the fall that NHRA’s ever had, especially where it’s positioned in the Countdown, this was a critical day for us,” Ashley said. “There are still four races left, but these races are hard to win. So, I’m a firm believer, in the fact that you have to enjoy them when they come before shifting your focus over to the next one.” Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS TARGETS REBOUND AT HISTORIC NHRA FOUR-WIDE CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, NC – Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang Funny Car team are primed for redemption as they head 
to zMAX Dragway for the NHRA Four-Wide Carolina Nationals, the second of six races in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship. Marking a historic first, this event introduces the four-wide format to the playoffs, setting the stage for Richards to make a bold move in the Funny Car standings.
Following a tough outing at the recent Reading event, Richards, a seasoned competitor, is eager to reignite his playoff campaign. Currently sitting 13th in the Funny Car points with Richards and the BlueBird Turf team are focused on capitalizing on their strong track record at zMAX Dragway to climb toward their season goal of a top 10 finish.
“It’s the first time four-wide has been in the Countdown. That’s pretty exciting for this BlueBird / Versatran team. We’ve had success at zMAX Dragway before, it’s been good to us, and we’re looking to quickly rebound from last weekend in Reading, Pennsylvania,” Richards said. “There’s still time to pull through and make this a successful season. Our goal of a top 10 finish is still in sight, but we need to make some moves now. With it being four-wide, I like our chances.” Continue reading
SCAR RACING WRAPS UP NHRA READING NATIONALS
READING, PA – The three-car SCAG Racing team closed the books on the NHRA Reading Nationals, race one of six in the NHRA 
Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six race Playoffs, Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway.
Justin Ashley and his SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster led the team as the No. 2 qualifier and a quarterfinal finish while Daniel Wilkerson in the SCAG Ford Mustang and Dave Richards in the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang had first round exits.
Ashley earned his No. 2 qualifying position off a stout 3.738-second pass at 331.69 mph and lined up against No. 15 qualifier Scott Farley. Ashley left the starting in an impressive .029-seconds, on trend for the 2020 Rookie of the Year, and never trailed for a 3.761-second pass at 330.31 mph that earned him lane choice in the quarterfinals. Farley smoked the tires to a 6.176 at 101.06.
In the second round, Ashley matched up with multi-time champion Steve Torrence. Ashley left the starting first but Torrence would drive around him for a 3.835-second pass at 331.77 mph that bettered Ashley’s 3.994 at 279.38. Continue reading
