LAS VEGAS – Upstart Funny Car driver Dylan Winefsky continued his progression to becoming a future full-time NHRA Funny Car driver with a strong effort at the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals this weekend. Running in a field of 21 Nitro Funny Cars the 20-year-old Arizonian was hoping to claim one of the 16 qualified spots in the fifth Countdown playoff race. Through two days of qualifying that started on Friday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Winefsky and the Nitro Moose Funny Car team made a gallant effort.

“We came into this weekend knowing it would be a very tough road to get into the field, but we never doubted ourselves,” said Winefsky, who has raced his way up from the Junior Dragster ranks to Nitro Funny Car. “Everyone on this team was working their butts off as soon as we got parked. This was our second race in Las Vegas and I felt comfortable. I have raced here throughout my career, so I was excited to get the race started.”

On Friday the Nitro Moose Funny Car rolled off the trailer and made a solid run in the opening session. Winefsky wheeled his Funny Car to the provisional No. 14 spot with a 4.279 second pass. The team went back to the pits with the mindset to step up their performance in the second qualifying session. Unfortunately, as the team was wrapping up their preparations and putting the engine back together following the warm-up, a miscue in the process cost the team valuable time and they could not make the second qualifying session. Continue reading →

LAS VEGAS – Upstart Funny Car driver Dylan Winefsky will be taking his second crack at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend driving the Nitro Moose Funny Car during the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals. This will be the third NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event for the young driver from Arizona who has raced his way from junior dragster to Nitro Funny Car. Winefsky made his NHRA debut at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals and then made a strong effort at the Northwest Nationals in Seattle before coming back to Las Vegas to wrap up his big show Funny Car season.

“I’m excited to get back to Las Vegas for sure,” said Winefsky. “I am getting more comfortable and by the time we get to this race I will have made almost a dozen runs. Every time I get in the car, I feel more confident. Vegas is almost like a home race for us. I raced everything from Juniors to my big show car. It makes it easier on my mind because I am comfortable there.”

Since the Nitro Moose Funny Car was in action in Seattle, Winefsky and his father Robert have been busy making improvements to the car as well as getting track time at a variety of events in multiple roles. Continue reading →

SEATTLE – In just his second NHRA national event as a nitro Funny Car driver rookie Dylan Winefsky and his Nitro Moose Funny Car team qualified and impressed a packed house at Pacific Raceways all weekend. The 20-year-old from El Mirage, Arizona, made the trek from the southwest to the northwest to get seat time and experience as he pursues his dream of racing full time on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Earlier this season at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals Winefsky narrowly missed qualifying in his professional debut but this weekend the up-and-coming star would not be denied as he ran his way onto a tough 16-car Funny Car field.

“The highs of this weekend were good,” said Winefsky. “We learned a lot figuring out what the car likes, what the car doesn’t like. I’m just getting more seat time and getting even more comfortable with the car. We’ll move on from this and take all the positives to the next race.”

His second national event started with a tough run on Friday night under the lights as the young driver made one of the quickest runs of the opening qualifying round. Unfortunately, at the top end of the track the Nitro Moose Funny Car drifted across the centerline disqualifying a solid run for the team. Winefsky took the experience as a learning opportunity and immediately put it out of his head. Continue reading →

EL MIRAGE, AZ – Funny Car rookie Dylan Winefsky will be making his second professional start at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort Northwest Nationals squaring off with full-time Mission Foods Drag Racing Series teams that he has admired his entire life. The 20-year-old is not intimidated by the prospect, considering his race team has received support from many of the teams, drivers and crew chiefs. The fact that he made a solid impression in his debut race in Las Vegas earlier this season also has established the team as a welcome addition to the NHRA tour. Winefsky, a second-generation driver, is looking to continue to improve his Nitro Funny Car skills and build on years of experience racing fuel altereds, this weekend at Pacific Raceways.

“The fuel altered was the same 125-inch wheelbase as my Funny Car, but it didn’t have the down force,” said Winefsky, who started his career like so many current pros in the NHRA junior dragster ranks. “They kind of danced around a little bit at the top end. Control wise, and everything they are almost all the same procedure. They all handle a little differently. I did Frank Hawley’s school to get my Super Comp license, and then I got into our fuel altered. That’s all I’ve driven, aside from the Funny Car.”

Winefsky wears many hats for the up-and-coming team from Arizona. The week leading up to the race the Funny Car driver will also be the team’s truck driver in charge of getting the 12,000 horsepower Funny Car from Arizona to Seattle. He has been driving his rig since he was 16 years old and enjoys the time on the road in advance of the races. Continue reading →