Brownsburg, IN – Paul Lee, owner and driver of the McLeod Racing Nitro Funny Car team, announces addition to brain trust with Jason Bunker. Bunker will start immediately with Dustin Heim and the team at the Brownsburg, IN shop. Paul Lee looks at this progression in his team as a fresh start.

Bunker, a Northern California native, has been involved with drag racing since he was a teenager. With experience in Pro-Modified, Nostalgia Funny Car, Nitro Funny Car, and a Top Fuel Dragster, Bunker has the passion that will complement the entire Paul Lee Racing team.

“I am very excited to be joining Paul Lee’s team,” says Bunker. “The opportunity to be fully involved with a nitro funny car team in Indy was the perfect next step for me and my family. Taking a look at the equipment that Paul has purchased over the last couple of years, this team has all the potential to run with the top funny car teams in this sport. And to work together with Dustin is going to be a really great time and we both can’t wait to hit the track in Houston.”

Bunker will be assisting Dustin Heim at the controls of the team and the tune up for the car. With these two young guns, Paul Lee is ready reap in the rewards with some fresh perspective on racing in one of the toughest classes in NHRA drag racing.

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ANAHEIM, CA – Paul Lee and his McLeod Racing funny car team will return to the Pomona Fairplex with Mainline Sales Inc, MSI International, and BREEN Engineering to kick off the 2022 NHRA Camping World Series. Coming off a strong preseason test session, the Jim Oberhofer and Dustin Heim led team look forward to hitting the ground running for the funny car class.

Mainline Sales and MSI National Sales are a full-service manufacturer’s representative, serving plumbing (residential & commercial), mechanical, fire protection, industrial, irrigation, waterworks, and automotive in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii. Supported by a seasoned staff of professionals who are dedicated to satisfying the value chain, Mainline Sales and MSI National believe in delivering superior results for manufacturers who they represent.

BREEN Engineering is a well-established local and national engineering resource, providing high quality civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering design. BREEN has consulted on multi-million-dollar engineering projects throughout Southern California and across the United States.

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BRISTOL, TN – Paul Lee will showcase his newest acquisition, Silver Sport Transmissions, with a brand-new scheme for his nitro funny car this weekend at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, TN. Silver Sport Transmissions (SST), a Rockford, TN based company, is a TREMEC Elite Distributor and leads the industry in TREMEC 5 and 6-Speed kits. The Jim Oberhofer led team looks to continue their tenacious effort in the ultra-competitive funny car class.

Silver Sport Transmissions is the latest brand to join Lee’s Wharton Automotive Group.  With their in-house engineering department, SST continuously develops and refines complete, turnkey kits for a wide variety of applications – from classic American muscle cars and trucks to four-wheel drives and late model imports. With decades of experience, SST’s powertrain experts can help you transform your vehicle’s drivetrain into a modern and rewarding driving experience.

“Our entire Wharton Automotive Group team is proud to represent SST this weekend in their home state of Tennessee. We love Bristol Dragway and there’s no better location to introduce the SST Funny Car. We welcome all of our loyal SST employees to the track for a fun weekend of NHRA drag racing,” says Wharton Automotive Group president, Paul Lee.

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LAS VEGAS, NV – Paul Lee loves Las Vegas and he will love it more when he wins a NHRA Camping World Wally on Sunday. The FTI Performance/McLeod Racing nitro funny car team has achieved many fast runs and great numbers, but they have not sealed the deal with a four-round victory on a Sunday. Lee and the team look at the Dodge World Finals as a chance to upset the Championship chase with a victory of their own.

Paul Lee visits Vegas occasionally to partake in some of the toughest high-stakes poker tournaments. Lee has found a few wins on the poker tables and now wants that win on the drag strip. Crew Chief Jim Oberhofer and the team are primed and ready for an all-in bet this weekend at the Strip.

“I’ve had some success in no limit hold’em poker tournaments over the years, but now it’s time to win at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” says Paul Lee, president and owner of McLeod Racing and FTI Performance. “Racing is sometimes like playing poker; you need some skill and a lot of luck to win.”

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BROWNSBURG, IN – The WebMD Corporation follows Paul Lee’s journey back to 330 mph Nitro Funny Cars after he suffered a widow-maker heart attack in 2016. “The Green Light” showcases the trials of Lee’s rehabilitation back to a healthy lifestyle both on and off the track.

WebMD, the leading source for trustworthy and timely health and medical news and information, accompanied Paul Lee at the 2019 AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals where they captured a brilliant perspective of Paul as the race car driver, but also has a heart attack survivor.

“Courtney Dixon and the entire WebMD crew did a great representation of my journey back to driving a Nitro Funny Car in NHRA,” says Paul Lee. “I hope when the ‘over 50’ viewers watch this, that they go to their doctor and get a stress test check-up for any existing or hereditary heart disease problems. Heart attacks can be prevented with the proper care.”

The video features the inspiration and the realization of life that Paul Lee went through after surviving a widow maker heart attack.

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DeLand, FL – Paul Lee, owner and driver of the Global Electronic Technology Nitro Funny car, will be sporting a new FTI Performance livery in honor of competing at FTI’s home track in Gainesville, FL. Lee acquired the FTI Performance company in August of 2019. FTI is the leading supplier to the hard core drag racer specializing in torque converters, automatic transmissions, and gear boxes. Lee will be hosting FTI founder Greg Samuel and the rest of the FTI employees on Friday of the Gators.

FTI Performance, based in DeLand, FL, is a reputable company within the grassroots drag racing circuit. With multiple wins in several of the high dollar bracket races and Danny Nelson claiming the Top Dragster title with NHRA in 2019 to multiple titles in the Pro-Modified class, FTI is no stranger to the world of drag racing.

“My vision has always been to grow and become the market leader in the high performance and drag racing drivetrain industry,” says Paul Lee, owner of McLeod Racing. “I have been drag racing for 40 years. I love this sport and I love this industry. The acquisition of FTI is a perfect balance and addition to McLeod Racing. Now, with both FTI and McLeod, we have a compete solution in the automotive performance drivetrain market making us a one stop shop for any of your drivetrain needs, manual or automatic.”

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ANAHEIM, CA – Global Electronic Technology joins Paul Lee Racing for the 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season on his Nitro Funny Car. Lee will adorn the beautiful blue of Global Electronic Technology as the major marketing partner for 12 selected races. Lee currently plans to run 15 total races in 2020 with his “friends and family” funny car team.

Lee, a survivor of a widow-maker heart attack in late 2016, will continue his journey to return to the seat of a nitro funny car. 2019 was his “Comeback Tour” and the car competed in 8 races with the Jim Oberhofer-led team. In 2020 Lee plans to grow his program and compete at the highest level of NHRA and continue as a part of Straightline Strategy Group.

“I’m extremely excited for the 2020 NHRA season. If you’re racing at this level and as competitive as Jim O, the team, and I are, the goal is to grow with the personnel and resources that it takes to put us in a position to compete for race wins and hopefully, championships. That has always been my goal in racing,” says Lee, of Orange, CA. “When I returned to this sport after my heart recovery, I made it a point to build a competitive team, race hard, and most importantly, to have fun racing with my friends and family.”

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Anaheim, CA – Paul Lee returns to the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd with Lucas Oil as a major partner. The Nitro Funny Car will have a special scheme to showcase the Lucas Oil Slick Mist Car Care line. Lee and the McLeod Racing team hope to continue their phenomenal performance on track for 2019.

As growing partners both on and off the track, Lucas Oil and Paul Lee are both anxious to showcase a new look for the Lucas Oil Nationals.

“I’m excited to return working with and representing the Lucas Oil family this year with the NHRA Funny Car team as well as our McLeod Racing business,” says Lee, owner of McLeod Racing. “This new partnership will promote increased sales of Lucas Oil products and allows crew chief Jim Oberhofer and our team to continue a near perfect start in my return to NHRA drag racing.”

Without a doubt, both McLeod Racing and Lucas Oil are industry giants in the performance aftermarket arena. McLeod is now a distributor of Lucas Oil products and will provide their products in conjunction with sales of transmissions and other driveline components.

“We are looking forward to a long working relationship as well as on track performance with Paul Lee and the entire team at McLeod,” says Tom Bogner, Lucas Oil Director of Motorsports. “Lucas Oil Products and McLeod Racing have many of the same goals including selling products. This year marks our 30th celebration of business and our Lucas Oil brand is stronger than ever. As two great American companies, we will continue to grow in the American Muscle aftermarket.”

Both partners are equally energized for this collaboration.

“All of us at Lucas Oil are eager to get to Brainerd for the launch of this partnership,” says Duane LaFleur, Lucas Oil Business Development for High Performance. “In the meetings with Paul, each party is optimistic about the future development for both NHRA drag racing and the aftermarket industry.”

The Jim Oberhofer-lead team is looking to build on their accomplishments thus far in 2019. With a 3rd qualifying position and a second-round appearance in Norwalk, Lee looks to continue improving his racing program to become a competitive force in NHRA Funny Car.

Under the umbrella of the Straightline Strategy Group (SSG), this partnership represents the future of the SSG organization. “We are thrilled to represent Paul and now establish the program with Lucas Oil,” says SSG’s Scott Gardner. “This is exactly how we planned our team concept to work.”

“Driving this funny car has been one of the best experiences in my racing career thus far,” says Lee. “I have complete trust in my team and I am confident that we will continue to rack up the round wins on Sunday. This year continues to impress with the performance of the car as well as B2B opportunities with McLeod.”

The Lucas Oil/McLeod Racing Funny Car will be on track at Brainerd International Raceway August 16-18. Be sure to follow along: @paul_lee116, @mcleod_racing, @lucasoilproducts.

JOLIET, IL – Paul Lee will return to the seat of his privately owned Nitro Funny Car this weekend at the Route 66 Nationals in Joliet. Lee, primarily backed by McLeod Racing, is looking to have another successful, clean weekend. This weekend, JEGS Performance will be McLeod’s Dealer of the Race and Dragzine will be the official publication.

The Chicagoland track has always been a favorite of Paul Lee. During his Top Alcohol Funny Car career, he was the runner up in 2004. Lee also received his Fuel Funny Car license during a Monday test session after the event.

“Route 66 has always been really great to me,” says Lee, owner of McLeod Racing. “I went to the finals in Alcohol Funny Car and now we are looking to do it in the Nitro Funny Car. After Atlanta, I can’t wait to get back in the seat. If Atlanta was any kind of insight of what this team and what this car can do, I have no worries that we will going rounds on Sunday.”

During the race weekend, JEGS Performance will be hosting a Dealer of the Race sale. Our customers will be able to become McLeod equipped at Jegs.com from May 27th to June 3rd.

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