Dave Richards Racing
JUSTIN ASHLEY AND SCAG TOYOTA RUNNER-UP TO LEAD SCAG RACING AT THE ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS
JOLIET, IL – Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster team secured their second consecutive runner-up 
finish Sunday at the Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. In Funny Car, Daniel Wilkerson in the SCAG Ford Mustang as well as Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran team had first round exits.
In his first final round at Route 66 Raceway, Ashley lined up against motorsports legend Tony Stewart for the sixth time in their careers, first time in a final round. It was a clean drag race from the start with Ashley getting the slight starting line advantage. Ashley had a solid 3.818-second pass at 324.12 mph, but it wouldn’t be enough for Stewart, who got his first Top Fuel win two events ago in Las Vegas. He pulled away for a 3.777 run at 329.10 for the win.
“It was a great weekend. We would have loved to seal the deal for everyone at SCAG Power Equipment and Metalcraft of Mayville, but super happy with how things went and feel like things are definitely trending in the right direction. Very proud of our whole team,” Ashley said. “Going rounds like this is super important. A few final rounds, back-to-back runner-up finishes. It’s really good to get momentum. It’s kind of two-fold. The better you do, the more momentum you have. At the same time, the better you do, the more laps you make and the more data you get. All-in-all, it’s good. Once the race is done though, you have to put it in the past, but it’s nice to get some momentum going forward.” Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS AND BLUEBIRD TURF / VERSATRAN TEAM EAGER FOR ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS
JOLIET, IL – Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car team are primed to take on the Gerber Collision and Glass Route 
66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, just outside Chicago. The weekend offers Richards and the SCAG Racing team an opportunity to perform in front of a passionate crowd, including employees, dealers, and distributors from Metalcraft of Mayville and SCAG Power Equipment.
“I’m excited to get to Chicago and Route 66 Raceway,” Richards said. “It’s going to be quite the scene with all the Cats Eye Gold. We plan on putting on a show for them. Like our car says, ‘Our employees make the difference!’”
Richards hopes to make a strong showing at Route 66 Raceway. The event holds special significance for the SCAG Racing team, with the iconic “Cats Eye Gold” filling the stands, representing the dedicated workforce that powers the SCAG family. Richards and his team are motivated to deliver a performance that honors their support and showcases the strength of the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car. Continue reading
JUSTIN ASHLEY AND SCAG TOYOTA RUNNER-UP AT ZMAX DRAGWAY
CONCORD, NC – Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster team powered their way to the final quad of the 
American Rebel Light NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. In Funny Car, BlueBird Turf / Versatran driver Dave Richards earned quarterfinal points while Daniel Wilkerson in the SCAG Ford Mustang had a first quad exit.
In the final quad, Ashley lined up with reigning world champion Antron Brown, most recent winner and motorsports legend Tony Stewart and multi-time champion Shawn Langdon.
Ashley would leave the starting line first and finish with a 3.776-second pass at 329.99 mph that just wasn’t enough for Langdon’s 3.714 at 330.63. Stewart would finish third going 3.792 at 309.06 while Brown ran into trouble for a 5.441 at 136.39.
“We’re very pleased with the weekend. This SCAG Toyota team, we always expect to win the race, but this was certainly a big move in the right direction. When you’re racing against the best in the world a runner-up finish is something to smile about,” Ashley said. “It’s a testament to the hard work the team puts in both on and off the racetrack. I love this team, and I love being a part of the SCAG Power Equipment family.” Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS TAKES BLUEBIRD TURF TO NHRA FOUR-WIDE FINALS AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
LAS VEGAS – Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car team made their way to the finals of the NHRA Four-Wide 
Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday earning the first semifinal points finish of Richards’ career. Justin Ashley also took the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster to the final quad while Daniel Wilkerson finished with quarterfinal points.
Richards finished third in the final quad at The Strip with a 4.320-second pass at 227.80 mph, beating out four-time world champion Matt Hagan’s 7.965 at 87.66 after he hazed the tires. Paul Lee finished runner-up (4.042 at 311.77) while reigning world champion Austin Prock picked up the win (4.009 at 316.01).
“This was an exciting day. I’ve never made it past the second round. It was a great weekend for our team. It feels really good to go some rounds,” said Richards who moved to 13th in points. “To make it to the final quad in this Funny Car category, to finish third, it’s a major accomplishment for our BlueBird/ Versatran team. Now we have the momentum and taste of what it’s like and we want to continue this trend.” Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS AND BLUEBIRD / VERSATRAN TEAM HOPE TO HAVE SOME LADY LUCK ON THEIR SIDE AT NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
LAS VEGAS – SCAG Racing’s Dave Richards is set to take on the thrilling chaos of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals this weekend at The Strip 
at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Piloting the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car, Richards heads into the event with momentum and a clear focus on delivering a standout performance in the unique four-wide format.
“We’re making progress and moving forward,” said Richards who is 15th in points standings after qualifying No. 12 on a 3.945 second pass at the NHRA Winternationals. “We already have a three-second run under our belt, which shows we are capable of keeping up with this super competitive class. That’s a big step for us, and it’s got the whole team looking forward to showing what we can do.”
Last year at the Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas, Richards qualified 14th before an exit in the first quad against former world champions Ron Capps and J.R. Todd. In the fall event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richards ran one of his first three-second runs to qualify 13th, barely falling short of a first-round victory with a second-consecutive three-second run. Continue reading
DANIEL WILKERSON AND SCAG FORD REACH FINALS AT NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA, CA – Daniel Wilkerson and his SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team finished runner-up Sunday at the Lucas Oil 
NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Teammates Dave Richards in the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car and Justin Ashley in the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster each had early first round exits.
In the final, the second of Wilkerson’s career, the SCAG Ford Mustang team would take on Funny Car veteran and former world champion Jack Beckman. Neither car would make a clean pass. Wilkerson’s SCAG machine went up in tire smoke at the hit, forcing Wilkerson to coast to an 8.292 second run at only 91.83 mph. Beckman would have to pedal his way to a 4.015 at 302.28 for the victory.
“I’m just really proud of our guys for going from not being in the show going into the final session of qualifying to going to the final round of eliminations. Everyone was pretty bummed when we got back to the pit but we have a great car and the car and I are finally starting to click a little bit together so it’s going to come pretty soon. I’m not worried,” said Wilkerson who now sits seventh in the Funny Car points standings. “I’m glad we had these back-to-back races. Getting back out here, making some runs, it was a big deal for me after the red light I had last weekend in Phoenix. I’m glad we were able to turn things around.” Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS AND BLUEBIRD TURF / VERSATRAN TEAM CONFIDENT HEADING INTO NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA, CA – Dave Richards and his BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car team are set to make a statement at the 65th annual Lucas Oil 
NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
The Winternationals, the third race of the 20-event 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, offers Richards a prime opportunity to build on a productive test session following a first-round exit at the NHRA Arizona Nationals. With technical kinks ironed out and a cohesive crew clicking, Richards is poised to turn on winlights at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
“Testing went great for this BlueBird / Versatran team. We simulated a race day for timing, going all the way to the finals. It was good to make four laps in one day, I’ve never done that before. We definitely learned a lot,” Richards said. “We made full pulls in the hot and slimy conditions. We know we’ll have it different this weekend but most importantly we 100% have the parachute gremlin figured out. We have a couple new guys this year and they all did a great job assembling the car all four runs. It really has us feeling confident heading into the weekend. We’re excited to turn the corner and show what we’re made of.” Continue reading
SCAG RACING WRAPS UP ARIZONA NATIONALS AT FIREBIRD MOTORSPORTS PARK
CHANDLER, AZ – With a quarterfinal finish Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster team led the three-car 
nitro SCAG Racing team at this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park. His Funny Car teammates, Daniel Wilkerson in the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang, and Dave Richards in the BlueBird Turf / Versatran machine each had first round exits.
In the first round, Ashley, the No. 6 qualifier, handled his SCAG Toyota dragster to a 3.805-second pass at 327.19 mph to take down Top Fuel sophomore Ida Zetterström and her 3.818 at 324.51 pass. The win matched Ashley up with defending event winner Shawn Langdon in the quarterfinals. Ashley’s SCAG Toyota dragster would run into tire smoke at mid-track for a 4.124 pass at 246.08 mph falling short to Langdon’s 3.841 at 311.49.
“It was nice to pick up our first-round win of the year today. Seeing that win light on Sundays always brings a big smile to all of our faces. Of course, we would’ve loved to go further, but it’s a long year and we will have learned a lot from the race and tomorrow’s test session,” said Ashley who is one win light away from 150 career round wins. “I am super proud of our team and grateful for the opportunity to represent SCAG Power Equipment and all of our great partners.” Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS AND BLUEBIRD TURF / VERSATRAN SET SIGHTS ON SUCCESS AT NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS
CHANDLER, AZ – Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car are ready to showcase the progress of the SCAG Racing-
backed team at this weekend’s 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park.
After weather shortened the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway taking away a full day of qualifying chances, Richards and the BlueBird Turf team did not qualify to compete on raceday. They sat 17th out of 18 entries for a 16-car field. Despite the results, Richards and the team are optimistic heading into race two of the season.
“It’s a tough start to the season. I really do believe if we had those two qualifying runs on Saturday in Gainesville we would be in a way different spot,” said Richards who is 17th in points. “After testing and seeing the numbers, I know we’ve come a long way from where we were last year. I’m positive we will get it together and start building momentum starting this weekend at the Arizona Nationals.” Continue reading
SCAG RACING CLOSES OUT NHRA SEASON OPENER AT GAINESVILLE RACEWAY
GAINESVILLE, FL – The 2025 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season officially kicked off this weekend with the Amalie Motor Oil 
NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Daniel Wilkerson, driver of the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car and Justin Ashley who pilots the SCAG Toyota Top Fuel dragster each had first round exits while Dave Richards and the BlueBird / Versatran team fell victim to Mother Nature’s rain out of Saturday qualifying.
Wilkerson and his SCAG Mustang secured the No. 5 qualifying spot after a 3.901-second pass at 325.45 mph on Friday. Their efforts matched them with No. 12 qualifier Buddy Hull in the first round. Wilkerson would leave the starting line first but both Funny Cars would have tire smoke forcing the drivers to pedal their way to the finish line. Hull would get there first with a 4.048 elapsed time at 313.37 to defeat Wilkerson’s 4.177 at 322.88.
