LONG BEACH, CA – As rookie Funny Car driver Buddy Hull enters race weekend for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, August 15-18, at Brainerd International Raceway, he is beginning to run out of firsts. In his inaugural season as a driver for Jim Dunn Racing, the Brainerd, Minn. racetrack is one of the last few tracks on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour that he has not previously competed at.

“All of the firsts that have come with this year are obviously very exciting,” said Hull. “But there’s a certain level of confidence that comes with not being the newbie all the time. This has been an incredible first season in a nitro Funny Car, and I’m already thinking ahead not just to this year’s U.S. Nationals and Countdown, but also to next season. I’m consistently getting better, just like our Jim Dunn Racing team is.”

The Dallas-based driver is coming off a personal best speed set in Sonoma at 319.60 mph. This new personal record comes on the heels of weeks of growing consistency with the car, as new parts have been introduced. Hull credits these improvements both to work he’s been putting in as a driver, but also fine tuning from the team. Continue reading →

SONOMA, CA – Funny Car Buddy Hull is a naturally optimistic individual, and this weekend at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals in Sonoma, Calif., gave him a lot to be enthusiastic about. The rookie Funny Car driver for Jim Dunn Racing set a new personal best speed during the fourth round of qualifying at 319.60 mph at Sonoma Raceway.

“Setting new personal bests is what keeps us going as a team,” said Hull. “When we came back to the pits after that run on Saturday night, it was just a different kind of energy. We couldn’t wait for race day after that run – it’s one of the best feelings in the world.”

Hull and the iconic Jim Dunn Racing team used the first half of qualifying to work out a few kinks with the car, before making that speed personal record during Q4. They then took what they learned during that run to make their quickest run of the weekend during the first round of eliminations against No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca III. Continue reading →

SEATTLE – Patience is a virtue that is often rewarded, and Funny Car driver Buddy Hull will continue to be patient. The rookie Funny Car driver for Jim Dunn Racing extended his four-race streak of solid, consistent runs that he is confident will soon turn into round wins at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, situated in the Seattle area. Racing with Alo and Jenji Boba Tea, the two wildly popular organic beverages adorning the rear wing of the Lescure Funny Car for the next two events Hull and the Jim Dunn team were looking to continue to put up strong performance numbers.

“I don’t think I could explain enough the confidence our team has had these last three races versus the first five or six of the year. It’s a completely different team,” said Hull. “And it’s because almost every run we’re going down the racetrack. We’re not running three second runs yet, but we’re running low fours. It’s only a matter of time before we make our first three-second run and before our first round win.”

The Dallas-native qualified in the No. 13 spot during his inaugural appearance at Pacific Raceways. For the first time, he faced J.R. Todd in the first round on race day. Todd is the seventh different Funny Car driver Hull has raced against this season. Continue reading →

LONG BEACH, CA – Momentum. That’s the word that’s on Funny Car driver Buddy Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team’s minds going into the NHRA Northwest Nationals this weekend, June 19-21, at Pacific Raceways, located just outside of Seattle. Since turning a corner at the Thunder Valley Nationals in early June, the team has been building a momentum of consistency and performance that is sure to lead to success during the first race of a shortened Western Swing.

“I’ve been telling the team all week that there’s something in the air going into this race,” said Hull. “I have this gut feeling that this weekend will be our weekend. We’ve been consistently running well ever since Bristol, and with a couple weeks off everyone is feeling good. We’re rested up after a busy first half of the season, and we’re ready to turn on some win lights in Seattle.”

This will be Hull’s first time competing at Pacific Raceways, as he continues with his rookie Funny Car season after his transition from a part-time Top Fuel driver to a full-time Funny Car driver. The move has been a challenge and offered Hull the chance to get to know new competitors. Throughout the process Hull has leaned on Hall of Fame team owner Jim Dunn as well as his fellow Funny Car drivers. Continue reading →

NORWALK, OH – Nitro Funny Car driver Buddy Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team have officially turned a corner. Racing at the beloved Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals gave Hull and the Jim Dunn team the time and circumstances needed to get all their ailments in order.

“I’ve been talking about this all year, but we’ve been putting a lot of new parts into this race car, and they are finally starting to agree with each other and come together,” said Hull. “The motor and the clutch are beginning to speak to each other now, rather than hate each other. And the car is going down the racetrack, which means we can now collect a lot of data, and we can continue to tune it up to go faster. We are seeing those results in real time.”

Hull made his best run of the weekend during the first round of eliminations against No. 3 qualifier Blake Alexander. He made a 4.075 second, 314.90 mph pass, backing up his three other solid passes he made during qualifying that were all under 4.250 seconds. Continue reading →

LONG BEACH, CA – The midpoint of a season is an opportunity to both reflect and remotivate. The Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, June 27-30, in Norwalk, Ohio marks the tenth race in a 20-race season, and nitro Funny Car driver Buddy Hull has plenty to reflect on. As he gears up for his first time back at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park since his debut season in Top Fuel in 2021, he is ready for the second half of the 2024 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

“It’s great to be going back to Norwalk,” said Hull. “So much has changed in my racing career in just three short years, since I was last at this race. I’ve made the transition from Top Fuel to Funny Car. I’m racing for the iconic Jim Dunn. I’m fortunate to be racing for the full season instead of just a few races a year. I’m a truly blessed man.”

The drum that Hull has been beating for a few weeks now is consistency. His car is finally consistently running in the low 4-second ET range. And with Norwalk being the fourth race in the past five weekends, there’s consistency with time-on-track. Continue reading →

DINWIDDIE, VA – Following a weekend of consistent progress in Bristol, Tenn., Funny Car driver Buddy Hull continued to build upon that progress at the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Hull made three consistent passes over the weekend that proved that the Jim Dunn Racing team is moving in the right direction.

“This weekend was another big step forward,” said Hull. “I felt good in the race car. It was very hot, but everyone was hot. We made some solid runs, and we chose not to run in the final qualifying session yesterday. We were comfortable with where we were at in the show. And the first two runs yesterday were most comparable to track conditions today, so I think that was still the right call.”

During qualifying, Hull made a 4.185 second, 307.79 mph pass, followed by a 4.232 second, 302.41 mph pass. This in conjunction with the 4.185 second, 273.39 mph pass and 4.176 second, 288.46 mph pass he made during the Thunder Valley Nationals is enough consistency to make Hull and the Jim Dunn team ecstatic as they begin to move into the second half of the season. Continue reading →

LONG BEACH, CA – Any driver will tell you it feels good when you have a gut instinct that you and your car have rounded a corner, and quicker ETs are ahead. Buddy Hull, a Funny Car driver for Jim Dunn Racing, is riding high on that feeling, coming into the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, June 22-23.

“Our performance in Bristol at the Thunder Valley Nationals was exactly what we needed before this race weekend,” said Hull. “We made two solid runs back-to-back, figured out how to replicate when the car runs well, and then had a weekend off to rejuvenate before we hit the ground running again for a busy summer of racing. I am fired up heading to Richmond to build off of those team wins two weeks ago.”

In the ninth race of his Funny Car career, this weekend Hull will be experiencing two new things: racing at Virginia Motorsports Park and trialing a new scheduling format from the NHRA. Typically, a national event consists of two days of qualifying that result in three to four qualifying passes. But for the newly revamped Virginia Nationals, there will be three rounds of qualifying all on Saturday. Continue reading →

BRISTOL, TN- Some consistency is finally on the horizon for Funny Car driver Buddy Hull, a driver for Jim Dunn Racing. After making two solid back-to-back passes during qualifying and the first round of the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Hull has a much more positive outlook going into the rest of the season.

“Both the Q4 and E1 runs were extremely similar, which means we are now able to repeat when we do something right. That is huge,” said Hull. “We now have the best situation going into the next race that we’ve ever had all year. Everybody’s doing their job. The car is staying together and not blowing up. The rods are staying in. It’s just a matter of getting more A to B runs, so we can tune this thing up and go faster. We’re getting there.”

Hull’s best qualifying attempt came on Saturday during Q4, with a 4.185 second, 273.39 mph pass. He then improved on those results during the first round of eliminations on Sunday, earning a 4.176 second E.T. at 288.46 mph. And though that wasn’t enough to get past No. 3 qualifier Ron Capps, if he had run against fellow round one competitors Bobby Bode, Dave Richards, Bob Tasca III or John Smith, it would have been a different story. Continue reading →

LONG BEACH, CA – Legendary tracks like Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tennessee are one of many points of inspiration and self-reflection for driver Buddy Hull, a rookie Funny Car driver for Jim Dunn Racing. This weekend, Hull will be competing in the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 7-9, attempting to further his legacy as a professional drag racer.

“Historic tracks like Bristol make me reflect on how I’m working hard to create a name for myself, and to create some momentum and a legacy for myself and my family,” said Hull. “I have a son on the way. Hopefully I can create opportunities for him in the future, if he also wants to be in the drag racing world. I’m trying to create a legacy name for our family.”

Hull, who transitioned from driving Top Fuel to nitro Funny Car at the beginning of the 2024 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, will be competing at Thunder Valley for the first time in his career this weekend. Though this will be his professional debut in the mountains, he has fond memories of attending the races there as a kid.

“I love these historic tracks because I’m still a drag racing fan,” said Hull. “Yes, I’m a professional drag racer, but I’ll always also be a fan. I grew up at the racetrack and I remember the first time I went to Bristol as a little kid, I rode there in the sleeper of a of a 1985 Dually. There were six of us back in this Dually, with no air conditioning, and with a Top Alcohol Funny Car and a 24-foot trailer behind it. I remember pulling in there and going ‘man, this is so cool.’ I thought to myself that being at the racetrack was like being on vacation, because it was so beautiful.” Continue reading →